Welcome to OT Fundamentals - FAQ's

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

Q: How do I know if my child needs OT services?
A: Occupational Therapy is particularly helpful for children with developmental delays and those more formally diagnosed who experience difficulties with motor skills. If your child is having difficulty mastering functional tasks specific to his or her age, then they would likely benefit from individualized therapy services. Depending on the age of the child, the functional tasks may include coloring, cutting with scissors, forming numbers and letters, eating with utensils, managing buttons, tying shoelaces and other self-care tasks.

Q: If I choose to hire OT Fundamentals how does the process begin...is my child first evaluated or can services begin without testing?
A: When requesting services from OT Fundamentals, the first step would involve an intake interview with the parent/guardian and anyone with whom the parent feels would be a relevant contact (preschool/daycare provider). If an OT screening or evaluation has been conducted within the past six months then this information would be helpful and may be all we need to get started. Although, in many cases additional information, either informal or with more formal standardized tools, may be necessary. The first step would be to call or email and ask any questions that you might have. There is never a charge for phone calls or email correspondence between OT Fundamentals and parent... never.

Q: Does the hourly rate per session include all materials?
A: Yes, when applicable, materials will be purchased and provided for your child and will be included in the established rate-per-session, which will be discussed following the intake interview. If additional equipment or tools are required or suggested for home use, parents will be provided with the names of recommended vendors from which to purchase (many of these vendors are listed in the parent links section of this website).

Q: Are there additional fees for evaluations and/or standardized testing?
A: This answer will depend on the needs of the child, and whether or not parents wish to have a full written report, as is often the case if the information will be shared with the child's pediatrician, school or other professional(s).

Unlike many traditional test settings, hospitals and outpatient clinics, the testing will not be charged at a rate higher or different than hourly sessions, parents will simply pay for the amount of time spent testing and a flat fee for the report if/when requested.

Q: My child already receives school based OT services...how would private therapy be different and why would it be beneficial?
A: It is helpful to keep in mind that everything the therapist does with students in the school setting must be educationally relevant. Private OT services can be an adjunct to your child's school based therapy or it can provide more intensive services in terms of frequency and duration, if deemed necessary. For example, if your child receives services “1X30” a week in his/her school setting but you would like the progress to be more rapid, then often times working directly in the home setting, with parents present, allows for better carryover. Private therapy could be 2-3 sessions per week for one month to provide a more intensive focus on skill attainment and goals that you have for your child's development.

Q: My child was evaluated in the school setting and did not “qualify” how would he/she “qualify” for private OT services?
A: The focus of school based therapy services is on removing barriers from students' ability to learn and helping students develop skills, which increase their independence in the school environment. Your child was likely tested with standardized tools and may be functioning within the “norm” for his/her age range. Often times the student may test within a normal range but have difficulty applying their skills within the busy classroom setting for a number of unanswered reasons. Therefore, developing skills beyond an “average” level may be necessary for some students and is often up to parents to provide (i.e. similar to tutoring in an academic subject).

Q: Does my child need to have a formal diagnosis to receive OT services?
A: NO, your child does not require a clinical diagnosis of any kind to receive services. We do not diagnose. If specific terminology is used in conversations with parents/ caregivers, such as “sensory processing” or other technical terms, it does not mean that we are diagnosing your child. It is likely that we are using this as a frame of reference from which to work and direct therapy based on reported and/or observed behaviors, symptoms or areas of concern.

Q: Is there communication between my child's private therapist and his/her school?
A: This can be arranged and a signed consent form will be completed. There is no additional charge for consultation with medical or academic professionals on behalf of your child, unless a request is made to attend an IEP meeting, and again the regular hourly rate would apply.

Q: Will we need to have special equipment or space available in our home for therapy sessions?
A: It is always helpful to have a space available that is consistent so your child can rely on some sort of routine when the therapist arrives, especially important for children who have difficulty with transitions. The space can be large or small and the activities will be developed around the space available. If a “play” space with carpeted floor and minimal furniture is available that would be ideal. As well as having a desk/table or other work surface to use. Also, a wall chalkboard or white board is always a wonderful tool used for many therapeutic activities.

Q: My child received Birth-to-Three or Early Intervention Services through a local agency and we really liked having the therapy provided in the home setting...will services through OT Fundamentals be provided in a similar way?
A: The services will be similar in that they will typically occur at the home setting unless another setting is deemed more appropriate by parent/therapist (i.e. with permission granted from preschool or daycare, playground with parent present, etc.). You, as the parent, will be more in charge of determining how often therapy sessions will take place (versus the state or local agency) and will also help to create specific goals that you would like your child to achieve, which do not have to be specifically school related.

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