An OT Assistant (OTA) or Allied Health Assistant (AHA) is a trained professional who delivers therapy-based activities and strategies under the guidance of your Occupational Therapist (OT) and allied health team. They don’t replace your OT, they cannot assess, create reports, or make decisions on the intervention plans — instead, they work as part of your team, helping your child or teen get more hands-on practice with skills in a supportive, everyday way.

OTA’s - follow programs for OT only

AHA’s - follow programs for multiple allied health professions e.g. OT, & Speech Therapy, & Physiotherapy

🪴 More therapy time: OTA/AHA sessions are a lower hourly rate, so you can often do more frequent sessions.

🌱 Extra practice: Many skills — like emotional regulation, handwriting, organisation, daily living tasks — improve with consistent, playful repetition.

🤗 Comfort & confidence: Building skills in everyday or fun settings (like cooking, games or community outings) helps kids & teens feel more independent and proud.

OTA or AHA programs are often a great fit for:

• Kids or teens who’ve already started OT and have clear goals to keep practising. This could be for daily living skills/routine activities, organisation, motor skills, handwriting, written expression etc.

• Families who’d like more therapy time, but in a more affordable way.

• Teens working on daily living skills like planning, cooking or using public transport.

• Families who need education and support, as well as their child also needing repetition and practice for their skills

We’re always happy to chat about whether an OTA program is right for your family.

• OTA or AHA sessions are billed at $95/hr.

• To set up the program, an initial OT report is required ($250) which lays out all therapy goals.

• Before OTA-only sessions begin, there will be at least 1-2 joint sessions with your OT, OTA and child to build rapport and make sure everyone feels comfortable. These are billed at your OT’s standard rate.

Any future sessions (including more required rapport building sessions) that involve both your OT & OTA will be billed at both providers’ rates.

No! Your OT stays in the loop the whole time. They:

• create the initial plan,

• check in regularly with your OTA,

• talk with you to make sure the program is still the right fit,

• and adjust goals whenever needed.

It’s a team effort with you, your child, your OTA/AHA and your OT all working together.

You as a parent are still able to reach out for parent meetings whenever you need them. Life fluctuates and it is okay to dip in and out of services as needed. We cannot ensure that you have the same appointment times, but we will always do our best to ensure your needs as a parent and family are accommodated and met.

Before we start OTA or AHA sessions, your OT will complete a program report (cost: $250). This lays out the focus areas and strategies to address these, tailored to your child’s needs.

The OTA/AHA then runs sessions ($95/hr) following this plan, with your OT supporting the therapy assistant in the background. Formal reviews & adjustments to the therapy plan are billed at OT rate and can be requested by OT, OTA, parent, or client. Frequency of reviews are dependent on clients goals and progress.

If you’re also working with a speech pathologist, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist, we can include their goals/activities on the plan too — with your consent — so therapy stays consistent across your team. The therapy assistant will need to have a session with those therapists to be trained in technique to ensure best practice.

Your OT remains closely involved the whole way. They regularly:

• review how therapy is progressing,

• meet with the OTA/AHA,

• adjust goals or strategies as your child grows or new needs pop up.

That way, you get the benefit of extra practice with your OTA/AHA, plus the clinical oversight and expertise of your OT.

Our therapy assistants are a part of our team. They attend team meetings, supervisions, and engage in professional development.