Overview

There is a tool you can use to think about:

• the support you currently have
• what support you may need in the future to reach your goals.

You can download the tool below to find out more.

You may need support:

• at home
• when you are in the community
• where you work
• where you learn or study.

You may need supports to:

• make and keep you healthy
• build the skills you need to do more things for yourself
• make changes to your home so you can keep living there
• make changes to your vehicle so you can keep using it
• receive assistive technology.

Assistive Technology can:

• make it easier to do things
• keep you safe

Assistive Technology might be:

• an aid or piece of equipment
• a system to use
• changes to where you live or work.

We call people who provide these supports allied health professionals.

You can find allied health professionals in places like:

• hospitals
• schools
• community health centres.

Allied health does not include care from doctors, nurses or dentists.

The supports you use should:

• keep you safe
• let you have choice and control
• provide information in a way that is right for you
• work with other services if that is what is needed to reach your goals
• let you seek support from other people if you want to - like family, friends or an advocate. An advocate is someone who speaks up for people with disability.

When supports do these things we call them good quality services.

How to find supports that meet your needs

Sometimes it can be hard to find supports that:

• meet your needs
• are right for you.

You can ask someone to help you find supports, such as:

• your family or other key supporters
• a friend
• your support coordinator
• advocates
• an assistive technology advisor.

An assistive technology advisor could be an:

• occupational therapist - they can help you find ways to do everyday tasks
• physiotherapist - they can help you with ways to move your body
• speech pathologist - they can help you with how you talk, communicate and swallow
• psychologist - they can help you with the way you think and feel about things
• rehabilitation engineer – they use technology to create things that help you with your disability.

An assistive technology advisor can help you:

• work out what assistive technology you need
• find what assistive technology you need
• do the paperwork your funding organisation needs, including reports and quotes
• set up your assistive technology
• learn how to use it safely.

Funding is money from the government that pays for supports and services.

Select here to read Benji’s story.

Benji talked to his occupational therapist about:

• a short-term goal he wanted to work towards over the next 12 months
• a long-term goal he wanted to work towards in the future
• his current supports
• what supports he needed to help him reach his goals.

What happens when you make an appointment with an allied health professional

When you make an appointment with an allied health professional they should find out about:

• you and your goals
• what supports you use now
• what supports you may need in the future.

We have included some questions they could ask you below.

We also have 2 checklists they can use to get to know you:

• getting to know the person and their goals
• person’s current and future supports.

You can download the checklists below:

Information about you

They should start by getting to know you.

They could ask:

• where you live
• your contact details, like phone number or email address
• who you live with
• if you work or volunteer
• the people in your life that are important to you
• your key contact person
• type of disability you have
• how your disability affects your day-to-day life

For example, if you need support to:

• move around
• do daily tasks, like cooking or cleaning.

Everyday activities and hobbies

They should find out about your everyday activities and hobbies.

This will help to understand what your abilities are.

They could ask what activities and hobbies you do on:

• Mondays
• Tuesdays
• Wednesdays
• Thursdays
• Fridays
• The weekend.

They should find out what other activities and hobbies you do.

They could ask if you do other activities or hobbies:

• every 2 weeks
• each month
• every now and then.

Your goals

They should find out about your goals.

Goals could include:

• learning and education work
• how you want to increase choice and control in your life
• social and community activities
• housing options
• improving your health and wellbeing.

Your supports

They should also ask about:

• the supports you currently have
• what support you may need in the future.

This might include:

• help from other people
• the use of assistive technology.

What to do if you have a problem with the support you receive

You have the right to tell people what you think about the support you receive.

If you are not happy with the supports you receive, you can:

• give them your feedback
• make a complaint.

Feedback is when you tell someone about a problem so they can try to fix it.

When you make a complaint, you tell someone that something:

• has gone wrong
• is not working well.

Complaints are more serious than feedback.

You can ask someone to help you give feedback or make a complaint, such as:

• your family or other key supporters
• a friend
• a support coordinator
• advocate.

If there is a problem, it should be fixed.

You should not be made to feel bad because you said something is wrong with a support you use.