Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Assessments

At Raise the Bar Clinic, we provide expert occupational therapy assessments for children, teens, and adults. Whether you’re seeking clarity around sensory processing, fine and gross motor skills, daily living independence, or executive functioning challenges, a clearer understanding allows you to make confident, informed decisions for yourself or the people who matter most.

How Can An Occupational Therapy Assessment Help

Occupational Therapy assessments at Raise the Bar Clinic are about understanding how individuals engage in meaningful daily and educational activities. A thorough assessment identifies not only the areas where support may be needed, but also the strengths that can be built upon to improve independence, confidence, and educational outcomes.

Our experienced occupational therapists take the time to understand each individual’s unique circumstances, goals, and environment. Through a combination of standardised assessment tools, clinical observations, interviews, and collaboration with families, educators, and other healthcare professionals where appropriate, we develop a holistic and neuroaffirming understanding of your needs.

Whether you’re seeking answers for yourself or your child, our occupational therapy assessments provide the clarity needed to make informed decisions and take the next steps with confidence.

Who Should Consider An Assessment

If two or more of the following are impacting daily routines across home or school, an OT assessment may be beneficial:

Pencil Grip & Fatigue: An immature pencil grip past expected ages, complaints of hand pain or rapid fatigue when drawing/writing, or writing that is noticeably difficult to read compared to peers.
Tool & Object Manipulation: Struggling with scissors, fasteners (buttons, zippers, snaps), or small objects like LEGO bricks and beads.
Avoidance: Frequently avoiding or getting easily frustrated by tabletop activities, crafts, or puzzles.
Sensory Differences: Distress over clothing tags, textures, or loud noises; extreme food selectivity; or constant crashing, jumping, and fidgeting.
Fine Motor Challenges: Struggling with scissors and buttons, immature pencil grip, weak hand strength, handwriting fatigue, and slow and/or illegible handwriting
Gross Motor & Coordination: Frequent tripping/clumsiness, slumping at desks (low muscle tone), or fear of playground equipment.
Self-Care Struggles: Persistent difficulty dressing independently, tying shoes, or managing mealtimes/utensils.
Regulation & Focus: Severe meltdowns during simple transitions, difficulty following multi-step instructions, or extreme disorganisation.

What We Do

Sensory Processing Profiles: Evaluating how individuals perceive and respond to sensory information from their environment, often informing autism and ADHD assessments.
Fine Motor, Gross Motor & Handwriting Skills: Assessing fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and handwriting speed and legibility required for school and daily life.
Written Expression Difficulties: Assisting with differential diagnosis of language and/or motor based writing difficulties, providing evidence for required educational adjustments and exam special provisions, including the use of assistive technology.
Functional Capacity Assessments: Measuring daily living skills (e.g., hygiene, play skills, motor coordination) to support NDIS applications, reviews, and plan transitions.
Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Assessments: Occupational therapy input into comprehensive and integrated Autism, ADHD and learning difficulty assessments.

Why Choose Us?

Practical environmental, sensory and functional recommendations for home and school settings
Experienced occupational therapists you can trust
Clear pathways for school accommodations, NDIS support, and therapeutic intervention
Assessments tailored specifically to your educational and/or functional goals

Our Approach to Care

We strive to improve the wellbeing and educational outcomes of individuals who may think and process the world a little differently to their peers.

We improve outcomes for individuals with learning and developmental differences by supporting families and schools to nuture positive relationships, create neuroaffirming environments and provide effective educational adjustments.

Occupational therapy assessments provide insight into sensory preferences, motor and handwriting skills, and current level of independence with daily tasks.

Occupational Therapy Assessment Process

A comprehensive occupational therapy assessment can uncover your unique strengths, identify areas where everyday activities may be more challenging, and provide a clearer understanding of how you engage in daily life at home, school, work, and within your community.

At a minimum, it provides valuable insights to help overcome barriers to independence, build on existing strengths, and identify the supports, strategies, assistive technologies, or therapy that can improve participation, confidence, and overall quality of life.

Step 1 : Intake

We listen to your concerns, functional goals, and history to design a tailored assessment plan.

Step 2 : Assessment

Using gold-standard standardised tools, clinical observations, and structured interviews.

Step 3 : Report

Providing a comprehensive, evidence-based report with practical, tailored recommendations.

Step 4 : Feedback

A dedicated session to guide you through the results, next steps, and ongoing therapeutic support.

Step 5: Post-Assessment Supports

Our post-assessment sessions are designed to reduce overwhelm and help guide families and schools on important next steps post assessment.

Step 6: Ongoing Home & School Partnership

We love being able to continue supporting clients, families and schools through key milestones such as school transitions, and provide updated recommendations for educational adjustments and exam provisions throughout formal schooling and beyond.

Book Your Assessment

A comprehensive assessment is the first step to getting the support you or your child needs to thrive.

We’re here to guide you through every phase of the process.

FAQs about Occupational Therapy Assessment in Melbourne

What is an occupational therapy assessment?

An occupational therapy assessment looks at how a person participates in everyday activities at home, school, work, and in the community. It helps identify strengths, challenges, and the factors that may be affecting independence, participation, and overall wellbeing. The assessment may explore areas such as sensory processing, motor skills, handwriting, self-care, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and daily living skills.

Who can benefit from an occupational therapy assessment?

Occupational therapy assessments are suitable for children, adolescents, and adults who experience challenges with everyday tasks, learning, sensory processing, organisation, handwriting, emotional regulation, or independence. They can also be valuable for individuals seeking a better understanding of their support needs or functional abilities.

What happens during the assessment?

The assessment may include interviews, standardised assessment tools (such as the BOT-2, Beery VMI or DASH-2), observations, and practical activities tailored to your goals and circumstances. Where appropriate, we may also gather information from parents, carers, teachers, or other healthcare professionals to develop a comprehensive understanding of your needs.

Will I receive a report after the assessment?

Yes. Following the assessment, you’ll receive a detailed report outlining the findings, recommendations, and practical strategies. The report may also support referrals, school adjustments, therapy planning, or NDIS-related documentation where appropriate.

How long does an occupational therapy assessment take?

The length of the assessment depends on the reason for referral and the areas being explored. Some assessments can be completed in a single session, while more comprehensive assessments may take place over multiple appointments. Your occupational therapist will discuss the expected process with you before the assessment begins.

Can an occupational therapy assessment support NDIS applications?

Occupational therapy assessments can provide valuable information about a person’s functional capacity, daily support needs, and recommendations for therapy or assistive technology. Depending on your circumstances, the assessment report may assist with NDIS applications, reviews, or plan reassessments.

What should I bring to my appointment?

If available, it can be helpful to bring any previous assessment reports, medical information, school reports, or referral letters. For children, bringing along comfort items or examples of schoolwork may also assist the assessment. We’ll let you know beforehand if there’s anything specific we’d like you to bring.

What happens after the assessment?

After reviewing the results with you, your occupational therapist will discuss the recommendations and next steps. This may include occupational therapy intervention, practical strategies for home, school, or work, referrals to other professionals if appropriate, or recommendations for supports and accommodations.