Outpatient Therapy (OT,PT,ST)

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 Outpatient therapy and EIDT clinics can provide similar one-on-one therapy sessions. The primary difference is how therapy fits into a child’s day and environment, including schedule structure and exposure to group settings. 

 Outpatient therapy refers to individual therapy services provided in a clinic setting. Children attend scheduled appointments—often once or multiple times per week—and return home, to school, or to childcare afterward.

Outpatient therapy is commonly used to target specific developmental, motor, communication, or functional goals, rather than providing full-day services.

Outpatient therapy services may include:

• Speech Therapy (ST) 
• Occupational Therapy (OT) 
• Physical Therapy (PT) 
• Feeding therapy 
• Social skills groups 
• Specialty services, depending on the clinic
   

Services offered, therapy models, and scheduling options vary by provider.

 Children who receive outpatient therapy typically:

• Have a developmental delay, medical condition, or injury that impacts daily functioning 
• Receive a referral from a primary care provider or specialist 
• Qualify for coverage through private insurance, ARKids, TEFRA, or Medicaid
   

Eligibility and frequency of services are based on medical necessity and insurance authorization, not income alone.

 Enrollment in outpatient therapy usually involves:

• Talking with your child’s primary care provider about a referral 
• Completing an evaluation with a licensed therapist 
• Submitting documentation for insurance authorization 
• Scheduling therapy sessions based on clinic availability
   

Wait times, session frequency, and appointment lengths vary by provider and location.

• Appointment-based care: therapy happens at set times (often 30–60 minutes), then the child returns home, to school, or to childcare 
• More control over exposure: fewer children and shorter visits may be preferable for children who are immunocompromised, medically fragile, or prone to frequent illness 
• Less time in a group setting, which can reduce exposure to seasonal illnesses 
• Greater flexibility to adjust frequency or pause services as medical needs change 
• Works well when a child needs one or two specific services without a classroom or day-program component

• Families may need to coordinate and travel to multiple appointments if a child receives more than one therapy service 
• Therapy occurs in separate visits, rather than being integrated across the child’s day 
• Carryover between sessions relies heavily on home practice and caregiver involvement 
• Missed or canceled appointments (due to illness, weather, or scheduling conflicts) can slow progress 
• May be challenging for families who need consistent daily structure or full-day support

We’re currently building provider pages to help families:

• Find outpatient therapy clinics by location 
• Compare services offered (ST, OT, PT, feeding therapy, groups, etc.) 
• Understand scheduling models and insurance acceptance 
• Provider listings coming soon