HELPING CHILDREN GAIN INDEPENDENCE WITH SELF-CARE, EMOTIONAL REGULATION, MOTOR SKILLS, AND SENSORY INTEGRATION
What do kids want to be able to do to feel successful and independent? They want to play, learn, connect with peers, be self-sufficient, and feel proud of who they are.
At Westside, Occupational Therapy helps children accomplish these goals. We help kids manage emotions, interact with peers, take care of themselves (e.g dressing, feeding, hygiene), and gain strength for active play.
How we do this is important, too. We never forget that a kid is a kid by ensuring therapy is fun, safe, and inviting. Our expectation: life-changing results.
Our occupational therapists specialize in a wide variety of areas. These areas are listed in the table below. We treat children from ages 0 to 18 years old, with our most common age group being 3 to 8 years old. When scheduling sessions, we ensure that your occupational therapist’s expertise aligns with the specific needs of your child.
Occupational Therapy begins with an evaluation from a licensed therapist. The evaluation takes an hour to complete and occurs in-person at the clinic. Therapists will work through assessment activities with your child, usually in our sensory gym or in a private treatment room. Therapists bring a sense of playfulness and warmth; their goal is to make your child feel comfortable. Once the evaluation is complete, the therapist will take 1-2 weeks to write a summary report that includes the findings and recommendations. This report determines the frequency of appointments and the goals for ongoing therapy sessions.
Occupational Therapy sessions are 1-on-1 and take place in our clinics. Parents are free to leave the clinic during that hour if they would like. The sessions themselves occur in our sensory gym. The therapists either use the therapy equipment or the work stations in the gym to complete your child’s exercises. Throughout the session, the therapist monitors your child’s progress on their current goals. As goals are mastered, the treatment sessions incorporate additional goals from the evaluation. When each session concludes, therapists speak with parents to inform them on how their child performed.
Our therapists use data to measure the rate of progress on a child’s occupational therapy goals. Performance is noted after each session. Clinical Directors (our most senior therapists) oversee treatment plans and observe sessions to make sure children are making progress. Whenever goals are met, therapists will refer back to the evaluation to incorporate new goals, and discuss new areas of concern with parents. Every year, we will perform a re-evaluation to measure the child’s progress since beginning services, and parents are elated when they see the before and after growth!
What sets our Occupational Therapy service apart is the depth of our experience. Where many providers have a few Occupational Therapists on staff, we have dozens. With our Occupational Therapy department being so mature, we are able to staff mentorship layers into the company. This enables our senior Occupational Therapists to train and support others. This culture of learning has made our Occupational Therapy team strong.
Westside has been offering Occupational Therapy for several decades. The lessons we have learned along the way are incorporated into our standard of care. We have learned what works and what does not. This is one of the reasons why many pediatricians look to Westside. They are confident in what they are getting when they refer patients.
While costs vary by insurance plan, number of therapy hours, and other factors, the cost of occupational therapy averages $30-$40 per week for most plans.
Costs during the first month or two of the year, when your deductible has not been met, are higher. Once the deductible is met, they significantly decrease.
Please read our Occupational Therapy Costs page for a full explanation and an example cost analysis.
We work with a wide variety of insurance companies and HMO networks. We are always expanding our network – click here to view the list of our currently accepted insurances.
Graduating kids from therapy is our goal. It means that we did our job and that the child’s concerns have been addressed. We do everything we can to achieve progress as quick as possible. There is ongoing communication between the family and the therapist on the child’s progress. When it is agreed that the concerns have been fully addressed, it is time to graduate AND celebrate!
Most Occupational Therapy treatment plans are 1-3 hours per week in-clinic, with 1 hour per week being the most common.
Our therapists teach the parents and the child how to carry over the exercises at home. This complements the in-clinic treatment and leads to lasting change.
Occupational Therapy (OT) is one of the most common treatments for children or teens with ADHD. It helps children and teens self-regulate, develop structure and routines, identify emotional states, and more.
Read more about ADHD and the types of therapy that are most supportive.
We offer in-clinic therapy not only because the research indicates strong clinical results, but because it also fosters a community of support for our families.
We locate our centers near you! We have over 25 locations across the Chicagoland area, including clinics in Rockford and DeKalb.
If you take a look at our Occupational Therapy centers, you will see why kids are so excited to run through our doors when they arrive for therapy!
If you are interested, submit an inquiry below. Our Intake Team will call to help you determine a plan forward. If you are still unsure, you can call us anytime at (815) 469-1500 for more information.