Milestone Therapy Group Milestone Therapy Group provides best therapy services for kids & toddlers like speech & occupational therapy, early intervention, Pre School, Kids & Evaluation Therapy in Philadelphia & Mainline. 40.0124652,-75.2137202
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Learn how Teletherapy can benefit your child

As a parent, ensuring your child receives the best care and support for their developmental needs is a top priority. At Milestone Therapy Group, we understand the importance of consistent therapy and are proud to offer teletherapy services to support children in the Greater Philadelphia area.

What is Teletherapy?

Teletherapy is a form of therapy delivered via video conferencing. This type of therapy provides families with an alternative to traditional in-person therapy sessions and allows children to receive the support they need from the comfort of their own home. Teletherapy allows our speech therapists and occupational therapists share activities via the teletherapy platform being used to provide engaging activities for the child. 

Why choose Teletherapy?

Teletherapy provides numerous benefits for families, including:

Increased accessibility:

With teletherapy, children can receive therapy services from anywhere, at any time. This is especially beneficial for families who may have trouble traveling to appointments or have scheduling conflicts.

Convenient and flexible scheduling:

Teletherapy allows families to schedule therapy sessions that fit their schedules, without the need for travel time or missed school or work. Many families have busy schedules and sometimes unexpected events pop up that may prevent families making their appointments.  

Personalized support:

Our experienced therapists use teletherapy to provide personalized support to each child, based on their unique needs. Our therapists have multiple resources and interactive activities that will be individualized to meet the child’s needs. Our therapists are able to share the activities via the teletherapy platforms and for older children, they are able to activate the activities through remote control through the teletherapy platform. 

What types of therapy are offered via teletherapy?

At Milestone Therapy Group, we offer a variety of therapy services via teletherapy, including:

Speech therapy and occupational therapy. Our speech language pathologists and occupational therapists will use individual activities to meet the child’s goals. Areas that are addressed via teletherapy include communication needs such as expressive language expansion, receptive language activities, increasing speech sound productions, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, gross motor activities and sensory processing. 

How does teletherapy work for speech therapy and occupational therapy?

Teletherapy is delivered via video conferencing, using secure and HIPAA-compliant platforms. During a teletherapy session, your child will interact with their therapist in real-time, just as they would in an in-person session. Our speech therapists and occupational therapists discuss with our families about materials that are helpful to provide the best therapy session. Materials could be scissors, messy play items (i.e. pudding, yogurt, playdoh, cool whip, shaving cream, etc.), crayons, paper, a quiet area to conduct the session and ideas for upcoming sessions. Teletherapy provides our speech therapists and occupational therapists the ability to help with in the moment suggestions and recommendations for extra support at home to provide ideas for how to utilize toys at home, ideas for meal times and daily routines. 

At Milestone Therapy Group, we understand the importance of providing families with access to the best possible care for their children. That’s why we’re proud to offer teletherapy for early intervention therapy, allowing children to receive the support they need from the comfort of their own homes.

To learn more about our teletherapy services or to book an appointment contact us today.

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Child Speech and Occupational Therapy FAQ by Milestone Therapy Group

At Milestone Therapy Group, we understand that seeking help for your child can be overwhelming, especially if you’re new to speech and occupational therapy. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you better understand our approach to pediatric speech therapy and child therapy services we provide in the Main Line and Philadelphia area.

Q: What does child speech therapy and occupational therapy look like?

A: At Milestone Therapy Group our speech therapy sessions and occupational therapy session for children consist of meeting the child where they are currently and building upon their strengths. Our experienced therapists will find engaging activities that are of interest to your child and plan the strategies and goals into the activity. Communication needs, feeding needs, sensory processing needs, fine motor needs, and play skills are just some of the areas targeted that are conducted through a child led approach to engage and encourage children to build upon their skills. Pediatric therapy services can help children reach their full potential and improve their quality of life while providing strategies and recommendations for home practice for carryover.

Q: Who can benefit from child therapy services?

A: Children of all ages and abilities can benefit from speech therapy and occupational therapy services. Whether your child is struggling with language delays, speech sound difficulties, other communication difficulties, fine motor difficulties, gross motor difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, our experienced therapists can provide the support your child needs to help build upon their skills and increase their quality of life.

Q: What can I expect from child therapy services at Milestone Therapy Group?

A: At Milestone Therapy Group, our approach is a child led approach and strengths-based approach to speech therapy and occupational therapy services. Treatment sessions are designed to be interactive and engaging. Our experienced therapists work with children and their families to provide personalized support based on each child’s unique needs. Our goal is to help support children with varying needs and developmental difficulties reach their full potential in a supportive and nurturing environment with therapists that care.

Q: How long will speech therapy and occupational therapy last?

A: Each child is different in acquiring skills, so this is child dependent on an individual basis. With repetition, consistency and carryover of strategies at home, you will be creating an environment to best support progress for your child. Using strategies and recommendations paired with consistent therapy sessions, will provide the best support for your child to thrive and reach their goals. 

Q: How do I know if my child needs child therapy services?

A: If you’re concerned about your child’s development, it’s always best to seek the advice of a speech language pathologist or occupational therapist. If you have concerns about communication, play skills, sensory processing or feeding, our experienced therapists can assess your child’s needs and provide recommendations for future treatment sessions and suggestions for parents to begin implementing at home after your evaluation and answer questions you might have. 

Q: What are the benefits of child led therapy services for my child?

A: Child led therapy services can provide numerous benefits for your child, including increasing communication skills, increasing play skills, increased confidence and independence, and enhanced quality of life. Our experienced therapists work with children and their families to provide the support they need to reach their full potential in the clinic and carryover to home. At Milestone Therapy Group, our whole team is committed to providing the best child led therapy services in the Greater Philadelphia area. Our experienced therapists are dedicated to helping children achieve goals and skills to increase their quality of life and reach their full potential. Whether you are looking for pediatric speech therapy or occupational therapy services for your child, feel free to contact us for therapy services that will change your child’s life!

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Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone with Early Intervention Therapy

As a parent, you might have heard the phrase “just give your child time” and “just wait and see” whenever you express your concerns about a possible delay in your child’s development. While children exhibit different developmental milestones and are often able to catch up with their peers, some may need medical interventions to help provide strategies to achieve their milestones.

Most children with speech sound errors including articulatory difficulties (sound errors) need specialized intervention to achieve certain speech milestones and to increase how well others understand them. Seeking early intervention speech therapy is a great move towards improving the quality of your child’s life.

What is Early Intervention Speech Therapy?

Early intervention speech therapy focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders and delays in children aged between infancy and typically 5 years. These delays and disorders can include motor speech disorders such as apraxia, speech sound errors that impact their overall production of words, a lisp, voice disorders, receptive language delays and disorders such as following directions, pointing to items when named, and expressive language delays and disorders such as meeting vocabulary milestones and effectively communicating their wants and needs with minimal frustration.

Even though early speech intervention procedures often target infants and toddlers, they can be carried out until your child is able to communicate effectively. However, the earlier you begin early intervention speech therapy, the better off your child will be as you are providing them different strategies that work best for them to achieve communication milestones while teaching you as a parent how to carryover the strategies at home during everyday activities and daily routines to assist in increasing the exposure to the strategies that best work for them.

How to Get Started With Early Intervention Therapy

Once you have noticed your child has a speech difficulty including being hard to understand them or others not understanding your child, its best to seek out strategies and help from a speech therapist to begin assessing what sounds to work on, and how best to increase their clarity of words so everyone can understand them including peers. Many parents often don’t know how to get started. So we are going to detail it for you:

  • Contact Milestone Therapy Group or your pediatrician. If contacting your pediatrician, explain to the pediatrician the nature of your concern regarding your child’s speech and the need to obtain a speech and language evaluation from a professional Speech Language Pathologist. Your pediatrician can refer your child to Milestone Therapy Group for speech therapy. 
  • Next, book an appointment with our speech therapist. They will examine your child and ask you important questions about his or her speech history, before providing a diagnosis that reflects the difficulty and any therapy recommendation.

The Importance of Early Intervention Therapy

Early intervention speech therapy can have a significant impact on your child’s social and emotional wellness. Children who are good communicators and understand their communication partners are more confident and can interact with friends in daycares, preschools and during community outings such as playgrounds. However, those with speech difficulties and language difficulties can be timid and move away from peers not attempting to express themselves or their needs. Early intervention speech therapy can help your child achieve strategies to assist them in interacting with peers, friends, teachers, and family impacting their overall quality of life.

In addition, early intervention speech therapy can also increase a child’s comfortability and success at school. Children who can correctly differentiate and understand sounds are able to develop phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness contributes to improved reading and spelling skills. Building language skills early on will assist in answering questions and participating in classroom activities.

Early intervention also helps to resolve developing speech and language difficulties in children. Some speech sound errors and difficulties, if left untreated, are harder to correct as the longer the child practices the incorrect speech sound, the longer and harder it will be to change that speech pattern.

Don’t Wait!

Whenever you feel uneasy or worried about your child’s speech development milestones, don’t sit back and wait for fate to take its course. Step out of that comfort zone and book an appointment with the best speech therapy for toddlers and early preschoolers near you, such as the tried and tested Milestone Therapy Group. If you are in the Philadelphia or Main Line area, don’t hesitate to do a quick Google search of child therapy services in Philadelphia and/or Main Line and choose a suitable speech therapist for your child.

When it comes to speech challenges with children, taking chances isn’t an option. 

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Speech therapy

5 Speech Therapy Tips for Parents to Use at Home

A speech therapist’s job doesn’t end after a speech therapy session. In reality, one of the most important aspects of speech therapy is educating parents and caregivers on strategies they can use to improve their child’s speech and language skills at home, which is why we always provide additional tips to work outside of our clinic. 

Below are some effective speech therapy strategies that you can incorporate into your child’s daily routine.

1. Offer choices

Providing choices for your child to model what the child could say. For instance, you can ask your child, “Do you want to wear the red dress or the blue dress?” Giving your child options will encourage them to make requests using language. Offering choices for what the child might want provides a model of the words, but also makes the child feel included in decision making. Children can be more likely to answer these questions when they feel as if they have some control in the decision making. 

2. Keep Play Interesting and Fun

 Child’s language development needs can be a sure way of increasing language. You can be animated, use silly voices and facial expressions to keep your child engaged. Being silly during play will not only increase your child’s engagement but it can increase social communication by encouraging eye contact, initiation and imitation. 

3. Eliminate Distractions

Children learn through play. It is important to limit distractions during focused play with your child, especially when you are trying to model language and encourage speech. Studies have shown that background distractions can limit your child’s speech development because they lower the quality of your interactions. Parents can reduce distractions and increase the quality of interactions with their children by turning off devices, getting on the child’s level and letting them lead in a play scheme.

4. Follow Their Lead

While playing with your child, try letting them lead. Allow them to choose the toy/activity and follow with the play scheme that they introduce. You can imitate their play while providing language. Model sound effects and narrate what your child is doing. This allows the child to hear what they could say, without providing any demands or restrictions. 

5. Functional Words First

Focus on modeling and emphasizing functional words first. Functional words include words we use in our daily life or “core” words (i.e., eat, drink, more, likes/dislikes, names of people and favorite toys). Oftentimes, parents focus on “academic” words (i.e., shapes, letters, numbers, labels) before they begin to focus on core words. These “academics” are not helpful in having your child’s needs and wants met. Focusing on simple action words and making requests can allow your child to acquire functional language.  

As you play with your child and go about daily routines, be sure to remember these strategies. Most strategies can be incorporated into play, chores and daily routines. It is important to note that your child will benefit from short, regular opportunities to practice language skills. Sometimes 15 minutes everyday can be much more impactful than a longer duration all at once sporadically, especially for young children. If you believe your child may have a language delay or is not meeting typical milestones, you can seek out support from specialists offering speech therapy near you, like Milestone Therapy Group. Our therapists work first-hand with parents and caregivers to provide education and resources to promote your child’s language development

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Occupational Speech Therapy

How Does Speech Therapy Help a Child’s Development?

Finding out that your child needs speech therapy can be a confusing experience. Like most parents, you may become anxious about your child’s future and wellbeing. The good news, however, is that speech therapy could be the pathway to your child’s freedom!

So, what exactly does speech therapy entail?

Speech therapy is a set of activities that aim to improve the art of communication. It focuses on speech delays and disorders in oral motor dysfunction, articulation, expressive and receptive language, social language, swallowing, cognitive speech, and feeding. Speech therapy for kids can positively impact a child’s development and make them more comfortable at home and school.

Benefits of Speech Therapy

Improves Communication

A speech therapist will work closely with your child to improve oral/verbal and nonverbal communication. For nonverbal communication our team of therapists will help with(e.g., making eye contact, understanding body language, facial expressions, etc). For oral/verbal communication our therapists will help children strengthen their speech muscles and help them learn to form sounds correctly. This will in turn help with fluency, articulation, volume, and quality of speech. Frequent exercising of oral muscles can further improve the chewing and swallowing processes.

Improves Social Skills

Children with speech disorders, especially those within the autism spectrum, may struggle with social cues or connecting words to emotions. A speech therapist will model correct grammar and vocabulary to help expand your child’s language. The therapist can also use tools such as video modeling, role-playing, books, social stories, and toys to make the language development process fun and enjoyable.

Helps with Reading and Writing Abilities

Speech therapy for children also focuses on the child’s literacy. A speech therapist can identify obstacles that are impacting a child’s reading and writing skills. The therapist can then link speech and verbal programs to help improve your child’s writing.

Improves Cognitive Development

The development of speech and communication is closely linked to cognitive development. Many reasoning processes are closely linked to the use of language, whether through internal thought processes or verbal communication. When speech abilities become enhanced, children get to improve their problem-solving and communication skills to support their cognitive development.

Improves overall quality of life

Speech therapy will reduce the communication frustrations that children experience while trying to communicate with their peers, parents, or teachers. It will also enable children to form and maintain relationships, understand other people, and be understood. Your child’s ability to communicate will undoubtedly improve the quality of his life.

Many people have a misconception that speech therapy for children only focuses on speech. However, speech therapy offers so much more! Our team of children’s speech therapists will work to improve your child’s fluency, articulation, verbal and nonverbal communication, and social skills. If you suspect your child is having speech or related issues, reach out to Milestone Therapy Group through the telephone number 610-753-5695. We will connect you to the best children’s speech therapist in Philadelphia. It doesn’t stop there; we also offer the best speech therapy for toddlers in Philadelphia, which can effectively handle your child’s speech and related disorders. You will not just be saving yourself the anxiety that comes from seeking multiple solutions, but also giving your child an opportunity to communicate effectively.

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Occupational Speech Therapy

A Guide to Early Intervention Occupational Therapy

Early Intervention Occupational Therapy can significantly benefit the outcomes of children and young people. Licensed professionals are able to offer a tailored approach to children who display delays in their development or have risk factors associated with developmental delay. 

The term early intervention is used to describe the effective implementation of services and support packages from a young stage in a child’s life. 

What is Early Intervention Occupational Therapy? 

Early Intervention Occupational Therapy is a service provided to children and their families to assist in the development of their cognitive, emotional, and physical capabilities. This type of early intervention therapy is suited to children who may have learning disabilities or have been diagnosed with autism and covers a range of issues such as sensory problems, feeding disorders, and behavioral issues. 

Early Intervention Therapy is a broader term used to describe a wide range of services. Some of these services include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, all aimed at improving, engaging, and developing the child. 

The need for these services can be assessed by a licensed professional who is able to carry out assessments on children, evaluate their needs and advise on the best services available for the child. 

Why is it necessary?

A child’s greatest period of development is within the first three years of life. It is therefore essential that children who display cognitive deficits are seen by a registered occupational therapist to achieve positive outcomes. 

Without intervention, children may lack the necessary engagement they require to develop successfully. Occupational therapy is a core component of the developmental pathway and provides the correct equipment, activities, and stimulation that parents and families are not able to achieve.

Studies show that pediatric occupational therapy improves a child’s level of engagement and helps them to participate in activities through a variety of different interventions. 

Where Do I Start?

For those parents who don’t know where to start, it can be a daunting and emotionally distressing period of time. However, the Milestone Therapy Group is a great place to begin.

Early intervention is a family-centered approach, and therefore we offer parents education to help them understand the reasoning behind certain behaviors such as sensory overload/sensory threshold. 

Families will be taught techniques to overcome difficulties and implement coping strategies. We take care to explain the rationale behind what we do so you can implement it effectively later on. 

Our friendly and professional team is on hand to offer advice, guidance, and support for children and their families. We have licensed Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists available to discuss your needs, complete evaluations and offer the resources you need to enhance your child’s development. 

So if you’re looking for early intervention speech therapy in Philadelphia, PA, mainline or greater Philadelphia area, or believe your child could benefit from any of our other services then please get in contact with us by email or phone. Get the answers you need today.

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Occupational Speech Therapy

Five Things to Know About Occupational Therapy for Children

Occupational therapy, particularly with children, is often unfamiliar. Some people confuse it with physical therapy and others think it is only used to help an adult get back to work. Even those that realize that occupational therapy can be done with children, may think it is just about playing games. Let’s clear up the misunderstandings and learn about five things you should know about occupational therapy for children.

1. Occupational therapy can be an important part of a child’s success

Occupational therapy for children is often the connecting piece in a child’s life for success. The occupational therapist’s overall goal is to allow children to perform their activities of daily life successfully. Occupational therapists will work on strengthening and range of motion, feeding or eating challenges, sensory processing challenges, attention challenges, behavior challenges, autism spectrum disorders and more. Occupational therapists bring the knowledge and skills together to achieve the daily life activity goals of the child.

2. Occupational therapists have an educational background that is uniquely qualified to help your child be successful.

Occupational therapists have a college degree or higher. They take courses on subjects such as anatomy, mental health, development, assistive technology, therapy practices with children, disability, life skills, and more. They have experience with hands-on practice both in and out of the classroom and have passed state licensing exams.

3. Pediatric occupational therapists utilize a variety of equipment and modalities during therapy sessions.

An occupational therapist working on fine motor skills may have at their disposal various games, peg boards,pencil grips, paperclips, cotton balls, coins or other manipulatives. Gross motor activity may incorporate the use of swings, balance boards, balls, trampolines, or obstacle courses. Exercise bands lead the way to strengthening. Various textures could be introduced and used for sensory integration. Assistive devices may also assist with function. There are a myriad of possibilities during a child’s therapy session.

4. Occupational therapy sessions will be as unique as the child is themselves.

Sessions are personalized to meet the needs of the individual child. Activities may include any of the following:

  • Feeding skills
  • Self-care skills
  • Fine and gross motor activity
  • Socialization work
  • Regulation of emotion
  • Sensory processing
  • Visual work
  • Skills for daily living

5. A child needing occupational therapy doesn’t mean that there is a failure on the part of their parents.

Many parents can be hesitant to reach out for services for their children. They may feel judged or inadequate in some way to meet the needs of the child. That is not the case at all. The parent that is able to give their child the gift of pediatric occupational therapy has opened the door to the world for their child. It is the gift of independence, learning, friendships, satisfaction, self-esteem, and success.

Milestone Therapy Group is there for those looking for a children’s occupational therapist in the Philadelphia area. Their team of occupational and speech therapists is here to work in collaboration with parents to reach the developmental milestones and goals each child requires. So, whether the need is for speech therapy in the Mainline area, speech therapy services in Philadelphia, or occupational therapy in either of the mentioned, there is no time to lose in seeing children succeed.
 We are Milestone Therapy Group – a growing family of licensed and certified therapists driven by the sole purpose of helping children with various types of challenges find their path to healthy childhoods. Call us at 610-753-5695 to book a consultation with us and let’s get started helping your child take those first steps towards living their greatest life.

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Occupational Speech Therapy

A Complete Guide to Occupational Therapy for Children

Occupational therapy can immensely benefit children who need assistance to participate in daily life. Perhaps a child is on the autism spectrum. They might have challenges with sensory input. This may make them have difficulty being in a room with a lot going on. This can impact their ability to learn and focus on school work. Children that have oral sensitivity may find it tough to eat specific foods. Children with muscular weakness may struggle with self-care. Whatever the case may be, occupational therapy may be the answer.

Occupational therapy is a profession that helps individuals participate in everyday activities that give them a source of purpose in their lives. While some activities of daily living for children, such as personal hygiene and self-care, the expectations for a child at each stage of development are specialized, unique, and appropriate to the child’s cognitive and physical development.

A children’s occupational therapist in Philadelphia is required to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a school that is ACOTE (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education) certified and must be licensed. Occupational therapists are professionals that are trained in rehabilitating the body in order to assist individuals with becoming independent in their daily lives. They are trained to evaluate and treat fine motor skill deficits, cognitive ability, processing obstacles, and visual awareness skills, and feeding and eating challenges. Occupational therapy for kids is no different.

Pediatric occupational therapists may treat children from birth through adolescence. Early intervention occupational therapists generally see children up to the age of 5. They may help with teaching young ones to self-soothe, facilitate movement to the child’s developmental stage, improve feeding, help with toilet training, or assist with regulating senses. Working with older children, occupational therapists may work with children to improve their ability to get dressed, do their chores, manage homework/classroom time, socialize with their peers, improve the way that they eat, and so much more.

Child therapy services in Philadelphia often include occupational therapy as an important part of a child’s healthcare team. Knowing what to expect can help ease the transition for a child starting services with Milestone Therapy Group. The child’s occupational therapist will get to know the child at their first appointment, evaluate their needs, and develop a treatment plan. It is helpful for parents to come prepared with any concerns or questions they may have. The first appointment will be a detailed one. The occupational therapist may ask a lot of questions. They will then observe the child and see how they manage their world in the environment of the clinic.

There is a range of possible activities a child may participate in while in occupational therapy. The goal of therapy is to help children become independent and reach developmental targets. In order to accomplish this, therapy may include strengthening, range of motion exercises, games, drawing, practicing fine motor skills, feeding and eating, or even the use of adaptive equipment that will help them gain freedom in their actions.

Those looking for, “occupational therapy for kids near me” or “children’s occupational therapist near me” should look no further than Milestone Therapy Group. At Milestone Therapy Group, therapists know the importance of helping a child succeed. They have the skills and experience to take the child’s function to a higher level and put a smile on their face as they are able to face their world head-on and be triumphant in the process.

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A F.A.Q related to Speech therapy services

1) Speech Therapy FAQs

Perhaps your child is in need of speech therapy services per their pediatrician and you don’t know what to expect. You haven’t had any experience with speech therapy for kids and have lots of questions. Let’s see if we can help you answer those.

2) What is speech therapy?

Speech therapy addresses problems with communication, language, and other speech-related disorders. Speech therapy may also address issues related to comprehension, production of sound, and fluency of speech. 

3) What does a speech therapist do?

Speech therapists assess, diagnose, and treat communication and swallowing disorders in both adults and children. 

4) How do I know if my child needs language therapy services or speech therapy, in general?

All concerns should be discussed with your child’s pediatrician. They will be able to assess your child and determine if there is an underlying problem causing the difficulty your child may be experiencing. If you notice your child struggling with communication or reaching developmental milestones, it is important to address these concerns with your pediatrician as soon as possible!

5) What does speech therapy look like?

Speech therapy at Milestone Therapy Group is play-based. The speech therapist will target your child’s goals within a fun environment, structuring games, and activities around your child’s needs. In addition, the speech therapist will collaborate with parents and caregivers to ensure the carryover of skills within the child’s home environment.

6) Will my child need speech therapy for kids at home? Or go into an office?

You will usually bring your child into an outpatient office setting for speech therapy services like you would for occupational therapy services. However, the speech therapist will make some recommendations for you to continue the intervention when you are at home with your child in between sessions.

7) What are some common conditions that might need to be seen by a speech therapist?

These include things such as apraxia, stuttering, auditory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and developmental or neurological disorders.

8) Will speech therapy be covered by my child’s insurance?

At Milestone Therapy Group, we accept many insurances such as Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Health Partners Plan, High Mark, Personal Choice, Independence, Aetna, and more. It is important to check with your child’s personal insurance carrier to find out the details of their coverage. You can also contact our office.

9) How long will my child need to go to speech therapy?

The frequency and length of time that a child needs speech therapy are determined on an individual basis. During your child’s assessment, the speech therapist may give you an idea of what they anticipate based on your child’s needs.

If you are looking for the best speech therapy for your child or have been Googling, “speech therapy for toddlers near me“, look no further than Milestone Therapy Group. We will work with your child to help them reach the milestones that make a difference in their life. Our speech therapists really care and want to help your child be able to be an active part of their world.

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6 Tips to Prepare Your Child for Occupational Therapy

Are you going to be starting occupational therapy for your child? It’s a great decision because an occupational therapist has the skills and knowledge to help your child gain independence in his or her daily routine. You could look forward to seeing improvements in your child’s daily activities such as eating, dressing, communicating, grooming, writing, and playing. Improvements that will help your child to not just live better each day but also engage better with the world around. However, for occupational therapy to yield optimal results, your child needs to be as open and receptive to participating in the therapy sessions as possible. And this is where you can help make a difference as a parent. Here are 6 tips to prepare your child to get the most out of an Occupational Therapy program.

Tip 1
Inform your child. Sometimes children can experience fear when going to a new, unfamiliar place. Explain to your child why they’ll be going to a place where they’ll see other kids, parents, and ‘friendly’ people they can trust and talk to. Tell your child that though some things may be challenging, they will make it easier for your child to do what he or she likes or wants to do.

Tip 2
Ask your child about their goals. Children are more likely to want to participate if they are able to see what’s in it for them. Ask your child about the things they wish they could do more often or easier than before. Do they want to be able to write faster, tie their shoelaces on their own, or even go to the beach with their friends and be able to dip their fingers in the sand? Write down your child’s goals or desires to give them a source of inspiration.

Tip 3
Dress your child for active therapy. Your child would be required to engage in exercises or activities recommended and controlled by their occupational therapist. It follows, therefore, that your child should be dressed in clothes that should neither irritate nor restrain them from feeling comfortable and participating willingly in these activities.

Tip 4
Tell your child what to expect. Let your child know what an occupational therapy office looks like. Perhaps there are swings hanging from the ceiling, games, toys, or exercise equipment. Let your child know how long a session is likely to be and if possible, how many such sessions they’ll be required to attend. Most importantly, let your child know that you will be there in every appointment, from start to end. So they really have nothing to worry about.

Tip 5
Share your child’s background with the therapist. Your child’s occupational therapist is going to need to know your child’s history. Bring along samples of your child’s schoolwork or even pictures and videos that you think might help the therapist better understand why your child needs therapy. Be sure to bring along your insurance card, photo ID, and any doctor’s referrals.

Tip 6
Reassure your child. Let your child know that you (and their occupational therapist) are on their side and want to see them get happier. Let your child know that apart from gaining abilities and skills to do a lot of things easier than before, they’re also going to have a lot of fun in therapy!

If your child needs occupational therapy to lead a better, happier life and you have been googling ‘occupational therapy for kids near me, look no further than Milestone Therapy Group. With a hand-picked team of qualified and experienced specialists, this occupational therapy center in Philadelphia has the expertise and services to help your child get on the path to a happier and healthier future.

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