What is occupational therapy? Occupational therapy (OT) assists people in obtaining or regaining the skills they need to live as independently as possible through the use of therapeutic daily tasks and when needed adaptive equipment. For children, their “occupations” are those things that fill up their time which includes activities of daily living (eating, dressing, bathing etc.), academics, and play. At Kaleidoscope OT, occupational therapy sessions are guided by the child’s interests and the caregiver’s goals for the child. Therapist is trained in finding the “just right challenge” for each child and adapting sessions appropriately.
Who needs occupational therapy? Some of the major signs that your child would benefit from occupational therapy are if they struggle with any of the following:
* Dressing, bathing, eating
*Clumsy -difficulty balancing, bumping into things
*Concentrating for age appropriate periods of time
*Transitioning from task to task or being flexible with their daily schedules
*Poor academic performance
*Social interaction (play well with others, give eye contact, listen to ideas of others)
*Gross motor movements (big body movements like jumping, skipping, running etc.)
*Fine motor movements (fastening buttons, opening containers, holding a pencil, handwriting etc.)
*Processing sensory information (such as noise, tastes, visual information, smells)
*Self-regulation
*The list goes on….If you have a question concerning your child and if they may benefit from an evaluation call Kaleidoscope OT and speak with me for a free over the phone consultation at (540) 324-5330.
What is an occupational therapy evaluation? An occupational therapy evaluation is normally longer than a normal treatment session. It consists of parent interview, observations of client, and standardized assessments (if appropriate). At Kaleidoscope OT, an evaluation is also a great time to discuss with clients and caregivers what THEIR goals are so I can develop a plan to help your child meet the goals important to you!
Why is an occupational evaluation beneficial? At Kaleidoscope, an occupational therapy evaluation identifies your child’s patterns of strengths and weaknesses that effect their ability to function independently at a developmentally age appropriate level.
What areas are addressed in occupational therapy treatment?
- Fine Motor Skills: small muscle movements and dexterity of the hand and fingers
- Gross Motor Skills: movement of the large muscles in the arms, legs and trunk.
- Visual Motor Skills: movement based on the child’s perception of visual information.
- Oral Motor Skills: movement of muscles in the mouth, lips, tongue and jaw
- Self-Care Skills: Pertaining to daily dressing, feeding and toileting tasks.
- Sensory Integration: The ability to take in, sort out and respond to the sensory information we receive from around us.
- Motor Planning Skills: The ability to plan, implement and sequence motor tasks.
- Neuromotor Skills: The building blocks of muscle strength, tonicity, postural mechanisms and reflex integration.
Do you accept my insurance? Kaleidoscope Occupational Therapy is an out-of-network provider meaning I am not currently enrolled with any insurance companies. However, you can call the member services number on the back of you insurance card and find out what your policy covers for an out-of-network occupational therapist. To help offset some of the out-of-pocket costs you can inquire about setting up a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Check with your provider for eligibility status. Depending on your tax status, the cost of therapy maybe tax deductible as an itemized medical expense. It is the goal of Kaleidoscope Occupational Therapy to make the reimbursement process as simple as possible. I will provide a superbill for each client for them to send in to their insurance provider. The superbill shows that you have already paid for the service in which you are seeking reimbursement and what specific services/treatments were provided, along with provider, and practice information.
Why don’t you take insurance? There are several reasons why I personally have chosen not to take insurance. Here are a couple: First, insurance policies are always changing and it is hard to keep up with all the legalities while trying to provide quality care. Second, providers in standard practices are seeing clients so quickly it is hard to have the necessary one-on-one time to provide the care they want to because insurance and the red-tape that comes with them limits the provider’s time. Third, I do not want to work for insurance companies I want to work for my clients! For further information check out the blog post: Cash-based: What’s the logic in that? At Kaleidoscope, you will receive a therapist that will work directly with your child and will travel to your home or even treat your child through the world of Teletherapy, if that is your preference. You would be paying for a therapist that is not dictated by red-tape and will provide herself with the necessary time to put thought into the next session.
Kaleidoscope Occupational Therapy 