Evaluation FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions about Therapy Evaluations

We understand you may be overwhelmed trying to determine if your child is struggling with developmental delays or other other learning challenges. Referring your child to us for a comprehensive therapy evaluation is the first step in receiving the necessary information to make the best decision for your child. The earlier you schedule your child for an evaluation to determine if therapy is recommended, the better, as the most optimal outcomes are achieved through early intervention therapy.

At Solace Pediatric Healthcare, we offer comprehensive therapy evaluations to children from birth to 21 years. Our team handles every step of the process from communicating with insurance, coordinating with your physician, scheduling and providing support every step of the way. Our clinicians utilize evidence-based therapy in a child?s natural environment to increase comfort, convenience and overall success.

At Solace, we provide personalized, in-home therapy services for children with short term to acute diagnoses.

Our experienced physical, speech, occupational behavior and feeding therapists will create a plan to help them reach developmental milestones and reach their full potential. Our mission is to support you and your family so you feel empowered to make the best decision for your child and family.

In an effort to assist you further, we’ve compiled a list of questions our families typically ask concerning therapy evaluations.

Our PT team is specifically trained in pediatrics and dedicated to providing skilled, evidence-based, patient focused care.

What Takes Place During an Occupational Therapy Evaluation?

During an occupational therapy (OT) evaluation, our experienced therapists will assess your child’s gross motor skills, fine motor skills, sensory processing skills and self-care skills. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles in the upper body, arms and legs to complete whole-body movements like running, jumping and climbing. Children use fine motor skills to make small movements. They involve the coordinated efforts of the brain and muscles, and they're built on the gross motor skills that allow them to make bigger movements. In addition to sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch, sensory processing skills involve body awareness and balance. Our OTs will focus on a number of routines like getting dressed, writing, holding and controlling a pencil, using scissors, and throwing and catching.

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What Takes Place During a Speech Therapy Evaluation?

Our experienced speech-language pathologists (SLPs) will utilize games, toys and other objects to encourage your child to speak. They will evaluate the child’s voice quality and rate of speech, as well as their receptive language skills (ability to comprehend language) and expressive language skills. Our SLP will also pay close attention to the child’s articulation, which is when they omit certain sounds from words. In addition, some of our SLPs specialize in feeding and swallowing therapy in your home. All children must learn the process of eating and swallowing. Most children learn eventually; however, a child with a disorder will continue having trouble with the process or will display extreme pickiness. Medical or physical conditions may be the cause or even complicate the disorder. Our feeding specialist will determine what's best for your child and will work with you on an individualized treatment plan.
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Pediatric Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with infants and children in-home or via telehealth therapy to address challenges with activities of daily living, sensory integration, fine motor, visual perceptual skills, reach developmental milestones and participate successfully in home, school, and community environments.
Our clinicians utilize evidence-based therapy in a clinic or the child’s natural environment to increase comfort, convenience, engagement and overall success.

What Takes Place During a Physical Therapy Evaluation?

Physical therapy (PT) helps families with their child’s development and ability to participate in age-appropriate activities with families and friends. During a PT evaluation, our clinicians will assess your child’s ability to crawl, sit, improve balance, and explore and play with toys of various sizes, shapes and weights. The PT will use these assessments that measure your child against what is typical for peers of the same age and will determine what you can expect your child to achieve through physical therapy. After the PT has had a chance to observe your child, you will work together to come up with an individualized treatment plan for your child. It’s typical to reassess a child’s abilities and review progress every few months, but it’s important to remember that you and your child’s PT are on the same page about your child’s goals and how to reach them.

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How Long Does an Evaluation Last?

The first session will take an hour to an hour and a half. During the evaluation, you and your child’s clinician will determine what works best for you and your family going forward. If ongoing therapy services are determined to be clinically appropriate, the clinician will devise an individualized plan of care for your child. However, if therapy services are not needed at this time, the clinician will provide resources or activities for you to do at home to address the deficit or areas of concern. Your experienced Solace clinician will answer any questions you may have at the initial evaluation and will provide the appropriate information you need to make the best decision for you and your child.

Do I Need to Attend the Evaluation?

Parent/caregiver involvement at the initial evaluation is encouraged. If you are unable to attend the evaluation, a caregiver over the age of 18 must be present.

How Much Does an Evaluation Cost?

A comprehensive evaluation is created to be accessible to all children by providing at no cost for Medicaid recipients and under $150 for private pay.