Evaluation: If you, your child’s school, or his/her pediatrician have concerns about your child’s development, the first step will be to call our office to set up an initial evaluation. The structure and content of an evaluation is tailored to each individual client’s expressed concerns and can include the following:
Parent interview
Clinical observations
Standardized testing
Questionnaire completion
Consultation with other members of the child’s team
Prior to your scheduled evaluation, we ask that you call your pediatrician and request a referral for an occupational therapy evaluation be sent to our office. On the day of your appointment, we ask that you bring your insurance card (if applicable) and completed intake paperwork to ensure our office staff is able to process this information in a timely manner.
The initial evaluation appointment will last approximately 1 hour and must be attended by the child and a primary caregiver.
Individual Treatment: If occupational therapy is recommended by the evaluating therapist, treatment will begin individually at a frequency to be determined by the treating therapist. Treatment sessions are scheduled for 1 hour and incorporate a combination of therapeutic activities and parent education. As is the case with evaluation, treatment focus, goals, activities, and duration are specific to each individual child and family.
Group therapy: As children progress towards meeting individual goals they may move to a group treatment model. This allows clients to practice skills addressed individually in a structured group context with continued 1:1 support from their therapist. Groups at Outside the Line are dynamic and do not necessarily follow a regimented, curriculum plan. This means the number of children may vary from week to week and that there is no predetermined number of sessions for its implementation. The group's continuation is dictated by the progress and needs of its members.
Parent coaching: In addition to individual treatment for the child, Outside the Lines recognizes the invaluable role of parent support and education. While all clinicians strive to incorporate parent education into individual treatment sessions, there are times when parents may benefit from additional 1:1 consultations with their child’s treating therapist. If deemed beneficial by both parties, parents can schedule this service as a way to provide more in depth education and recommendations specific to their child.