Helping Hands Therapeutic Services (HHTS) is a locally founded, private pediatric therapy provider…read morethat offers outpatient therapy services for children in Coastal Virginia at their new clinic location in Chesapeake and through contracted, home-based Early Intervention (EI) services in partnership with local cities' Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia programs. (Contracting cities as of July '22 include Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, & Norfolk.)
-- Services --
HHTS provides pediatric services to include occupational, speech, and physical therapies, developmental services, vision services, social skill groups, and an open sensory gym (by appointment). HHTS has a team of about 25 therapists who provide clinic-based outpatient and/or home-based Early Intervention (EI) services (specifically for children under 3), which is a parent-coaching model. Examples of the groups include K-Prep Language Building, Middle School Language, Middle School Social Skills Groups, High School Social Skills Groups, Handwriting Groups, and Therapeutic Dance Groups.
-- Therapists --
Our experiences have been with the EI providers. They make a point to check-in at each session about how the child has been doing, what's working/not as far as the interventions, and model interventions based on what the family identifies as the main priority (which fits in with the overall service plan made with the family). The therapists also ask about other therapies that the child is receiving and generally try to compliment those. Sessions end with what with the parents would like to work on until the next session. The success of this model is really dependent on the parents carrying it out, but it also can be the most effective when therapies are incorporated throughout the day and week and not just for a session or two per week (like clinic-based appointments). I found their pediatric therapeutic services (OT and developmental) to be excellent and would highly recommend them! Their OT was essential in helping us build joint attention, which is a foundation for learning. We wouldn't have accomplished any of the rest of his goals without her help.
-- Insurance Know-How --
The HHTS owner provided us with a free consultation and was extremely well-versed in insurance and what options were available to us. In case it's helpful, if you likewise want to line up clinic and home-based early intervention (EI) services for speech, you either need EI to not bill your insurance or you need to use them as your clinic and EI service provider. Also note that if your child is under 3 and you have Optima, your only choices for clinic-based OT are Sentara or CHKD (not HHTS); however, we were able to use HHTS for EI services.
-- Assessments --
Because we are using their EI services, the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia program for our city arranges assessments and service coordination. If you go to HHTS for clinic-based services, HHTS would do initial assessments and goal setting with you.
-- Scheduling --
Since we are using their EI services, we schedule directly with each therapist for the next month's session dates. Therapists have always been prompt and keep their scheduled times. If you go to HHTS for clinic-based services, HHTS admin staff would work with you to schedule appointments.
-- Environment --
If you do home-based services, it helps to have a calm, quiet place to give updates, get info about techniques, and get the most out of the therapies. The sensory gym at their clinic opened in spring of '22 and the open gym time is something we'd like to take advantage of in the future. It's by appointment and parental supervision is required. There are a lot of great tools for sensory input and self-regulation: the gym features swings, crash pads, a ball pit, monkey bars, rock climbing, a slide, and a zip line.
-- Conclusions --
Ultimately this place was a good fit for us. There are a lot of positives, including the knowledgeable staff and the opportunity to receive coaching. Their social skills and other groups also seem like a great resource.
