Our Practice

At Seacoast Keystone Therapy, LLC we provide therapeutic interventions for children with the following disabilities:

Autism Spectrum Disorder
Sensory Processing Disorder
Coordination Disorders
Developmental Disorders
Feeding Challenges
Balance and Strength Challenges
Trauma
Social Skills Challenges

How to get started with services

Contact Deb or Caitlin by phone, email, or on the general contact form found on our homepage. We will discuss what you are looking for and walk you through the intake process. Intakes and initial assessments can typically be scheduled 2-4 weeks out depending on client availability. If we are booked further out, we will add you to our waitlist and can refer to alternative treatment providers if desired. The cost of therapeutic services depends on insurance coverage. Below is the typical progression for initial intakes when using commercial insurance:

Determine what services you would like to pursue

*If you are unsure exactly which services would best suit your needs we would be happy to assist you*

Occupational Therapy

Contact: Deb (OT)

Talk to your child’s pediatrician about your concerns and ask for a referral for an Occupational Therapy assessment.
When the referral has been formally made, schedule an initial intake and assessment with Deb.

Applied Behavior Analysis

Contact: Caitlin (BCBA)

Most commercial insurances will cover ABA services with an Autism Spectrum Diagnosis. Your insurance may also require a referral for ABA services from your pediatrician.
If your child is not diagnosed with Autism but you are still seeking ABA services, check with your insurance to see if there are any additional coverage options.
When you are ready, schedule an initial intake and assessment with Caitlin.

You will receive a formal report following the intake and assessment. This will include recommendations for the duration and frequency of therapy sessions. This report will be submitted to your insurance and they will have to approve treatment. -If you are seeking to access both OT and ABA services, those approval processes will be handled separately by your insurance company.

Benefits of Collaboration

While ABA and OT may differ on establishing therapeutic priorities and strategies, the two practices share many features offering ample opportunity for overlap. ABA excels in data collection as well as effectively examining environmental and psychological factors contributing to behavior. The strengths of OT include knowledge of the developmental progression and identification of gaps in this progression that may lead to a breakdown in the execution of practical and vocational skills.

Both take a holistic approach to analyzing a client’s deficits by considering many different environmental factors
Both emphasize a bottom-up intervention approach by highlighting the importance of foundation skills
Both value teaching across environments and contexts to promote skill generalization
Both facilitate and promote natural learning opportunities
Both accentuate functional outcomes
Both utilize individualized goals and strategies

Services

Seacoast Keystone Therapies tailors each client’s programming to fit their individual needs. The following list of services is intended to provide an idea of what ABA and/or OT services could look like but is not a concrete outline of exactly what to expect in your sessions. Note-parent training and family collaboration is ALWAYS a part of any of our treatment models even if it is not specifically mentioned below:

OT Services:

In-clinic sessions: This is the primary setting that Deb provides OT sessions as the clinic is uniquely equipped with a wide variety of therapeutic equipment to address specific sensory and motor needs. Sessions last from 30-90 minutes depending on the specific client needs and availability. Sessions in the clinic will include a variety of age appropriate activities and therapy is typically delivered in a naturalistic, play based way. Any additional OT services offered at Seacoast Keystone Therapy take place in combination with clinical session time.
Consultation: Additional consultation time is often needed to provide parent/caregiver training or discuss OT needs with other providers that interact with the client. Consultation may occur in the clinic but could also occur at home, school, or in the community.
Social Skills: This service is offered in collaboration with ABA. Any of the social skill activities we provide are available in addition to other Keystone services or a family could opt to only participate in social skills activities pending an intake is completed for determining appropriate placement. Please see our social skills page for further explanation of what this entails.

ABA Services

In home or clinical direct ABA: This model would incorporate direct programming with the client and parent training on skill deficits and behavior concerns. This usually would be anywhere from 2-5 days per week.
Parent training model: This model would focus more on behavior modification and skill building through parent implementation. A BCBA meets with you and models, troubleshoots, provides feedback on implementation of a behavior intervention plan and skill building objectives. Sessions could occur 1-2 times per week or be more infrequent, checking in a couple times per month.
Collaboration model: Additional consultation time is often needed to provide parent/caregiver training or discuss behavioral needs with other providers that interact with the client. Consultation may occur in the clinic but could also occur at home, school, or in the community.
Social Skills: This service is offered in collaboration with OT. Any of the social skill activities we provide are available in addition to other Keystone services or a family could opt to only participate in social skills activities pending an intake is completed for determining appropriate placement. Please see our social skills page for further explanation of what this entails.

Social skills

This service allows pairs or small groups of children with similar interests and skill sets to practice generalizing their communication, play, and adaptive skills with a peer in a positive and supported setting.

What are “social skills”?
Social skills are socially appropriate learned behaviors that facilitate positive interactions with other people. This skill set includes the ability to share, cooperate, listen, respect personal space, and use manners.

Why are social skills important?
Research shows that people who regularly engage in pro-social behaviors are more likely to develop close relationships and less likely to suffer from loneliness, benefit from improved health and wellbeing, are at a reduced risk for victimization, and are more likely to experience academic/future employment success. Having a solid social foundation allows kids to grow in their ability to communicate, work with others, and effectively assert their wants and needs.

Who might benefit from a social skills group?
Learning social skills is all about practice! Some kids need extra structure and reinforcement to guide them through teachable moments within a group setting to gain experience to develop these skills. Below are some basic questions to ask yourself when considering if a social skills group may benefit your child:

Behavior: Does your child engage in behaviors that are likely to promote Peer Acceptance: Does your child experience acceptance from peers?
Social Success: Will the social abilities your child currently has lead to positive future social outcomes?
What does a social skills group look like?

What does a social skills group look like?
Each group is specifically structured to meet the needs of each group member in a play based format to make practicing these difficult skills fun and meaningful. We embed learning opportunities into social situations that are familiar to kids in their everyday life to increase their confidence and ability in navigating similar situations outside of group.