Independent evidence for NDIS appeals
Independent OT assessments for Administrative Review Tribunal reviews
If you are challenging an NDIS decision at the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), the quality of the functional evidence in front of the Tribunal matters. We provide independent occupational therapy evidence for NDIS ART reviews — a letter of support, a clinical response to the reasons for the decision, or a full assessment report, aimed squarely at the points that were rejected and written for decision-makers rather than clinicians.
Assessments are available by Telehealth anywhere in Australia, or in person across the Gold Coast, Logan, Brisbane, Scenic Rim and Northern Rivers and during regular visits to Adelaide, the Riverland and Mackay.
Accepting new referrals — reports within 10 business days
What is the Administrative Review Tribunal?
The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) is the federal tribunal that independently reviews certain Australian Government decisions — including decisions made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). It replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) on 14 October 2024, so if you are searching for “NDIS AAT appeal”, the ART is now the right place.
If you disagree with an NDIS decision — for example, an access decision, the supports funded in your plan, or the outcome of a plan reassessment — the first step is usually to ask the NDIA for an internal review. If you still disagree with the internal review outcome, you can apply to the ART for an external review. Strict time limits apply, so it pays to act early.
The Tribunal decides matters on the evidence before it. That is where independent, function-focused allied health evidence can make a genuine difference.
How we can assist with your ART review
No two reviews need the same thing, so we don’t start from a fixed package. We review the person, all the evidence already submitted and currently held, and the NDIS decision and the reasoning behind it, then recommend the documentation the situation actually calls for. Our role is not advocacy or legal representation — it is independent clinical reasoning about function and support needs, from the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Riverland and Mackay through to rural and remote Australia via Telehealth.
Letter of support
Where the evidence already in your file covers most of the ground, a focused occupational therapy letter setting out clinical reasoning on the specific point that was rejected may be enough.
Response to the decision's reasoning
A clinical response to the reasons given in the decision, or to a report the NDIA relied on, addressing the findings you disagree with point by point.
Independent assessment report
Where functional evidence is missing, out of date or too thin to judge from, a new independent assessment documented against the functional domains and NDIS criteria the Tribunal works with.
Targeted assessment
Where the rejection is narrow — a piece of equipment, a therapy budget, a level of support in one area of life — an assessment scoped to that question rather than a whole-of-life functional capacity assessment.
Whichever option we recommend, you will know what it involves, how long it will take and what it costs before any work begins.
NDIS ART assessments in Queensland and Australia-wide
If you are looking for an NDIS ART assessment on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane or Logan, elsewhere in Queensland or anywhere else in the country, here is how we cover it. In-person sessions run across South East Queensland and northern New South Wales, with scheduled regional visits to South Australia and North Queensland — and Telehealth is available Australia-wide, which matters when Tribunal dates are close.
Gold Coast
In-person ART assessments across the Gold Coast, from Coomera and Helensvale (4209–4212) through Mudgeeraba, Robina and Burleigh (4213–4226) to Coolangatta and the Tweed border (4225).
Brisbane and Logan
Inner and southern Brisbane suburbs (4000–4179) and the Logan corridor — Springwood, Browns Plains, Beenleigh and Marsden (4114–4207).
Scenic Rim and Northern Rivers
Beaudesert, Boonah and Canungra (4285, 4310, 4275) plus northern NSW — Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Ballina, Byron Bay and Lismore (2484, 2478, 2481, 2480).
Adelaide and the Riverland
Regular visits to metropolitan Adelaide (5000–5114) and the Riverland — Renmark, Berri, Loxton and Waikerie (5341, 5343, 5333, 5330).
Mackay and the coalfields
Mackay, Sarina and surrounding communities (4740, 4737) during scheduled regional visits.
Anywhere else in Australia
Telehealth ART assessments Australia-wide — including remote postcodes where no local occupational therapist is available and Tribunal timeframes are already running.
Not sure whether your postcode is covered? Check our service areas and travel regions or call 0431 124 842 and we will tell you honestly. You can also find us on our Google Business Profile for directions, hours and reviews.
We start with the decision, not with a package
Before recommending anything, we read the material the matter turns on. That is what tells us whether a letter will do, or whether new assessment findings are needed.
What we review
- The decision under review and the reasons given for it
- All reports and evidence already submitted, and anything currently held about you
- Your current plan and previous plans
- What you and the people who support you say the original assessment missed
- The supports you are seeking, and the purpose they serve in everyday life
What the documentation then covers
- Your diagnosis and how it affects function — not just the diagnosis itself
- What you can and cannot do across self-care, domestic life, mobility, learning, social and community participation
- The informal supports you rely on, and whether they are sustainable
- Standardised assessment results and observed task performance, where appropriate
- Your home and everyday environments, and how they shape your support needs
- Why the supports sought are reasonable and necessary in your circumstances
How it works
- 1
Get in touch early
ART matters have timeframes. Contact us as soon as you have applied for review — or are considering it — so we can confirm availability and plan around your key dates.
- 2
Evidence review and recommendation
Share the decision under review, your plans and existing reports. We read them and tell you which documentation your matter needs — with a written quote before any work begins.
- 3
Assessment, if one is needed
Derek completes the assessment by Telehealth anywhere in Australia, or in person across the Gold Coast, Logan, Brisbane, Scenic Rim and Northern Rivers and during regular regional visits to Adelaide, the Riverland and Mackay.
- 4
Documentation delivered
Your letter or report is delivered within 10 business days of the final assessment session, ready to lodge with the ART or share with your representative.
Tell us your ART dates when you enquire — we will plan backwards from them.
Cost and funding
Because the right documentation depends on what was rejected, we scope the work before quoting it. After reviewing your decision and evidence, we tell you what we recommend and provide a written quote for that work — you won’t be asked to pay for an assessment your matter doesn’t need.
Depending on your circumstances, the work may be funded from your NDIS plan (for example, Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living), arranged through your legal representative or advocate, or paid privately. We confirm funding arrangements with you before booking.
Before you apply
How to prepare for an ART review
The matters that go well are usually the ones that were organised early. None of this is complicated — it is just much easier to do in week one than in the week before a hearing.
- 1
Write down your dates before anything else
The date you received the internal review outcome starts the clock — you generally have 28 days to apply to the ART. Put that deadline, any case conference dates and any hearing dates in one place, and share them with everyone helping you, including us.
- 2
Gather the decision letters, not just the plan
The internal review outcome letter and its statement of reasons matter more than the plan document itself — they tell you exactly why the NDIA said no, which is what your evidence needs to answer. If you do not have the written reasons, ask the NDIA for them.
- 3
Collect every report you already have
Old OT, physio, psychology and medical reports — even ones you think are outdated — show the history of your needs and stop a new assessment from starting cold. Gaps and contradictions between old reports are often what a decision turns on.
- 4
Keep a week-in-the-life record
For one ordinary week, jot down what help was needed each day — getting up, meals, leaving the house, night-time support. Specific real examples ("mum has to stay within earshot during every shower") carry more weight than general statements, and they make an OT interview far more productive.
- 5
List the people who support you — and what it costs them
The NDIS considers whether informal supports are sustainable. If family members have cut work hours, are burnt out, or are doing care that is not reasonable to expect of them, write that down. It is evidence, not complaining.
- 6
Line up your evidence before you need it
Independent assessments take weeks, not days. If you wait until the Tribunal lists a hearing, you may run out of road. Enquire as soon as the internal review outcome lands — even if you end up resolving the matter early, having the evidence started changes the conversation.
Tribunal enquiries
Tell us what the NDIS rejected
A short form for ART matters only. Tell us what was refused and any dates you are working to — we will review the decision, recommend the documentation your matter actually needs, and confirm timing and cost in writing before anything starts. If your deadline is close, call 0431 124 842 as well.
ART review FAQs
Frequently asked questions about NDIS ART reviews
The questions participants, families, support coordinators and lawyers ask us most about Tribunal reviews and occupational therapy evidence. If yours is not here, ring us and we will talk it through.
Official sources
- Administrative Review Tribunal — National Disability Insurance Scheme reviews
- NDIS — How to review a decision
- Australian Government — NDIS Appeals Program
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Tribunal processes and timeframes change; always confirm current requirements with the Administrative Review Tribunal or an NDIS Appeals Program advocate. Information on this page was last reviewed on 18 September 2026.