What To Expect

Since the pediatric rehabilitation care team cares for children with such diverse diagnoses from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscle disease, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury to the effects of stroke and cancer, the rehab care team designs a unique treatment program specific to your child’s needs. This comprehensive care plan is designed and based on valuable input from all aspects of the peds rehab team—occupational, physical, recreational and speech therapists, along with the physician—to ensure your child’s needs, as well as their families, are met.

• Patients are given a thorough evaluation and consultation, which is shared with the parents when their child first arrives to the outpatient center or clinic. This provides an opportunity for parents to provide direct input into the planning of their child’s care.
• After the evaluation is complete, a discipline-specific treatment plan clearly defining the recommended length, frequency and duration of treatment is sent to the referring physician. Therapy can begin once the treatment plan is received and agreed upon.
• A carefully designed treatment plan is created with input from each rehabilitation specialty—occupational, physical and speech therapy—to best meet the needs of the patient and their family.
• Parents are considered a part of the health care team and will receive timely reports and status updates on key components of their child’s progress during treatment.
• Parents are encouraged to ask questions to every one on the multi-disciplinary care team during parent conferences to keep informed on their child’s plan of care and take part in the decision-making process.
• Keep track of important developmental milestones or changes in behavior or mood that you see in your child. If possible, write down the environment your child was in, the time and day. This will help us in managing your child’s care plan and help the care team stay informed of progress as well.