F.A.Q.
Why has my child been referred to OT?
Children are often referred to Occupational Therapy services if they are struggling to ‘keep up’ with the rest of the class at school. This may be with subjects such as spelling, writing, maths or physical education. Most often, the children that are referred to Occupational Therapy services may be having trouble acquiring the skills necessary for handwriting, either with recall, legibility or written output. There are many associated challenges that can present with children who are experiencing difficulties, such as behavioural issues, sensory processing, attentional difficulties etc. which an occupational therapist is trained and equipped to manage.
Do I need a referral for my child to access OT?
No referral is necessary to access OT services. However, if you are eligible to claim therapy sessions through Medicare, then a GP referral will be required.
Medicare have two programs design to assist the public in accessing these services.
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Better Access to Mental Health
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Enhanced Primary Care program (can also be known as Chronic Disease Management Plan).
To find out more about the above plans, please contact one of our therapists.
What do OT’s do and what can they do for my child?
Occupational Therapists are tertiary educated professionals who assist in looking at the child as a whole. They assess for their strengths and weaknesses, and create a treatment plan to assist in their participation in their activities of daily living. They help them create the building blocks which form the basis of learning.
This may be to assist with their handwriting, reading, spelling, maths, motor skills, play skills and their mental health.
What does the assessment involve?
The comprehensive assessment runs for 90 minutes. The assessment involves a number of standardised tests which look at all areas of the child’s development or at least the areas that have been identified as a concern. Brief feedback will be given after the assessment is complete.
Very rarely do the assessments need to be run over more than one session.
You do not need to bring anything to the assessment unless there are relevant supporting reports from other professions such as paediatrician, educational psychologist, speech pathologist, teacher reports, that you think may be of use.
What happens after my child has been assessed?
An individualised report will be written based on the standardised tests used in the assessment. General observations are also noted within the assessment. Recommendations for both the teachers and parents will be included in the report. This is usually emailed to the client in confidence, usually within a two-week period after the assessment has taken place.
What does a therapy session consist of?
Depending on the age of the child and challenges being targeted, the sessions will consist of 30 minutes of structured work followed by 15 minutes of gym time (gross motor strength and coordination). As the gross motor gym is equipped with swings, a zip line, scooter boards and a range of other equipment, the time in the gym can also serve as a motivational tool to assist in the completion of their structured work.
How long is a course of therapy?
This differs greatly between children due to their innate motivation for change and severity of the challenges being targeted. The child is often recommended to receive a term of therapy with review to see the outcomes and refine the direction of therapy.
What are the costs involved and are the sessions covered by private health cover or Medicare?
The initial assessment runs for approximately 90 minutes and includes a full comprehensive report: $please call for pricing
The treatment sessions to follow run for 45 minutes: $please call for pricing
We are registered with all Private health companies. Rebate amounts will differ depending on your level of cover.
Medicare rebates are available as our therapists are endorsed for the Better Access to Mental Health scheme.
Medicare have two programs design to assist the public in accessing these services.
-
Better Access to Mental Health
-
Enhanced Primary Care program (can also be known as Chronic Disease Management Plan).
To find out more about the above plans, please contact one of our therapists.
Does my child need to have an assessment if they have been assessed before
Most often, yes. All professions assess different aspects of a child’s development. The outcome measures gained from an occupational therapy assessment will assist in developing an individualised treatment plan, acknowledgement of future improvements made, and areas of continuing need.
In rare cases where the child suffers from severe anxiety and has had previous psychometric testing, arrangements can be made to reduce the assessment load for the child.
If the child has been previously assessed by a different occupational therapist, another assessment cannot be performed within three months of the previous assessment. Therefore, an alternative can be discussed with the parent/caregiver and most likely treatment plans can be derived from the previous occupational therapist’s report.
