Therapy Process

1. Referral from the Primary Care Physician (Referral fax #210-344-5535) is needed.
2. Our referral coordinator will contact you to discuss the needs of your child and your availability for therapy sessions. If your child needs and qualifies for services and is between the age of 0-21, then they can receive treatment. In some cases, if they are over 21 and are enrolled in the STAR+ program, we can treat them.
3. Dependent on your child’s insurance carrier, authorization may be required before the Initial Evaluation.
4. Consent for services is attained from you and the Initial Evaluation is scheduled. The evaluation determines how your child compares to other children of his/her age group for language, fine motor skills, and/or gross motor skills. The therapist will ask for your input on your child’s skills. Goals will be set for our child based on his/her individual needs. Click here for a free toolkit from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
5. After the Initial evaluation and the therapist’s report is completed, it is faxed to the Primary Care Physician for review and his/her signature.
6. Once the physician signs the Initial Evaluation, authorization is requested from the insurance carrier. Initial requests are for six months of certification, although sometimes insurance will shorten the length based on diagnosis or need.
7. Once the insurance approves the authorization, the therapist will contact you to schedule the weekly therapy sessions. Therapy sessions range from 30-53 minutes, 1-3 times a week. Treatment is provided in the child’s home, babysitter’s home, daycare (upon approval), and/or some Charter schools or local Pre-K settings.
   (If you need to reschedule, please contact your therapist directly or call the office at 210-344-5437, for assistance in communication to the therapist)
   • Speech therapy sessions involve language activities. They might use pictures, books, objects, or familiar events to stimulate language development and use repetition exercises to build skills. Articulation, or sound production exercises involve having the therapist model correct sounds, such as “T” sound. Articulation therapy involves physically showing the child how to make certain sounds.
   • Occupational therapy sessions use writing and other tools and activities that allow your child to use their hands to develop fine motor skills. They also use physical activities to teach children how to attend tasks and participate well in groups.
   • Physical therapy sessions work on increasing balance, coordination, strength and endurance skills to improve quality of life.
8. Every 3-6 months, all insurances require periodic Re-Evaluations to examine the child’s progress, which the Primary Care Physician is required to approve to continue therapy services.
9. As your child makes progress, new goals will be established until your child has reached the benchmark of development for other children who are the same age.
10. Your child is discharged from skilled therapy when he/she meets the discharge criteria that was established in the plan of care.
    (Your Primary Care Physician will receive all medical records, except the daily notes)

As you can see, we must keep in contact with your insurance and the Primary Care Physician regularly. Please contact us if there are any changes and ensure to keep current on your child’s annual wellness exam.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the steps in your child’s therapy process.