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The First Visit, in Plain Terms
A pediatric OT evaluation with us is a 60 to 90 minute visit that starts with your child’s strengths and what feels hard in daily life. We come to your home, where your child can be in a familiar place and you can show us the routines you are talking about. The visit is a chance to understand what is happening, not a pass-or-fail test.
Before that visit, you can have a free 15-minute consultation. Tell us what prompted your call and ask about the evaluation. A diagnosis and physician referral are not required to start, although an insurer may request a referral for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
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Talking About Your Child’s Day
We ask about your child’s interests, strengths, routines, and the moments you want help understanding. You might talk about dressing, schoolwork, play, transitions, or the way your child reacts to a busy place. Parents are included throughout; you do not have to translate your child into clinical terms before we arrive.
A challenge may look different at home than at school or out in the community. PEAK wants to know when a task goes more easily, too. That contrast can point to how the environment, the demands of a task, or a child’s energy affect participation. Our goal is a picture of the whole child rather than an isolated score.
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What We May Look At
Depending on the child, the evaluation may include observation, play-based activities, standardized assessments, and clinical assessment. We consider fine and gross motor skills, sensory processing and modulation, motor planning and coordination, emotional and behavioral regulation, self-care and daily living skills, attention, and functional participation. Not every child needs the same activities.
Primitive reflex patterns may be assessed if clinically appropriate. We have completed MNRI® training, but we consider reflexes inside the wider occupational therapy evaluation, not as a stand-alone answer. Research on retained reflexes in older children is still growing. What matters is how the child manages activities that are meaningful to that child and family.
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What Families Hear Afterward
After the evaluation, we discuss what we observed and make room for your questions. We talk about individualized goals and recommendations and, when appropriate, a plan of care. You can ask which observations connect to the difficulties you described and how any proposed work would fit into your family’s routines.
The evaluation does not promise a particular result or require you to agree to ongoing therapy. If sessions are recommended, PEAK offers one-on-one occupational therapy in 45 or 60 minute sessions. Parent and caregiver education is part of sessions, so you understand the choices being made for your child.
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Where It Fits in Getting Started
We serve families in Bozeman and surrounding areas. Our work happens where children live, learn, and play, with no clinic or waiting room. For the initial evaluation, that means we can see how a familiar room and everyday materials shape the tasks you are discussing. You do not need to set up a therapy room at home.
PEAK is private pay and does not bill insurance. Payment is due at the time of service. A superbill is available on request for possible out-of-network reimbursement, but reimbursement is not guaranteed. The free consultation is a good time to ask about fees before scheduling an evaluation. You can also ask what we will discuss with you at the end of the visit and how a recommendation turns into a plan for your child.