Pediatric occupational therapy focuses on helping your child develop the skills they need to perform daily activities for their age (i.e., handwriting, dressing, and using scissors). A pediatric occupational therapist can also support your child in developing their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing and integration, visual-perceptual skills, hand-eye coordination, and emotional regulation.

Our early intervention program serves newborns and toddlers from birth through the age of 3.

Our TDD program serves children of all ages, from birth through young adults.

Early intervention services are provided at home and in the community.

TDD services can be provided at home and in our clinic.

There are key ways you can support your child in therapy! Actively participating in sessions will allow you to learn the strategies that your occupational therapist is using so that you can implement these techniques at home with your child. You play a vital role in helping your child through consistency and practice at home. Keeping open communication with your child’s therapist allows you to stay informed about your child’s progress, goals, and any challenges that may arise.

Yes. We are in-network with several insurance providers. We also accept private pay.

An occupational therapy session follows a structured, but flexible, format that supports your child’s individual needs, developmental level, and goals. When working with your child, your therapist will utilize play-based strategies and follow your child’s motivation. Activities vary depending on the areas being addressed, but therapy often involves activities that keep your child engaged.

A pediatric occupational therapist can work with your child in the following ways:

• Developing hand/finger strength and coordination for writing, buttoning, and using utensils (fine motor skills).
• Enhancing coordination, balance, and strength for running, jumping, and climbing (gross motor skills).
• Sensory processing and integration.
• Self-care skills (i.e., dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting).
• Visual-perceptual skills that improve your child’s ability to read and write.
• Emotional regulation.
• Hand-eye coordination.
• Adaptive equipment training.

Yes, most insurance companies require a referral from your pediatrician for speech therapy.

Speech therapy sessions are typically 30-60 minutes and are typically recommended for 3 to 6 months at a time.

Occupational therapy sessions can be recommended 1-3 times per week. These recommendations are based on a formal evaluation.

When your child participates in occupational therapy, the end goal is helping your child be more independent in completing daily activities, building strength/coordination to complete fine motor/gross motor tasks, improving coordination, and developing the ability to manage their emotions so that your child can participate fully in activities at home, in school, and in the community.

Early Intervention refers specifically to services and support for families of infants and toddlers, birth to age 3, with disabilities or delays. RISE Pediatric Therapies provides services through Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP). Every child enrolled in an AzEIP has a regional team, consisting of a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, developmental specialist, psychologist, and social worker. Early Intervention specialists provide high-quality support and services in your home. We utilize a team approach because you know your child best. Working together, you and your RISE team will identify and build on those activities that appeal to your child’s interests to create opportunities for development and learning. RPT uses strategies based on research that show the value of using everyday activities and routines that occur in your home, natural environment, and neighborhood to promote your child’s growth and development.

To start the process, please visit the Arizona Early Intervention Program website to make a referral. Once the referral is received, it will be assigned to an AzEIP contractor. A developmental screening will be completed, and if the risk for a significant developmental delay is indicated, an evaluation will be conducted.

Eligibility for the Arizona Early Intervention Program is determined either through a multidisciplinary evaluation or an established condition. Children who have an established condition that is known to be associated with developmental delays may automatically be eligible for the program. Children who demonstrate a significant delay in one of the major areas of development (cognitive, language, motor, social, emotional, and self-help) may also be eligible.

The main tenet of the team-based model focuses on coaching among a team of early childhood professionals, as well as family members and caregivers, who are considered part of the team. Based on family outcomes, priorities, and concerns, one team lead is chosen to build relationships and support all outcomes on the Individualized Family Services Plan (IFSP). Because the entire team is available to provide support when needed, discussions will occur as a team—including caregivers—regarding what additional support, if any, might be appropriate to help meet the determined outcomes.

Team members work closely with one another, as well as with caregivers, to ensure best practices and consistency when supporting young children. Teams are typically composed of a service coordinator, speech-language pathologist (SLP), occupational therapist (OT), physical therapist (PT), and developmental specialist in intervention (DSI), with possible inclusion of social work and psychology professionals. The expertise of these team members is matched to the family’s unique values and needs in order to create the most effective plan of support.

Early intervention is offered free through the state of Arizona for those who qualify.

There are key ways you can support your child in therapy! Actively participating in sessions will allow you to learn the strategies that your speech therapist is using so that you can implement these techniques at home with your child. You play a vital role in helping your child through consistency and practice at home. Keeping open communication with your child’s therapist allows you to stay informed about your child’s progress, goals, and any challenges that may arise. You are an important part of your child’s team and can have a significant impact on your child’s development.

The length of time a child will need speech therapy varies widely based on several factors, such as the nature and severity of the speech and/or language difficulty, your child’s age, the frequency of therapy recommended, the presence of other conditions, and family involvement.

An evaluation is typically 60-90 minutes in length.

A speech evaluation is an assessment designed to understand your child’s communication abilities and challenges, including speech, language, voice, fluency, and social communication. A speech-language pathologist will ask questions about your child’s medical, developmental, educational, and social history. The therapist should review developmental milestones as well as your communication concerns for your child and how they impact everyday life. You can best prepare for an evaluation by bringing any relevant medical or education reports, sharing any observations you have about your child’s communication difficulties, and identifying what you hope to learn from the evaluation. A feeding evaluation assesses how your child eats, including the physical, sensory, and behavioral aspects of eating and swallowing. A speech-language pathologist will ask questions about your child’s medical history and review feeding milestones, current eating habits, growth, and any swallowing difficulties you may be observing. You can best prepare for an evaluation by bringing any relevant medical reports, listing any observations about feeding challenges, and identifying what you hope to learn from the evaluation. An occupational therapy evaluation assesses your child’s ability to perform daily activities across areas like play, self-care, and/or school participation. An occupational therapist may use a combination of standardized tests and informal observations to identify your child’s fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory processing, self-care skills, visual motor integration, cognitive skills, and emotional skills. The occupational therapist should review developmental milestones, your concerns for your child, and how they impact everyday life. You can best prepare for an evaluation by bringing any relevant medical or education reports, sharing any observations you have about your child’s difficulties, and identifying what you hope to learn from the evaluation. A physical therapy evaluation is an assessment designed to understand your child’s motoric strengths and challenges. A physical therapist will ask questions about your child’s medical and developmental history. The physical therapist should review developmental milestones, your motor concerns for your child, and how they impact everyday life. You can best prepare for an evaluation by bringing any relevant medical or education reports, sharing any observations you have about your child’s motor difficulties, and identifying what you hope to learn from the evaluation.

Service plans are flexible and individualized based on outcomes, team member recommendations, and the family’s needs and capacity. Therapy sessions are typically 30-60 minutes in length, and a number of sessions is often suggested to be used over a three- or six-month period. This allows sessions to be scheduled more or less frequently depending on the routines and activities discussed, as well as how current strategies are progressing.

AzEIP:

Referrals for AzEIP must go through the State of Arizona. Anyone can submit a referral, including a family member, pediatrician, or other community program.

You can request to be served by RPT; however, your family may be assigned to another provider within the state.