Assessments
at OTFC
Assessments
Assessments are an integral part of the OTFC Group process
The occupational therapy assessment process helps us to identify if the concerns that parents/carers have about their child can be supported through Occupational Therapy. This process is supported through Data Driven Decision Making and assists us to develop a plan and suggestions for your child’s therapy.
Following the initial assessment, a detailed report will outline all the occupational therapy options available including information sessions, the frequency of therapy sessions, scheduled breaks from therapy, various programs and post session support at home as well as appropriate referrals to other health professionals.
What occupational therapy assessments are used?
Depending on your child’s age and developmental concerns, the OTFC Group can choose from one or a combination of the following OTFC Group assessment tools:
- The Millers Assessment for Pre-Schoolers (MAP)
- Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT)
- Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration (EASI)
- Beery (visual perceptual, motor & VMI)
- Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency II
- Ayres Clinical Observations
- PEERAMID II, PEEX II
- PDMS II
- Bonney and Perks Handwriting speed test
- Threshold speed of visual and auditory processing test
- Motivation Assessment Scale
- Winnie Dunn sensory Profile II
- Sensory Processing Measure
- AMPS – Assessment of Motor and Process Skills
- Quick Neurological Screening Test (QNST)
What should I bring to the occupational therapy assessment?
Forms – All parents/carers receive a parent/carer questionnaire to complete prior to attending for an initial consultation/assessment. It is important to return this information to OTFC Group as soon as possible and prior to attending your appointment. Not only does it provide relevant developmental history, it also assists in ensuring the most appropriate occupational therapy assessment for your child has been booked in.
If you have not attended OTFC in person, you can visit the forms to easily download and submit your forms online so we can be as organised as possible prior to your assessment appointment.
Depending on your child’s age and where relevant, a kindy, pre-school or school questionnaire will also need to be completed by your child’s carer/teacher as well as a copy of all other reports/ correspondence your child has from other health professionals including speech pathologists, psychologists, optometrists/ophthalmologists, audiologists/ENT specialists, physiotherapists, paediatric neurologists and paediatricians.
This information is used to help develop a complete picture of your child and assists in providing a holistic and collaborative approach that is unique to OTFC Group.
In getting ready to attend your occupational therapy assessment, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately in comfortable clothing and that you bring all relevant items or devices they need to support learning and development including reading glasses, fidget toys, water bottle, communication devices and orthoses.
If they are currently on any medication it is advised that they maintain their current regime to ensure consistency and health.
What is the cost of an assessment?
Depending on the age of your child, the type of occupational therapy assessment we conduct and whether you request a report, the assessment cost will vary. Please contact our support team on (08) 8410 4522, via email here: admin@otfc.com.au or via our contact us page here to obtain further information and what payment options and rebates may be available to your child.
What happens at an OTFC Group occupational therapy assessment?
Depending on the assessment, the assessment structure and types of activities can vary. If you require further information to help prepare your child before attending please contact our support team on (08) 8410 4522 and they can provide further details. When parents ask, “How should I prepare my child and what should I tell them”, the answer can be something like “we are going to a place called the OTFC Group and together we are going to be seeing (name assessing occupational therapist) and they are going to do some activities and games with you that helps us know what you’re good at and what you might need some help with. Just have fun and be you.”
As a parent/care giver, do I come in the assessment room?
Parent involvement is encouraged in the assessment consultation however if the assessor feels at any time your presence is influencing your child and inadvertently impacting on the assessment process, you may be requested to sit in the waiting room. If this does occur, please do not be concerned as all of the rooms are fitted with CCTV cameras. This is designed specifically so you can continue to watch the rest of the assessment from one of our handheld tablets. You will then be asked to re-join when appropriate.
How long does the assessment consultation go for?
Depending on the age of your child, whether they can be assessed formally or semi-formally and which assessment tool is used, the length of each individual assessment consultation can vary. Please contact the OTFC Group team on (08) 8410 4522, via email here: admin@otfc.com.au or via our contact us page here to determine the approximate length of the consultation.
Depending on your child’s age and developmental concerns our assessment consultation usually takes place over one, two or three sessions.
If all requested paperwork has been forwarded to OTFC Group prior to your appointment, this gives our Assessment Team enough preparation time to read and understand the reports and questionnaires, therefore utilising the time within the Assessment optimally with you and/or your child.
As a guide the following will assist in preparing your child for the assessment:
For children under the age of 3 or with developmental issues (ASD, Genetic Conditions, Global Developmental Delay) they will participate in a semi-formal functional assessment in an OTFC Group therapy room that will last between 1 – 1.5 hours. Often language and maturity level are determining factors which is why it’s important that parents/caregivers provide as much information as possible prior to the appointment to assist in making the most appropriate decision.
If your child is under 5 years and 8 months and a standardised assessment can be administered, the consult will be 1 – 1.5 hours.
For children 5 years, 9 months and older, the assessment consultation is divided into 2 sessions (one hour for the first session and 1 – 1.5 hours for the second session).
The assessment report
OTFC Group assessment reports include the compilation of all relevant subjective and objective assessment data. They provide recommendations to other professionals if needed along with comprehensive home programs and suggestions for childcare, kindy or school.
All reports are unique to the individual and not computer-generated. A report is usually sent out electronically within 14 days with relevant health professionals copied in at parent’s request. We do not email reports to your child’s childcare, kindy or school for privacy reasons unless specific instruction to do so is given.
Review Assessments
Review assessments assist with your child’s development by highlighting future direction
What is a review assessment and why are they necessary?
As part of the high standard of service that is offered at OTFC Group, we feel that it is important to conduct review assessments for children who have participated in occupational therapy. This assists in gauging your child’s progress, determining needs for future therapy sessions as well as providing further support in regard to future directions and alternate pathways (e.g., need for other health professionals, school support).
Depending on your child’s age, the review assessment will be carried out over one or two sessions (1- 1.5 hours in length). An example of this is if your child was previously too young to complete the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT), but now is above 5 years and 9 months, a 2-part assessment will need to take place and the content of the review will be at the discretion of the Assessor based on past assessment results, therapist and parent reports. Review assessments are crucial for children who receive government funding as they offer standardised information regarding your child’s strengths and areas of difficulty.
How often will my child need a review assessment?
The assessments used within OTFC Group should not be implemented more frequently than 12 months, however the timing of review assessments are dependent on the individual child.
The OTFC Group’s general guidelines suggest that children will be reviewed every 12- 24 months and the details of this can be discussed with your child’s treating occupational therapist.
What do I need to do to arrange a review assessment?
During your child’s block of therapy, the treating therapist will discuss a future plan with you. This plan may include a review assessment should the therapist and yourself decide it is an appropriate evaluation to take place and is inline with therapy process.
After discussing this with you, your child’s therapist will provide our admin team with appropriate information and advise you to discuss the future appointment bookings with them.
When you book in a review assessment, the treating therapist will often recommend booking in future sessions in case there is a need to continue therapy following the assessment. If these sessions are not required, these can easily be cancelled.
What should I bring to the assessment?
Please bring any reports from other professionals that have been completed and not yet received by the OTFC Group.
It is important for your child to be dressed appropriately in comfortable clothing and that you bring all relevant items or devices they need around learning and development including reading glasses, fidget toys, water bottle, communication devices and orthoses.
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