Frequently Asked Questions

What are your clinic hours?
The T.E.A.M. Approach is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Office staff is available Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 p.m.

Is parking free?
Yes, parking is free and several accessible spaces are available near the front entrance to the clinic.

Are co-pays required at each treatment session?
Yes, co-pays are required at each treatment session unless prior arrangements have been made with the billing office.

What is your cancellation policy?
In order to offer you the highest quality of outpatient services, regular attendance is crucial. Every attempt is made to schedule your services in a timely manner and when possible, at your convenience. However, because of the demand for therapy services at this location, we cannot reserve therapy time for persons who do not maintain consistent attendance. We encourage you to make cancellations at least 24 hours in advance. However, we know that unexpected illness or events may occur that prevent this. Therefore, we ask that you make cancellations at least one hour prior to your scheduled treatment session. Clients who cancel three consecutive visits, without giving at least one hour notice, will be at risk of losing their scheduled time slot. Clients who miss three scheduled appointments in a 30-day calendar period or five scheduled appointments in a 60-calendar period without notifying our office will automatically discharged from therapy services.

What is a co-treat?
A co-treatment (usually referred to as co-treat) is a session in which the child receives two services during the same time period. This works well with children who cannot sustain several hours of therapy without fatigue, children requiring two people to implement quality treatment due to handling, etc.

How long is each session?
Each session is 50 minutes long, usually starting on the hour and ending at 10 till. Due to scheduling constraints, a patient's designated therapy session will end promptly at its assigned time, regardless of the patient's arrival time.

Do I need a doctor's prescription to have my child evaluated?
No, we do not need a doctor's prescription to evaluate your child. However, we will need a prescription if therapy is recommended before treatment can begin.

Can I observe during my child's session?
Of course! We encourage parents to observe treatment sessions as this is a necessity for carryover. However, there are some cases when the child may perform better when the caregiver is not present and in this case, we may ask the parent to step out of the session in order to achieve the maximum benefit from therapy.

Who will pay for therapy?
Most insurance companies will pay for "medically necessary" therapy. Otherwise the family will assume financial responsibility. Our experience with this process is that the insurance company will cover the cost of the evaluation, and then determine funding the services from the results of the evaluation.

When you contact the office for an evaluation, how to proceed with your insurance coverage will be explained.

What should I do if I suspect my child may have difficulties?
If a child is suspected of having difficulties, an evaluation is in order. An evaluation usually consists of standardized testing (when possible), a structured observation, and an interview with the parent or other caregiver. If intervention is recommended it can be intensive (more than once a week), weekly, or consultative.

What is the difference between spasticity and tone?
Tone refers to the state of slight contraction usually present in muscles that contributes to posture and coordination. Spasticity refers to the abnormal velocity increase in muscle tone. For example, in an individual with spasticity, pulling the forearm away from the upper arm will be harder the faster you try to move it. Whereas in someone who exhibits increased tone, the resistance you feel is independent of the speed at which you try to move the body part.

What is the difference between Physical and Occupational Therapy?
In its infancy, physical therapy (PT) was used to help World War I veterans re-acquire skills they had lost due to nerve, muscle, or bone injuries. Today, one of the main goals of PT is to identify and treat problems with movement and posture. PTs can help children learn or become more proficient at a variety of movement skills, including rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, jumping, running, bike riding, etc.

Occupational therapy got its name in World War I when the therapeutic activities were used to help soldiers to regain function in their arms and hands. One of the main goals of OT is to help people function as effectively as possible in their environments. OTs help people overcome sensory, motor, and perceptual problems affecting learning and daily living skills such as hand writing, dressing, and cooking.

What is an orthotic?
An orthotic is a custom-made device used to support a joint and/or limb in proper alignment for weight-bearing or to prevent pain and malalignment in the long-term.

What is Botox?
Botox is the trademark name for the botulinum toxin produced by the same bacteria that causes botulism. In the medical community, it is used to reduce the spasticity of muscles through an injection into the affected muscle. Botox works essentially by preventing the nerve from sending a chemical messenger that tells the spastic muscle to contract (that substance is called acetylcholine).

What is Baclofen?
Baclofen is a substance that has been shown in studies to dramatically reduce severe spasticity. When injected into the fluid around the spinal cord, it allows muscles to relax. In addition, because it is delivered directly into the site of action at the spinal cord, it reduces spasticity with small amounts of medication without circulating throughout the body in the blood. This helps to minimize side-effects.

What is sensory integration?
The term "Sensory Integration" is used to reflect the theory developed by A. Jean Ayres, an occupational therapist, as well as for the intervention strategy that was based on that original theory. Sensory Integration is used to describe certain processes that go on in our brain, allowing us to make sense of the information we get from our environment and act on it. The term refers to the process by which the brain interprets and organizes various sensory experiences including sight, sound, smell, touch, movement, body awareness, and the pull of gravity. Sensory integration is a normal phenomenon of central nervous system functioning and provides a foundation for more complex learning and behavior. For some individuals sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. Sensory integration dysfunction can result in motor development difficulties, learning difficulties, or behavioral concerns.