General FAQs

The effectiveness of our treatment model relies on the therapeutic value of longer sessions (greater than the 30-60 minutes typically allowed by insurance), a group model (usually not reimbursed by health insurance), and our outdoors-in-nature setting (also not recognized by our current health insurance model in the U.S.). In order to provide this high-caliber of care for our families, we do not bill insurance for our services and are not in-network with any health insurance. This allows us freedom to practice in optimal ways to serve your family, rather than being tied to what insurance plans would allow us to do.

As a courtesy to families who have health care plans with out-of-network benefits, we will provide official paid-in-full invoices (a “superbill”) in January and June for those who request them. Families can submit the superbill to their insurance plan for any reimbursement for services allowable under their plan.

Yes. We have never turned away a child for lack of funding. In any given year, 10-20% of our children are receiving some form of scholarship. These spots are reserved for families who show extreme financial need. We submit all scholarship applications to a local philanthropic organization that supports funding for children to access occupational therapy services. Parents requesting scholarships will be required to fill out the application for the foundation and submit paperwork to demonstrate their financial need. Contact support@outdoorkidsot.com to inquire.

Since progress in therapy takes time, we enroll children in therapy for the full school year. Cancellations and withdrawals impact group dynamics and individual progress.

Our cancellation policy is as follows:

-Registrations for Outdoor Kids Groups (for both OT kids and for Peer Playmates) are for a full school year- September through May. We do not reimburse for missed sessions.

-Enrollment in individual sessions are for a semester (Sept-Dec or Jan-May). We will refund for one missed session during each semester. Further absences are not refunded but can be rescheduled with the therapist if space allows.

-To provide group cohesion and consistency in individual services, we allow families to withdraw from services only in December. Deadlines for withdrawal requests are December 15. All requests must be made in writing via email to your therapist. We kindly request you notify your therapist at least 2-weeks prior to your child’s last visit so we can provide closure and a smooth transition for your child.

-For all withdrawals, a $200 withdrawal fee will apply. After the withdrawal fee has been subtracted, we will refund any funds received for remaining visits in the semester.

-If you withdrawal your child any other time during the school year , you will be billed for the remainder of that semester. Leaving in October? You will be billed for all sessions scheduled through Dec. 15. Leaving in April? You will be billed for all sessions scheduled through the end of May.

Yes. To streamline administrative processes, we process these TWICE yearly- in January and June, and only do so at parent request. You can email Support@outdoorkids.com to make this request.

Not at this time.

Since the start of our practice in 2016, families have found OKOT to be an inclusive and safe space for their children who are gender non-conforming / non-binary. We honor that gender non-conformity will have a unique presentation in each child.

Occupational therapists are specifically trained to support the holistic development of body, mind, and spirit of the whole child. One of our foundational values at OKOT is CONNECTION. Our work at OKOT is grounded in connection with families. We believe building relationships with each child and parent is critical to creating a safe, inclusive space for therapy.

After enrollment in services, our personalized assessment process will allow 1:1 discussion with your therapist about your child to individualize our approach to OT intervention based on your values, needs, & preferences. We want to ensure your child feels safe, supported, & accepted in our services.

While our groups and services are play-based, not “curriculum” based, we do teach social-emotional skills and self-regulation skills, always with a focus on inclusion, equity, & honoring neurodiversity. Our staff attends regular training for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as training on current best practices for supporting children’s mental health, self-regulation, and relationship-based intervention.

We only hire experienced therapists at Outdoor Kids OT. All of our therapists are licensed and national board certified OT practitioners. You can read more about our therapists and their backgrounds here.

All of our therapists have been trained and certified in our ConTiGO (Connection & Transformation in the Great Outdoors) Approach. They also attend ongoing professional development in areas related to providing high-quality evidence-based therapy services in nature, including but not limited to: relationship-based behavioral management, facilitating play, nature connection mentoring, and sensory integration techniques.