Prior to solely focusing on my private practice, I worked for over three years in the school setting providing consultative Occupational Therapy Services to children, families and teachers. I greatly value the role of Occupational Therapy in the school system. However, many parents do not realize that there are services available through the school system, or vice versa, are unaware that there are private Occupational Therapy services available outside the school system. I tend to always recommend to my families to have their child placed on the wait list at school so that they can be seen by a therapist and take advantage of this valuable service offered. Here is a simple chart to help understand the difference between both types of services. The information is based on when I worked in the school setting and is compared to Developing Hands Pediatric Therapy Services.
| School Based OT | Private OT (Developing Hands) | |
| Cost | Government Funded (no charge for parents). | Service Fee (receipts provided to be claimed if families have private Occupational Therapy insurance coverage). |
| Wait list | Between 6 months to 2 years. | Developing Hands does not have a wait list. Families and child can be seen at their earliest convenience. |
| Number of Visits | Approximately 6 visits to be completed within the year. | Unlimited, based on what the child needs to meet their goals. We work closely with the families to determine optimal treatment plans and number of visits. |
| Type of service | Assessment and consultation (strategies provided to teachers/families to address concerns) | Assessment, treatment and consultation. The therapist implements a treatment plan and works with the child to meet their goals. |
| Age of Referral | Children with fine motor concerns are not to be recommended for services before grade 1. If a child is considered a ‘complex’ case and there are safety concerns at school they can be seen as early as JK/SK. | Developing Hands works with children 0-18 years of age. |
| Referral Process | The school and case managers need to determine if the child is eligible for services. | No referral needed to be seen by a therapist at Developing Hands. |
I recommend that parents consult with their child’s school to get all necessary up to date information (i.e. wait list times) needed to make an informed decision of whether they would like to place their child on the wait list or begin with private services, or both!
It is vital for a therapist to connect the school and family together so that they work collaboratively on common goals. A private Occupational Therapist can also go into the school system with permission from the parents and school staff. Whether your child is receiving Occupational Therapy in the school system, privately, or both, what matters is that they are getting the assistance they need to meet their goals and perform to their optimal potential.
Lucille Shenouda – Occupational Therapist & Director
