Advanced Pediatric Therapy for Complex Challenges

What to Expect When You Work With Us

At The Therapy Collaborative, we use a structured, evidence-informed process for children, teenagers, and young adults that is thorough, collaborative, and straightforward to navigate. Learn more about our research and innovation.

Step 1 – Schedule an evaluation and share what’s going on

You can schedule an evaluation online, call us by phone, or contact us through the form below. When you reach out, our team will gather some background information about you or your child, your main concerns, and any diagnoses or reports you already have. We’ll also review insurance and payment details so there are no surprises before the first visit. When it’s helpful, we’re happy to coordinate with your primary care provider or your child’s primary care provider.

*** We’re currently able to schedule evaluations within 1–2 weeks. No referral is needed for occupational therapy or sensory-based feeding services. If your insurance requires a referral for speech therapy, we’re happy to coordinate with your primary care provider to help you get one.

Step 2 – An active, hands-on evaluation to guide next steps

The first visit is more than just watching someone play. It’s an active, structured evaluation where we:

• Look at how skills show up in everyday activities (self-care, school, work, sports, or play)

• Try specific tasks, movements, or communication activities to see what helps and what’s hard

• Test out strategies and supports in real time so we can start understanding what works

• Talk with you (and with teens/young adults directly) about goals, priorities, and what a “good outcome” looks like

Many of the children, teens, and young adults we see have already tried therapy elsewhere without the progress they hoped for. As part of the evaluation, we review what’s been tried before, what seemed to help or not help, and what still feels missing so we’re not just repeating the same approach.

For younger kids, this might still include play—but it’s purposeful and guided, not just free play while we watch. For teens and young adults, it often looks more like a mix of conversation, functional tasks, and targeted activities.

This appointment also helps us decide whether formal standardized testing is needed at a follow-up visit.

Step 3 – Standardized testing when it’s helpful

For some people, we recommend a separate appointment focused on standardized testing. This lets us take a deeper look at specific skills, use the right assessment tools, and provide the kind of scores or reports that schools, doctors, or other programs often request.

We use the results of standardized testing to clarify what needs the most attention in therapy and how to approach it. Testing helps us understand strengths and challenges in more detail—things like motor coordination, sensory processing, language, or cognitive skills—and see which types of tasks and supports you or your child respond to best.

If we recommend testing, we’ll explain why it would be helpful, what it will involve, and how we’ll share the results with you. If standardized testing isn’t needed, we skip this step and move straight into treatment.

Step 4 – A collaborative plan and ongoing therapy

Drawing on what we’ve learned from the evaluation and, when completed, any standardized testing, we’ll walk you through our findings in clear, respectful language. Together, we’ll outline goals, talk about how often it makes sense to come, and discuss how therapy can fit into everyday routines and responsibilities.

We use this information to shape both the focus of therapy (what we’re working on) and the style of therapy (the kinds of activities, strategies, and environments you or your child respond to best).

When it’s helpful, we coordinate with medical providers, school or campus teams, coaches, or other therapists so everyone is working from the same page. Sessions focus on meaningful activities and functional skills, with practical strategies you can use between visits. We regularly check in on progress and adjust the plan as needs change over time.