TheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #Occupational TherapyTheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #Occupational Therapyhttps://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/tag/occupational-therapyWed, 12 Nov 2025 18:44:03 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Animal Assisted Therapy]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/AATOur Animal Assisted Therapy program has begun with Bo the Certified Therapy Dog!]]>

Animal Assisted Intervention

Our Animal Assisted Therapy program has begun with Bo the Certified Therapy Dog! 


Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI): An alternative or complementary type of therapy intervention that includes the use of animals as a means to deliver therapeutic intervention in a treatment. Animal-assisted interventions are goal-oriented and structured interventions that intentionally incorporate animals into health, education and human service for the purpose of therapeutic gains and improved health and wellness. There are  three specific delivery methods of AAI: 

  • Animal-assisted therapy (AAT)

  • Animal-assisted education (AAE) 

  • Animal-assisted activities (AAA)

Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a complimentary type of therapy intervention; meaning, it’s added and incorporated into the child’s existing therapy plan of care and goals. The therapy clinician determines if using AAT will help forward progress of your child’s current established goals. If the clinician and family agree that AAT could be beneficial for the child, the clinician will create the therapeutic interventions within their scope of practice that are goal-oriented, planned, structured, documented, then invite the certified Therapy Dog and it’s certified handler to the appointment. 

Examples of AAT:

  1. A child learning to button dresses up the dog in a button down shirt.

  2. A child working on speech skills gives the dog commands like “sit” or “stay”.  

  3. A child who is afraid of heights jumping with the dog from a platform. 

Key Features of AAT:

  • Must be overseen by a health and human service provider as part of their profession. 

    • A wide variety of disciplines might incorporate AAT include physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, certified therapeutic recreation specialists, nurses, social workers, speech therapists and mental health professionals. 

  • Must incorporate the animal as part of his or her own specialty. 

    • Clinicians acknowledge and work within their own level of competence, education, licensure, and skill set.

    • Example: A social worker must incorporate the animal in the context of social work. If the same social worker takes the animal to visit a group of children on an informal basis, the visit would be considered AAA, not AAT. 

  • Interventions are planned and goal-directed. 

    • Activities and interactions with animals are goal-specific and measurable, such as improvement in range of motion or fine motor skills. 

    • The goals must be identified and defined in the plan of care before the session or the session can't be considered AAT.

    • The activities may or may not include direct contact with dog. 

    • The focus of treatment is on the therapeutic process and outcomes. This may include the set-up, planning, and organizing of activity, additional preparation for dog, rather than just completion of a task.

  • Documented and Billed. 

    • Each session is documented in the client's record, with the activity and progress noted. 

    • Because AAT is incorporated into an existing skilled therapy treatment (not a separate service) the intervention is billed as usual to insurance reflecting the purpose of the intervention.

Animal Assisted Education

Animal Assisted Education is a goal-oriented, planned and structured intervention directed by a general education or special education professional. The focus of the activities is on academic goals, prosocial skills and cognitive functioning, and student progress is both measured and documented. 

Key Features of AAE:

  • Overseen by a credentialed general or special education teacher.

  • Planned and goal-directed. 

  • While any visit with an animal might be beneficial for a student, unless the goals are identified and defined before the session, the session is not considered AAE.

  • Documented in an educational setting this may mean it is part of a specific lesson plan or has an associated assessment which documents student progress. 

  • In special education, it may be part of an Individualized Education Plan.

Examples of AAE: 

  • Classroom presentation as part of a unit on responsible pet ownership.

  • An elementary school coordinates a reading program for youth with speech impediments to practice reading aloud to animals. The session is supervised by the speech therapist who records student progress.

Animal Assisted Activities

Animal Assisted Activities provide opportunities for motivational, educational and/or recreational benefits to enhance quality of life. Although these activities are more informal in nature, they’re delivered by a specially trained professional, paraprofessional and/or volunteer in partnership with an animal. 

Key Features of AAA:

  • This does not occur during a healthcare type setting - this is not the type of intervention completed at TheraTree
  • Specific treatment goals are not planned for each visit 
  • Content is spontaneous and may only last a few minutes 
Examples of AAA:

  • Volunteer type situations at events, or meet and greets 

  • Animal interacts with a non-patient in a healthcare setting

  • Although the term “pet therapy” was widely used several decades ago, it should be avoided, because it’s inaccurate and misleading. The currently preferred terms imply that the animal is acting as a motivating force to enhance the treatment provided by a well-trained person. 

  • Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) A subset of animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted crisis response provides comfort to those who have been affected by natural, human-caused or technological disasters. The response environment has the potential to be complex and unpredictable. 

  • Animal-Assisted Workplace Well-Being (AAWW) A subset of animal-assisted activities, animal-assisted workplace well-being incorporates therapy animal interactions in workplace settings, for benefits that range from stress reduction and decreased blood pressure to socialization and community building, along with the potential for increased productivity. 

Benefits

The goal of animal-assisted intervention is to address and improve a patient's goals which may including but not limited to the following: 

The Human-Animal Bond (HAB)

A mutually beneficial relationship between humans and animals. Animal-assisted interventions exist because of the power of the bond which has beneficial psychological and physiological outcomes for participants. While we often focus on the benefit to humans receiving AAl, it's important to remember that animals also experience benefits from their relationship with humans. It has been found that companionship and social support helps pets and animals live longer, healthier lives. 

Physical

  • Fine and gross motor skills

  • Wheelchair skills

  • Standing balance

Cognitive

  • Attention skills

  • Sequence

Empathy

Identifying with and understanding the feelings and motives of others. Studies report that children who live in homes where a pet is considered a member of the family are more empathetic than children who live in homes without pets. Children might see animals as peers. It's easier to teach children to be empathetic with animals than with humans, because most animals have such straightforward body language. As children age, their ability to empathize with animals generally carries over into their experiences with people.

Outward Focus

Bringing individuals out of themselves. Interactions with animals can help people who tend to focus on themselves pay more attention to their environment. Instead of thinking and talking about themselves and their problems, they can watch and talk about the animals.

Educational

  • Increase vocabulary

  • Aid in improving long- or short-term memory

  • Improve knowledge of concepts such as size and color

Nurturing

Promoting the growth and development of another living thing. Nurturing skills are learned. By being taught to take care of an animal, children who haven't learned nurturing skills through other channels can develop them. Furthermore, a person who is engaged in nurturing activities is also, to some extent, fulfilling his or her own need to be nurtured.

Rapport

Building a relationship of mutual trust or a feeling of connection or bonding. In therapy settings, the presence of an animal in the therapist's office can help clear a path through the client's initial resistance and open a channel of emotionally safe, nonthreatening communication between the client and the therapist. Children are especially likely to project their feelings and experiences onto an animal.

Acceptance

Offers favorable reception or approval. Animals have a way of accepting without qualification. They don't care how a person looks or what the person says. An animal's acceptance is non-judgmental, forgiving, uncomplicated and unconditional.

Socialization

Seeking out or enjoying the company of others. Studies have shown that when dogs and cats come to visit a care facility, there's more laughter and interaction among residents than during any other entertainment or therapy time. In an inpatient setting, the presence of animals encourages three types of socialization:

  • 1. Among clients

  • 2. Between clients and staff

  • 3. Among clients, staff, and family members or other visitors

Mental Stimulation

Occurs because of the opportunities that animals provide for communicating with other people, recalling memories and entertainment. In situations that are depressing, the presence of animals serves to brighten the atmosphere, increasing amusement, laughter and play. These positive distractions might help decrease people's feelings of isolation.

Physiological Benefits

Much has been written about the correlation between touch and health. Infants who are touched very little might have difficulty developing healthy relationships with other people and might fail to thrive and grow physically. For some people, the touch of another person isn't acceptable, but the warm, furry touch of a dog or cat is. In hospitals, where most touch tends to be painful or invasive, the touch of an animal is safe, non threatening and pleasant. In many programs for people who have been physically or sexually abused, staff members and volunteers aren't allowed to touch the clients. In these places, having an animal to touch, hold and hug can make a world of difference to people who would otherwise have no positive, appropriate physical contact.

Motivational

 Positive effects on the basic functioning of the body. Some consider a biopsychosocial framework for AAT, since it affects clients on biological, psychological, and social/environmental levels (Blazina, Boyraz, & Shen-Miller, 2011). An extensive amount of research shows the medical benefits of spending time with animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list some benefits as: Lowered blood pressure, Lower cholesterol, More likely to exercise, Lowered risk of diabetes, Lowered cortisol (Fine, 2019a). In fact, oxytocin (the “love hormone”) plays a large part in our connection to animals. Oxytocin is the hormone that is released to help parents bond with their children and when people fall in love. It helps us feel good and allows us to feel emotionally secure, content, and happy. Oxytocin also increases in humans when we spend time with animals; we naturally feel better when they are around (Compitus, 2021a). Tests have shown that the decrease in heart rate and blood pressure can be dramatic. 

Request Animal Assisted Intervention

If you would like to Animal Assisted Therapy to be included in your child’s therapy: 

  1. Email Contact@theratreepeds.com

  2. Discuss AAT with your child’s therapy clinician at your next appointment. 

Qualifications of Animals & Handlers 

At TheraTree we have a commitment to excellent and evidence based care. Therefore, it’s our policy for clinicians to first complete a 5 hour Animal Assisted Therapy continuing education training which is free, internal, a credit toward required state CEUs, and at their own pace before incorporating AAT into treatment. 

Handler Standards: 

  • Must be the active handler during the dog's certification tests and maintain certifications.  
  • Handlers must be able to act quickly enough to remove themselves and their dogs without assistance from a facility in the event of an emergency. 
  • Must maintain Current Animal First Aid Certification 
  • Must maintain professional liability insurance.

Animal Behavior Standards:

  • Must complete the following standardized behavior certificates.
    • AKC Canine Good Citizen Certified 
    • AKC Community Canine Certified 
    • AKC Urban CGC Certified 
    • Alliance of Therapy Dogs Certified
  • Must pass on site competency by TheraTree’s AAI Coordinator 
  • Affect: enjoyment, relaxed, confident, focused 
  • Interactions: welcomes attention from stranger, interaction in suitable ways, neutral when encountering other dogs, maintains good communication with handler, 
  • Obedient: exhibits self control, reliable, predenticle, controllable, responds to basic obedience cues. 
  • Safe: maintains loose leash, stay close to handler, licks only when cued, doesn’t vocalize, 
  • Equipment: Must have all the required equipment to promote safety and wellbeing. 
  • Leash: Maintains safe and close leash walking behaviors. 


Animal Health Standards:

  • Current on vaccination and certification of health by their veterinarian including: Bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine, Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, +/- Parainfluenza, Canine influenza, Leptospira, Lyme disease, Rabies (Titer levels of 0.5 IU or greater are acceptable and must be measured every two years to ensure levels are acceptable.)
  • Must be free of any signs of ill health while in the clinic. Animals with physical and medical disabilities must have veterinarian approval documentation that their disability does not pose harm or a safety risk to themselves or any other staff or patient in the clinic. Participation must not compromise the animal’s health and wellbeing. 
  • Dogs must be clean and well groomed. (See AAI requirements for specific definitions) 
  • Must be non-shedding.

The goal of animal-assisted intervention is to address and improve a patient's goals which may including but not limited to the following: 

]]>Mon, 29 May 2023 13:08:00 -0500<![CDATA[Anxiety in Children ]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/anxiety However, some children consistently demonstrate difficulty adapting because of a perception of danger surrounding a task. Particularly if there is un ]]>

By Jessica Hatfield, Ms, OTR/L

Children are constantly learning, growing, and adapting to their environment. Even when we give the most stable and routine environment, things still always and inevitably change. Change is normal and children seek to feel safe and secure.


It is important to note that some worry and stress is normal and even needed for survival. The primary purpose of our ‘fight or flight’ response is to keep us safe. Stress and worry are also useful to our growth because we are challenged to try different things. We want our children to grow and adapt for the ever changing pace of life.

However, some children consistently demonstrate difficulty adapting because of a perception of danger surrounding a task. Particularly if there is uncertainty or there has been a previously negative association. At time several less intense events can build up to cause an overwhelm. Both of these negatively affect their daily living. Pediatric anxiety has grown to be one of the major mental health issues facing children. Anxiety is experienced in the pediatric population at increasing rates. 7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety. (Ghandour 2018) 

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is apprehension about the future. Behaviors will also begin to affect thinking processes. For example an expectation is unrealistic and in turn leads to ruminating or negative thoughts. Anxiety can cause negative mood and physical tension. There are many different types of anxiety including separation anxiety, OCD, perfectionism, social phobias, or generalized anxiety etc. Anxiety is different than fear and panic, although a person can experience these as well. Fear is an immediate alarm to current danger, physical arousal, and avoidance. Panic is fear at an inappropriate time. It’s abrupt, intense, and physically arousing.

What Causes Anxiety?

A variety factors can contribute to anxiety in children. Children may observe and replicate anxious behaviors of others. Life experiences may also trigger anxious feelings and behaviors. For example loss, serious illness, bullying, or other types of abuse. Genetic factors that effect brain chemistry can cause a child to be more predisposed to developing anxiety. 

What Causes Anxiety?

  • Agitation, jittery, or restlessness
  • Sleep Deprivation or nightmares
  • Easily upset or crying on a regular basis
  • Panic Attacks, heart pounding, palms sweaty, trouble breathing
  • Somatic symptoms of physical pains, e.g. headaches, tummy aches, nausea
  • Repeated behaviors or phrases that are familiar
  • Tantrums, including meltdowns before school about inconsequential issues like socks
  • Clingy to the point it is disruptive
  • Constantly seeking the reassurance from others
  • Tries to get others, particularly adults, to do things for them
  • Asks for assistance for tasks they can complete independently

Children  may say phrases like: 

  • Something terrible will happen. 
  • I don’t have any control over it. 
  • It will be my fault if it happens. 
  • I don’t know what to do!
  • I have to get out of here!
  • I need to know for sure that it’s okay
  • I can’t make any mistakes
  • Always on the lookout for danger and checking to make sure things are safe.
  • Dislike or avoidance of new or difficult tasks
  • Avoidance behaviors or trying to stay home from school
  • High expectations of self
  • Low self-esteem and confidence 
  • Delayed social skill development and difficulty maintaining relationships
  • Decreased motivation for certain tasks

Child might demonstrate a few of these behaviors occasionally and some of these signs may be cause by other factors not related to anxiety. However when negative, anxious behaviors become more common or intense, your child may qualify for an anxiety diagnosis. When experiences these frequently or at extremes, the natural protective responses triggered no longer serve as protective and become debilitating. High levels of anxiety can make it difficult for a child to participate everyday activities including school, play and friendships. When anxiety interferes with your child’s ability to play and learn, it’s time to talk to a professional.

What Causes Anxiety?

For children experiencing anxiety, it is a natural response for parents to want to step in and solve the problem. However this is not the best long term strategy to actually help your child with their anxiety. By removing or allowing your child to avoid, you are unintentionally reinforcing their anxieties and removing opportunities to develop coping skills and resilience. Therefore it is important to give your child the opportunity to work through their fears in order to develop these highly important skills. This is best done by working with professionals. There are several profession who help with anxiety: 

  • Occupational Therapists to apply concrete strategies. 
  • Psychiatrists and nurse practitioners to prescribe medication. 
  • Psychologists, social workers, and counselors to provide emotional support.

How Occupational Therapy Helps

Occupational Therapy (OT) can be thought of as the therapy of taking action! There are many ways we can talk to our children about their worries and fears, but by teaching them concrete strategies we empower children to become independent in their own lives! Occupational therapy providers step in to bridge the gap so children can learn to function and feel how powerful they really are when it comes to their thoughts and abilities. Occupational Therapy intervention addresses anxiety through the followings ways:


Proactive strategies

The purpose of proactive strategies is to prevent the anxiety from occurring. This provides a short term benefit but is not helpful long term as our environment is always changing and adaptability is a survival skill. Some proactive strategies include establishing routines, visual schedules, and adapting the environment (ex sensory-friendly environments, fidget toys, quiet corners etc). 


Teaching, Thinking, and Applying Strategies 

The purpose of these strategies are to increase both interoception and communication strategies so children can manage themselves to identify and prevent anxiety. These provide the most long term benefits in their life. These strategies include interoception, effective education, cognitive restructuring, and communication to adults about what they are experiencing and their wants/needs. 


Reactive Strategies

The purpose of reactive strategies is to help in the moment while a child is experiencing anxiety. This has both short and long term benefits. However the difficulty with teaching reactive strategies is bridging the concept of “what to do” with actually being able to recall and apply them in the moment. Generally these skills take longer to develop because of this. These strategies include Guided Imagery, deep breathing, distraction, quiet time, calm/comfort techniques


Parenting Strategies

As with all Occupational Therapy intervention, parent education is important. Parents have a big influence on how their child with learn and respond by the tone they set. Occupational Therapy Providers teach parents how to be both proactive and reactive with their child. They teach what not to do. Often parents need to utilize calming strategies of their own when interacting with their child who is in a heightened state of arousal. When children are in a heightened state, they may have difficulty understanding complex language. So simplifying the words spoken to them can have a big impact on their reaction. Occupational Therapy Providers also teach parents by example and self reliance. 


What's Next?

If you have any questions or concerns about your child please reach out to an occupational therapist at TheraTree. You can reach us by phone at 270-688-8449 or email at newpatients@theratreepeds.com.

Get Started Now

References:


Ghandour RM, Sherman LJ, Vladutiu CJ, Ali MM, Lynch SE, Bitsko RH, Blumberg SJ. Prevalence and treatment of depression, anxiety, and conduct problems in U.S. children. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018. Published online before print  October 12, 2018 


Gobrial, E., & Raghavan, R. (2017). Calm child programme: Parental programme for anxiety in children and young people with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 1744629517704536.

]]>Wed, 21 Jul 2021 17:32:20 -0500<![CDATA[2-Wheel Bike Riding ]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/Bike-RidingThe sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and it is a beautiful day for bike riding. Have you ever wondered how children learn to bike ride? Have you ever tried bike riding and everytime it ended in tears? You may not know where to start with teaching bike riding and that is okay.]]>

By Kaitlin Alvey, MS, OTRL

The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and it is a beautiful day for bike riding. Have you ever wondered how children learn to bike ride? Have you ever tried bike riding and everytime it ended in tears? You may not know where to start with teaching bike riding and that is okay.


Bike riding is a big skill that we expect children to learn between the ages of four and eight years old. When I say that age it is all based on development. If your child is developmentally behind, you can expect that bike riding may take longer to learn and/or happen at a later age. I wanted to provide you all with some information about the skills needed for bike riding along with some tips in progressing with bike riding.

Skills Needed for Bike Riding 

So let’s start with the skills. Below is a breakdown of some of the things required to bike ride:


Leg Strength: Pedaling and pushing a bike requires strength to push in a downward motion to move it forward.


Balance: It takes a lot of coordination to balance on the seat and maintain position while it is moving.


Core strength: Core muscles are vital to our participation in many movement activities and especially bike riding.


Bilateral coordination: This means that the child has to use both sides of their body at the same time. Bike riding requires this skill in being able to hold both handle bars and coordinate both legs to propel.


Visual motor skills: Some people also refer to these skills as hand-eye coordination. If you think about bike riding, we have to be able to look with our eyes and tell our body what to do. This helps a child decide whether they are going to keep going or stop or move side to side to avoid an obstacle.

Steps & Tips for Bike Riding

So now that we have the skills, let’s talk a little bit about some recommendations for progression. Often times, I do not recommend children starting with training wheels on their 2 wheeled bike. Especially with children who are developmentally delayed or having difficulty in any of the above skills, they may use the training wheels as a crutch for their skills. This is not true for every child, so it is something to consider for what fits best for your child.


STEP 1: Modify the Bike


PEDALS: When a child first gets a two wheel bike, I recommend removing the pedals. Removing the pedals?? Yes! When you remove the pedals, it allows your child to get used to balancing on the seat and propelling the bike forward. If you have ever seen a balance bike, this is the same concept without having to get another bike. Without the pedals, a child can work on coordinating where to put their hands, pushing with their feet, and looking at where they are going. Make sure you child can first try in a straight path and then can work on steering a little later.


SEAT: When you remove the pedals, the next step is to lower the seat. You want the seat to be low enough so that they can propel through pushing with the ball of their foot.


Tip: You do not want your child to be able to push all the way through their heel because they may rely on that more for balance than using their core muscles.


STEP 2: Add One Pedal

So your child has mastered balancing and riding the bike without pedals. They can steer, propel it forward, and can feel the wind across their face! Next it is time to add on one pedal. You can choose which ever side would work best for your child. If they are five years or older and have hand dominance, I would recommend putting the pedal on their preferred side first. So this may seem kind of silly and that is okay! Putting one pedal on allows your child to master the motor movement on one side rather than having to coordinate both sides together. They can also still use their other leg to help catch them from falling. Once they have mastered pedaling with one side, take that pedal off and put the one on the other side. Repeat the process until they are able to coordinate and propel the bike forward.


Tip: You do not want to switch your child’s pedal until they have mastered it on the one side. The length of time to master this skill varies for each child and is discovered by them practicing on the bike.


STEP 3: Add The Second Pedal

It is time for two pedals!! At this point your child has learned all of the small skills required for pedaling with two pedals. When you place the two pedals on, they will learn the new balance of having two legs off the ground and watch them go!


Bike riding is one of my favorite summer time activities and I hope that this has helped to provide a way to support your child in bike riding this year! If you have any questions or concerns about your child and development please reach out to an occupational therapist at TheraTree. You can reach us by phone at 270-688-8449 or email at contact@theratreepeds.com.

]]>Wed, 30 Jun 2021 15:10:48 -0500<![CDATA[What to Expect Prior to Your Evaluation ]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/what-to-expect-prior-to-your-evaluation

by: ​Kaitlin Kralj, MS, OTR/L, ACSM-EP

About Our Clinic: 

Before we get started, I want to point out that most pediatric therapy clinics do not look very “clinical.” In fact, our therapy gym looks like a giant playroom! In the therapy gym at TheraTree, we have movement-based play equipment such as swings, monkey bars, a rock wall, and trampoline.  In the clinic rooms, a large range of toys are games will be presented to engage your child. We also have a fully functional kitchen and laundry area that is used with some of our older clients to help them develop independent living skills.

TheraTree's Mission

Here at TheraTree, we make it our purpose to support the whole child. This includes mind, body, and spirit.


We work to treat minds by sprouting learning and strategies for life, bodies by cultivating strong, agile muscles and motor skills, and spirits by planting the seeds of happiness and confidence to flourish. At TheraTree, we strive to create an empowering context that removes barriers and gives rise to ideas.

Why Does My Child Need an Evaluation?

The purpose of an evaluation is to gain specific information about a child’s current skills and abilities. By conducting a full evaluation, our therapists can gather a more precise measurement of how your child is performing in comparison to their same-aged peers. Evaluations are an essential part of the therapeutic process, as it allows our therapists to gather data, develop appropriate therapy goals, and develop a treatment plan for your child.

Physician Order: Do I need one? 

The answer is yes. Prior to the time of your child’s appointment, a physician’s order is required.  This order will usually come from your pediatrician or family physician. We can certainly get your evaluation appointment scheduled prior to having the order, however, we cannot conduct the evaluation until we have this on file. 

Intake Paperwork: What is it? When Should I Fill it Out?

Prior to visiting our office, you will be asked for your insurance information. You will also be required to complete an intake form. The intake form will be online and is HIPAA compliant (meaning your information is secure!). It will ask you to provide information regarding your child’s medical history, when developmental milestones such rolling, crawling, babbling, and walking were achieved, and your child’s current level of independence with self-care tasks (such as bathing, toileting, dressing, etc.)  If feeding is a concern, you will also be asked to list the child’s food likes and dislikes. This is important for the evaluator to get complete information about your child. 

 

This packet of paperwork will also include your financial information, the treatment consent form, media consent form, and attendance policies. It is important that you pay close attention to this paperwork so that you gain an understanding of TheraTree’s policies regarding attendance,  fees, and so on.


Standardized questionnaires may or may not be a part of the intake paperwork. Some of this paperwork may be completed online (before the scheduled time of the appointment) and some questionnaires may take place the day of the evaluation.

 

In general, we ask that the intake paperwork is returned to us 3 days prior to the evaluation. This allows our clinicians time to review your child’s chart and gain a better understanding of what their needs may be prior to the assessment. We like to have this paperwork in advance so that our clinicians can fully prepare for your evaluation, as it helps us choose which standardized assessments are the best fit for us to utilize during the evaluation.

Insurance Verification and Benefits: What is Covered?

Prior to your evaluation appointment, our Patient Intake Coordinator will take some time to research your insurance policy as a courtesy. They will gather information about your deductible, co-payments, co-insurance, and patient responsibility. This helps us gather an understanding of what is or is not covered under your plan so at the time of you evaluation we can work together to understand your plan.

 

Although we work diligently to gather all the information regarding insurance policies, sometimes the companies do not disclose all of the information to you. If this occurs, please remember that this is the insurance policy that you signed up for. Please ensure you have complete understanding of your policy so we can work together to make a financial plan if needed.

The Day of Your Evaluation: Arriving to the Clinic and What to Expect

When you arrive at the clinic, it is recommended that you call us at 270-688-8449 to check in due to our COVID pre-caution. When the evaluating therapist is ready for you, he or she will come outside and welcome you into the building.

 

Our clinic currently has a COVID-19 health screening at the front door, where the evaluator will ask you COVID-19 related questions, ask you to remove your shoes, and take your temperature.

 

All of our staff members take extra precaution by wearing a face mask, face shield, and gloves. We take extra care in sanitizing our rooms and equipment between clients.

 

Once you are checked in and have passed the COVID-19 health screener, a Patient Intakes Specialist will review our policies and financial responsibilities with you. This ensures that you have a complete understanding of what to expect from therapy.

 

If you have a payment due, it will be collected at the time of the evaluation. You can also set up a payment plan or learn more about financial resources during this time as well.

 

As you speak with the Patient Intake Specialist, your child will go back to an evaluation room with the evaluator to begin the evaluation process. Each therapy specialty has a different process to evaluate which is why we have a article for each one!

Learn more about Occupational Therapy Evaluations here: [To be posted soon!]

Progress and Success at TheraTree

 It is understandable that you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. We want to reiterate that we are here to support you and your child! Our staff is more than happy to assist you and answer any questions that you may have. We are excited to serve you and your child. It is our goal to see your children thrive. So many children meet their therapy goals and demonstrate amazing progress. Many kids also “graduate” from therapy!

 

You don’t have to take our word for it… Check out a few of these patient testimonies below!

 

“… She has made so much progress that it amazes us. She is starting to sleep through the night, and she appear more in touch with, and able to regulate, her emotions better. She just seems happier! Scarlet is doing so much better than I thought she would with telehealth.”

 

“If he is in a mood, by the time telehealth is done, he is happy, his confidence is raised, and he just overall is a different child.”

 

“Our daughter has improved so much with understanding and regulating her emotions and knowing when she’s reaching sensory overload.”

Get Started Now!
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