Physician Referral Process
Due to the importance of early intervention, any caregiver who expresses concern regarding some aspect of their child’s development should be given the opportunity to follow up with a specialist, such as a PT, OT, or SLP. At Associates in Pediatric Therapy, we are committed to working side by side with our referring providers to make this happen and ensure that families are supported.
When a caregiver expresses a concern about their child’s development with speech/language, self-help skills, gross motor, fine motor, emotional regulation, etc., there are two options:
1) If you are in agreement with caregiver concerns, refer for full evaluation in the appropriate area (SLP, OT, PT).
2) If you do not feel that intervention is warranted based on the child’s current skills, you can encourage the parents to pursue a free 15-minute screening with APT in the area of concern.
Free Screenings:
APT offers FREE 15-minute screenings for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy! After discussing the caregiver’s concerns and conducting a brief observation/screening of the child, our therapists will determine if further evaluation is warranted. If so, APT will contact the child’s pediatrician to obtain the required referral.
Screenings are beneficial for situations such as:
- Decreasing missed referrals and increasing early intervention services
- Validating caregiver concerns even if provider does not believe intervention is needed
How to Refer for an Evaluation:
Fax the referral/script with the information below to Associates in Pediatric Therapy at 502-805-1511:
Script Requirements:
- Child’s name & date of birth
- ICD-10 code for any medical diagnoses (if applicable)
- If no medical diagnosis, include suspected ICD-10 therapy codes for SLP/OT/PT
- “Eval & Treat” statement, specifying the appropriate discipline
- Signature of provider