EquipT To Thrive

02/04/2025

We would like to like to acknowledge that today is a recognised day whereby awareness of Autism is encouraged.

Our allied health team go well beyond raising awareness, we are a neurodiverse team that have created a neuroinclusive culture and provide a service that is neuro affirming ❤️

The term “autistic” or “autism” has changed greatly over time from being categorised as many types such as “Aspergers”, to being recognised as a neurodiverse way that the brain can present across the human spectrum.

Embrace this super power that is autism
➡️ focus on that hobby
➡️ embrace the way the brain regulates emotion- we all do it!
➡️ seek alternate ways to understand. We all struggle with life when it is presented in rainbow 🌈

And embrace the many traits that express neurodiversity:
❤️ communicate in many ways shapes and forms
❤️ normalise down time
❤️ harness that fixation
❤️ normalise that many of us struggle to understand and express emotion

Let’s create a neuroaffirming, neuroinclusive community ❤️🫶

19/03/2025

You may have seen some people in the community with a lanyard with a sunflower representing Hidden Disabilities.

Although every day individuals should normalise neurodiversity, this week is dedicated to raising awareness behind its meaning.

Disabilities have such a wide range of presentations, often when the public see an accessible park, or hear the word “disability”, what comes to mind is an individual in a wheelchair with an “obvious” disability.

Let’s normalise neurodiversity. For many of us it’s a super power 🦸‍♀️

05/03/2025

Support Needs Assessments - what do we know as an industry?

"Support Needs Assessments" have been talked about by the NDIA and appear to suggest that they may replace the current Functional capacity Assessments that detail a person's function and link recommendations for plan considerations.

What do we know? - not much! We know that it will be rolled out over 5 years commencing September 2025, but there is no detail into who will conduct these assessments, their scope or the speed at which they will be rolled out.

We do however, have some information after a tender to allied health professionals was shared recently:

"An approach to market that invites organisations to tender to develop a support need assessment tool for adults (16 and over). The NDIA has explicitly stated that the tool that will be developed must primarily assess disability support needs rather than function, impairment or quality of life.

A request for information about off-the-shelf needs assessments tools which assess targeted disability support needs in relation to:

➡Assistive technology
➡Vehicle modifications
➡Home modifications
➡Disability-related health supports
➡High level attendant support"

What are your thoughts on what is known so far?

02/03/2025

Wheelchair scripting - Insight into the process of creating a supporting and comfortable seating solution!

It is important when reaching out for support to script or modify a wheelchair, that there is a suitably qualified individual who is able to assess your postural and functional needs and identify how wheelchair accessories and their placement can offset the risk of their current seating circumstances.

➡At the initial assessment, the Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist will listen to your goals, your history and any challenges that you may have with current seating.
➡They will then liaise with you about having a MAT assessment done (a postural assessment of your body in a seated position)
➡ Wheelchairs and their accessories can then be scripted and trialled for their effectiveness in maximising function and maintaining comfort.

Often when a wheelchair is scripted or revised, an Assistive Technology report needs to be completed, in order for the NDIA to assess the need as 'reasonable and necessary', so that finds can be made available in your Capital Supports budget to fund the purchase.

For more information, you can reach out to us on 1300 661 670 or place an enquiry through our website www.equipttothrive.com.au

26/02/2025

Therapy Assistants - do you know much about them?

Therapy assistants are qualified allied health assistants, that work independently under the direct instruction of a Physiotherapist of Occupational Therapist. Their role is to follow a therapy program that is handed over to them by the client's therapist.

Often therapy assistants can be a cost effective way of receiving regular therapy for clients whose needs may change slower over time.

What types of therapy might a therapy assistant do?
- In home or clinic based exercise programs
- In home or in clinic skills development programs
- Hydrotherapy

As a neuroaffirming AND neurodiverse practice, our team understands and can relate to lived experience when engaging with individuals who may identify as neurodiverse - which is often important when choosing an individual to lead a therapy program.

Similarly, our therapy assistants go through robust manual handling training from our physiotherapy team around manutention techniques - so even people with the most complex of physical needs can feel safe knowing that their needs are in qualified hands.

If you would like to know more about therapy assistance services in our practice, please reach out on 1300 661 670 or through the enquiry page on our website
www.equipttothrive.com.au

19/02/2025

Hydrotherapy is a great type of therapy to assist your body to move, reduce adverse effects of your disability or your physical condition and provide an avenue where you can reduce the effects of gravity and increase the effects of buoyancy!

Hydrotherapy occurs in a pool that is around 37 degrees. Pools have different types of access, so it is useful to understand whether the venue you select has the access requirements you need to safely access the pool and change rooms (hoists, pool chairs, adjustable change tables, shower hoses etc).

Hydrotherapy has many benefits, including but not limited to:
✅ reduction in gravity - your body doesn't have to work as hard to remain upright or to hold the weight of your limb/s
✅ buoyancy - it can actively help you to passively participate in moving your body, or provide a force to make your muscles work against
✅ increased blood flow to working muscles
✅ management of oedema
✅ increased relaxation of muscles for those struggling with high tone or the effects of gravity.... and many more!

Our physiotherapy and therapy assistance team provide this service to over 16's at many pools in South Australia. You are welcome to reach out through our website at www.equipttothrive.com.au or by phone 1300 661 670

19/02/2025

Thankyou Tim for helping us maintain our web page and feeding all of our educational content through the web page 😊

Today the website for EquipT To Thrive turns 3! 🎂

Equipt To Thrive's main objective is to EMPOWER people with the ‘biomechanical tools’ and equipment to live a more independent quality of life. They provide a mobile-based service in the community and also offer a customised therapy space in Mawson Lakes.

We have enjoyed being just a small piece of their growth jouney and look forward to seeing their achievements in another 3 years!

Thank you for a great 3 years, Lisa!

16/02/2025

Not happy with the NDIA's decision when putting together your plan? - Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)

Unfortunately you are not alone 😞 More and more as clinicians we are hearing of adverse outcomes to plans being grossly underfunded.

Once a plan has been generated, sometimes there is a window of opportunity to contest and have it reviewed by an internal panel.

Other times, your letter might state that if you are unhappy with your decision, that you need to reach out to the ART.

Having been through this process ourselves, both as clinicians and some of us as nominees to participants, the process compared to the AAT seems to be a little easier to navigate - at least the application process. So what do you need to know?
➡ You have 28 days to lodge an application with the ART. (you can apply for an extension if you can prove why you could not respond within 28 days)
➡ You need to create a user account with the ART
➡ You select which government decision you'd like to be reviewed (select NDIS)
➡ You then select whether you are going to represent yourself or whether you are nominating someone else to fill out your application
➡ Clearly state why you feel the plan is underfunded and what support you wish to have considered for approval
➡ Upload your letter of outcome and any additional supporting information

Done! They will then contact you within 5 business days to inform you of the next steps. As this process is quite new, it is unclear on how quickly the turnover of this review process is. However there is a 1800 number that you can ring for urgent assistance.

Here is the link to the website for ART where you can apply.
https://www.art.gov.au

12/02/2025

Replacement Supports...What are they and how they might be relevant to you.

➡ The NDIA has a term called 'replacement supports', which refers to you nominating a service/ equipment that is intended to:
✅ Replace a support in your plan
✅ Cost the same or less than the support provided in your plan
✅ Be the same of better for you than the support in your plan

A 'replacement support', may be an alternate avenue for you to pursue assistive technology or other supports that are directly related to your disability, if they don't fall within the 'would we fund it' guidelines.

As an example, Jo Bloggs has his request knocked back for a smart watch that would assist him to manage his day due to his brain injury. Despite a clear AT report outlining how the request is related to the individual's disability and how it is the most cost effective option and would decrease the need for additional formal support, it was knocked back.
Jo Bloggs then approached the NDIA to consider this request as a 'replacement support' and demonstrated that without the watch, he required a support worker to assist him in managing his day. The idea of a smart watch was so Jo Bloggs could independently manage his day.
This time Jo Bloggs had success in having his smart watch funded by the NDIS.

Here is a link to the article that provides a more in depth summary of 'replacement supports'.

Participants can only use their NDIS funds for items listed as approved supports. There is also a list of things NDIS funding cannot be used for. In some circumstances participants may be able to request a substitution from the replacement support list.

09/02/2025

Announcement from NDIA regarding 'Needs Assessments'.

On Thursday 5th of February 2025, the NDIA released an update about 'Needs Assessments'. Although this process is not developed, nor have they given any indication of how it will look, who will provide the assessments, what standardised assessments are used and how frequent these assessments required.

We quote, that the review has said:
- that participants will no longer need to source their own reports and provide evidence that they need a range of supports, which imposes costs and time burdens
- that participants will have more equitable and fair budgets, reflecting individual support needs
that participants will have more flexibility in their plan to determine their preferred support arrangements.

The NDIA has a budget of $280 million and has put out a tender for allied health organisations to seek support in working out the best method of collection and representation of an individual's support needs. They expect to have a process "rolled out over the course of 5 years".

Here is the link to the article:

The NDIA has released an approach to market (via a Request for Tender) for support need assessment tools for adults (16 years and over) and an industry consultation process (via a Request for Information) about how best to understand support needs for children and specific kinds of support funded by...

05/02/2025

Understanding our referral process

Like many practices, health professionals have their expertise in a particular scope of practice. The scope varies from practitioner to practitioner and collectively a practice can have quite a broad range of scope.

At Equipt To Thrive, we have such a diverse range of scope within our team of Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. Our scope typically ranges from supporting individuals who are:
🫶 older than 16 years
🫶 presenting with a wide range of physical, cognitive and intellectual disability (including neurological and neurodiverse presentations).
🫶 presenting with stable mental health/ psychosocial needs or in a period of time where dips in mental health are managed

We have a fantastic network with other providers who we can refer you to for:
➡ diagnostic assessments (e.g. ASD diagnostic assessment)
➡ complex mental health presentations
➡ mental health crises

When you or someone who you are contacting on their behalf reach out for support, our Principle OT and Principle Physiotherapist review the information and discuss whether we are the right service, which of our therapists would be best placed to support you and given an immediate booking. Our appointment availability is usually good, between 1-4 weeks as we book to 50% capacity to enable us to support the community with urgent referrals.

To reach out to us to refer an individual, the best way forward is to fill in some details on our website and we will contact you through your preferred method within 24 hours.
🫶

02/02/2025

Navigating the paperwork for 'Assistive Technology'

Assistive technology is a term that the NDIA uses for 'disability related equipment'. Often after a trial with a healthcare professional, it can sometimes be unclear what paperwork is required and if the item can be purchased straight away, or if it requires approval from the NDIA.

To break it down, the NDIA characterises AT into 3 types according to its cost and risk:
✅ 'Low Cost AT', is characterised by the item posing low risk to the user and the cost price is less than $1500. This item requires the healthcare professional to write a short letter of support to justify how it meets the participant's goals and the reasonable and necessary criteria, in addition to supplying a payable invoice for the item. The funding for these items is located in 'core supports'.
✅ 'Mid cost AT', is characterised by the item costing between $1500 and $15, 000. A participant needs to have funding in their plan for 'mid cost AT', to enable the healthcare professional to provide a letter of support similar to the one described above. If the participant does not have mid cost AT funding, an AT report is required to ask for funding to be added to the plan.
✅ 'High cost AT', refers to items which exceed $15, 000 in price or may pose a high risk to the participant. An AT report is required for these items for the health professional to justify in black and white why the item is needed, how it meets the reasonable and necessary criteria and how NDIS is the most appropriate funding avenue to achieve the participant's goals.

All of our reports within our practice are peer reviewed, to provide the author with scrutiny and clinical oversight to ensure that the document is as well justified as possible.

If you require assistance with selecting or justifying the purchase of AT, please reach out to our team who are experts at navigating this process.