I just left my child’s well visit and the doctor recommends that I receive OT/PT/ST for my child, what do I do next?

If you or your child’s doctor feel that your child is delayed in any area of development, therapy may be a good idea. Give us a call and we are happy to walk you through the process. We first make sure our program is a good fit them we send you a welcome packet. This helps you get to know the in’s and out’s of our clinic and understand the therapeutic process. It’s also a place for you to tell us about your child and what areas are most challenging at this time. Once your paperwork is returned, the evaluation is scheduled and if eligible, treatment will follow.

How do I tell my child about attending therapy at OT Works 4 Kidz?

Each parent and child responds differently to coming to therapy. It’s a new place with new people and that can be very scary. We recommend discussing with your child some of the difficulties he/she may be experiencing and explain that OT Works 4 Kidz is a fun place to make those challenges easier. We have fun games and activities, a zip line, monkey bars, a ball pit and more. During therapy we always make a plan with your child which empowers them to feel in control.

My child has never had therapy before, can I tour the clinic?

If you’d like a tour please give the office a call to schedule a time to come in. We are happy to show you what our clinic looks like, however, please know it is not necessary in order to begin the process. In addition we have several pictures of the clinic throughout the website that may help give your child a visual of what our space looks like.

Who pays for therapy?

Here at OT Works 4 Kidz, LLC we accept private pay as well as insurance. The insurance plans we accept include:

• Aetna
• Allways
• Ambetter
• Amerihealth
• Anthem
• Blue Cross Blue Shield MA
• Harvard Pilgrim
• Health Plans
• NH Medicaid
• New Hampshire Healthy Families
• Tri-Care
• Tufts
• UMR
• Unicare
• United
• Well Sense

If you are unsure of your insurance benefits, contact the member service telephone number on the back of your insurance card. Helpful questions to ask include:

• What are my outpatient therapy benefits?
• How many therapy visits are on my plan per year?
• Do I need an authorization?
• Do I have a deductible? If so, how much of my deductible has been met?
• What is my copay or coinsurance?
• What are the exclusions to my plan?
• Do I have out of network benefits?

We understand insurance can be confusing and are glad to help you find out what your benefits are. Prior to an evaluation and/or therapy, we also contact your insurance plan in order to verify your benefits as well.

Do I need a referral from my physician to come for therapy?

Some insurance plans require a physician referral. We work closely with several primary care physicians and ensure we have a referral in hand (if required) prior to starting therapy.

How often does my child receive therapy?

Each child is unique but the majority of children seen here are seen once per week for a one hour block of time. This is broken down into 50 minutes of direct treatment and the last 10 minutes is designated for consultation with the family to include discussing the session, answering questions, and giving strategies for home.

How can I help my child get the most out of therapy? 

Consistency of therapy is crucial to the therapeutic process. Part of therapy is devoted to consult to families in order to provide home strategies and recommendations. We ask that just as you commit your time to bring your child to therapy, you also devote time at home for your child’s home programming. Progress happens sooner and is more permanent when there is carryover of strategies and recommendations provided by your child’s therapist.  

Progress relies on your ability to carry over skills and strategies learned in treatment into your home. Your child’s therapist will work closely with you to customize the best strategies/tools for you to implement at home to work on carry over of skills. It is important to remember that we only see your child for 1 hour per week while you are with them for the remaining hours. You can maximize your child’s progress if you implement the home program that you and your therapist design for your child.

What happens during treatment sessions?

Our child friendly clinic is full of games, activities and suspended equipment to work on areas of difficulty in fun and exciting ways. We follow your child’s lead and creatively incorporate ways to work on what is needed. Most often your child is unaware of how hard they are working. There are few tears shed here at the clinic, although on occasion we have some sad faces upset because they do not want to leave!

What do I do if my child cannot make a therapy appointment?

If your child is sick we ask you please call to cancel your child’s therapy as soon as possible. Your child must be fever free for 24 hours in order to be here. We all want to stay healthy!

Do I go into therapy with my child?

We believe that you are the expert on your child and we are merely tools to educate and guide you to help your child. In therapy sessions, however, we have repeatedly witnessed that children will push themselves outside of their comfort zone without the presence of a parent. We ask that unless your child has difficulty separating from you that you enjoy time to yourself in the waiting room. For the younger children we invite you to be part of the session as your child may not be talking or able to tell you all about his/her session. At the end of every session we devote 10 minutes to discuss what happened during the session, answer questions you may have and provide ideas for you to try at home.

How will I know if my child is making progress?

Each therapist generates a treatment plan as a guide to address goals and objectives that are established after the evaluation. As treatment happens, data is collected to measure theses goals. Progress notes are written each quarter or sooner to comment on each goal currently being worked on in treatment.

How long will my child be in therapy?

Each child is unique and the amount of time in therapy ranges significantly from one child to another. Progress is impacted by consistency and carry over at home.

My child receives services at school, how is OT Works 4 Kidz different?

Each school district has different qualifying criteria for school related services (OT, PT, ST, etc.). These services are determined based on what hinders your child’s ability to access his/her curriculum. Often times there are additional areas of need such as eating, tying shoes/dressing or coordination of movement. In addition, many families pursue outpatient therapy in conjunction with school services to help the child build skills and transfer the skills across various settings. 

What is the difference between Early Supports and Services/Early Intervention and OT Works 4 Kidz?

Early Supports and Services are designed for children birth to 3 years of age who qualify in one or two ways: Your child has an established condition they deem automatically qualifies for services and/or your child shows at least a 33% delay in one or more areas of development (fine motor, gross motor, self-help, social emotional, speech and language). State funding is available and/or you may choose to utilize your insurance benefits. Many families pursue outpatient services in addition to early intervention in order to help further maximize their child’s potential.