FAQ

Some signs of sensory processing difficulties are:

1. Overly sensitive or under reactive to sight, sounds, movement, or touch.
2. Can’t get “enough” sensory input: moving, bouncing, squeezing, or mouthing.
3. Difficulty with behavioral and/or emotional regulation. Easily overwhelmed (may result in over-excitement, meltdowns or shutting down.)
4. Has poor muscle tone, fatigues easily, leans on people, or slumps in a chair. Uses an inappropriate amount of force when handling objects, coloring, writing, or interacting with siblings or pets
5. Is clumsy, falls frequently, bumps into furniture or people, and has trouble judging position of body in relation to surrounding space.
6. Has difficulty learning new motor tasks; experiences frustration when attempting to follow instructions or sequence steps for an activity.
7. Avoids playground activities, physical education class, and/or sports
8. Difficulty learning how to play or get along with other children
9. Difficulty with everyday activities like eating, sleeping, brushing teeth or getting dressed
10. Problems learning to color, cut, draw or write
11. Difficulty transitioning from one activity or place to another
12. Challenges in school, including attention, organizational perception and listening skills.

In the initial evaluation, after the parent consultation, the therapist will perform a 1:1 assessment. This will identify and possibly confirm the concerns raised, as well as recognize the child’s strengths and challenges. The therapist will then discuss the results with you and review the recommended treatment plan. The therapy is tailored to a child’s specific needs.

We aim not keep a waiting list and can typically see a child soon after a parent consultation has been attended.

Every child is unique and their communication needs are very different. Having said that, the vast majority of the families we work with have reported a significant improvement within 4-6 sessions.

Absolutely, parents are a key part of the therapy process and are actively encouraged to stay in the sessions.  A vital part of successful therapy is helping you as the parent / caregiver to understand your child’s needs and feel confident with carrying over the activities at home with a child. There are occasions where it is recommended that the parents aren’t present, as your child may work more effectively with the therapist on a 1:1.

This depends on your child’s individual needs.  Most commonly we see a child once or twice a week, however we work around your child’s needs as well as consider your schedule and availability.  We allocate 5 minutes at the end of each session to give verbal feedback to parents with regards to the session progress and recommendations for carry over.

No. We do not lock parents into contracts. We do however have an agreement that covers how we operate from the onset. This agreement will be clearly explained during your parent consultation and it will help you understand some of our policies regarding topics such as session structure, late arrivals, child sickness reporting and so forth. You can give notice to end the agreement at any stage.

If you require a written report we require a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice and it is chargeable and we have various options depending on the purpose you require the report (see fees below). Verbal feedback is given at the end of every session at the centre and for our outreach clients, the therapists write feedback in the communication book. Written goals will be shared at no extra charge.

Yes, however it is important that both therapists are aware of the other’s involvement and are able to liaise.  This will allow for collaborative working can take place to ensure effective intervention for your child.

Your child’s physician/school has requested an evaluation to determine if therapy services could improve his/her abilities. Occupational therapy assists children who struggle with everyday tasks and make it possible to function and live their lives to the fullest potential. They help children with a variety of developmental delays to develop age-appropriate physical skills, and assesses their fine and gross motor skills, attention, and sensory processing skills to learn and function well at school.

Occupational therapists assist children perform tasks necessary for participation and learning in school activities such as paying attention, concentrating on a task, holding a pencil, writing, or behaving appropriately in class.

Occupational Therapists are trained in the detailed mechanics of hand function as well as all other aspects that relate to the task of handwriting. The skill of handwriting requires several underlying skills before a child can effectively write. These skills are: Body & Spatial Awareness, Visual Perception, Visual Motor, Integration, Postural Stability, In Hand Manipulation, Hand Strength, Motor Planning, Ocular Motor Control, Bilateral Integration, Eye Hand Coordination, Sensory Integration, Tactile Discrimination, Memory, Attention, Orientation to Letters, and Sequencing.

This sense allows us to maintain our balance and upright posture. It is also closely involved with the visual system, allowing us to judge our motion in relation to the objects around us. This sense allows us to feel secure with gravity and is a way of knowing where we are in relation to gravity e.g. if we are upside-down or sideways.

Proprioception is the sense that allows us to know what position our body parts are in without looking at them. This sense also tells us about the force of our movements. So if we see a cup and want to reach for it, we can judge how much force and speed we are reaching with so we can accurately get our hand to the cup without knocking it over or missing it. We can also tell how hard we need to hold on to lift the cup without squashing it or dropping it. Proprioception is extremely important for body awareness and coordinated movements.

Body awareness is the internal body “map” each of us has that allows us to know where we are, what position we are in, and how we are moving at any given moment. The body map allows us to move without relying on our visual system to guide each movement. Via repeated accurate sensory inputs produced from our motion through space, the body map is created over time as we develop from infancy throughout childhood. Inaccurate sensory perceptions do not allow for the creation of accurate body maps. Children with inaccurate body maps typically rely heavily on their visual systems and have significant difficulty with many aspects of motor skill.

Where appropriate and always with your consent, our therapists will share important and relevant updates and recommendations regarding your child’s progress with all professionals actively involved with your child; this ensures everyone is aware of your child’s needs and can therefore maximise their potential across all environments.  We encourage other professionals involved to do the same so we can all be on the same page.

All practicing Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists in Dubai must be licensed by Dubai Health Authority (DHA).  (Note: if the therapist is working at a centre in Healthcare City, the licensing body is DHCC).

All therapy centres providing these services must also hold a facility license for the relevant authority (DHA or DHCC).  Sensation Station’s DHA facility license and Trade License is displayed in the centre – please ask reception if you cannot locate it.

To verify if a therapist or therapy centre is licensed you can visit the DHA website to check this www.dha.gov.ae or you can call the helpline 800 DHA.  All therapists in Sensation Station wear their DHA licenses on a lanyard, along with their Sensation Station staff ID at all times.

Yes. For our linked schools who we have an agreement with, free training can be organised during CPD days and also during school holidays. For schools we are not directly linked with we can still provide training for a training fee. We have a number of workshops ready to deliver, however we can also tailor training according to the needs of your team.

We provide services in the emirate of Dubai. Our centre is situated in Ibn Battuta and we outreach to schools in Dubai that are within a reasonable traveling distance from the centre. Please check with us and we can advise if your school is in that radius.

We aim to prevent cross infection of viruses and bacterial infections therefore under no circumstances may a child attend if they are sick. This is part of the policies agreed by all parents at the time of starting therapy at the centre.

For our ABLE ME programme children, please call the centre before 9am to inform us, we would also be grateful to know of any illness symptoms or cause so we can be vigilant with the other children.

For children attending therapy sessions, we need to be informed 24 hours prior to the appointment to reschedule free of charge.

For full absence information, please refer to the induction pack given at the time of signing up.