This is a very good question! The necessity of therapy can only really be determined by the family's desires and detailed evaluation by a certified speech therapist, occupational therapist, and/or physical therapist. The type and amount of therapy is dependent on the family's needs and results of evaluation, but there are some red flags that would indicate that an evaluation needs to be completed. The Play Clinic does not have the philosophy "they will grow out of it, just wait." Some red flags include difficulty rolling over from front to back or back to front on the right and left side by 4 months, not sitting up unassisted by 6 months, not responding to name or babbling by 10 months, no mimicking of facial gestures of parents by 10 months, coughing/choking when eating at any age, consistently catching colds/pneumonia at any age, loss of weight, severe picky eating (limited to 2/3 foods), and frequent hospitalizations due to dehydration. Early intervention is imperative to future success. If you are still unsure that therapy is needed then please see the services page to consider a free speech and feeding screening to determine the necessity of evaluation. 

The first step in getting started in therapy is reaching out to your pediatrician to discuss your concerns. Your pediatrician may provide or you may request a script for services. A script is like a "prescription" for therapy. It should have the reason why therapy services are needed (e.g. speech and language evaluation and treatment, receptive/expressive language delay, feeding difficulties, etc.)  and any diagnoses that your child may have. The second step is to call local companies to see what services are available. Your family may be placed on a waitlist and contacted when the service is available. 

Ask your pediatrician how long a script is good for. Each pediatric office is different, but most scripts are good for 6 months to a year. Scripts often cannot be used more than 1 time. For example, your family may  need to change therapy companies due to moving. You  may need a new script for the new company. 

YES! Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy are medically necessitated services. A script is required for each service regardless of using insurance and/or private pay. 

Please contact us via email at the info@theplayclinic.net or phone at (850) 687-1200 to check for available services. If services are not available then you may be added to a waitlist. 

Our cancellation policy is strict due to the growing need for services and respect for our highly specialized providers, but The Play Clinic understands that there are circumstances out of everyone's control such as inclement weather (e.g. hurricanes, snow storms, etc) and family emergencies (e.g. hospitalizations and family deaths). Services will be cancelled when families are unable to attend 3 treatment sessions or evaluation attempts within a 6 month period with at least a 24 hour minimum notification to the servicing provider. Services are automatically terminated for missing 2 treatment sessions within a 6 month period with no notification to the service provider.  Additionally, initial services will automatically be terminated and a family will be removed from the waitlist when provider and/or The Play Clinic is unable to reach a family after 3 attempts of contact on three separate business days. Treatment sessions cancelled due to the provider such as provider illness, vacation, or emergency will not count towards the cancellation policy. 

YES! We do offer virtual therapy via a HIPAA compliant platform. Virtual therapy can be offered to any family for a variety of reasons such as living in a more remote area, etc. Virtual therapy does not mean that your child simply sits in front of a computer. Our therapy focuses on coaching families to use different therapeutic approaches in play. 

YES! We have a HIPAA compliant client portal where therapists can communicate and share resources in a safe way to protect your family's information. In the client portal, clients can sign paperwork, receive and review invoices for evaluations and treatments, pay their invoices, receive copies of evaluations and treatment notes, schedule and cancel treatment sessions, and access the virtual therapy platform. Please note that the client portal will not be available until your family is scheduled to receive services.