If you are unsure if your child needs therapeutic services, you can book a free consultation that consists of a 15-20 minute phone call where you can talk with one of our knowledgeable team members about your concerns without committing to a full evaluation. Our team member will ask questions about your child’s development, address any concerns you may have, and provide further recommendations.

As part of a feeding evaluation, we will gather some basic information about your child’s medical history, developmental milestones, and any concerns you may have about their eating habits. You will also be asked to complete a food inventory checklist.

We may ask your child to perform simple oral-motor tasks, such as chewing, drinking water from a bottle or cup, or eating certain challenging foods. Depending on your child’s age and abilities, we may practice activities in a meal-like setting, such as eating in a highchair or sitting at a table. We may also incorporate play activities to reduce stress and encourage your child to enjoy mealtime. Our goal is to make the feeding evaluation a comfortable and positive experience for you and your child.

Once we finalize the evaluation report, we’ll schedule a video conference call to discuss the results in detail. Together, we’ll explore areas where improvement is possible and outline a personalized plan of care, including details on how long and how often sessions will occur. We may recommend feeding and/or swallowing therapy and will work with parents to devise at-home activities to enhance feeding skills. If feeding therapy isn’t the best fit for your child’s needs, the therapist will also provide you with alternative resources and recommendations to support your journey.

To ensure a comprehensive and accurate evaluation, please bring any special foods, formula in a bottle or other consumable items your child may be accustomed to.

Sessions 1-3: During the first few sessions, we focus on helping your child feel comfortable with the therapist, therapy room, and routine. For children who have sensory aversions, we help them get comfortable with touching and playing with food. We do this by playing with food! Children with oral motor delays will learn about the tools used in feeding therapy, and gradually learn new exercises each session.

Sessions 4-6: By this point, your child has become comfortable with the therapy routine. Thus, we shift the focus to smelling, tasting, and biting foods. Our therapists also spend more time teaching specific strategies to deal with new or unfamiliar foods. We also teach children how to describe food in factual ways (ex. squishy, crunchy, messy, wet, etc.) rather than using opinionated terms (ex. yucky, nasty, gross, yummy, etc.). For children who are learning oral motor skills, we incorporate real foods into the exercises. We strive to make feeding therapy as exciting as possible so that your child associates feeding time with fun time!

Sessions 7+: During sessions 7 and beyond, the emphasis is on safely chewing and swallowing new foods that vary in texture, shape, size, color, flavor, etc.! Our therapists are focused on helping your child expand their food repertoire to include 10 vegetables, 10 fruits, 10 proteins, and 10 dairy items!

Please keep in mind that this session progression is a rough outline of what therapy sessions may look like. Every child is unique, and we make sure to provide individualized therapy plans for each and every one of them. Some children may only need one session to learn the feeding therapy routine, while others may need four or more. One child may successfully learn oral motor exercises in just a couple of sessions, while another may need a little more time to master the techniques. Regardless of your child’s needs, we are here to provide the support and care they need to succeed.

A speech and language evaluation is a thorough assessment performed by a speech therapist to assess an individual’s communication skills, detect any speech or language disorders or delays, and establish an effective intervention plan if required. Here’s a summary of what usually takes place during a speech and language evaluation conducted at the KCB Play Institute:

Case History: The evaluation begins with a discussion between the speech therapist and the patient’s caregiver to discuss background information obtained from intake forms and to gather additional background information.
Observation: During the evaluation, the speech therapist observes the patient’s communication skills in various settings such as during conversation, play, or structured tasks. They observe speech sounds, language use, voice quality, fluency, and social communication.
Use of comprehensive assessment tools: The evaluating speech-language pathologist may employ norm-referenced or criterion-referenced assessments that are developmentally appropriate to assess various dimensions of speech and language. Such assessments assist in determining whether your child’s skills align with the normative expectations for their age group. Engaging activities are utilized alongside these assessment tools to obtain a comprehensive understanding of your child’s strengths and areas requiring enhancement. This individualized methodology allows us to formulate a targeted treatment plan that equips your child with the essential skills to thrive academically, at home, and in their future pursuits.
Hearing Screening: Hearing is a crucial component of speech and language development. The speech therapist you work with may conduct a hearing screening to rule out hearing-related issues.
Oral-Motor Examination: For younger children or individuals with suspected oral-motor difficulties, an in-depth examination of the oral structures (lips, tongue, palate, etc.) may be performed in speech therapy to assess their function and coordination. If your child is not suspected of having any oral-motor difficulties, they will partake in an oral-motor screener.
Language Sampling: The speech therapist you work with may elicit language samples by asking the individual to describe a picture, retell a story, or engage in conversation. This provides a more natural assessment of their language skills.
Analysis and Diagnosis: Based on the assessment findings, the speech therapists will analyze the results and make a diagnosis. This may include identifying specific speech sound errors, language disorders, fluency disorders, or social communication challenges.
Collaborative Goal Setting: Once we’ve wrapped up the evaluation, we’ll set up a video conference call to delve into the results together. We’ll collaboratively explore areas for improvement and develop a tailored plan of care, discussing how often sessions will take place and what they will look like. If therapy isn’t the right fit, no problem! We’re here to share alternative resources and recommendations to help you on this journey.

Your child’s journey with an occupational therapist begins with an in-depth exploration of their medical history and developmental milestones—like rolling, sitting, and walking. You’ll be engaged in a thoughtful discussion, answering questions about how your child reacts to different sensory experiences. The therapist will skillfully assess your child’s motor skills, focusing on the intricacies of joint mobility, posture, muscle strength, and both gross and fine motor abilities while also considering their visual motor and perceptual skills related to the reason for referral for the evaluation. To create a rich understanding of your child’s unique profile, our therapists will compile evaluation findings through a blend of standardized assessments, keen clinical observations, and your own valuable insights.

We pride ourselves on our comprehensive evaluation techniques, elevating the process beyond basic methods by emphasizing essential executive function skills such as planning, organization, time management, and concentration. Through engaging activities and interactive exercises, we uncover a fuller picture of your child’s strengths and areas for growth. This personalized approach formulates a targeted treatment plan that equips your child with vital skills for success not only in their studies but also at home and in all their future adventures!

After your evaluation, our dedicated occupational therapist will share their preliminary findings with you. Once we finalize the evaluation report, we’ll schedule a video conference call to discuss the results in detail. Together, we’ll explore areas where improvement is possible and outline a personalized plan of care, including details on how long and how often sessions will occur. If occupational therapy isn’t the best fit for your child’s needs, the therapist will also provide you with alternative resources and recommendations to support your journey.

It’s a great idea to have your child wear some loose, comfy clothing and a pair of socks.

You should receive a written report within 3 weeks. If you have an account, visit our Patient Portal to access the evaluation report. If you do not have an account, please ask a representative to assist you.

Please bring:

A current photo ID (license)
Insurance card
Referral or prescription (if necessary)
School reports, including goals for school-based therapies if they are received
Prior evaluation reports
Name/addresses of individuals you might want the report sent to
Any equipment that your child regularly uses, such as eyeglasses, braces, splints etc.
A list of questions to ask the therapist.

At the KCB Play Institute, we offer 30-minute 25 minutes of treatment and 5 minutes of dialogue with parents) and 60-minute therapeutic sessions (50 minutes of treatment and 10 minutes of dialogue with parents). However, please keep in mind that session length may vary based on insurance coverage.

Telepractice, commonly referred to as teletherapy, constitutes a service delivery model that receives endorsement from both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). According to ASHA, telepractice is defined as “the use of telecommunications technology to provide professional services at a distance by connecting clinician to client, or clinician to clinician, for assessment, intervention, and/or consultation.” Teletherapy shall only be utilized if it demonstrates efficacy comparable to that of in-person treatment and if in-person treatment is unavailable at the given time. Our office employs a HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom to deliver teletherapy services securely and efficiently.

Navigating your child’s journey through therapy can be a bit like embarking on a personalized adventure. The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to how long your child will need therapy. Instead of a strict timeline, think of this as a process influenced by various factors such as the severity of the disorder, the age therapy begins, and any co-existing conditions that might be in play.
The duration of therapy is unique to each child, shaped by their individual circumstances. Critical ingredients in this journey include the dedicated time spent on home practice and the starting point for both speech and occupational therapy. Our talented speech and occupational therapists are here to guide your child, utilizing specialized techniques and creating tailored treatment plans that cater to their distinct needs.

Active participation from caregivers can significantly boost a child’s progress. Caregivers can create a supportive environment that fosters improvement by engaging in consistent home practice and maintaining open communication with the speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist.
In essence, every child is unique, and every family’s approach to supporting their child in therapy varies. It’s important for you to realize that our ultimate goal is to help your child complete therapy as efficiently as possible. We meet children where they are, providing the support needed to help them progress and achieve their goals.

Remember, the journey through therapy is personal. Some children may find resolution in just a few months, tackling a specific issue head-on, while others may need extended support over several years to address more complex challenges. There are even those who may engage in therapy throughout their childhood. Rest assured, your therapist at KCB Play Institute will collaborate closely with parents, educators, and physicians to determine the best course for your child’s therapy duration. Together, we can ensure that each child’s journey is as fulfilling and effective as possible.

Understanding the journey of a child in therapy can be an enlightening experience, as the timeline for seeing results varies widely based on individual needs and challenges. Here are key factors that can influence how quickly a child makes progress in speech and occupational therapy:

Severity of Challenges: Think of a child’s challenges as a spectrum. Those with more significant developmental delays might take longer to reveal their progress. In contrast, children facing mild speech impairments often demonstrate improvements more swiftly than those grappling with severe or complex issues.
Frequency and Consistency of Therapy: Regular attendance is crucial! Children who engage consistently in therapy sessions and practice specific exercises at home are setting themselves up for quicker, more noticeable results. The more they practice, the closer they get to achieving their therapy goals!
Age of the Child: The magical adaptability of younger minds plays a significant role in this journey. Kids who begin therapy early can often learn and develop new skills at a faster rate. Early intervention is especially beneficial for those encountering communication challenges or speech delays.
Supportive Environment and Caregiver Involvement: The role of parents cannot be overstated. When caregivers actively engage in their child’s therapy journey—by encouraging practice at home and reinforcing the therapist’s strategies—they create a nurturing environment that accelerates progress.
Underlying Developmental or Medical Conditions: Certain conditions, such as autism or hearing loss, can add layers of complexity to a child’s therapy journey. These children may require additional time to see significant improvements and reach their goals.
Individual Learning Pace: Each child is unique, and their learning pace reflects that. While some children may excel and respond quickly, others might need a bit more time to achieve noticeable progress.

In general, many children might start to see improvements in their skills within a few weeks or months of therapy. Yet, patience is key, especially for those tackling more intricate speech, language, or occupational therapy goals. Remember, every child’s journey is unique, and with the right support, progress is always within reach.

At the KCB Play Institute, we wholeheartedly invite parents to engage in the learning adventure alongside their child! Whether joining in the fun during sessions or utilizing an iPad to observe, every moment is designed to ignite joy and discovery. Our environment is vibrant and focused on children and families, with the family’s aspirations for their little ones always taking center stage. Parents and loved ones actively take part in engaging sessions, gaining dynamic strategies that they can easily weave into their home routines, ensuring skills are practiced and perfected beyond our walls!

Self-Pay Delight!
If you’re without insurance, no worries! You can easily access our services by paying directly through flexible options like cash, checks, or credit cards.

In-Network Insurance Advantage!
The KCB Play Institute proudly partners with a variety of health insurance plans, enabling you to tap into your benefits and significantly reduce your costs.

Out-of-Network Insurance Solution!
Not affiliated with our in-network insurance companies? No problem! The KCB Play Institute offers self-pay options that are straightforward and transparent. Plus, we provide you with a super bill that you can send to your insurance company for potential
partial or full reimbursement.

If you’re considering therapy for your child, many insurance plans offer at least some coverage for an initial evaluation from a speech or occupational therapist. To navigate the details effectively, it’s essential to connect directly with your health insurance company.

Here are some key questions and information to gather from your insurance carrier:

Visit Limit: Understand whether there’s a hard or soft limit on therapy visits. A hard limit means no extensions, while a soft limit might allow for additional sessions if deemed medically necessary.
Combined Services: Check if the visit limit includes other services. Often, occupational therapy and physical therapy can be grouped together with speech therapy, affecting the total number of covered sessions.
Coverage Exclusions: It’s crucial to find out if there are any exclusions based on specific diagnoses that could impact coverage.
Deductibles: Don’t forget to ask if a deductible needs to be met before coverage kicks in.
Co-Pay Details: Finally, inquire about the co-pay amount you’ll owe for each session.

Being well-prepared with this information can help ease the process and ensure your child receives the necessary support!

It is recommended that weekly therapy sessions be conducted. Your child’s evaluating clinician will determine the precise frequency based on the results obtained from the evaluation session and your availability. Regularly scheduled meetings provide support and individualized attention, facilitating the development of your child’s abilities with each appointment. The frequency of these sessions may be modified in accordance with each child’s progress and individual needs. The objective is to ensure consistent advancement in their skills.

Consistent attendance is key to unlocking your child’s full potential! Regular therapy sessions, combined with daily practice, play a vital role in driving their progress forward.