First Appointment
What to expect at your child’s first appointment
If you have been referred to an Occupational Therapist (OT) for support, chances are you’re not quite sure what an OT does and/or what to expect from the process.
You will be emailed a link to an intake questionnaire. We ask that you complete this online prior to the assessment day, otherwise the appointment will be unable to go ahead.
The intake questionnaire has questions about the child’s medical and social history, and their strengths and weaknesses. This provides the therapist with an opportunity to gain relevant background information to help inform the assessment process.
The first appointment is typically completed with parents or carers only, without the child present. This provides an opportunity to discuss your child’s strengths, challenges, developmental history, and your goals for therapy in a confidential and supportive environment.
Your child will then attend one or more assessment sessions with the Occupational Therapist. Assessments may include observation, play-based activities, standardised assessments, and informal tasks to explore areas such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing, emotional regulation, play, and independence.
Depending on your child’s needs, the assessment may be completed over multiple sessions. This allows the therapist to build rapport, reduce fatigue, and ensure the assessment provides an accurate picture of your child’s strengths and support needs.
Depending on your child’s needs and situation, you may be able to choose whether you want a brief report (outlining basic score results) or a more detailed report (more thoroughly explains the results and observations taken during the assessment, as well as more specific goals and therapy considerations.
When deciding which option to choose, you may consider how much information you might need. Do you need a full report to apply for NDIS funding or are you after some general suggestions on minor issues? Please note that is is very difficult to come back and write a full report more than a few weeks out from the assessment. We are not able to offer a full written assessment report a few months on from the assessment, without re-administering at least some components of the assessment.
Recommendations
The purpose of an OT assessment is not only to give information on where the child is at in their development, but to make suggestions for therapy to help them to further develop areas. Following an assessment and report a member of our team will discuss with you the potential therapy options available. This might include the duration and frequency of treatment, and the type of evidence based therapy that will provide the best results. The OT may also recommend further assessments such as seeing an optometrist or Paediatrician.