What if I can’t afford to pay an OT? Can’t I figure things out on my own?

Occupational therapy services, like any professional services, can be expensive. So it is completely understandable for homeschool parents to question whether it will be worth it to pay for an evaluation and treatment from an OT. But can homeschool parents just figure things out on their own? The short answer is yes! Just like many of the services we pay for—car maintenance, tax preparation, plumbing work, electrical work, etc.—you can often teach yourself how to perform the task in question, if not at an expert level, at least at a satisfactory enough level to get the job done. But just because you can, should you?

The benefit of seeking professional help from an occupational therapist (or any professional for that matter) is that you are seeking help from someone who understands all of the background information and knowledge to make an informed decision. This usually means you get results faster than you would with the trial-and-error approach we all generally take when learning something new. In addition, your occupational therapist will be able to see the potential drawbacks to possible solutions (because trust me, no solution is without its problems) and hopefully help you avoid creating new problems for your student in the process of addressing existing challenges.

But that doesn’t eliminate the cost concern many parents have with seeking professional services like occupational therapy. So what are some other ways to address this concern?

Check your medical insurance coverage.
Occupational therapy is a medical profession, and as such, occupational therapy services are often covered by medical insurance. What occupational therapy services are covered and at what level they are covered is very much dependent on your specific insurance plan (or healthcare cost sharing plan), so you will want to call your insurance provider and ask for the specifics. But what if your occupational therapist doesn’t bill insurance (like us!)? Even if your OT doesn’t bill insurance directly, this doesn’t mean you can’t submit the charges to your insurance provider for reimbursement. If you plan to do this, be sure to let your occupational therapist know before your initial evaluation as often insurance companies will have additional requirements beyond those set by the state (such as requiring a doctor’s referral for therapy services to be reimbursable).

Talk to your occupational therapist.
Still concerned about how you will pay for occupational therapy? Talk to your occupational therapist! They may be willing to work with you on the price, or at the very least they can usually plan their treatment sessions accordingly and provide more at-home assignments for your student to complete so that it reduces time spent with the therapist, thereby reducing the overall cost of the occupational therapy services. You won’t know what your options are if you don’t ask!

Use the right provider.
The best way to get the most for the money you are putting into occupational therapy is to ensure you are using the right provider. Don’t be intimidated by trying to figure this out. It starts by asking yourself some simple questions. Are they familiar with and friendly towards homeschooling? Do they share the same values, or at least respect your values? Do they recognize that you, as the parent, are an integral part of the team and that your input is both valuable and necessary? While these questions can’t guarantee a perfect fit personality wise, they can help you avoid potential challenges when working with your occupational therapist. And if personality challenges do arise that are impacting your student’s ability to get the most from their therapy sessions, know that you can always switch to a different therapist.

So if you think your child might benefit from occupational therapy but money is a concern, consider exploring some of these options to lower your cost. They just might get the cost down to something you can realistically afford and save you the time and stress of trying to figure things out on your own. If you are ready to get started, check out this page with more information on the occupational therapy services we offer.