Greater Chicagoland

FAQs

Understanding Our Logistics

Understanding Our Treatment Model

Understanding Developmental Therapy

Understanding Our Logistics

We work with babies just discharged from the hospital or NICU to kids up to age 10 with older children/teenagers seen on a case-by-case basis. Schedule a free consultation to discuss if your older child will benefit from our services. 

No, we are able to provide services through either early intervention or privately via insurance or private pay. Services are the same but the payment method and referral process are a little different.  

We offer a variety of payment options. If you qualify, early intervention is a great program for children between 0-3 years with qualifying medical or developmental delays that don’t require insurance.

Adaptations Unlimited is in-network with Blue Cross and Humana, but we are able to bill all insurance providers.

We are committed to helping each family maximize their insurance benefits whether that is negotiating on behalf of the family or strategizing how to use your benefits most effectively. We’ve been doing this long enough to understand the big picture. For instance, you might not want to use all your visits at the beginning of the year, so we come up with treatment plans that meet the needs of your child AND balance reimbursement requirements. This could mean longer sessions, less frequently.

Don’t qualify for early intervention and don’t have insurance? Reach out! We want every child to have what they need so creative payment options are available upon special request.

We see our sessions for the parents just as much as the child. So we not only want you in the home, we want you in the room to learn and watch. Our goals include helping parents learn to think more creatively and apply knowledge to new challenges in the future. You won’t feel as lost in your situation when you watch, learn, and gain the skills.

Every gain is more meaningful when the parent is part of it. We use clinical expertise to guide you to be more confident and effective with your child. And then the success is YOURS to celebrate with your child!

Appointment length is tailored to the needs of each family, keeping in mind the child’s tolerance for activities and the need for parent coaching and education. An initial evaluation typically takes one to two hour long sessions. Treatment sessions are typically one hour but can range from 45-75 minutes depending on age of the child and concerns addressed. We are mindful to help families maximize their insurance benefits and this will sometimes influence length of sessions.

Yes, we provide telehealth services to children in the State of Illinois. And yes! Telehealth has been successful in meeting a range of needs. We are able to do many of our same effective treatments including working with the child, coaching parents, and providing recommendations on your routines and environment.

There are even cases when telehealth services are more effective just because it forces exceptional communication and some children naturally enjoy working with the telehealth platform.

That being said, we understand that telehealth can’t meet the needs of every child and family. We are committed to being honest with families before and during telehealth services on what we can address and if telehealth is meeting your family’s individual needs.

We get it, some children have things that aren’t going to go away. This is one of the reasons we focus so much on empowering and coaching parents to be more effective care providers. Because when we give parents skills, they can use these strategies every day, for years to come.

And really, we recognize that the needs differ based on the situation of each child and family. Some children need a short time of therapy, some benefit from periodic check-ins, and some need long-term intervention. We will keep communicating with you regarding the progress and the need for ongoing therapy so that you know what to expect for your situation.

We are committed to making sure everyone has all the services they need. If we can’t provide what you need, we provide recommendations to outside resources we’ve grown to trust.

Just because a child reaches a certain age and no longer qualifies for early intervention, doesn’t mean their need for therapy services just stops.

If needed, we would love to continue providing occupational therapy in your home through your health insurance or private pay. If you switch to a new provider, you might lose progress towards your goals, and you’ll need to start over with building new personal relationships. Plus, we like to think we offer the best services.

So, as your early intervention services come to an end, be sure to reach out so we can check your benefits or discuss payment options.

We provide in person occupational therapy to children in Northern Illinois to Lake, McHenry, Cook, DuPage, and Kane Counties. This includes towns of Crystal Lake, Wauconda, Lake Zurich, Island Lake, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard, Lake Zurich, Deer Park, Kildeer, Glenview, Morton Grove,and Itasca.

Give us a call if you have questions about your specific location.

Plus, keep in mind we offer telehealth occupational therapy for children outside of our travel range but inside the state of Illinois.

Understanding Our Treatment Model

We are big believers that therapy in the home is not only as effective as therapy in clinics, but is MORE effective. Keep in mind, all our clinicians are highly skilled and have previous experience working in clinics. So they have the skill of any provider working in a clinic plus the advantage of additional education and our commitment to excellence. They essentially chose to move their practice to the home because of how powerful it is to work with families in their own context.

We have so much impact when we can see your space and provide recommendations and practice in the most practical sense. Instead of relying on descriptions and pictures, we can see your set-up for medical equipment or the child’s room. We can practice things like feeding your child or playing with your child’s toys so that the carryover will be simpler.

Alright, we get this one but we are committed to entering your life, and sometimes that includes messy homes with dishes in the sink and toys on the floor. That’s real life and we start with the assumption that people really are doing their best.

We can’t emphasize enough our commitment to entering your lives with no judgment. We have over 14 years of providing in-home therapy, entering 1000s of homes – so we’ve seen a lot and will continue to be grateful for each experience. It’s such an immense privilege and honor to see every culture and situation. There is nothing more personal than being in someone’s home and making a difference for their baby.

So, don’t let a messy house prevent you from getting the care your child needs.

Not always. Many clinics have specialized equipment but that doesn’t ensure progress for your child. Instead, we work within their real lives. On the playground, in stores, or in your home. Plus, some children either don’t like going to a gym with “kid stuff” or have a hard time adjusting to an unfamiliar environment.

For older children, looking at the environment is immensely important. We ask, “What do you have available? How do we maximize space?” We help you see your space with a new perspective to understand what is calming and what is energizing and match that to what your child needs.

With younger children, we might focus on building parent’s competency. But with older children, we focus on building your children’s competency so they can solve their own problems.

What sets us apart is our strong philosophies on how children and families should be treated. Much of our treatment is focused on relationships and meaningful interactions. We focus on play and figuring out the unique motivation of the child.

It makes such a difference when we follow the lead of your child and teach you to do the same. For all our interventions, we want simplicity and the easiest answer to make your daily life run smoothly. Not everything has to be complicated or hard work.

And most of all, we want kids who are resilient, think flexibility, and play flexibility.

Our focus is on improving the everyday life of children and their families. That being said, here is a list of some of the most common diagnosis we see:

Autism
ADHD
Cerebral palsy
Down Syndrome
Pediatric limb differences
Fussy babies
Babies post NICU
Children with multiple medical problems
Feeding issues
Sensory processing disorder
Learning disabilities
Neurological conditions
Childhood anxiety or emotional challenges

Parent coaching focuses on empowering parents with tools and strategies to more effectively meet the needs of their child. Parents are the ones that will advocate and help their child over their lifetime, so working in this area has a great impact on the child.

Routine based interventions use the power of your simple everyday activities. Basic things like sleep routine, medication routines, and feeding routines are highly important. Plus, little changes add up into big changes over time.

For instance, can you incorporate one arm stretch daily into their dressing routine? Or, how do you help an older child get through the morning routine and get ready for school without meltdowns or yelling? It’s sometimes the simple changes that make the most difference but when you do them every day, with little or no thought, it is revolutionary.

It can be frustrating to try something and have it not work. Just know, not all providers and clinics are the same.

Maybe you didn’t see progress because your child needs treatment in the home or you just didn’t connect with a clinician with the right skills and training. We are happy to provide an evaluation to determine if we have new things to add to make a difference. If we can’t help, we will be sure to tell you right away.

Understanding Development Therapy

Even when school is years away, your child is busy learning and growing everyday so they will be ready when the time comes. Think of developmental therapy as similar to a special education teacher. Except, a developmental therapist works individually with your child and family at a younger age.

Adaptations Unlimited is excited to provide developmental therapy because it fits right into our model with its focus on play, parent education, and commitment to developmentally appropriate sequencing of skills.

If your child is missing their milestones, developmental therapy can provide an amazing opportunity to build those important early childhood skills. Some kids need more time and practice to learn a skill – and developmental therapy brings the specialized knowledge and the attention to do just that.

Developmental therapy does have some overlap with other therapy disciplines but is unique in the specific focus on child development – across physical, cognitive, and social skills during those critical years before the start of school. It’s such a wonderful breadth of knowledge within the early intervention team.

And developmental therapy often works to integrate elements from other therapy service providers into moving towards those early education goals.

Got more questions?

Let’s connect so you can make an informed decision about what is right for your family.