FAQ’s

How do you know if OT can help your child?

Our Occupational Therapy Screening Tool is a great way to determine if pediatric occupational therapy (OT) is right for your child and can help him/her meet life’s challenges. Your child may benefit from occupational therapy intervention if he/she has experienced or is experiencing any of the issues below. Below are some of the key areas we specialize in. Call today to discuss how we can address the specific needs of your child.

Avoids touching or being touched (especially if unexpected), dislikes getting dirty, seems unaware of pain, and/or displays upset with daily routine tasks such as dressing, bathing, washing hair, cutting nails, etc.
Seems clumsy or uncoordinated (taking longer than expected to learn motor skills, bumps into other people or objects in the environment, falls often, etc.)
Poor eye contact or difficulty interacting with adults/peers
Covers ears, becomes upset, or complains about loud noises
Difficulty following verbal directions or completing steps of daily routines
Limited diet (does not eat certain food textures or temperatures, gags on food, etc.)
Avoid movement activities such as swings, slides, hesitates on curbs or uneven surfaces, etc.
Appears to be in constant motion, fidgety, difficult time sitting still
Overly rough when playing
Difficulty imitating actions
Unsafe in community or at home
Disruptive behaviors-impulsive, limited attention, resistive to new activities/changes in routine, difficulty moving from one activity to another, gives up easily, difficulty calming self

Call us today at 704-799-6824 or request an appointment for an occupational therapy evaluation for your child.

Welcoming PlaceWith Quality Care

Our philosophy is learning through play as we offer a stimulating environment for children. Our philosophy is learning through play as we offer.

Friendly Place
Online Access
Varied Classes
Full Day Sessions

Total Groups

Qualified Teachers

Years of Experience

Students Enrolled

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ's)

How do I initiate service at PAT?

There are two ways to initiate service. First, you can ask your physician to send us a referral. We will contact you within 48 hours to set up an evaluation to determine if occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, counseling, ABA therapy, or psychological testing can help your child. Don't want to wait on your doctor? Request an appointment online. We will then give you a call to set up an initial evaluation.

Do we need a referral from a physician to receive services from PAT?

The only service that requires a physician referral to begin treatment is ABA therapy. For all other disciplines, You may bring your child in for an initial evaluation without a referral and we will contact your child's primary care provider.

If you are a physician or work for a physician's office, you may download our Physician Referral Form and fax it to 704-799-6825.

What insurance providers do you accept?

We accept most major insurance providers. Here is a full list. If you do not see your insurance company on the list, please contact us and we will work with the provider to be included. Our goal is to make sure every child that can benefit from visiting PAT be able to do so.

Is it better to treat my child in a clinic environment like PAT or at home where they might be more comfortable?

A clinic provides a variety of dynamic equipment with more affordances than are available in any other setting to constantly challenge, motivate, and inspire children. Novelty promotes problem-solving and adaptive changes in a child's brain. A clinic provides natural opportunities for interaction with peers as they share equipment and plan activities with their therapists.

How is clinic therapy different from school-based therapy?

In a clinic, the goal is to provide therapy to address all aspects of a child's life (e.g.,sleeping, eating, playing), and includes functioning at home and in the community as well as at school. In the school setting, the intervention must be related to school-specific difficulties only, making clinic therapy a great supplement to address all of the child's needs.

What sets PAT apart from other clinics?

The experienced clinicians at Pediatric Advanced Therapy have advanced training and certifications in a number of specialties across occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and counseling disciplines. Our incredible team also participates in ongoing in-house education, mentoring and professional development opportunities. Our clinicians are the leaders in evidence-based practice, constantly striving to provide the best care to our clients and their families. In addition to our awesome therapists, our clinics are, without question, the largest and most advanced clinics in the Carolinas. With multiple, diverse treatment environments, we are able to treat your child in the ideal setting regardless of diagnosis.

Does my child see the same therapist every time? If not, how do we make sure they are getting consistent treatment?

Once your child is on our permanent schedule, they will be scheduled to see the same therapist every week. This allows for continuity of care. In the event that the regular therapist is not available, another of our highly skilled therapists can step in for a session. In this case, PAT has extensive documentation and goals for each child so that the new therapist is fully versed and ready to treat your child the minute they walk in the door.

How often should my child have therapy and for how long?

The length of therapy will vary depending on the difficulties the child is experiencing. It is common for children to need 50-80 sessions of therapy. Therapy usually happens 1-2 times a week. It all depends on the child’s needs and goals. However, our patients that attend at least 75% of scheduled appointments reach their goals twice as fast as patients that only attend 50%. The better your child's attendance, the better their results! Therapy sessions are one hour in length for OT, PT, and counseling. Speech sessions are 30 minutes.

ABA Therapy is a more intensive therapy that averages 15-40 hours/week of treatment.

Psychological testing is a shorter-term process that includes an intake appointment, testing appointment(s), and a follow-up consultation.

Can my child have multiple therapies at one time?

Yes. PAT is a multi-disciplinary clinic. We offer ABA therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counseling, physical therapy, and psychological testing. It is common for our clients to receive 2, even 3 services at one time.

We try our best to schedule your child's appointments back-to-back to reduce the number of days and times you come to the clinic on a weekly basis.

If your child is an ABA client, we offer pull-out services, where their other therapists pick them up and drop them off from ABA to complete their other services.

What is the difference between occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT)?

Occupational and physical therapists have very similar training, however, the OT specializes in preparing a child/patient to properly interact with the environment around them while the PT specializes in gross motor development and improvement.