Frequently Asked Questions
Are you an NDIS authorised provider?
Yes, Kool KATTS are an accredited NDIS Service Provider. Upon engagement with our service, you will receive a Service Agreement and Schedule of Support as per our obligation under the NDIS initiative. Documentation will need to be completed prior to commencement of services.
Can I use Medicare with your service?
A number of Medicare rebates may be available to use for occupational therapy What options are available depends upon your child‚’s diagnosis and should be discussed in more detail with your GP. A General Practitioner prescribes a Chronic Disease Management Plan (formerly known as the
Enhanced Primary Care Plan) for 5 rebated sessions – whereby the full
the fee is paid to Kool KATTS and Medicare will refund you a portion of the fee.
What is the Chronic Management Plan (CDMP)?
This plan is available to anyone “with at least one medical condition that has been (or is likely to be) present for at least six months; or is terminal” and provides a rebate for five sessions annually of allied health services (which include occupational therapy and speech and language therapy). As at August 2017, the rebate is $52.95 per session.
This plan can be arranged by your
General Practitioner.
What Is Occupational Therapy (OT)?
Occupational Therapy is a unique and holistic approach. As Occupational Therapists, we look at the child’s occupations of play and school, the roles that they play such as being a friend, classmate, sibling, child etc. We are able to look at how the child interacts with others and their surroundings in order to help them do the things they need and want to do but find difficult or overwhelming. We take a developmental approach, which means that we assess which parts of development are delayed and the impact this has on their day to day activities.
Some of the areas we look at are relationships and social skills, sensory processing, physical development and movement, play skills and how they perform activities of daily living
(dressing, teeth brushing etc).
When Is Occupational Therapy Necessary?
If you, or your child’s teacher, are concerned about any area of development such as their ability to perform everyday activities, you may need to recruit the help of an OT. The first step is to discuss your concerns with a GP who can assess the need to seek our help. Areas of concern may be:
Handwriting Learning new gross motor skills such as riding a bike or scooter or excessive tripping Emotional regulation difficulties e.g. overly anxious or frustrated Sensory challenges e.g. hand-dryers/mowers too loud, limited food repertoire, unable to tolerate certain clothing Social challenges – difficulty making or keeping friends
Some of the areas we look at are relationships and social skills, sensory processing, physical development and movement, play skills and how they perform activities of daily living
(dressing, teeth brushing etc).
What Services Do You Offer?
Here at Kool KATTS we offer: Individual assessments Group and individual treatment sessions both in and out of the school setting In-services for teachers and parents Pre-school and school screenings Home programs Individual Therapy sessions both in clinic and via telehealth Handwriting Learning new gross motor skills such as riding a bike or scooter or excessive tripping Emotional regulation difficulties e.g. overly anxious or frustrated Sensory challenges e.g. hand-dryers/mowers too loud, limited food repertoire, unable to tolerate certain clothing Social challenges – difficulty making or keeping friends
Some of the areas we look at are relationships and social skills, sensory processing, physical development and movement, play skills and how they perform activities of daily living
(dressing, teeth brushing etc).
How Much Is The OT Assessment/Sessions?
Please contact us to discuss our fixed prices.
What happens in the follow-up therapy appointments?
At the start of appointments, a plan of activities is drafted, so everyone knows what we will be doing and your child is able to predict what will happen in the session. The activities will be in line with the goals chosen by the parent.
Younger children may not be able to wait for the plan or understand the plan and
therefore we may get stuck straight into the therapy/play.
Your therapist will discuss the activities along the way and advise you of the clinical
reasoning behind the activity they are conducting.
At the end of the session your therapist will prescribe a ‘home program’ of activities to do between sessions. We use an app called Theratrak for our home programs which will show videos of the activities and set reminders for the parent.
Where is therapy provided?
Most therapy is provided in our rooms, though we do offer school visits for current clients and one-off home visits
What happens at the assessment?
For school aged children, a formal assessment will be undertaken and a number of
activities are provided which can be scored provide us with a baseline to compare to other children of the same age.
For younger children, a play-based assessment is undertaken. This will involve the
therapist observing the parent and child playing together. This observation will provide us information on how their motor development, social interaction, sensory processing compare to typical development.
At the end of the assessment, we set goals, and work out appointment times if this has not already been done. You will receive a written report within 2 weeks.
How long do sessions go for?
Currently, our Occupational Therapy sessions are 50 mins due to COVID-19. All rooms and equipment are cleaned between therapy sessions. An initial consultation may be 90-120 minutes. Please allow an extra 30 minutes if paper work has not been completed prior to the session (caregiver form and service agreement).
What is the first step to arrange therapy for your child?
You can phone our office or complete our waitlist form. Once we have a time for your assessment, we will give you details about costs and send you a caregiver questionnaire and service agreement to complete online prior to the appointment. We may also send you a teacher questionnaire and/or a sensory questionnaire.
Do I need a doctor’s referral to see an OT?
No, you don’t need a doctor’s referral, but some doctors provide a referral letter, which can be helpful. Children who are seeing more than one service provider, e.g. a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist, can often be referred by GPs under an Enhanced Primary Care Plan. Under these plans, a total five rebates of approximately $50 are available per calendar year (you may only use one per year). It is important to note that the rebates do not cover the full cost of the appointments.
Do you work with children who have NDIS funding?
Yes we are an NDIS registered provider. If you need assistance in applying for NDIS funding please see our youtube channel link below.
How can I pay for my therapy services?
Non-NDIS (Private paying) clients and self managed clients will pay via Commbank’s Bpoint facility as we no longer have an EFTPOS machine due to COVID-19.
Plan Managed clients are treated as self managed and must be paid for via Bpoint and claimed back from your Plan Manager. NDIS managed clients will be billed directly to NDIA and a receipt of the account be sent to the parent for reconciliation.
Are Occupational Therapy sessions covered by private health funds?
We recommend you check with your private health fund about what rebates you’re entitled to.
Waitlist Form
Kool KATTS Occupational Therapy for Parramatta and Greater Sydney Region WAITLIST FORM
Please contact us for more details.