Developmental & Behavioral Resources at Children's Specialized Hospital
Across NJ, developmental and behavioral evaluations are experiencing longer wait times for appointments than therapies. Our goal is to help children reach their full potential; to that end, we recommend pediatricians refer appropriate therapy evaluation(s) so children can begin improving conditions as soon as possible.
Below are some reasons why children may be referred directly to therapies at CSH (please note there may be additional conditions not listed here):
Feeding Therapy
0+ Years Old
- Abnormal suck and swallow
- Difficulty transitioning off of tube feedings
- Poor weight gain
- Concern for coughing, choking, or gagging while eating/drinking
1+ Years Old
- Child is fearful of trying new foods
- Has a restricted range of foods
- Shows significant mealtime behavior
- Has trouble chewing/swallowing different textures
Referring physicians should provide a prescription that reads, “Speech, OT and Feeding Evaluation and Treatment,” with one of the following diagnosis codes:
- R63.30 Pediatric Feeding Disorder, Unspecified
- R63.31 Acute Pediatric Feeding Disorder
- R63.32 Chronic Pediatric Feeding Disorder
Physical Therapy
0-5 Years Old
- Child born pre-mature with high risk for delays
- Child has Torticollis, a condition in which the child’s head becomes persistently turned to one side
- Observations or reports of gross motor delays
- Child has respiratory or cardiac based conditions
6-13 Years Old
- Observations or reports of trouble keeping up with peers in gym class or on playground
- Observations or reports of frequent trips/falls
- Child is toe walking
- Child has difficulty on stairs or getting up/down off floor without use of upper extremity support
Referring physicians should provide a prescription that reads, “Physical Therapy Evaluation and Treatment” with a diagnosis code.
Occupational Therapy
0-5 Years Old
- Child is not achieving age expected motor milestone sand/or play and social skills
- Child has unusual responses to sensory information (touch, vision, sounds, smell & taste)
- Child has difficulties with grasp, manipulating objects and dexterity
- Child is not participating in age expected self-care skills
6-13 Years Old
- Child has difficulty with attention and self-regulation
- Child has unusual responses to sensory information (touch, vision, sounds, smell & taste)
- Child has difficulties with coordination, grasp on eating or writing utensils, handwriting or buttons, zippers, etc.
- Child is not participating in age expected self-care skills
Prescriptions should read, ‘Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Treatment,’ with a diagnosis code.
Speech Therapy
0-5 Years Old
- Concern for receptive or expressive language delay
- Child has limited vocabulary
- Child has poor speech intelligibility
- Limited functional communication
6-13 Years Old
- Difficulty answering ‘wh’ questions
- Difficulty sequencing a story or tasks
- Difficulty with back and forth communication or conversation
- Speech articulation errors/poor speech intelligibility
- Stuttering
- Hoarse voice
- Utterance length less than same age peers
Referring physicians should provide a prescription that reads, “Speech Therapy Evaluation and Treatment” with a diagnosis code.
Resources
CSH Early Intervention Program (EIP)
IEP Reference Guide
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
- What to Expect at your PT Evaluation English
Speech Therapy
How to Advocate for Your Child in Your School District
NJ Statewide Services