ADULT ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENTS
Assistive Technology Assessments for Adults
Find equipment that supports the person, their everyday life and what they want to achieve.
The right equipment can make everyday activities safer, easier and more comfortable. But equipment only helps when it suits the person, the activity, the environment and the way it will be used.
Strive to Thrive Therapy provides mobile Assistive Technology assessments for adults across Greater Brisbane, including Brisbane’s northside and southside, Ipswich, Logan, Redlands and Moreton Bay.
We can help identify suitable equipment, arrange trials, work with suppliers and provide clear recommendations and supporting reports. This includes everyday equipment, complex seating and customised manual and power wheelchairs.
What is Assistive Technology?
Assistive Technology, often called AT, includes equipment, products and technology that help a person complete everyday activities, move around safely or participate more independently.
This may include equipment for mobility, seating, transfers, showering, toileting, personal care, household tasks or other parts of daily life.
An assessment can help when an activity is difficult, unsafe or tiring, but it is not yet clear which equipment or setup will work best.
Who we support
Adults aged 18 and over who need equipment to make everyday activities safer, easier, more comfortable or more independent.
Where assessment happens
The assessment usually takes place at home or in another setting where the equipment will be used. This helps us understand how it needs to work in everyday life.
How we help
We assess the person’s needs, explore suitable options, arrange trials, work with suppliers and provide recommendations or written reports where required.
When might an Assistive Technology assessment help?
An assessment can help when an everyday activity has become difficult, unsafe or tiring, and it is not yet clear which equipment or setup will work best.
The starting point is not the product. It is understanding what the person wants to do, what is getting in the way and what would make the activity safer, easier or more comfortable.
- Showering, toileting, dressing, transfers or mobility have become difficult or unsafe.
- A person is using more effort or relying on more support than they would like.
- Existing equipment is uncomfortable, poorly fitted, damaged or no longer meeting the person’s needs.
- Several equipment options need to be compared, customised or trialled.
- Complex seating or a customised manual or power wheelchair is being considered.
- Equipment needs to work within a particular home, transport or community environment, or supporting evidence is required.
The assessment starts with the person, not the product
The Occupational Therapist first looks at what the person wants to do and what is making that activity difficult. Equipment options are then considered in relation to the person’s body, routines, environment and goals.
What the person wants to do
We begin with the activity or outcome that matters to the person. This might include moving around the home, showering safely, sitting comfortably, going into the community or completing more of a task independently.
How the activity is managed now
The assessment may consider movement, balance, posture, fatigue, pain, strength, coordination, communication, memory, planning and problem-solving, as well as the support the person currently receives.
Where the equipment will be used
Space, access, surfaces, storage, transport and available support can all affect which options are practical.
How it fits everyday life
We consider comfort, safety, ease of use, setup, maintenance and whether the equipment supports the person’s usual routines and future needs.
Equipment we can help assess
The equipment considered depends on the person’s needs and what they want it to help them do.
Not every item requires a formal Occupational Therapy assessment. More detailed assessment is usually needed when the person has complex needs, there are safety concerns, equipment needs to be customised or supporting evidence is required.
- Showering, bathroom and toileting equipment.
- Personal care and dressing equipment.
- Transfer equipment.
- Walking and mobility equipment.
- Kitchen and household aids.
- Seating and positioning equipment.
- Pressure management equipment.
- Simple technology or controls for lights, doors and household equipment.
- Equipment to support safety, comfort or independence at home and in the community.
COMPLEX SEATING AND MOBILITY
Customised seating and wheelchairs
For people with complex postural, pressure management or mobility needs, the right seating or wheelchair can make a meaningful difference to comfort, stability, movement, transfers and participation.
Assessment may include:
- Understanding the person’s seating and mobility goals.
- Reviewing posture, positioning and pressure needs.
- Taking relevant measurements.
- Reviewing current seating or mobility equipment.
- Considering the person’s home, transport and community access.
- Working with equipment suppliers.
- Trialling and adjusting suitable options.
- Gathering feedback from the person and their support team.
- Preparing recommendations and supporting documentation.
Strive supports complex seating assessments and the prescription of customised or scripted manual and power wheelchairs. We review these referrals to confirm that an Occupational Therapist with the right experience and availability can support the person.
Try equipment in the situations that matter
An equipment trial gives the person an opportunity to understand how an option feels and works during the activities they want to complete.
A trial is not only about comparing products. It helps answer practical questions such as:
- Is it comfortable?
- Is it safe and stable?
- Is it easy to use?
- Does it reduce effort or the amount of support needed?
- Does it fit within the home or other environments?
- Can it be stored or transported?
- Does it work with the person’s other equipment?
- Does it support the person’s routines and goals?
The person’s experience and feedback are central to the final recommendation.
Equipment that looks suitable in a catalogue or showroom may work differently once it is used in everyday life.
Where appropriate, Strive can work with suppliers to arrange and document equipment trials. Trial availability depends on the equipment and the suppliers involved.
What does the assessment process look like?
Step 1: Start with what matters
Tell us what the person wants to do, what is currently difficult and whether any equipment has already been used or considered.
Step 2: Assess the person and activity
The Occupational Therapist meets with the person and looks at how the activity is currently completed, what support is currently needed and what the person wants to make safer or easier.
Step 3: Explore suitable options
We consider which equipment features are likely to suit the person, the activity and the environment.
Step 4: Trial and refine
Where a trial is useful and equipment is available, the person can test an option and provide feedback. Adjustments or other options may then be explored.
Step 5: Agree on the next step
The Occupational Therapist explains the outcome, works with suppliers or other professionals where needed, and provides the agreed recommendations and supporting documentation.
Clear recommendations and practical next steps
Before assessment begins, we clarify what outcome or documentation is needed.
This may include:
- A clear explanation of the person’s goals and current difficulties.
- A summary of relevant assessment findings.
- A record of equipment options or trials.
- Recommendations and the reasons behind them.
- Practical guidance about setup, use, support or training.
- Liaison with suppliers and other professionals.
- Written evidence or a formal report where required.
Our role
Strive does not sell, install or repair equipment.
Our role is to assess the person’s needs, support trials, make recommendations, work with suppliers and provide the agreed written evidence or report.
An Occupational Therapist can recommend equipment and provide supporting evidence. The NDIA or another funder makes the final funding decision.
Is an Assistive Technology assessment the right pathway?
Assistive Technology assessment
This may be the right pathway when the main question is whether equipment or technology could help with a particular activity, mobility need or safety concern.
Home Modification assessment
This may be more suitable when the main barrier is the home environment, such as bathroom access, steps, thresholds, doorways or the layout of a space.
Functional Capacity Assessment
An FCA may be more useful when a broad and current picture of everyday function, support needs and participation is required.
Capacity Building Occupational Therapy
Ongoing therapy may be more suitable when the person wants to practise skills, establish routines, build confidence or learn to use equipment over time.
What to expect from Strive to Thrive Therapy
Our approach is practical, collaborative and centred on the person. We focus on how equipment will work in everyday life, involve the person throughout the decision and explain the options and next steps clearly.
Assessment in everyday environments
We assess equipment in the place it will be used whenever practical.
This helps identify issues that may not be clear from a product description or showroom trial.
Decisions made with the person
We listen to what matters to the person and include their experience throughout assessment, trials and recommendations.
Clear and honest communication
We explain what is being assessed, what the options are and what the next step may involve.
Where a different service is likely to be more suitable, we will explain that clearly.
Related Assistive Technology Resources
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications
Learn how Occupational Therapists consider the person, activity and environment when recommending equipment or changes within the home.
How to write an Occupational Therapy referral
See what information can help an Occupational Therapist understand the person’s goals, current difficulties and reason for referral.
Occupational Therapy and NDIS resources
Explore practical information about Occupational Therapy assessments, NDIS supports and preparing for the next step.
Frequently asked questions
Does every piece of equipment need an Occupational Therapy assessment?
No. Some simple, low-risk items may be selected without a formal assessment.
An assessment is more useful when the person has complex needs, there are safety concerns, several options need to be trialled, the equipment needs to be customised or supporting evidence is required.
Can Strive arrange equipment trials?
Yes, where a trial is relevant and suitable equipment is available through a supplier.
The Occupational Therapist can help coordinate the trial and gather feedback about how the equipment works for the person.
Can Strive help with complex seating and wheelchairs?
Yes. Strive supports complex seating and customised or scripted manual and power wheelchair prescription.
Referrals are reviewed to confirm that the person’s needs match the experience and availability of the Occupational Therapist.
Does Strive sell equipment?
No. Strive provides Occupational Therapy assessment, trials, supplier liaison, recommendations and reporting.
Equipment is purchased or supplied through an equipment provider.
Will I receive a written report?
A written report or other supporting documentation can be provided when it is part of the agreed service.
We clarify what documentation is needed before the assessment begins.
Will the NDIS fund the recommended equipment?
The Occupational Therapist can provide assessment findings, recommendations and supporting evidence.
The NDIA or another funder makes the final decision about whether equipment will be funded.
Start with the activity, not the equipment
You do not need to know which product or assessment to request.
Tell us what the person wants to do, what is currently difficult, what equipment has already been tried and whether a recommendation or report is needed.
We can review the information and help clarify the most useful next step.