How long does a treatment appointment last?

A treatment appointment is 45 minutes duration. You can book singularly or plan ahead to book a group of appointments. The choice is yours.

If you are travelling long distances or seeing both Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, it is possible to schedule two treatment appointments on the same day, or even an assessment appointment and a treatment session later in the same day.

How much does a treatment appointment cost?

Please call Kid Sense on 1800 KIDSENSE (1800 543 736) for costs and availability.

How often should I attend treatment appointments?

It is often best to begin treatment with intensive weekly appointments to ‘get the ball rolling’ and to ‘up-skill’ parents and carers about how to help. Once the skills are developing, your therapist will discuss reducing the frequency to allow more practice between sessions.

However, treatment frequency will be influenced by:

• The degree of your child’s difficulties
• The amount to time you have to carry out the recommended home program (as this will support faster progress)
• The amount of time that school/Kindy/child care are able (if possible) to support the application of the recommended home program
• The rate of progress your child is making
• Externally imposed time frames (e.g. getting ready to start school or kindy)
• The weather (sometimes therapy is used to maintain physical skills during winter when it is hard to do physical skills at home)

How long should I expect my child to attend treatment?

We tailor therapy to meet your individual child’s specific needs, so there is no blanket recommendation for the duration of treatment. Most children need at least a school terms regular appointments to make and sustain therapeutic gains, but discuss the duration and frequency of appointment with your therapist.

When should I attend treatment appointments?

The ideal time to attend therapy sessions is often influenced by external factors such as:

• Time lines (eg starting kindy/school) as the urgency increases
• How tired the child is after school/kindy (and thus how receptive to input)
• When kindy/school staff suggest that the child can miss lessons without jeopardising skill development (eg often missing a specialist lesson such as a language is a good choice for children needing to master developmental basics)
• Work around when a young child has a day sleep (if appropriate)
• When parents/carers can attend the sessions.

Who will treat my child?

You can choose to either see the therapist that assessed your child or another therapist who has available appointments at a time that better suits your family. All therapists work full time so it offers good flexibility for seeing the assessing therapist for treatment.

What can I expect in a treatment appointment?

The specific activities vary from one appointment to another to ensure novelty and according to: the child’s age, skill level, progress, interests, attention levels and the goal of therapy.

Areas that are consistent:

• Parents/carers are welcome in the session unless otherwise discussed with you.
• If parents choose not to attend the appointment, they are welcome to enjoy the waiting room’s coffee machine, recent magazines, comfortable couches and child friendly entertainment to keep siblings content.
• Feedback is provided at the end of the session where parents/carers do not attend, to ensure that they are aware of what tasks/activities were completed, what is recommended and why, and how to practice these at home.
• Where appropriate, written home program information is provided and with parent consent can be emailed to involve teachers or allied health professionals.

What rebate can I expect for a treatment appointment?

Medicare Plans provided by your GP or Paediatrician: provide fixed rebates that can be claimed at the time of paying the account. Clients are then responsible for paying the gap.

Private health rebate is determined by the duration of the appointment and the level of cover that you have. Due to privacy laws, Kid Sense cannot access the anticipated rebate information for you, but instead suggest that you call your health fund to ask what the rebate is for an initial or subsequent appointment (for either 45 minute or under, or 45 min and over).

Health fund rebate codes are:

Occupational Therapy:

• 100 – assessment/initial consult
• 200 – treatment/subsequent consult

Speech Therapy:

• 310 – assessment/initial consult – up to 45 mins
• 320 – assessment/initial consult – 46-90 mins
• 340 – treatment/subsequent consult – up to 45 mins

For more information see Funding.

Will my child be given homework?

Where you are willing, written home program recommendations will be provided after each appointment.

Can I bring my other children?

Kid Sense is obviously designed to be a child-friendly environment. Many children have siblings so we cater to them also.

If you are concerned that the child’s sibling might hinder their attention, you are welcome to enjoy the child-friendly waiting room until asked to join in the session by the therapist, often towards the end of the session.

At the conclusion of the session where the parent does not attend, the therapist will invite the parent to the treatment room to show what was done, why it was done, what was found and what can be to help it.