Specialty Training and Certifications
Facilities
KidVentures Therapy Services is a warm, welcoming, child friendly facility. Children often view KidVentures as an exciting and fun place to play. The KidVentures facility is comprised of 6000 square feet that includes a variety of spaces to serve your child’s needs and to make them feel comfortable and at ease. Our facility is able to suit your child’s needs whether their bodies/systems require the busy active gym or one of our quieter, less stimulating spaces. The rooms/spaces at KidVentures consist of a waiting room, 2 gym areas (containing swings, air cushions, trampolines, sensory bins, a scooterboard ramp, safety mats, crash mats, pillows, and toys), speech-language rooms, an art room, a quieter handwriting space, a kitchen for cooking projects and science experiments, keyboarding/computer area, Food School room and a transition area. There is also a long hallway for children to explore using their bodies in various ways including scooterboarding, running, skipping, hopping, jumping, crabwalking, and other unique movements created by kids and staff. A conference room provides a private area for you to discuss your child’s progress with their therapist. We welcome and encourage visits to the clinic! Feel free to call to schedule a time in which you can tour the facility and meet some of the friendly staff! Back to top
Initial Phone Call
If you have any questions or are interested in receiving services for your child at KidVentures Therapy Services, please call us at 512-327-4499. You will be asked to give some basic background and contact information and to explain your concerns for your child. You will then be called back by one of the business owners, Jennifer Thomas, MS, OTR or Angela Balmer, OTR, usually within two business days. We look forward to hearing from you. Back to top
Follow Up Phone Call
Jennifer Thomas, MS, OTR or Angela Balmer OTR will return your phone call within two business days. At that time, they will gather more detailed information from you regarding your concerns for your child. This conversation will help us determine whether your child may benefit from an occupational therapy evaluation, a speech-language therapy evaluation, or a referral to another professional. During this phone call, we will provide you with evaluation, scheduling, treatment, and financial information. We will be happy to answer any additional questions you may have! Back to top
Scheduling and Waitlist
We believe that it is best practice for your child to have a current evaluation before treatment begins and we do not perform evaluations unless we have treatment spots available. This does not mean that treatment is recommended for every child who receives an evaluation. However, if treatment is warranted we want to ensure that we are able to accommodate the recommended treatment. Therefore, treatment scheduling options will be discussed with you when setting up the evaluation. If we do not have treatment times that work for you then your child will be put on the waiting list to receive an evaluation. Back to top
Prescription for Evaluation and Services
Your child needs to be under the care of a physician in order to receive individual services at KidVentures. Please obtain a prescription for an evaluation from your child’s physician. Back to top
Evaluation Process
The evaluation will address your specific concerns for your child as well assess your child’s overall functional abilities, strengths, and areas of need. This valuable information will help us tailor your child’s individual treatment plan and recommendations.
Prior to the evaluation, we will send you a packet containing information and forms. If the timeframe permits, it is beneficial for the paperwork to be returned to us prior to the evaluation. If it is not possible to send us the paperwork prior to the evaluation, please bring it with you filled out the day of the evaluation.
Evaluations are approximately 1 to 2 hours in length and are usually scheduled during morning hours. We are happy to provide you with a written excuse for missed time at school. Our therapists are very playful and experienced at making children feel comfortable and at ease during the evaluation. The evaluating therapist will meet you in the waiting room at your scheduled evaluation time. Our experience has found that we get the most accurate information and complete picture of your child’s functioning if parents are not present during the evaluation. We invite you to either wait in the waiting room or you may leave the clinic during the evaluation. If you choose to leave the clinic, please make sure that our office manager has your cell phone number. If you would like to observe testing and/or if you feel your presence will make your child the most comfortable, you are welcome to attend the evaluation. If you do observe the evaluation, then it is requested that you keep interactions with your child to a minimum during test administration as this will help ensure the validity of the results.
Every effort is made for your child’s evaluation to be a positive experience. Therefore, we prefer to not discuss your child’s performance on testing in front of them. In addition, it is necessary for the therapist to review the intake packet, notes from the evaluation, and test results to give you accurate findings and recommendations. Therefore, detailed information regarding your child’s functioning and recommendations are not usually provided on the day of the evaluation. The results of the evaluation will be provided in a detailed report that will be given to you and discussed during a follow up parent conference. Back to top
Report and Follow Up Parent Conference
A thorough report of the evaluation findings will be completed before the parent conference. This process takes approximately 2 weeks and may involve follow up phone calls with you and/or other members of the child’s team. Once the report is complete, you will receive an email from our office manager to set up the parent conference. We prefer to explain the findings and be available to answer questions about the evaluation. Therefore, you will receive the report the day of the parent conference. Parent conferences to review the evaluation last approximately 1 hour. It is important that your children are not present during the conference to allow the evaluating therapist to openly review the findings with you. Childcare is not available at KidVentures. Back to top
Team Approach
We believe that it is best practice and in the best interest of your child to use a team approach. Your child’s team includes the therapists at KidVentures, the child’s parents/caregivers, their doctor, teacher and other professionals that may be involved in their care such as neurologists, psychologists, play therapists, or behavior therapists. Please share information about other therapies your child receives so we can collaborate together to ensure your child’s success in all environments. Back to top
Treatment
Treatment sessions at KidVentures are fun! Children usually want to come to treatment and often think they are coming to play. The therapists at KidVentures tailor the “play” to address your child’s specific treatment needs. Treatment sessions are typically 1 hour. They consist of 50 minutes of direct treatment. The last 10 minutes of the session are used to transition your child, discuss treatment/homework with you, and for the therapist to write their treatment note. You may leave the clinic during the first 50 minutes of the treatment session, but we request that you return for the last 10 minutes. The duration and frequency of treatment vary and are dependent on the evaluation findings and recommendations. Back to top
Re-evaluations
Re-evaluations typically occur every 6 months but can occur at 3, 9, or 12 month intervals depending on your child’s needs. Assessment of goals and needed testing will occur during scheduled treatment sessions. A report and recommendations will follow and will be discussed during a parent conference. Back to top