Knowledge is power. By learning as much as you can about your child’s condition before you begin treatment, you arm yourself to choose the best intervention possible and support it as an informed parent.
At STAR Center, our multidisciplinary assessments give you that knowledge.
Whether a child has Sensory Processing Disorder, another disorder, or a combination of conditions, appropriate and effective treatment is based on accurate diagnosis. The participation of a team qualified and capable of looking at the whole child may be warranted to arrive at an accurate diagnosis.
Multidisciplinary assessment is based on the concept that assessing the human body and mind is a complex process in which the many systems involved are most accurately assessed by specialists in those fields.
At STAR Center, we have assembled a multidisciplinary team that is unrivaled in its training and experience in assessing children with sensory challenges in an inclusive and holistic manner.
Our multidisciplinary assessment evaluates quality-of-life indicators in clients including relationships and engagement, social participation, self-regulation and self-esteem. We also evaluate component skills such as sensory, motor, cognitive, and psychosocial characteristics.
We use standardized testing as appropriate along with detailed clinical observations and parent-report measures to provide findings with which the team develops a comprehensive, integrated treatment plan that addresses the specific needs of the client.
Our team generally includes the following specialists: (Staffing considerations and a child’s needs determine the exact composition of the team for each individual)
- A pediatrician to evaluate general health and physical symptoms and determine the role of medical conditions, if any, in your child’s symptoms.
- A psychologist to administer standardized tests and to assesses your child’s social and emotional well-being.
- An occupational therapist to assess the sensory component of your child’s symptoms.
- A speech/language pathologist – to evaluate your child’s communication.
If your child has problems in feeding, the team is recommended to expand services to include a feeding evaluation. Dr Toomey’s team can complete that for you at the STAR Center or you can go to another specialist.
If appropriate, the STAR Center may refer your child to additional specialists in Denver or your home community for further evaluation in these areas:
- A pediatric physical therapist to evaluate motor control, muscle tone, and movement issues.
- A pediatric neurologist to evaluate neurological disorders such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and various syndromes.
- A developmental optometrist to evaluate visual perceptual problems and/or a pediatric ophthalmologist to assess whether something is physically wrong with the eyes.
- A learning specialist (e.g., a neuropsychologist or other educational specialist) to evaluate learning disabilities and learning style.
