What information will I be asked to provide?
You will ask to fill out a comprehensive Developmental History that will give us any additional information on your child’s development and current functioning. Additionally, you or your child’s school may also be asked to complete additional forms based on the information gathered through the intake phone call. This may included a sensory profile, listening or social checklist, or feeding history. In addition to the above; any Neuropsychological, Educational (including if your child is currently or has been on an IEP), related medical, Speech and Language, Occupational, or Physical Therapy evaluations that have been completed by other outside practitioners will give us important insight into your child’s needs. Please note this information will be placed in the child’s file and kept completely confidential since it did not originate with ICT.
What can I expect for the Evaluation?
The evaluating Occupational Therapist will need to review the medical history form before initiating the formal evaluation. We required that the identified forms also be received at least one week prior to the evaluation. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to the first appointment in order to complete the check-in process and paperwork. Copies of the information noted above can be made at that check-in time while the legal guardian of the client is completing mandatory insurance forms. Once all the paperwork is completed, copied, and reviewed, the formal 1:1 evaluation will start and take approximately 45 minutes to and hour and a half to complete. Legal guardians may or may not be included in the evaluation process, depending on the client’s comfort level during testing. Any and all recommendations for treatment will be placed in writing and given to the legal guardian for their files in a timely fashion. Further treatments and team meetings (if needed) will be scheduled at the completion of the formal evaluation.
What groups do you offer?
Young Athletes Program
ICT host the Special Olympics MA Young Athletes Program. This motor activities playgroup is an integrated parent-child class that will be run by both an Occupational and Physical Therapist. Our session is designed for children 4-7 years old with and without intellectual and physical disabilities. Children participate in a variety of non-competitive motor skills activities including: walking, running, jumping, balancing, trapping and catching, throwing, striking, and kicking. At the conclusion of each session participants will demonstrate what they have learned at a Special Olympics MA Young Athletes Skills Day which includes a ceremony that includes certificates and medals for each participant.
Social, Feeding, and Sensory
Periodically ICT offers specialized groups for those clients who could benefit from more than just individual treatment, would benefit from peer interaction in a playful setting. Our Occupational and Speech and Language Therapist will recommend groups that are appropriate for the client and sign-ups can be done at the front desk. In the near future we hope to offer Yoga for kids as well as massage therapy for children by a certified therapist.
Intake:
Once you have contacted ICT, we will arrange an intake call by one of our clinicians to discuss your concerns. The purpose of this call is to obtain valuable information about your child, answer your questions, and determine the best plan to address your child’s needs. This conversation will also assist us in determining the appropriate evaluation, consultation or treatment that will best address your functional concerns.
Insurance:
We currently accept and are in-network with the Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care insurance companies. We can also provide monthly invoices with appropriate diagnostic codes for clients who wish to submit for reimbursement with other insurances. Please be aware the insurance process is dependent on each client’s individual insurance plan. We welcome phone calls to answer any questions there may be before the first visit. For BCBS and HPHC participants, we will need you to bring a current insurance card on the first day of treatment. Any additional reports from other outside practitioners that may give us insight into the child’s needs will also be appreciated. Please note this information will be placed in the child’s file but will not be shared with others since it did not originate with ICT.
Referrals and Authorizations:
For clients who participate with BCBS, our office will obtain both a prescription and authorization from your pediatrician in order to initiate treatment. For clients who participate with HPHC, our office will obtain a prescription from your pediatrician for the initial evaluation. After the evaluation has been completed, we will then request further treatment authorizations from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. For all clients, we require a doctor’s prescription to be on file before the initiation of treatment. Referrals can also come from Special Education departments, early intervention programs, out-patient clinics, or anyone who believes pediatric-focused Occupational Therapy treatments would be valuable for the child’s developmental well-being.
Payment:
If you are a member of BCBS or HPHC, your co-payment is required at the time of service. For all other clients, full payment for the treatment is required at time of service. If you would like to establish a payment plan, this can to be arranged with our billing department.
What is a pediatric Occupational Therapist and what do they do?
An occupational therapist is a degreed and licensed clinician whose main focus is to help an individual reach their optimal potential and succeed in their daily activities. For children, their daily activities are to develop a sense of self and understanding of the world around them through play, observation, engagement and communication. Sometimes these daily activities become impaired due to a decrease in or issue with specific foundational skills. A pediatric occupational therapist creates the just right challenge for a child through functional activities so they can experience success in the skills of daily living.
How is clinic therapy different from school-based therapy?
School-based therapy focuses on those items that only affect a child’s educational performance and specific difficulties in school. In a clinic, the goal of therapy is to address all aspects of a child’s life including home, the community and also the school setting.
What is sensory processing and how is it treated?
Sensory processing is the ability of our nervous system to identify and integrate information from our basic five senses. When children develop, they seek out sensory experiences in order to learn more about the familiar and unfamiliar environments that surround them. When a child is unable to perform developmentally appropriate tasks due to their inability to integrate input from the environment, they are known to have a Sensory Processing Disorder. These types of children present with different issues: some avoid certain experiences while others may seek out extraordinary amounts of sensory input. This affects how they interpret their environments and thus, how they make sense of how the world works. Treatment sessions are designed to give children the correct level of input so they are able to focus, learn, and grow. This is done through play since play is the ideal learning platform for developing children. ICT’s clinic consists of large gym spaces where therapists use a variety of equipment to create individualized treatment plans.
What is Sensory Defensiveness?
This is a term used to describe how an individual reacts to the different sensory experiences that come from the environment through the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing). For some children they are over responsive or have too strong of a sense to what are these different experiences. When someone has sensory defensiveness they tend to have strong response to events as if it is threatening when in reality it is not. These children tend to have difficulty participating in their daily activities thus causing delays and problems with their day to day function. Some examples can include becoming upset when someone else bumps into them, not wanting to touch or eat particular tastes and textures, or becoming upset in loud, noisy, or busy environments.
What is a Sensory Diet?
A sensory diet is a list of daily activities for children with sensory issues to help to maintain an optimal state of arousal, greater body awareness, and overall attention to tasks. It is designed by the treating clinician and is specifically tailored to each child. These activities are functionally based and created to flow with both the child’s daily schedule, while also being simple enough so that both families and caregivers can perform them easily. At ICT we recognize it is not just the visit to our clinic that helps children reach their potential, but the day to day help from families and caregivers that makes all the difference.
What is the role of the mediator?
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution. It is the mediator’s job to assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement which is known as facilitative mediation. The mediator does not decide what is "fair" or "right," does not assess blame, nor do they render an opinion on the merits or chances of success if the case were litigated. Rather, the mediator facilitates communication, while moderating and guiding the process to avoid confrontation and ill will. Additionally, a mediator seeks concessions from each side during the mediation process. All conversation that a mediator participates in are considered confidential and not deemed admissible in court to be used against any party in any other proceeding if mediation fails. This does not apply in instances where a concern of neglect or abuse of children or the elderly is occurring.
What are the steps in mediation?
Once the initial intake phone call has occurred, a two hour meeting will be scheduled by our front office. We may request any and all pertinent paperwork to review prior to the scheduled meeting. If mediation has been determined to be warranted additional meetings will be scheduled at that time. If mediation has been advised, it generally begins with a joint session of all parties involved to set an agenda, define the issues, and ascertain the position and/or concerns. The joint session can be followed by separate private meetings between the mediator and each individual party. This allows each side to explain and enlarge upon their position and mediation goals. As previously mentioned, this process is private and confidential. Any agreement that is reached and signed by the parties to a dispute is considered binding.
