As a physiotherapist, I get a lot of questions about my job. I have come to realize that many people are not familiar with physiotherapy as a field, unless they or someone they know have attended PT. Even fewer people are familiar with paediatric physiotherapy. In this blog, I share my best responses to some common questions I get asked as a paediatric physiotherapist!
A: Absolutely! Like other rehab disciplines, physiotherapy can be covered by insurance. PT is usually ordered by a doctor but may be initiated via direct access, depending on the state. PTs then provide services to patients and bill third-party payers for those services.
A: There is no specific answer to the cost of physiotherapy because each insurance/payer will vary. Depending on deductibles and premiums, there may be a copay associated with each PT appointment. Once again, that will be on an individual basis based on what insurance or payer is involved in the services. If you have a specific question regarding your billing, reach out to your insurance or our billing department.
A: At NAPA Centre, our sessions are 50 minutes long across all disciplines. Regarding duration of treatment, our intensive physiotherapy sessions run the full course of the 3-week intensive, 5 days per week. Depending on intensive schedules, some of our kiddos see multiple physiotherapists, who may utilize different techniques (DMI, NeuroSuit, etc). The duration for traditional/weekly physiotherapy may be as long as PT is warranted. Part of a physiotherapist’s job is to justify services to payers as long as PT is deemed necessary. Plans of care and goals are regularly updated to reflect our kiddos’ progress and ensure we promote progress in goal areas. This provides us with a unique opportunity to spend a lot of time with our kiddos as they grow and develop and help to build a special relationship between therapist and kiddo.
A: paediatric physiotherapy is a specialized discipline specifically related to the growth and development of children. While some physiotherapy may focus on recovery from injury or surgery, paediatric PT also applies to the acquisition of motor skills across the spectrum of development. paediatric PT is a highly individualized discipline, and the specifics of what PT looks like will be unique to the kiddo based on their needs and goals.
A: To me, the role of a paediatric physiotherapist is to help kiddos access the world around them. That takes many forms. We help promote gross and fine motor milestones via games and play. We support independence of movement and environmental access, that may include instruction in assistive devices, like wheelchairs or walkers. We address meaningful goals for the kiddo and their family, based on clinical reasoning and developmental appropriateness.
paediatric PTs promote growth, development, and independence, specific to the kiddo and their needs to access the world around them.
A: physiotherapists work on whatever is appropriate for the child. I realize that is a vague answer, but it is impossible to define what we do in PT in a way that would apply to all kiddos. Every child who gets PT is going to have an individualized plan of care based on clinical reasoning and meaningful goals that are unique to that individual. Regarding gross motor milestones, we address a wide range of goals, including safety and functional independence. So, no, we do not only focus on milestones. For example, a kiddo may learn to walk, but PTs will also address gait mechanics, safety, level of assistance, etc. to make that kiddo as successful as possible with their new-found motor skills.
Every child who gets PT is going to have an individualized plan of care based on clinical reasoning and meaningful goals that are unique to that individual.
A: While it is entirely possible for a kiddo to only get physiotherapy, the majority of kiddos who come to NAPA receive services including other disciplines: occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, etc. At NAPA, we highly value interdisciplinary collaboration. The team structure of NAPA promotes communication between collaborators in order to help make each session as successful as possible.
One of the things that most interested me at NAPA, as a therapist, was the multidisciplinary approach to care. The advice and coaching I receive from other providers is one of the most valuable assets to me, as a physiotherapist.
A: At NAPA, we specialize in the abilities of children of all ages. We do not have a minimum or maximum age for services at NAPA Centre The same answer applies to diagnoses. We specialize in the treatment of neurological diagnoses, but we do not restrict access to our services based on diagnosis.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the questions someone may have for a paediatric physiotherapist. But I hope this sheds some light on what we do and what it means to be a paediatric physiotherapist. Being a NAPA paediatric PT is an incredibly unique and rewarding experience, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to make a difference for our NAPA families and kiddos.
NAPA Centre is a leader in the field of paediatric physiotherapy, offering the most innovative tools and methods from around the world. Our physiotherapists are highly trained and passionate about making a difference through individualized therapy sessions. To discover how NAPA can help your child or loved one, contact our team today.
Camden Selby is a paediatric physiotherapist at NAPA Centre LA. Camden was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania and moved to Los Angeles to be a part of the NAPA family. Camden has a 1-year-old mini-golden doodle named Koda and enjoys hiking, reading, and theme parks.
