It’s a common question—and a completely understandable one. But a more empowering question might be: “What opportunities could my child gain if we act now?”

While some children do progress with time, many developmental, communication, sensory, motor, or behavioral challenges do not simply resolve on their own. Hoping a child will “catch up” can delay the support they truly need—and during this critical window of development, time matters.

Without timely intervention, persistent challenges can lead to deeper struggles, including:

• Lower self-confidence and self-esteem
• Increased frustration and behavioral concerns
• Emotional regulation difficulties
• Academic and social setbacks

Early support doesn’t just address delays—it empowers your child, reduces stress for your family, and paves the way for a brighter, more confident future.

Trust your instincts, and don’t underestimate the power of timely support. Waiting may feel easier in the moment, but acting early opens the door to lasting growth and lifelong success.

If you’re noticing challenges or delays, trust your instincts—parents know their children best. It’s always better to explore concerns early rather than wait.

We recommend starting with our Developmental Checklist, which can help you identify areas where your child may benefit from support:
👉Fill out the checklist hereIf you still have questions or concerns after completing the checklist, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. Our team is here to listen, guide you through next steps, and help determine if an evaluation is appropriate.

Early action leads to stronger outcomes—and peace of mind.

Both pediatric occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) are essential in helping children develop the skills they need to thrive—but they focus on different areas of development.

Occupational Therapy takes a holistic approach to support a child’s ability to participate independently in daily routines at home, school, and in the community. This may include helping a child:

• Transition through the day without meltdowns
• Sequence tasks like getting dressed or packing a backpack
• Sustain attention for schoolwork
• Improve fine motor coordination for handwriting or feeding

Physical Therapy, on the other hand, supports children with physical rehabilitation and gross motor skills, helping them:

• Build strength, balance, and endurance
• Develop a safe and efficient walking pattern (gait)
• Improve coordination for activities like running, jumping, or climbing
• Learn to use adaptive equipment such as walkers or wheelchairs

While there is some overlap between the two, OT focuses more on fine motor, sensory, and functional life skills, while PT targets larger body movements and mobility.

Together, OT and PT can provide a powerful, integrated approach to help your child reach their fullest potential and confidently navigate their world.

Choosing the right therapy clinic for your child is an important decision—one that can significantly impact their progress, confidence, and overall well-being. Whether you’re exploring services for the first time or transitioning from another provider, here are key factors to consider:

• Comprehensive Care Under One Roof:
  Does the clinic offer all the services your child needs—such as Speech, OT, PT, ABA, Mental Health, and Psychological Evaluations—in one convenient location? Reducing travel time allows for better continuity of care and less stress for your family.
• Insurance-Friendly & Cost-Effective:
  You pay a premium for insurance—make sure the clinic accepts your planso you can access the services your child needs without unnecessary financial strain.
• Location & Accessibility:
  Is the clinic conveniently located, easy to get to, and does it offer free, accessible parking?
• Whole-Child Approach:
  Are therapists treating your child with a holistic, individualized perspective, addressing not just symptoms, but their full developmental picture?
• Evidence-Based Practices:
  Are skilled, licensed professionals using proven, research-supported interventionstailored to your child’s specific goals?
• Caregiver Support & Education:
  Do you feel informed, supported, and empoweredas a parent or caregiver?
• Open Communication & Responsiveness:
  Are your questions and concerns taken seriously? Is there clear, respectful communicationbetween you and the care team?
• Customized, Thorough Evaluations:
  Are evaluation reports detailed, individualized, and usefulin guiding your child’s care?
• Positive, Child-Centered Environment:
  Does the clinic feel warm, bright, modern, and truly designed with children in mind?
• Comfort & Welcoming Atmosphere:
  Do both you and your child feel comfortable, respected, and welcomefrom the moment you walk in?
• Clinic Tour Availability:
  Have you had the chance to visit the clinic in person or virtuallybefore starting services? A tour can help ensure it’s the right fit.

Before You Decide…

We highly recommend visiting and comparing clinics before making your decision. You’re not just choosing a service—you’re choosing a partner in your child’s development. The right environment, team, and approach can make all the difference.

At Therapy Smarts, we’re here to be that difference.

Getting started is simple—and we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Just call us at (919) 378-1340 or complete the referral form.

• Gather a few basic details
• Help verify your insurance coverage
• Schedule an evaluation to assess your child’s unique needs

 Let’s take the first step—together.

Yes—we welcome you to schedule a visit! Touring our clinic is a great way to get to know our space, meet our team, and see firsthand how we deliver high-quality, compassionate care to the children and families we serve.

We’re happy to accommodate both in-person and virtual tours based on your preference.

Schedule a tour today—we’d love to answer your questions and help you feel confident and comfortable as you begin this journey with us.

We serve children from infancy through adolescence (ages 0–18). Services are tailored to each child’s developmental level and specific needs. At our center, we are committed to supporting individuals across a wide range of ages and developmental stages.

• Physical Therapy (PT),Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) services are available for children from infancy through young adulthood (ages 0–21 years).
• Our Psychologist works with both children (starting at 2.5 years old) and adults, offering expert guidance and support. Our Psychologist performs educational assessments, Iq testing, ADHD evaluation, Autism evaluation, Anxiety evaluation. 
• Our Mental Health Counsellor also serves both children and adults, ensuring continuity of care for the whole family.
• In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA):
  • Our full-day program is designed for young children ages 2–5 years, supporting early developmental needs.
  • Our afterschool program is tailored for children ages 6–13 years, providing structured, skill-building support in a fun and engaging environment.

We take pride in offering comprehensive, age-appropriate services designed to meet the unique needs of each individual we serve.

We support children with:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Speech and language delays
• Sensory processing difficulties
• Feeding and swallowing disorders
• ADHD
• Gross motor and fine motor Developmental delays
• Behavior and emotional regulation needs
• Learning difficulties
• Dyslexia
• Anxiety
• Apraxia
• Variety of genetic disorders
• Social skills challenges

Give us a call at (919) 378-1340 to get started.

If your insurance requires a referral, we’ll handle the process of requesting orders from your pediatrician—making it as easy and stress-free for you as possible. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

During the evaluation, a licensed therapist will assess your child’s strengths, challenges, and developmental needs in the specific area of concern—whether it’s speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or another specialty.

We take time to understand your child’s unique profile, discuss your family’s goals, and create a personalized therapy plan to support meaningful and lasting progress.

Evaluations typically last 1 to 2 hours and may include a caregiver meeting and/or a school observation. We always begin by building rapport with your child, ensuring they feel comfortable and engaged. For school-age children, evaluations often include standardized testing at a table, while younger children may be assessed through play-based or movement-based activities and or parent/ caregiver questionnaire

At Therapy Smarts, every evaluation is more than just an assessment—it’s the first step in your child’s journey toward growth and success.

Following the evaluation, your therapist will review the results with you and provide clear, personalized recommendations.

• If therapy is not needed, you’ll still receive helpful resources and strategies to support your child’s development at home.
• If therapy is recommended, your therapist will outline a customized treatment plan, including the type, frequency, and duration of sessions based on your child’s unique needs.

Therapy frequency may include:

• 1–2 sessions per week

Typical session durations:

• Speech Therapy: 30 minutes
• Occupational & Physical Therapy: 45–60 minutes
• Mental Health Therapy: 45–60 minutes
• ABA Therapy – Day Program (Ages 2–5): 35–40 hours per week
• ABA Therapy – Afterschool Program (Ages 6–13): 8–10 hours per week

Our team is here to guide you through every step, ensuring your child receives the support they need to thrive.

The cost of therapy depends on your individual insurance coverage. We strongly recommend contacting your insurance provider to better understand your specific benefits and any out-of-pocket costs.

During our intake process, our team will review your benefits with you and provide a clear cost estimate before services begin—so there are no surprises.

To make our services as accessible as possible, Therapy Smarts is in-network with most major insurance plans, and we also offer a private pay option for families without coverage or those who prefer to pay out-of-pocket.

Our goal is to ensure every child has access to the support they need—with clarity, transparency, and care.

We are in network and file insurance claims for these providers.

• BCBS (All except Blue Home)
• United Health Care (All-Saver, Oxford Plan, Bind Benefits), UMR
• Aetna (all except Duke Select)
• NC Health Choice
• Cigna
• Managed Care Organizations: Amerihealth Caritas, Healthy Blue, Carolina Complete Health, UHC of NC, Wellcare of NC, Alliance, Vayahealth, Trillium, Partners Behavior Health 

Our team will help you verify coverage and explain any out-of-pocket costs before therapy begins.

Deductible: A specified amount of money that the family must pay before an insurance company will pay a claim.

Copay: A set amount to be paid by the family per date of service regardless of the deductible amount or if the deductible is met.

Coinsurance: A percentage to be paid by the family per date of service once the deductible amount is satisfied.

Yes. We provide a self-pay rate if you do not use insurance. We also offer free therapy screenings throughout the year—check our events page for details.

All fees for services are due at the time of service or at the end of each week. Payments will be accepted in the form of cash, check or credit card.
** Please note, our rates are audited regularly and can be adjusted at Therapy Smarts’s discretion**

A Good Faith Estimate will be provided by Therapy Smarts in accordance with the No Surprises Act. This does not apply if your insurance is in-network for us.

For patients with in network insurance:  Proof of insurance is required prior to your first appointment so that we may gather benefit information and obtain prior authorization if required to do so by your carrier. Any co-pays and/or deductibles are expected at the time of service. This is legally required as per your contract with the insurance company. We will submit therapy claims on your behalf, but please note this is not a guarantee of payment. If your insurance company denies part, or all, of the therapy claim, you will be billed at the contracted rate for your carrier.We will make reasonable effort to assist you in collecting payment from your insurance carrier. If your insurance company requires submission of information from you directly, you will be expected to do so in a timely manner. Claims that remain unpaid after 60 days will be billed to you directly.

Out of network status: This means we are considered as “Out of Network” providers and cannot negotiate or guarantee the payment of claims for you. You should be knowledgeable of any deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, annual visit maximums, and prior authorization requirements as we do not perform insurance benefit eligibility for services. For out of network Insurance, we do not bill directly. However we are happy to provide you with the appropriate bills, which are receipts for services containing the relevant diagnosis and treatment codes. It is your your responsibility to check with your insurance provider, and submit to insurance the invoices that we will provide on each visit to determine how many therapy sessions will be covered and what percentage of cost if any will be covered.

Most therapy sessions are 30–60 minutes, depending on your child’s plan. Sessions may be once or multiple times per week based on their needs.

In most cases, therapy is provided in person at our Chapel Hill or Durham clinics, where children have access to a rich, supportive environment designed to promote growth.

Virtual services may be available when clinically appropriate and covered by insurance. However, many of the children we serve experience the greatest progress when working in person with our licensed therapists, especially with access to our specialized sensory equipment and therapeutic tools—carefully selected to enhance engagement and accelerate development.

Whenever possible, we recommend in-person sessions to maximize the effectiveness of your child’s therapy and support meaningful, lasting outcomes.

We understand the importance of starting services promptly. Our goal is to have patients scheduled within 1–3 weeks of receiving a referral. However, your scheduling flexibility can make a big difference in how soon your child gets an appointment for evaluation and or begin therapy:

• Open Availability:
  Significantly reduces wait time. You can expect to be placed within 1-3 weeks.
• Morning Appointments (Before 3PM):
  These slots typically have the shortest wait times, often available right away. If not immediately open, the wait is usually no more than 1-2 months
• Afternoon Appointments (3 PM or Later):
  Due to high demand after school and work hours, wait times for these sessions can range from 4–6 months, depending on your preferences.

We’re committed to working with you to find the soonest and best-fit schedule for your child. The earlier we can begin, the sooner we can make meaningful progress together.

Absolutely—we strongly encourage caregiver involvement. Parent and caregiver participation is a key part of your child’s success, and we provide ongoing coaching and guidance as part of our services.

Your therapist will work with you to determine the best times to observe, participate, or wait, depending on your child’s goals and stage of therapy.

Just like you, our goal is to help your child grow with confidence and develop as much independence as possible. By partnering with families, we ensure that the progress made in therapy continues at home—and that you feel empowered to support your child every step of the way.

Your therapist will set measurable goals and track your child’s progress each session. We provide regular updates and re-evaluate periodically to adjust the treatment plan.

We offer flexible hours to accommodate school and family schedules. Typical hours are:

• Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

We support children with:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Speech and language delays
• Sensory processing difficulties
• Feeding and swallowing disorders
• ADHD
• Developmental delays
• Motor coordination challenges
• Behavior and emotional regulation needs
• Learning difficulties
• Fine and gross motor delays
• Social skills challenges