Why this matters for your practice
A therapy assistant lets a practice deliver more hours of a therapy program at a lower price point than a registered therapist's rate, and the entire model rests on a supervision arrangement that either exists on paper or does not. The two therapy assistant items are the same job under different supervision, and the difference is money: $56.16 an hour for Level 1 against $86.79 an hour for Level 2 in 2026-27. The higher rate is not earned by a qualification. It is earned by a named therapist recording a decision that the assistant can work independently. If that decision is not on file, the Level 2 claim is an incorrect claim.
What is an NDIS therapy assistant?
An NDIS therapy assistant is a person who delivers therapy supports under the delegation and supervision of a therapist, and whose work is claimed against a dedicated therapy assistant support item rather than a discipline item such as occupational therapy or physiotherapy. The published gate for both therapy assistant items is the delegation and supervision arrangement itself. The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits do not set a qualification, course or minimum training standard for a therapy assistant, and this page does not source one. What the rules specify is the arrangement: who delegates, who supervises, and at what level of directness.
The correct-item rule removes any discretion about where the claim sits. Where a line item exists for a specific type of professional, supports of that type need to be made against that item. Work delivered by a therapy assistant under delegation is claimed against the therapy assistant item, not against the supervising therapist's discipline item, regardless of which item pays better. The item follows the support actually delivered and the credential under which it was delivered, not the highest credential the practitioner happens to hold. The full credential-to-item map for every therapy discipline is in which credential gates which NDIS therapy rate.
Therapy Assistant Level 1 or Level 2?
The two items are distinguished by one thing: the supervision arrangement that applied when the support was delivered.
| Item | 2026-27 national hourly rate | The condition that gates it | What has to be on file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapy Assistant Level 1 | $56.16 | Working under the delegation and direct supervision at all times of a therapist | The delegation and supervision arrangement naming the supervising therapist |
| Therapy Assistant Level 2 | $86.79 | Working under delegation and supervision, where the therapist is satisfied they can work independently without direct supervision | A recorded decision by a named therapist plus the delegation and supervision arrangement |
Professional indemnity insurance cover through the supervising therapist or the employing provider applies to both levels.
The gap between the two rates is $30.63 an hour. That figure is calculated from the two published rates, not published by the NDIA. It is the entire commercial difference between the two items, and it is why the recorded decision is worth having in writing. A practice claiming Level 2 without that recorded decision is claiming $86.79 against an item whose gate has not been met, and every such claim is recoverable as a debt.
What does the supervision evidence have to look like?
The schedule already prices supervision status as a fact. A paid provisionally registered psychologist operating under supervision claims the Psychologist item at $252.99 an hour; the same practitioner operating unsupervised claims the Counsellor item at $156.16. That is a $96.83 difference turning on supervision status alone. "Under supervision" is a factual state, not a label applied to the invoice: it should be traceable to a supervision agreement, a supervisor, a schedule, and records of supervision actually occurring.
The same standard applies to the Level 2 therapy assistant decision. The supervising therapist's satisfaction that the assistant can work independently should be a recorded decision by a named therapist, not an assumption. The NDIA does not publish a supervision frequency or format for therapy assistants, so the practice sets one and documents it. What matters is that the arrangement exists, names the therapist, states the level of supervision that applies, and is revisited when the circumstances change.
What the regulator or assessor expects
For therapy assistants, auditors look for the recorded delegation and supervision decision and confirmation of professional indemnity insurance cover. Level 1 requires direct supervision at all times; Level 2 requires the supervising therapist to be satisfied the assistant can work independently. That satisfaction should be a recorded decision by a named therapist, not an assumption. The assistant must also be covered by the professional indemnity insurance of the supervising therapist or the employing provider.
The same lapse appears twice. The NDIS Commission's verification module assesses the same professional body requirements, so a claim made while the supervision condition was not met is simultaneously a claiming problem with the NDIA and a Human Resource Management non-conformity under the Commission. One control closes both: a register recording each practitioner's discipline, membership or registration number and expiry date, with a reminder that fires before the date rather than after it. For therapy assistants, that register also records the delegation and supervision decision and the insurance confirmation.
Common mistakes
Claiming Level 2 with no recorded decision behind it. The higher rate is gated by a therapist's recorded satisfaction that the assistant can work independently. If the decision is not on file, the claim is against the wrong item, and every such claim is recoverable as a debt regardless of clinical competence or participant outcome.
Treating "supervised" as a label on the invoice rather than a state you can evidence. The provisionally registered psychologist case shows the schedule prices supervision as a fact. A claim that says "under supervision" needs a supervision agreement, a named supervisor, a schedule and records of supervision actually occurring behind it.
Claiming a therapist's discipline item for work an assistant delivered. The correct-item rule removes this discretion. Where a line item exists for a specific type of professional, supports of that type need to be made against that item. An assistant's work is claimed against the therapy assistant item, not against the occupational therapy item or any other discipline item.
Assuming a weekend or after-hours loading exists for therapy items. It does not. Disability support worker items carry Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, evening and night rates, but therapy items do not. Every allied health item in the 2026-27 Support Catalogue is priced National, Remote and Very Remote only.
Assuming the NDIS assistant rate tells you what to pay the person. The NDIS price limit is what you can charge, not what you must pay. Employment cost sits under the applicable modern award, and an award classification is set by the duties the person actually performs, their qualifications and their experience, not by their job title.
Failing to update service agreements when the item or rate quoted to a participant changes. Where a current service agreement quotes a price, you must discuss the change with the participant and the participant must agree before you charge the new amount.
Frequently asked questions
What is an NDIS therapy assistant?
A person who delivers therapy supports under the delegation and supervision of a therapist, claimed against a dedicated therapy assistant item rather than a discipline item. The published gate is the delegation and supervision arrangement, not a qualification. The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits do not set a course or minimum training standard for the role.
What is the difference between Therapy Assistant Level 1 and Level 2?
Supervision. Level 1 requires working under the delegation and direct supervision at all times of a therapist and claims $56.16 an hour. Level 2 requires the supervising therapist to be satisfied the assistant can work independently without direct supervision and claims $86.79 an hour. The Level 2 satisfaction should be a recorded decision by a named therapist.
How much can you claim for a therapy assistant in 2026-27?
Therapy Assistant Level 1 is $56.16 per hour nationally, and Therapy Assistant Level 2 is $86.79 per hour nationally. Both rates are from the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27. The gap between them is $30.63 an hour, a figure calculated from the two published rates.
Can a therapy assistant work without direct supervision?
Yes, but only where the supervising therapist is satisfied the assistant can work independently without direct supervision, and that satisfaction is recorded as a decision by a named therapist. Without that recorded decision, the Level 2 gate is not met and the claim is incorrect. Level 1 requires direct supervision at all times.
What evidence do auditors want for a therapy assistant?
The recorded delegation and supervision decision and confirmation of professional indemnity insurance cover. Level 1 requires evidence of direct supervision at all times; Level 2 requires the recorded decision by a named therapist that the assistant can work independently. The assistant must be covered by the supervising therapist's or the employing provider's professional indemnity insurance.
Does a therapy assistant need to be covered by professional indemnity insurance?
Yes. The assistant must be covered by the professional indemnity insurance of the supervising therapist or the employing provider. Auditors ask for confirmation of this cover alongside the recorded delegation and supervision decision.
Is there a weekend rate for therapy assistants?
No. Therapy items are priced National, Remote and Very Remote only. Disability support worker items carry Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, evening and night rates, but therapy items do not.
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