What to Do with a New Developmental Delay Diagnosis for Your Child

It can be overwhelming getting a new diagnosis for your child. You’re probably wondering what do to with a new diagnosis for your child, what your options are, and how you will afford it. As a parent you feel a sense of urgency to pinpoint the best way to treat your child – and as soon as possible. With every diagnosis there are different options whether it’s therapy, medication, counseling, etc. Your options will vary depending on the child’s age, diagnosis, and your insurance.  It’s important to do your research and decide on the best option for your child and your family.

Therapy Options

Once you have received a new diagnosis for your child it’s important to do research on all your available options. Frequently, after receiving a diagnosis for your child, you are given a list of recommendations that are appropriate for that diagnosis. If your child has received an autism diagnosis, you probably were advised to look into ABA therapy (and maybe other additional therapies). If you were given a diagnosis such as sensory processing disorder you will be looking into occupational therapy. Maybe you don’t have a diagnosis yet, but your pediatrician suggested getting tested for a speech delay. There a million different possibilities so it’s normal to feel overwhelmed with where to start. First, explore the therapy services initially recommended and then look into additional ones as you learn more.

Getting Started

The first thing to do after receiving your child’s diagnosis is to do your research. Your research should include the types of therapy options but also places to receive the therapy. Find a pediatric therapy center that you are comfortable with that meets all of your child’s needs. Schedule a tour to view the facility and make sure to ask questions such as:

              -What insurances do you take?
              -What ages do you work with?
              -Is this one-on-one therapy or group therapy?
              -What days/hours are you open?
              -Do you provide any transportation from the schools?
              -Do you work in collaboration with their school or other therapies?

There are some questions that clinics can’t answer until after your child’s initial evaluation or until your insurance is verified. Questions like ‘how many times a week can my child come’ and ‘how long are therapy sessions’ are great questions and will be answered once a formal evaluation is complete.

Next Steps

Once you have done your research on the types of therapy you need and found the therapy center fit for your family, you will start the evaluation process.

• Schedule evaluation. At PediaPlex, clients fill out the intake form on our website to get started. When filling out this form you will provide information on your child’s needs, insurance information, and any previous diagnosis reports. Once we have received this information and determined which therapy services you are interested in, we will verify your insurance benefits and let you know what your coverage is. If you’re interested in ABA Therapy, our ABA Director will set up a call with you to discuss our program and answer any questions you might have before proceeding. Typically, it is required that we have a referral or pre-authorization from your insurance before scheduling an evaluation. Our intake coordinator will keep you up to date along the way about what additional steps might be needed.
• Complete a developmental history.  Once the evaluation is scheduled, we will have you fill out paperwork that helps us get to know your child’s development history and your concerns.
• On the day of your evaluation.  Evaluations can take anywhere from 60-90 minutes.  We ask that you arrive 15 minutes early to make sure all paperwork is in order. After the evaluation with your child, the therapist will go over everything with you and develop a plan of care for your child based on the evaluation.
• Begin therapy services. If your insurance requires it, we will send them a copy of your child’s evaluation before scheduling services. Once the necessary steps have been taken after the evaluation, we will get your child scheduled for their weekly therapy sessions.

Services at PediaPlex

At PediaPlex, we offer collaborative services all in one convenient location. With locations in Southlake, Fort Worth, and Frisco, there is a convenient clinic with ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy for your child. If your child has recently received a new autism diagnosis and you need help navigating your next steps and therapy options, give PediaPlex a call! We would love to give you a tour of our facilities and answer any questions you have. For more information on any of our services, please visit our website today.

-The PediaPlex Family