Step by Step... ​

 

No referral is necessary to begin treatment at AOTS.  Simply send us an email or give us a call and we will get back to you to determine how we can help. We are a private clinic and are not funded through OHIP.  Check with your insurance carrier for coverage of services. There are funding options also available through President’s Choice Children’s Charities and the Jennifer Ashleigh Foundation (See the Parent Zone tab for Resources).

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We want to learn as much as possible about your child before we see them so that the assessments chosen can be specific and give the information that will be most helpful. The following is an outline of our intake process: 

 

• Parent interview – during this visit, the parents meet the therapist who will be assessing your child.  Background information will be requested regarding birth and developmental history, strengths and areas of challenge.  We ask for this interview so that we can learn about your child.  It can be very uncomfortable for your child to be discussed, especially when the information shared is about the areas of challenge.  This is why we request this initial interview.  Parents are welcome to ask questions about their therapist, the clinic or the process.  A date for the assessment will be set up at this meeting.

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• Assessment – parents are welcome to observe the assessment.  This process usually takes one or two sessions.  Every effort is made to help the child feel comfortable.  It is only in comfort that we can see their skills and their potential.  We also want this process to be successful for the child and will modify tasks to ensure the child’s success.  Learning what a child CAN do is as important as learning what is difficult.

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• Post assessment interview – parent/s and the therapist will meet again to discuss the assessment.  Information will be shared about the child’s strengths and areas of difficulty.  Parents are welcome to ask as many questions as they desire!  The intervention plan is developed with the parent/s. We may have information about development but you are the expert in your child.  We decide together about the need for therapy, frequency of therapy, need for consultation, ideas for home/daycare/school.  We establish a plan to support your child’s development.

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• Therapy sessions – parents are welcome to observe and participate in therapy sessions!  We love that and we learn from each other.  At the end of each therapy session, the therapist writes a summary note about the session called ‘the Love Letter’.  A copy is given to parents and a copy is put into the child’s file.

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• Invoices are provided at each session with all the information required for insurance/tax purposes.

 

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Occupational Therapy is also available through publicly funded services; through some hospitals and through the Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN). The LHIN funds OTs who use a consultation model for service delivery in home and school settings.  Families are encouraged to put their child’s name on the waiting list for publicly funded OT during their time with us.  We welcome the opportunity to connect with OTs from other service agencies to share information and strategies that we have found to be successful.