Frequent Asked Questions

If you have a question, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'll be glad to help you out as best we can. We also suggest you visit our Resources page for additional information.

Question: My child is school-aged - is it possible for me to get an after school appointment?
Answer: Since most of our children are school-aged, most parents request an appointment between school and dinner.  Unfortunately, each therapist has only a limited appointment slots available that satisfy this condition.  Therefore, we ask for your understanding when we can not satisfy your request.  If an after school appointment remains a high priority for you, please let the therapist know and she or he will let you know when an opening develops.

Question: I have been suspecting for a long time that my eleven year old daughter has ADD...I am pretty desperate to help her.  What would you suggest?
Answer: You should start with a general pediatrician visit - check out vision, hearing, diet, general health.  We find that up to 60% of children are misdiagnosed with ADHD/ADD, and that most of the kids who have attention deficits benefit in some way from occupational therapy.  We can usually find out through a thorough evaluation of her sensory systems if SI is at the root of her difficulties.  I work with several doctors in the area known for their ability to help children like your daughter and can refer you to a specialist.

Question: How do I get a professional diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome?
Answer: A medical diagnosis needs to come from someone with skills and training in developmental disabilities. This can include developmental pediatricians, neurologists, and psychologists. Occupational Therapists (OTs) can aid in treatment before or after a diagnosis is determined. Actually, from an occupational therapy point of view, a diagnosis isn't necessary--we focus on helping the child function with their current conditions regardless of diagnosis. A diagnosis is helpful (and may be necessary) for obtaining state, county, school, and medical insurance to provide or pay for treatment. OTs can help a child with learning self-regulation, fine motor (i.e., hand writing, dressing, etc.), organization, and social skills.

Question: I am pretty certain our 3 year old son has some degree of sensory integration disorder. A few people over the last year have mentioned after spending time with him that he may have a sensory disorder. And I recently picked up a book on SI and what I have read so far sounds a lot like J. We just moved here a few weeks ago from [location]. I am feeling very overwhelmed with his behavior. I think all of the changes with our move have been really hard on him. My husband is active duty Air Force. We have Tricare Prime. Do you know if we need to get a referral from a Primary Care doctor before seeing you? I would greatly appreciate any information you can send my way.
Answer: Before you do anything, I strongly suggest you call me at 805-264-1553 so we can talk about it. Based on what J. needs, I’ll give you pointers on how to go about wording the referral from your doctor—this is very important and will prevent additional delays. Afterwards, you’ll have to get the referral from your PCM and authorization from Tricare which can take a while. My husband spent over 10 years in the Air Force and now serves in the California Air National Guard so we’re very aware of the ins and outs of Tricare. I want you to know that you’re not alone. Sensory Processing Disorders are more common that many people know and doctors aren’t very good at identifying it. I have worked with children long enough to know early identification greatly increases the success rate of treatment. Three-year-old boys are prime candidates for therapy and usually do quite well. There are many ways to help you understand his behavior, and help him to control himself. I look forward to meeting you and your son soon

Question: Do you have any experience working with older kids, particularly those that may have Asperger's?
Answer: Yes, I have lots of experience with older children. For some reason, we identify more children with Asperger’s after age 8 than before it. I think this has to do with the type of thinking and organization that we expect of the older kids. These children usually do OK with concrete reasoning and simple organization, but generally have trouble with more abstract thought, higher level organization, problem solving, and social relationships. Remember that the earlier we can identify the true nature of his problems, the easier it is to offer solutions. Your local school district may have autism resources, so that is also an option you should investigate. There is a significant amount of paperwork and headaches, and time in obtaining these assessments for IEP help, but it can be done. And keep in mind that the schools may not provide services during the summer.

Question: Do you take insurance?
Answer: Yes, we take some forms of medical insurance and are working to increase the number of companies listing us as a provider. Even if we are not a listed provider, your insurance may contract with us for services (this can be an interim step to become a listed provider) or we can provide you with a “superbill”. That’s a bill you can then present to your insurance company for reimbursement. Our clients report a 60% - 80% reimbursement rate IF they remain persistent in pursuing reimbursement. However, we cannot guarantee reimbursement. Please review your insurance policy for covered services and reimbursement submission procedures.

Question: If my child is has ADD (or ADHD), will sensory integration therapy help?
Answer: Maybe. Studies show that 40% to 60% of those diagnosed with ADD or ADHD also have sensory processing disorder (SPD). This leads some to speculate that perhaps some children are being misdiagnosed. We conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine if SPD is present and treat it appropriately. Also, we can teach your child self regulation skills that may help them control their behavior better.

 For more information, please contact us at 805-264-1553 or info 'at' kidswork 'dot' biz   
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Serving the entire Central Coast
P.O. Box 2476, Santa Maria, CA 93457
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