Frequently Asked Questions

We suggest connecting with an occupational therapist if you notice challenges with balance, coordination, play, or self-care skills; or difficulties sitting still. Additionally, if social interactions are difficult, or a teacher reports your child is struggling to focus, attend to directions, or is refusing to use playground equipment, an evaluation may be helpful.

Your OT will recommend books and other reading materials, as well as provide you with resources and hand-outs explaining each sensory system and how it can impact function and participation. But we get it, explaining sensory integration can be tricky. We suggest looking at our “resources” section on our website that contains short videos to help you better understand the concepts and terms we often use in therapy.

While everyone matures and changes, difficulties with Sensory Integration (SI) do not simply disappear with age. Early identification and treatment of SI concerns are critical, as they can significantly improve your child's physical development and psychological well-being. By understanding how a child processes sensory information, we can develop individualized activities that can support their sensory processing, and provide comfort. When children feel understood, they gain lifelong confidence and self-esteem.

As a solo practice, Sensory Hangar has specific hours of operation. Individual treatment sessions are scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fridays are reserved for evaluations and make up sessions. Requests for appointments outside these hours are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Sensory Hangar follows a calendar similar to most school districts in the area with some exceptions. 

• The clinic IS open on the following observed holidays: Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Day, Teacher Grading / Non-Student Days, Memorial Day, and Juneteenth. 

• The clinic is NOT open on Labor Day, the day before and after Thanksgiving, the week of winter holiday break during the end of December (to be determined each year), New Year’s Eve & Day, a week in February during mid-winter break, and a week in April for spring break (dates to be determined). Specific calendar dates will be provided to enrolled families each year. 

• The clinic shuts down for 6 weeks in the summer between the last day of June through Mid August. 

• Sensory Hangar follows the Northshore and Lake Washington School District schedule when they close for poor weather. If Northshore or Lake Washington determine a late start or closure, Sensory Hangar will follow suit and do the same.

If the provider is ill, then therapy will be cancelled for the day. The client/family will not be charged for that session and every effort will be made to schedule a make up session if requested.

Parent collaboration and training is a critical component of therapy at Sensory Hangar OT. The therapist will provide you with the knowledge and understanding of your child’s unique needs so you can carry over learned strategies and respond to situations that arise at home with greater clarity and effectiveness. The therapist can, upon request, provide families with a sensory diet during the summer. A “Sensory Diet” includes the introduction of select sensory rich activities and exercises that are meaningful to your child that can be carried out daily. The “diet” may also include strategies to minimize your student’s exposure to certain sensory stimuli to help maintain their optimal arousal. At times, special equipment or materials may be lent out to families.

It is important to note that skill regression may occur during extended breaks from therapy. Typically, children can recoup lost skills within a couple weeks of resuming treatment. Should the recovery period be longer than anticipated, an individualized home program can be developed for the family to implement during subsequent breaks. Families may also consider seeking supplemental therapy from another clinic during these periods.   

Yes, your regular therapy slot will be reserved for you when sessions resume after a break, unless you request a schedule change in writing.

You'll receive a detailed progress note every four to six months outlining your child's progress on their goals and our recommendations, which may include new goal setting based on child and family priorities. We measure this progress using several tools, including re-administration of some assessments, goal attainment scales, interviews, rating scales, data collection, and/or clinical observations.

If you'd like a full re-evaluation, you can request one. The cost will depend on the number of assessments we administer and the complexity of the final report. For example, a comprehensive re-evaluation that includes all 20 tests of the EASI tests along with a full report is billed at the same rate as an initial evaluation, which is $950.

When a Sensory Integration (SI) approach to therapy is effective, the child's nervous system processes complex sensory input more efficiently.

This improved processing often translates into observable skills, such as improved:

• Motor Coordination: The child can perform both gross and fine motor tasks with greater skill and tackle more complex actions.

• Emotional Regulation: Children who were previously over- or under-responsive to sensory input are more tolerant to sensations, leading to better emotional adjustment and self-confidence.

• Social and Academic Gains: As their nervous system functions improve, some children show significant progress in language development or school achievement.

Ultimately, parents frequently observe that their child is more organized, self-assured, and generally "easier to live with."

There can be many reasons for discharge of therapy. Reasons include but are not limited to: meeting treatment goals and services are no longer necessary, the client/parent requested discharge, lack of progress despite best efforts, or referral to a different provider may be more appropriate. The family may feel they have developed the skills and knowledge to effectively support their child at home, and that further therapy is no longer needed. Whatever the case, a discharge summary will be provided that will include a summary and treatment/referral recommendations. 

Sensory Hangar OT is an out-of-network/fee-for-service provider, which means that we do not bill insurance companies for services. We can provide a complimentary “Superbill”  upon request on a monthly basis, which is a detailed, itemized invoice and receipt that you can submit to your insurance for a possible partial reimbursement. You can contact your insurance company to determine if you have out-of-network benefits and the process for submitting claims. Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee that your insurance will reimburse for services, and therefore, reimbursement should not be considered a financial necessity to participate in services at Sensory Hangar OT.