What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy is a skilled treatment by a professional trained in physical
and psychosocial components of development and disease. Treatment is aimed towards
maximizing independence in all areas of daily life. Occupation refers to the roles one
has in their life. For example, a child may assume the roles of student, family member
and playmate.

What training is required for a Occupational Therapist?
An Occupational Therapist must complete a course of study from an accredited
program and receive a Bachelors, Master of Science or Doctoral degree in
Occupational Therapy. After completion of study, a supervised clinical internship of at
least six months in a variety of health care settings is required. Before being allowed
to practice, the Occupational Therapist must pass a national certification exam.
The Occupational Therapist must successfully complete ongoing continuing education
requirements by regulated by the state of Florida.

How do I know if my child needs occupational therapy?
Occupational Therapy is a treatment approach to maximize performance in daily life.
If a child is not performing well in his or her roles as student, family member or friend,
or is limited by any physical or social detriment, Occupational Therapy may be beneficial.
A child may be referred for Occupational Therapy by a teacher, a physician, another
therapist or others that recognize difficulties in attention, activity level, handwriting,
visual perceptual skills or self-care which affect performance in the classroom or home
environments.

If you have concerns about your child’s development or if your child has been referred
for an occupational evaluation, call our office in downtown Orlando to schedule an
appointment.

Why do I need to consult a pediatrician?
Most  insurance companies require a doctor referral or  prescription to  perform a occupational evaluation or provide occupational therapy in order for the services to be covered under the medical plan. Additionally,  there may be underlying physiological issues associated with a child’s delays. If so, the pediatrician can confirm or rule out any of these other causes and give you a prescription for a full occupational evaluation and any other assessments or treatments that are necessary.

What is an occupational therapy evaluation?
A full evaluation is considerably more thorough than a screen. The evaluation determines the need for Occupational Therapy services by assessing a variety of areas which include fine motor skills, visual motor and visual perceptual skills, self care, functional cognitive development, sensory processing development and psychosocial skills.

Upon completion of the evaluation, a plan of care is determined to set up a baseline for areas of weakness/delay and goals are established to improve skills and function.

What does the occupational therapist do during the therapy sessions with my child?
An OT engages a child in play activities to foster improvement in the child’s area of weakness. The treatment is usually child-centered so that it is enjoyable for the child while working towards improvement of the goals set in the plan of care. The OT also trains the parent on strategies to maximize progress.

How often and how long does a child meet with the occupational therapist?
The amount of time a child spends with the occupational therapist is determined by what is necessary to achieve to goals set forth in the occupational therapy evaluation. The child needs to have an OT evaluation in order to answer this question accurately.

How much do you charge?
There are different charges for different procedures. Please note that, in most cases, the fee for occupational therapy services is covered by insurance. Please call our office for details specific to your situation.

Do you accept insurance?
Collaborative Function is a provider for many insurance organizations  and Medicaid. In most cases Collaborative Function is able to bill your insurance directly. However, as our provider list changes from time to time, we ask that you call our office for the most current provider list. We would be happy to check your child’s eligibility under your plan.