How to choose a therapy centre for your child: questions for the first visit
Choosing a therapy centre is one of the most important decisions you will make for your child. Therapy lasts months, sometimes years, and the team there will spend more hours a week with your child than almost anyone else outside the family.
The first visit is when you can find out almost everything that matters. So that you do not leave with just an impression, it is worth going in with a few questions prepared. Here is what to look out for.
Before the visit
Gather what you already have in one place: medical letters, results from previous assessments, observations from nursery. Also note down what worries you most right now: speech, behaviour, sleep, independence.
Think about the practical side too. How far the centre is, what times you can get there, who will bring your child. A very good centre you cannot reach consistently will help less than a good one you can get to every week.
About the team
- Who actually works with your child? Ask what training the therapists have and who coordinates them.
- Does the same therapist stay on? Frequent changes of therapist make progress harder, especially for younger children.
- What therapies does the centre offer? ABA, speech therapy, sensory integration, movement therapy. If your child needs more than one, ask how the therapists working with them communicate with each other.
- Is there supervision? A coordinator who follows cases and adjusts the plan is a good sign.
About assessment and the plan
A serious centre starts with an assessment, not a standard programme applied to every child. Ask:
- How the initial assessment is carried out and how long it takes.
- Whether you get a written plan, with clear goals for your child.
- How often the plan is reviewed, for example every few months, and whether you will take part in the discussion.
A good goal states what the child will do, in what situation, and how you will know they have succeeded. "Communicate better" is a wish. "Ask for a toy using one word, without help" is a goal.
About progress
This is perhaps the most important question: how will you and I know that the therapy is working?
A good answer includes data. Therapists note at every session how the child worked on each goal, and these notes show, from one month to the next, whether there is progress. Ask them to show you a sample report, with another child's details removed, so you can see what you will receive.
About communication
- What do you learn after each session? A one-minute chat at the door, a written note, a message?
- How can you ask questions between sessions, and how quickly do you get an answer?
- Do you get homework? Therapy moves further forward when you also practise, a few minutes a day, what is being worked on in the therapy room.
About schedule and costs
Ask directly and ask for the answers in writing:
- What happens if your child is ill? How much notice do you need to give, is the session still charged, can it be rescheduled?
- How payment works: per session, monthly, through a subscription?
- What you receive: an invoice every month, a contract, clear rules for absences.
A centre that calmly explains these rules from the start saves you from misunderstandings later.
Good signs at the first visit
- The team asks you more about your child than it talks about the centre.
- You get clear answers about how progress is measured.
- Costs and rules for absences are explained clearly and directly.
- You are asked for consent before your child's data, photos or recordings are used.
- Your child is welcomed with patience, in a space where they can feel safe.
In closing
There is no perfect centre, but there is the right centre for your child and your family. Trust your questions and what you observe in the first few weeks.
Many centres today give parents direct access to therapy, through platforms like TempoApp: see the schedule, what was worked on at each session, progress and monthly reports, on your phone. Ask at the first visit whether the centre has a parent portal like this.