Navigating Your Child's OT Journey: Top Questions Answered (Part 1)
Greetings and welcome back to the Koi Wellness blog, your trusted resource for child development and empowerment. I'm Aya Porté, your occupational therapist (OT), and I am invested in supporting you as you empower and nurture your child's potential and support your cross-cultural family.
Getting started on the journey of occupational therapy (OT) evaluations for your child can feel overwhelming. Understanding your child's unique strengths and challenges is essential for their growth and development, and occupational therapy evaluations are key to gaining valuable insights. These evaluations help identify how your child processes sensory information, their gross and fine motor skills, ocular motor skills, and any underlying performance differences that impact their ability to complete everyday activities independently.
Common Questions About OT Evaluations
It's natural to have questions or feel unsure about what to expect during this process. You might wonder how the evaluation will benefit your child or what it means for their therapy journey. Clear communication and collaboration between parents and OT professionals are essential to address any questions or concerns and ensure the evaluation process is thorough, informative, and supportive of your child's overall well-being and progress.
In this first part of our Q & A series, we will address some of the top questions I receive as an OT, aiming to empower you with the knowledge to effectively support your child's developmental journey.
Q: What is involved in an occupational therapy evaluation for my child?
A: An occupational therapy evaluation typically involves a series of assessments and observations to evaluate your child's skills and abilities in various areas based on your or the school's concerns. No two evaluations and reports are the same. Areas that I tend to assess include sensory processing, gross and fine motor skills, ocular motor skills, and whether there are underlying performance differences that impact a child’s ability to complete everyday activities independently.
This is achieved through standardized assessments, clinical observations, and discussions with both you and your child. The most important aspect of completing an evaluation is for me to explain what might be going on with your child and why it’s important that we work together to address these concerns.
Q: How long does an evaluation usually take?
A: The duration of an occupational therapy evaluation can vary depending on your child's individual needs and the specific assessments being conducted. Generally, evaluations can range from one to two hours, spread over 2-3 appointments. Each individual case is unique, and the timeframe will be discussed before starting the evaluation.
Q: What happens after the evaluation?
A: After the evaluation, I analyze your child's responses and formulate recommendations based on their strengths, and identify any areas of need. You will receive a comprehensive report detailing the findings, explanations of what might be going on with your child, and why it’s important that we work together to address these concerns. Recommendations for therapy (if applicable), interventions, and goals will also be included.
Q: Will my child need ongoing therapy after the evaluation?
A: The need for ongoing therapy will depend on the results of the evaluation and your child's specific needs. The occupational therapist will discuss their recommendations with you and collaborate to determine the most appropriate course of action. This may include regular therapy sessions, periodic re-evaluations, or recommendations for home-based activities to support your child's development. My philosophy is to make therapy recommendations work for you and your child. While traditional therapy recommendations often suggest a fixed frequency and duration, I believe in tailoring the service delivery to fit your family’s schedule.
Q: What if I disagree with the findings of the evaluation?
A: It's completely valid to have concerns or disagree with the findings of an evaluation. At a minimum, I would love to discuss any concerns you have regarding my report. I have had instances where parents choose not to move forward with services after reviewing the report and having their questions answered. As a parent, this is your right. Just because I think interventions would be beneficial does not mean you are obligated to proceed. I firmly believe the roadmap to create a path forward requires collaboration with family members to create a plan that works for everyone, not just the therapist’s schedule.
Empowering Parents and Children
One of my fundamental beliefs is that children should naturally feel motivated to engage in activities and live their lives with confidence. By concentrating on their strengths and interests, we can foster their motivation positively, thereby empowering both them and their families. This philosophy is at the heart of why I founded Koi Wellness. I believe in running my practice with a child-centered, family-focused approach to ensure that each therapy plan is tailored to meet the unique needs of every child and family served.
It's equally important that parents and families feel confident working with me, knowing that they are supported and actively involved in their child's therapy journey. If you want to learn more about how I can support you and your child, you can schedule a call here and connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Let's continue to positively impact the lives of our children and families together.
*Note: This article is part one of a multi-part series. Look out for the next installment in the coming weeks!*