FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I know if my child needs OT?
If something feels harder or more challenging than you think it should be or if other important people in your child’s life (family, pediatrician, teacher, etc.) have expressed concerns or hopes for your child’s development, you would benefit from a 15-minute phone call with Meg. This call allows you to better explore the best next step, which can come in the form of OT, focus on another discipline, etc. Do not let time pass without having your concerns fully addressed. "The sooner the better" is a good phrase to keep in mind because speedy child brain development is on your side.
Does having an OT evaluation mean my child needs OT treatment?
No. An OT evaluation is an opportunity to gather in-depth information to decide what is the next best step for your family, which can come in a variety of answers, including caregiver consultation, OT treatment with your child, wait-and-see, etc. After the evaluation has been completed, Meg will write a formal OT Evaluation, which includes details about all developmental areas and recommendations for plans moving forward. If OT treatment is recommended, part of the written evaluation will be an OT treatment plan with goals and information about how often and how long OT treatment is advised. The OT and parent will collaborate to solidify a plan that best fits the child, family, school, and OT.
What does an OT work on?
Think about your child’s everyday life and routines. Almost every activity a child does is an “occupation,” whether that is getting dressed in the morning, playing with a friend, completing a school activity, or riding a bike. The end goal in OT is to get your child participating in his or her daily occupations as independently as possible. To reach this goal and have all the wonderful benefits that follow (self-esteem, confidence, joy, quality relationships, etc.), many skill areas may be targeted with the Occupational Therapist. Here are the main areas of expertise for a pediatric Occupational Therapist: - Sensory Processing - Motor Coordination (gross motor and fine motor) - Emotion Regulation/Self-Regulation - Social Participation - Functional Visual Skills (motor, perception) - Learning and Executive Functions - Self-Care and Practical Life Skills - Caregiver Education - Functional Communication
Can I just learn about these areas and help my child myself?
The magic in OT is that the professional is trained and experienced in figuring out: - Which skill areas are impacting your child. - How to work on each area (matching your child’s interests and giving them the “just right challenge” to avoid frustration). - Targeting skills in the best order for speedy progress. - Continuing to strategize with all caregivers to maximize your child’s progress. Parents and teachers have many important jobs each day as a caregiver. When a child's developmental journey hits a bump in the road, make your life easier by seeking support from an OT who knows brain development and effective evidence-based practices.
Where do you complete OT treatment sessions
In your child’s natural environment. This means your home, your child’s school/daycare (in the class, outside, in a designated space at the school for therapy), a playground, or other meaningful places where your child normally spends his or her time. There are many benefits to this: - Children and caregivers learn skills and are able to use them right away when we work with what is familiar to them (their space and the materials they normally use). - I am able to provide better recommendations when I see the child in their environment and normal routine. - Parents do not have to drive through traffic and re-work their family’s schedule to “fit in” OT. I arrive and provide OT services within your child’s normal routine.
Do you accept insurance?
Meg Parker OT, LLC is only accepting private pay at this time. To pay for services, you have two options: 1. Pay via credit card, HSA (Health Savings Account), or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) 2. Pay via cash or check If you have any interest in submitting OT service invoices to your insurance to explore reimbursement for “out-of-network” OT benefits, please ask me and I can help you learn about this process.
Can you give me an example of an OT Treatment?
A 3-year-old boy is having a hard time with safety with peers (specifically hitting, pushing, biting, etc.) and using playground equipment. To address the child's sensory processing, self-regulation, and motor challenges, the following happens: - OT collaborates with teachers and parents to identify appropriate ways for the child to get the needed proprioceptive sensory input (e.g. running around and pushing the trees, obstacle courses, learning to use a tricycle). - OT incorporates the child's interests into play-based motor coordination learning (e.g. learning animal walks while forming a puzzle if the child loves puzzles). - OT creates a visual with the child to help him select from appropriate self-regulating choices when his body is feeling out of control.
If OT treatment is advised, how long will my child need these services?
This really depends on a number of factors, including severity of the child's challenges, family preferences and schedule, the school's expectations/level of concern, and the OT's recommendations. Here are a couple examples of OT treatment models: - Start with weekly OT treatment. As progress happens, drop back to every other week. Then down to once a month until the child is ready to graduate! This process may fit within a timeframe of 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, or a couple years. - Episodic treatment: this may be a good model if your child has an ongoing developmental diagnosis but your family does not want your child to get burned out with therapy. OT treatment may be 6 weeks on and 6 weeks off. The OT treatment model should be specifically designed based on what is best for your child, family, school/daycare, etc. Above are only two examples.
What is a broad overview of types of children who may benefit from OT?
Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, children, and adolescents (birth to 18) with or without a diagnosis may benefit from OT treatment with Meg. Generally, if your child has any red flags or challenges within these areas, please move forward with a phone call to explore next steps for seeking guidance from OT. Baby: - Preference for use of one side of body - Head turn preference - Struggles to calm/regulate (colic) - Sleep difficulty - Feeding difficulty - Delayed motor milestones Toddler/Preschooler/Child: - Sensory processing - Motor coordination (gross motor and fine motor) - Emotion regulation/self-regulation - Social participation - Functional visual skills (motor, perception) - Learning and executive functions - Self-Care skills - Functional communication Adolescent: - Sensory processing - Emotion regulation/ability to self-regulate - Engagement in meaningful peer activities - Motor coordination for sports or driving - Executive functioning for school tasks (organization, planning, problem-solving) - Self-care and community chores - Mental health difficulties
Please do not hesitate to reach out to Meg with any further questions -
mp@megparkerot.com
