The advice below is adapted from information provided by Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, founder of the Knowledge in Development (KID) Foundation whose mission is to serve children with sensory processing disorders (PSD) by developing research programs and through consultations with our clients over the past years:

• Check out your insurance coverage before you talk to your doctor. It is your responsibility to know what your policy will cover.
  

• Decide before you talk to your doctor if you are willing for your child to have a label that your insurance will cover even if it is not exactly what you think your child has.
  

• Talk to your physician. Good doctors listen and believe parents. If, after talking to your doctor, you still feel strongly that your child has a developmental issue, consider getting a second opinion from a doctor that specializes in developmental disorders. Sadly, our experience is that many doctors do not have this expertise.
  

• Describe your child's behaviors without diagnostic labels (i.e., say your child doesn't like shirt tags, not that he has a sensory processing disorder).  Focusing on the behaviors aids in accurate diagnosis and treatment.
  

• Tell you doctor that you don't really care what the symptoms are called but that the symptoms are real and your child needs services.
  

• Once you convince your doctor to write a prescription for occupational therapy, make sure the prescription includes the diagnosis, frequency of therapy sessions, and the time period for treatment.  An example prescription might read, "Occupational Therapy twice a week for six months to treat [diagnosis]." 

Call us if you need need more help.