What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy is a science degree-based, health and social care profession, regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. Occupational therapists take a whole-person approach to both mental and physical health and wellbeing, enabling individuals to achieve their full potential.

Occupational therapists provide practical support to enable people to facilitate recovery and overcome any barriers that prevent them from doing the activities (occupations) that matter to them. This helps to increase people's independence and satisfaction in all aspects of life.

Occupational therapists work with adults and children of all ages with a wide range of conditions; most commonly those who have difficulties due to a mental health illness, physical or learning disabilities.

What is Sensory Integration?

Sensory integration (SI) is the neurological process that organises sensation from one's own body and the environment. For most people, sensory integration develops in the course of ordinary childhood activities. 

What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

For some people, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should. This is known as sensory processing disorder (SPD) or dysfunction in sensory integration (DSI). DSI and SPD are both ways to describe the difficulty some people's nervous systems have with taking in, integrating and making use of sensory information.  This changes how the person then responds to changes in their own body, the environment and how they interact with it and others around them.

Who can provide Sensory Integration?

Individual sensory integration therapy can be provided by an Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist or Speech and Language Therapist with postgraduate training in sensory integration. Specific information about the qualifications can be found here http://www.sensoryintegration.org.uk/therapist-qualifications. 

What does an assessment entail?

Prior to assessments we send out questionnaires to parents and school teachers which need to be completed and returned prior to the assessment date to allow us to plan the assessment specifically around the child. The assessment normally lasts 1.5 hours and is lots of fun! We include standardised and non-standardised assessments to ensure we obtain a fully objective view. We then score and interpret the result and supply a comprehensive report. 

Where are the sessions held?

The sessions usually take place in our therapy centre located in-between Burgess Hill & Ansty in West Sussex. However, we can also conduct school and home visits if preferable, although an additional fee may be applicable. 

What are the terms and conditions for accessing therapy sessions?

At Jigsaw Occupational Therapy, we are committed to providing the highest quality therapy services in order to help your child maximise their skills and achieve goals. To ensure the greatest opportunity for your child’s success, we request that both parents/carers agree to the following expectations.

1. Private Practice Fees

Professional time, will be charged for all therapy activities, including preparation, assessment, treatment, verbal and written consultation and reporting. Please see separate fee schedule document.

Travel time, mileage will be charged for sessions taking place away from the therapy centre.

2. Payment Policy

The treatment fee is payable at the end of each calendar month.

Clients are asked to settle any invoices within 14 days of notice being sent.

All fees are fixed and non-negotiable in order to ensure fairness to all clients..

3. Therapy Schedule/Attendance

Consistent therapy is important for best results. When developing your child’s therapy schedule with your Occupational Therapist, please make sure your to discuss child’s other commitments and responsibilities, (i.e. therapy appointments, regularly scheduled doctor’s appointments, etc.). Failure to commit to regular input may have a detrimental effect on the productiveness of the therapy sessions.

In the event you need to cancel or change an appointment please give us as much notice as possible, at least 24 hours. Missed or short notice cancellations, less than 24 hours, of scheduled appointments shall be charged 100% of the due fee. We reserve the right to discontinue services if frequent cancellation of services occur.

4. Preparing for Therapy

Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that the child is wearing suitable clothing and is prepared for therapy, this may include the completion of standardised assessments and questionnaires provided by your Occupational Therapist before any treatment sessions.

5. Therapy Location

Jigsaw Occupational Therapy treatment sessions can be either based at our private practice centre, in the home or in an educational setting. The decision of where therapy should occur will be decided jointly between the parents/carers and the Occupational Therapist, based on your child’s specific strengths and needs.

Our Sensory Integration therapy room is designed with the capability to accommodate two children at a time with their individual therapists, however, it is our standard policy to ensure that all sessions at our centre are delivered on a one-to-one basis unless otherwise requested.

6. Observing the Therapy Sessions

Parents/carers are welcome to stay and observe the therapy sessions being conducted if they so wish. We would ask that any siblings wait with the parents/carers in the therapy centre’s waiting area so as not to adversely affect the implementation of the therapy, it is not acceptable to leave any child not participating in a therapy session in the waiting area unsupervised. Equally, parents/carers are welcome to leave the therapy centre whilst a session is being held but must return prior to the end of the scheduled therapy session.

Jigsaw Occupational Therapy Ltd  |  Registered in England No. 07409485  | ©Copyright 2023 Jigsaw OT, all rights reserved,