Services
Please see our "Policies
and Fees" for detailed information on fees associated
with our services.
Consultations/Screenings
Evaluations
Treatment
Additional Services
Consultations/Screenings
- Preliminary observations of a child's sensorimotor coordination,
behavior, and performance to determine the need for further
testing
- Consultation with parents or other professionals for home/school activity ideas to address the child's developmental needs, in a specific area
A consultation provides a quick way to obtain ideas on how
a family can begin to help their child. It is not a comprehensive
evaluation and does not include a written report. The focus
is to determine the most obvious needs and provide ideas for
a home program. This option may also be helpful if there will be
a delay in our availability to provide more comprehensive
or ongoing services.
Evaluations
Assessment of your child may include a combination
of parent report of the child's history, review of records,
clinical observations and standardized and normed
testing.
Areas assessed may include:
- Neurodevelopmental status and reflex maturation
- Sensory processing and sensory defensiveness
- Motor planning
- Daily living skills
- Gross and fine motor development
- Visual-motor integration
- Visual perception
- Feeding/eating
A variety of evaluation tools are available for children of various ages and needs. In children 4 years to 8 years 11 months of age whose primary
concerns may be related specifically to the disregulation and integration
of sensory experiences,
the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) may be an appropriate assessment tool.
Due to the comprehensive nature of this test, the cost is higher than other
assessment methods. Unfortunately some insurance companies do not provide
coverage/reimbursement for specific sensory integration testing. However,
if your child does not meet the age range or has other factors that would make
the SIPT an inappropriate assessment, there are other appropriate tools and testing
methods.
An evaluation identifies the factors contributing to the
functional difficulties the child is experiencing, allowing
intervention to address the underlying problem(s). Recommendations
are made on how to address the issues and may range from suggestions
for at-home strategies and activities to in-clinic professional
intervention.
If your child has received an occupational therapy assessment
from another facility, please provide us with a copy. After
reviewing the report, an occupational therapist can let you
know if that assessment will be sufficient for moving directly
into treatment.
Treatment
Individual therapy is designed to address and remediate
those deficit areas and the accompanying functional skills identified during an evaluation. Therapy involves a variety of engaging therapeutic
interventions and strategies, with suggestions for ways
that your child’s progress can be supported at home.
Sessions are 50 minutes in length. The duration of treatment
varies according to the identified difficulties, the individual’s
neurological system, and the family’s ability to carry
out supplemental therapy activities at home. Significant progress
can generally be seen after 6 months of once a week intervention.
It is not uncommon for some children to benefit from 50 to
80 sessions. Individuals with autism and other neurobiological
disorders may continue to benefit from ongoing or periodic
intervention as they age and environmental demands increase.
Development is CHILD’S PLAY! uses a child-centered
approach. Many of our young clients benefit from learning
to make a plan for the session using photos or “writing”
a list. When developmentally able, the child is involved in
making choices (which can be non-verbal) about therapy activities.
This empowers the child and helps to increase the engagement
and motivation of the child in the therapeutic process. Simultaneously,
the therapist adapts the activity to achieve the “just
right” challenge for that child.
Additional Services
(as needed, or upon request)
- Consultation with parents, educators, and other professionals
- Written reports for parents, schools, physicians,
and agencies
- Presentations to parent and community groups
- Referrals to other professionals and programs
- Suggestions for resources related to a specific topic
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