Hiring a therapist or physician to treat your child who has hemiplegia is a big commitment of time, effort, and money. It’s important to find someone who is both experienced and whose personality is a good fit for you and your child. You may want to interview more than one specialist before choosing the person who will work with your child.
Questions to ask Health Professionals
What are your professional qualifications? Are you board certified?
How many children have you treated who have conditions similar to my child’s condition?
What have the outcomes been for those children?
How long is the child usually in treatment? How often will we see you?
Will you give us a home program and be available to answer questions from our childcare team?
If you’re uncertain about how to treat my child, who will you consult with?
How can I reach you after office hours? Do you share calls with others in your office? If I’m at the emergency room will you be available to consult with ER staff?
What’s your cancellation policy?
Do you take my insurance? Are you In Network? Can you provide me up front with information an estimate about my co-pays and other costs?
How often will we set goals? Will I be involved in setting goals? If my child is old enough, will he/she be involved in goal setting? How often will goals be reviewed?
Occupational Therapist
How many children have you treated who have a hand similar to my child’s hand?
What techniques do you use?
How many splints or hand braces have you fitted on similar children?
Do you make the splint yourself, order off the shelf, or both?
Do you work with any physiatrists and orthopedic surgeons in the area? If so, which ones?
What type of experience do you have in working with a child like mine following hand or wrist surgery?
Physical Therapist
How many children have you treated who have a hand similar to my child’s hand?
What techniques do you use?
How many splints or hand braces have you fitted on similar children?
Do you make the splint yourself, order off the shelf, or both?
Do you work with any physiatrists, orthotists, and orthopedic surgeons in the area? If so, which ones?
What type of experience do you have experience in working with a child like mine following foot, knee, or leg surgery?
Educational, Neuropsychological, or Psychological Evaluators
What are your credentials/training in educational testing?
What experience have you had with testing students my child’s age?
How long have you been doing evaluations? Are you familiar with evaluation practices/personnel at local public schools?
What information will you want me to provide?
Will you contact my child’s school for information and records? Will you interview school staff?
Will you observe my child in the classroom?
Will you interview me? How will you interview my child?
Will the evaluation include any of the tests generally given in the public schools? (This may help you avoid paying for private testing that the school can do or has already done.)
What types of tests will you use? Will you evaluate his social, emotional, and/or psychological status?
How should I prepare my child for the evaluation process?
Will your final report integrate all of the individual tests done so that I have an overall picture of my child’s strengths and needs?
What is the complete cost of the evaluation and report?
How soon can I expect to receive the evaluation results? When will you review the evaluation results with me?
Will your final report include a recommendation plan for my child’s teacher?
Tell me more about paying for the assessments.
Neurologist
As you do the exam, can you please tell me what you’re checking, the results you see and what this may mean for my child?
What caused my child’s stroke, hemiplegia, etc.?
Are there additional tests we should do? Blood tests? Scans? Genetic testing?
Are there supplements or medications my child should take?
What is the risk for seizures or epilepsy?
How will I know if my child is having a seizure?
What should I do if my child is having a seizure?
Can you write a letter for the emergency personnel and ER explaining my child’s condition, in case there is a seizure?
What types of therapy does my child need? Which therapists/therapy clinics do you refer children to?
Can you give me a prescription for therapy, orthotics, a hand splint, etc.?
Are you on call after hours? Will I speak to a doctor if I call or to a nurse?
If my child has an emergency, like a seizure, and I need to follow up with you after the ER visit, can your staff work me in rather than having me wait months for the next available appointment?
What other types of specialists should my child see?
How will we watch for learning differences? Scoliosis?
Do you order an EEG even if there’s no known seizure activity?
Do we need repeat MRIs?
Does my child need gait analysis?
Does my child need a hand or foot brace?
If my child had a stroke, is he/she at risk for another stroke? Is there any preventative care you recommend?
