FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Every child develops at their own pace, but there are some signs that therapy might help. These include difficulty with motor skills (crawling, walking, climbing), challenges with fine motor tasks (buttoning, coloring, using a spoon), eating a variety of foods, speech or language delays, sensory sensitivities, trouble with coordination or balance, or difficulty with transitions and self-regulation. If you’re concerned about any area of your child’s development, we recommend starting with a conversation. Book a 15-minute phone consultation (https://www.potsot.com/free-15-minute-consultation)to explore your observations with an experienced occupational or speech therapist. There’s no pressure to commit to therapy.

An evaluation is designed to get to know your child and understand their strengths and challenges. It typically lasts 30 minutes to two hours and includes a mix of play-based activities, structured assessments, and clinical observations. Your therapist will observe how your child moves, communicates, problem-solves, and interacts. To younger children, this feels like play, and when leaving, they often ask how soon they can come back!  We’ll also spend time talking with you about your concerns and priorities for your child.

At the end of the evaluation or in a follow-up phone call, the therapist will collaborate with you to determine if your child will benefit from therapy, how frequently therapy should take place, and how long the session should be. Together, you will decide on your child’s therapeutic goals. The front office will follow up with you to schedule a session.

Absolutely. You know your child best, and you’re welcome to join the sessions. We do ask that you sit quietly to give the therapist an opportunity to build rapport with your child. If you prefer to observe from outside, our evaluation rooms have one-way mirrors. Either way, at the end of an evaluation, we’ll spend time going over our findings and discussing next steps.  We strongly encourage parents or grandparents to sit in on therapy sessions, to monitor your child’s progress at home/school, and learn strategies and techniques to use at home. If that’s not practical, we urge you to join the session for the last 10 minutes so that the therapist can convey important follow-up information.

Screening: 30 minutes of a FaceTime with an evaluating therapist to explore one targeted area of concern, such as reaching a developmental milestone, handwriting, or self-regulation. There is no report is generated for screenings. Evaluation: 45 minutes of FaceTime with an evaluating therapist to explore either feeding or 2–3 areas of concern, such as fine motor skills, core weakness, and hypersensitivity to sound and touch. A written report will be available within six weeks. Comprehensive evaluation: 90 minutes of FaceTime with an evaluating therapist to explore either feeding plus another area of concern (such as sensory processing) or 4–5 areas of concern (such as handwriting, core weakness, poor body awareness, and executive function). A written report will be available within six weeks. We'd be happy to help you determine which option is best for your child!

No, a prescription is not required in NJ, Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists are licensed professionals and can evaluate and treat your child independently. However, if you have a prescription or medical diagnosis, we can use that to help with insurance claims. We encourage you to bring it along if you have one.

1. Contact us at 201-837-9993 or office@potsot.com to book an appointment. 2. Fill out the intake forms (https://www.potsot.com/pots-forms)and standardized sensory processing questionnaire at least three business days before your appointment. We use your intake information to design just the right evaluation process to target your child’s strengths and challenges 3. Bring your child in comfortable clothes, ready to play!