If a teacher, pediatrician, or friend has suggested occupational therapy, the evaluation is usually the first real step. Many parents picture a test their child might fail. It isn’t one. An OT evaluation is a way to understand how your child’s body, senses, and skills work together in everyday life, and what would make their day easier.
Why an evaluation is worth doing
- You get a clear picture instead of a list of worries. Scattered concerns become a plan with priorities.
- It names strengths, not just challenges. What your child is good at shapes how therapy is built.
- You help choose the goals. The plan reflects what matters to your family, not a generic checklist.
- You get a written report. You can share it with your pediatrician or your child’s school.
How the evaluation works at Tumble N’ Dots
Our evaluation happens in three parts:
- Standardized assessment. A visit where we use formal, standardized assessments to measure specific skills and get a baseline.
- Clinical observation. A separate session where we watch your child move, play, and problem-solve. Scores tell us one thing. Watching a child climb, plan, and recover from a tricky moment tells us another.
- Family meeting. A virtual meeting where we walk you through what we found in plain language, talk through what we recommend, and listen to your feedback before the plan is finalized.
If your child already has a recent evaluation from another provider or a school district, send it over. We may be able to work from it rather than repeat the testing. Because evaluations should be updated about once a year, the more recent it is, the more useful it will be. Learn more about our OT evaluations.
What the therapist looks at
Depending on what you’re seeing at home and at school, the evaluation may look at:
- Fine motor skills: hand strength, grasp, and the coordination pencils, scissors, and buttons ask for
- Sensory processing: how your child takes in movement, touch, sound, and body position
- Motor planning: coming up with a plan for a new physical task and carrying it out
- Visual motor skills: copying, catching, puzzles, finding things in a busy space
- Self-care: dressing, toileting, grooming, mealtimes
- Regulation: how your child handles big feelings, transitions, and busy days
- Strength and posture: core stability and lasting through a school day
- Executive functioning: starting tasks, shifting between activities, staying organized
The kinds of tools we use
Your therapist picks assessments based on your child’s age and your concerns. Your child will not do all of them. They generally fall into a few groups:
- Parent questionnaires (such as the Sensory Profile 2 and SPM-2). You describe how your child responds to everyday sensory experiences. Your knowledge of your child is part of the data.
- Teacher questionnaires. Sometimes we also ask your child’s teacher to fill one out, so we can see how things look in the classroom, not just at home.
- Hands-on motor assessments (such as the BOT-2 and PDMS-3). To most kids these feel like games: stacking, drawing, balancing, catching.
- Daily living and executive function measures (such as the REAL and BRIEF-2). These look at how skills show up in real routines.
- Structured observation of sensory and motor skills (such as the SOSI-M).
See the full list of assessments we use.
What it feels like for your child
The evaluation is play-based and happens in our sensory gym. Your child can take breaks. There are no wrong answers. We follow your child’s lead as much as the assessment allows, because a child who feels safe shows us far more about what they can do.
How to prepare
- Write down a few real examples. “Mornings take 45 minutes because socks feel wrong” is more useful than “sensory issues.”
- Bring what you have. Prior evaluations, an IEP or 504 plan, teacher notes, or pediatrician reports.
- Give your child’s teacher a heads-up. If we send a teacher questionnaire, it helps when the teacher already knows it’s coming.
- Pick a good time of day. Schedule when your child is usually rested and at their best.
- Dress for movement. Comfortable clothes your child can climb and swing in.
- Bring comfort. A favorite toy or comfort item can help with a new place.
- Keep the preview simple. Something like, “We’re going to a place with swings and games, and a grown-up wants to learn how you like to play.”
- Don’t coach them to perform. If it’s an off day, just tell the therapist. That’s useful information too.
What you get at the end
Your report is typically ready about two weeks after the evaluation. It is comprehensive, and at the virtual family meeting we go over it with you. It includes:
- A recommended treatment plan
- Goals for your child
- Recommended frequency and duration of visits
- Any additional findings important to your child’s care
From there, goals are set at three and six months, with a formal re-evaluation every six months, so you always have a current answer about progress.
Common questions
Do we need a diagnosis or referral?
No. Many of the children we see have no diagnosis. Some insurance plans require a referral for reimbursement, so check with your carrier.
Does insurance cover the evaluation?
We are an out-of-network provider and don’t bill insurance directly. We provide superbills you can submit for possible reimbursement. Read What Is a Superbill? for how that works.
What ages do you evaluate?
Birth through age 12.
Is this the same as a speech evaluation?
No. If you have concerns about communication too, read What to Expect During a Speech & Language Evaluation. Our OT and speech teams work under one roof and collaborate.
Not sure where to start? The easiest first step is a free tour. Bring your child, see the gym, meet our clinical staff, and ask whatever’s on your mind. Schedule a tour of our clinic or book a free phone consult.
This article is general information for parents and is not a substitute for an individualized evaluation.