Frequently Asked Questions

General questions

  • Occupational Therapy helps people develop the skills and confidence to take part in everyday activities — at home, school, work, or in the community. It focuses on building independence, improving daily living skills, and supporting people to do the things that are meaningful to them.

  • Occupational Therapy can help children develop the skills they need to grow, learn, and participate in daily life. This may include improving their performance in play and social interaction, self-care routines such as showering, toilet training, teeth brushing, hair tasks, other household tasks such as laundry, vacuuming and cooking, sleeping and eating.

  • An Occupational Therapist can help you work toward goals that build independence, confidence, and participation in everyday life. This might include personal care, cooking, using public transport, organising routines, improving social or communication skills, joining community activities, or managing sensory and emotional needs. Your goals are always personalised to what matters most to you.

  • An Occupational Therapist (OT) is a qualified health professional who assesses needs, sets goals, and develops therapy plans. A Therapy Assistant works under the guidance and supervision of an OT to carry out sessions and support clients in practising their skills. Together, they help you work toward your goals in a practical, hands-on way.

  • No you do not need a referral. You can contact us directly via email or mobile. We are currently taking referrals for Little Riders Bike skills group, NDIS respite care, and mentoring.

    • We are taking referrals for Little Riders - Bike Skills Groups.

    • We are taking referrals for NDIS respite care.

    • We are taking referrals for Mentoring

NDIS & Funding

  • Clients can be seen both NDIS or be privately funded.

    • Therapy Gold is not registered with NDIS. We provide therapy services to plan and self-managed participants. We cannot provide therapy to clients whose funds are managed by the NDIS known as ‘agency managed’.

    • All OT’s have a formally recognised national regulatory body called AHPRA.

  • You can use your NDIS funding for supports that help you work toward the goals in your plan. This may include occupational therapy, therapy assistant sessions, mentoring, skill-building, community participation, or help with daily living activities. The type of funding you have (self-managed, plan-managed, or NDIA-managed) will determine how these supports are accessed and paid for.

  • We do support our clients to understand their NDIS plans and plan for specific therapy services with us. It is best that your plan manager, support coordinator, and/or NDIS planner / coordinator assist you as a first choice to understanding how to use your NDIS plan.

  • If your NDIS plan changes, just let us know as soon as possible so we can update your service agreement and ensure your supports continue smoothly. We’ll work with you (and your plan manager or support coordinator, if you have one) to adjust goals, sessions, and funding details to match your new plan.

Appointments & Sessions

  • Sessions are tailored to clients needs. Generally speaking, sessions are scheduled for 1 hour with flexibility for longer sessions when required.  

  • Best practice principles clearly show that when working with neurodivergent people, therapy is most effective when delivered in natural settings.
    But what does this mean?

    It means we follow evidence-based practice by teaching skills where they are used — at home, at school, and in the community. Research tells us that neurodivergent children and young people often find it more difficult to generalise skills between environments.

    For example, a young person may attend a cooking group in a clinic and learn to cook spaghetti Bolognese independently in a well-equipped kitchen. However, when they return home and are asked to make the same meal, they may suddenly need significant support — the kitchen layout is different, the utensils and ingredients look and feel unfamiliar, and even the pasta or mince may cook differently.

    By teaching skills in real-world environments, we help ensure that learning transfers into daily life — where it truly matters.

    Do you offer telehealth sessions?

    • Telehealth sessions are used to connect and engage when clients are unavailable or too unwell to be seen in person.

    • Telehealth / zoom is offered for professional supervision to OT’s in Australia.

    How often do sessions occur?

    • Frequency of sessions will be determined by the client and your therapist.

    • What should I expect during the first session?

    • The first session typically involves an initial assessment and goal setting, relationship building and signing a service agreement.

    What do I need to bring to an appointment?

    • Your therapist will let you know if they need you to bring anything to the appointment. Typically we don’t expect you to bring anything.

Working With Clients

  • Yes — we work with people of all ages. Support is always tailored to the individual’s goals, whether that’s helping children build play and social skills, supporting teens with independence and confidence, or assisting adults to develop everyday living and community participation skills.

  • How do you set therapy goals?

    Therapy goals are set collaboratively, based on your needs, priorities, and what matters most to you or your child. We work together to identify achievable, meaningful goals, and regularly review progress to adjust them as skills improve or priorities change.

  • Absolutely!
    Caregiver involvement is encouraged and often plays a vital role in supporting progress. Parents, caregivers, and grandparents are always welcome to join sessions — to observe, participate, or learn strategies they can use at home and in everyday routines.

    Our approach is grounded in family-centred therapy, recognising that neurodivergent children and young people often need consistent support from trusted adults to develop skills and independence over time. Caregivers are not just helpers — they are often the child’s safe person and a key part of their success.

  • We use a range of tools to track progress

    • SMART goal setting

    • Goal Attainment Scaling

    • PEGS

    • Observation and documentation on current function

    • Video analysis

    • Parent / teacher questionnaires

    • Visual rating scales

    • §  Functional and participation-based outcomes

  • Yes — we always work closely with other professionals involved in your care or your child’s development. Collaboration helps ensure consistent support, share strategies, and make progress toward goals more effectively across home, school, and community settings.

Fees & Cancellations

  • Fees are in line with NDIS pricing standards.

    Professional Supervision is $190 per hour.

  • Yes – travel fees are charged under NDIS guidelines. Where possible travel is split between clients to reduce the cost.

  • Cancellations can be made by phone call, text message or email directly to Admin or your therapist.

    Cancellations will be charged at 100% when cancelled later than 10am the business day prior to the scheduled appointment.

    • If you are self -managed we accept payment via direct bank transfer

    • If you are plan-managed your NDIS plan-manager will complete invoice payments via direct bank transfer.

    • Invoices are provided for every session to help with claiming funding or keeping records.

About the Service

  • We provide a service across the north and northwest of Tasmania. Currently this includes Georgetown, Port Sorell, Deloraine, Westbury, Launceston. 

  • Therapy Gold is dedicated to fostering growth within our community. We deliver high-quality services from professional supervision and training for practitioners, to tailored therapy for neurodivergent children, young people, and their families. We deliver services in natural environments- home, school and community.

  • We offer personalised programs designed to build skills, independence, and confidence.

    Service options include

    • Occupational Therapy services

    • Therapy Assistant services

    • Group programs

    • Respite care

    • Mentoring

    • Professional Supervision

    • Teaching and training sessions

    • Play and social skills sessions

    • Functional skills training – cooking, shopping, laundry, vacuuming, other household tasks

    • Community participation- attending groups or events

    • Recreational goals – bike riding, music, arts events

    • Support with daily routines – morning routines

    • Self care – eating, sleeping, showering, grooming tasks.

    • Motor skills programs including bike riding

    • For all neurodivergent people, skill development begins with regulation. Regulation is achieved through environmental adjustments, relationship building, and a sense of felt safety.

    • OTs set goals that are meaningful and motivating to the person and their caregivers — goals that truly matter and inspire engagement.

    • OTs then work to understand the whole person. This includes exploring sensory processing, motor skills, cognitive and executive functioning, and emotional regulation, as well as identifying the person’s interests, strengths, and supports.

    • OTs are highly skilled in task analysis — breaking activities down into achievable steps to build functional, everyday skills. Your OT may complete assessments and observations to understand current functional performance within these tasks.

    • From there, it’s all about practice, practice, practice. The OT provides coaching and caregiver education to support continued learning outside of therapy time. Neurodivergent people often need more opportunities for practice to learn and generalise new skills, so support outside therapy is both recommended and encouraged. This is where our Therapy Assistant programs play a vital role in supporting ongoing functional skill development.

  • We are so excited to announce our Little Riders Group at the new Road Safety Centre!

    Jump into Tasmania's vibrant bike culture with the perfect head start. We believe if a child can walk independently, they can learn to ride a bike—and our Little Riders groups make it happen.

    Our program combines expert child development knowledge with a genuine love for riding. We use motor learning approaches that build fundamental motor skills for riding. We know that children learn riding skills much faster when they are surrounded by other children who are also learning. This group will provide your child with the perfect foundation of skills, confidence and enjoyment for riding.

    If you would like more information check out the bike skills section of the website.

  • Mentoring is an important support under the NDIS that helps neurodivergent people build confidence, independence, and community connection. Mentors provide practical, person-centred support — helping participants work toward their goals in real-life settings, such as developing daily living skills, managing routines, accessing the community, or building positive relationships.

    For many participants, mentoring provides a bridge between therapy and everyday life. It supports the generalisation of skills learned in therapy and helps maintain progress outside formal sessions. Mentoring also promotes self-determination, helping people take ownership of their choices, build resilience, and participate more fully in their communities.

    This service is flexible and tailored, ensuring participants receive the right support, at the right time, in the right environment — all in line with NDIS principles of choice and control.

    • Budgeting & Money Management – learning to track expenses, use banking apps, and plan for purchases

    • Cooking & Meal Planning – grocery shopping, following recipes, and creating simple routines for meals

    • Time Management & Routines – using calendars, visual timers, and building sustainable daily routines

    • Social Confidence & Communication – practicing conversation skills, developing friendships, or joining clubs

    • Exploring Hobbies & Interests – art, music, sport, outdoor activities, or other meaningful pastimes

    • Employment Readiness – exploring career pathways, identifying strengths, preparing for interviews, or setting work goals

    • Educational Support – building study skills, enrolling in short courses, or planning transitions into further education

    Daily Living & Independence

    • Building routines (morning/evening, homework, leisure)

    • Personal organisation (using planners, alarms, reminders)

    • Developing self-care skills with guidance (e.g., hygiene, dressing, grooming)

    • Household management (meal planning, cooking, laundry, cleaning, shopping)

    • Budgeting and money skills (banking, saving, using public transport cards, managing pocket money)

    Community & Social Participation

    • Practicing communication and social interaction skills in real settings

    • Supporting attendance at clubs, sports, community groups, or interest-based activities

    • Building confidence to try new experiences in the community

    • Using public transport safely and independently

    • Supporting travel training

    Education & Employment Pathways

    • Homework/study routines and organisational skills

    • Exploring vocational interests or work experience opportunities

    • Resume writing, mock interviews, job readiness skills

    • Enrolling in courses or training programs

    • Workplace social skills and expectations

    Health & Wellbeing

    • Supporting therapy programs prescribed by allied health professionals (e.g., OT, physio, speech)

    • Encouraging exercise, outdoor play, and healthy habits

    • Using sensory regulation strategies in daily life

    • Encouraging participation in hobbies and creative outlets for wellbeing

    Emotional Regulation & Coping Skills

    • Practicing calming strategies taught by therapists (e.g., breathing, mindfulness, sensory breaks)

    • Role-playing problem solving and conflict resolution

    • Building confidence in managing change or unexpected situations

    • Supporting PDA-informed approaches (choice, collaboration, flexibility)

    Life Skills & Goal Achievement

    • Supporting independence in travel, shopping, cooking, and money handling

    • Helping to break down bigger goals into small, achievable steps

    • Tracking progress and celebrating successes

    • Supporting participants to self-advocate and make choices