FAQ

At what age should I seek treatment for my child?

We firmly believe that early intervention is key for a positive outcome.  At Positive Steps we treat children from 12 months -18 years of age.

Do you provide Sensory Integration treatment?

Yes, we have a fully equipped state-of-the-art sensory gym.  We also have therapists on staff who are Sensory Integration (SI) certified.

What should we bring to the first appointment?

For the initial evaluation please bring the intake forms, which can be downloaded on our homepage or have already been e-mailed to you as well as any other evaluations that you may have for your child such as: Individualized Education Plan (IEP), report from a neurologist or developmental pediatrician, other past therapy evaluations.

What should I expect from a treatment session?

Once a child has an evaluation, a plan of care is developed based on the child’s specific delays/weaknesses.  The child will work on the specific areas of weaknesses during each treatment session.  Caregivers can observe the sessions and will always be brought back a few minutes before the end of the treatment to discuss the session and to be provided with activities to be carried over at home.  Any other therapist involved with the child will be contacted (with the parents consent) to make sure every one is working on the same goals.  Contact with the teacher will also be highly recommended for a better understanding of the child and to provide the teacher with any suggestions he/she may need for the child to get the most out of the academic experience.

How long does treatment last?

Individualized Occupational Therapy depends on the severity of the sensory processing and motor delays of each child. Therapy typically lasts approximately 3 months to a few years. Goals and objectives are measured to determine progress throughout each session. The individual therapy session typically lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour.  The session length will be determined based on each child’s need.

Why does my child need an Occupational Therapy evaluation?

The evaluation determines your child’s strengths and weakness in various areas of development.  A baseline is needed in order to measure the progress during your child’s course of treatment.  We use the information gathered during the evaluation to determine the treatment plan and specific goals and objectives.  Depending on the age of the child and the reason for OT referral, the evaluation usually takes 1 ½-2 hours.  After the evaluation, we discuss the results with the parent/caregiver.  Standardized tests will not be scored at the time of the evaluation, but we will still have a good idea if your child will benefit from services.

Will you communicate with the school system?

Absolutely.  At Positive Steps we feel that it is very important to speak to any therapists, neurologists, teachers, etc. involved with your child.  Once we have authorization from the parent/caregiver, we will contact the other members involved to maximize the child’s potential across all learning environments.

How long are appointments and what is your cancellation policy?

Appointments are either 45 minutes or 1 hour depending on the child’s needs. There will be no charge for therapy if the cancellation is made the day before the therapy session.  You will be charged the full fee of the session for a “no-show”.  The reason for the policy is that we can often schedule other clients during the free time.  Without notification of the cancellation we reserve the time slot for you. Same day cancellations due to an illness/fever are an exception.

Does Insurance cover Occupational Therapy services?

Positive Steps is out-of-network with all insurance companies. Our office helps every way we can by providing invoices with all of the codes and progress reports when requested by the insurance company.  The parents/caregivers are responsible to pay directly for services and then file for a reimbursement from their insurance company.