What are Children’s Services?
Children’s services are therapies specifically designed to address the needs of children up until age 18. This period of childhood and adolescence, already fraught with the physical, emotional, and social challenges of growing into adulthood, can be especially difficult for young people living with circumstances, conditions, or disorders that tax their abilities to cope in healthy ways.
Orlando Premier Psychiatry Behavioral Health provides a variety of mental and behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and teens, including:
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Our trained therapists and behavior technicians use evidence-based scientific principles to help them improve their socially significant behaviors through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Through Occupational Therapy, our team helps children of all ages learn to participate fully in daily activities (or “occupations”) with treatment focused on improving a child’s fine motor skills, play, social participation, self-care, and executive functioning.
Our Speech and Language therapists support children ages 2+ with conditions affecting oral motor skills, swallowing, speech, linguistics, and language and speech abilities.
ABA, Occupational, and Speech and Language therapies are offered virtually throughout Florida and Virginia.
Occupational, Speech and ABA Therapy are available in-person in our Fort Myers Occupational Therapy, Speech & ABA office, and Occupational Therapy is also available in-person at our Naples office.
Psychiatric care, including medication management, and psychotherapy are part of our Children’s Services, offered by experienced professionals specializing in helping children who have experienced trauma, live with a mental health condition, or need help to navigate a major life transition. Psychiatric care and children’s therapy is available for children ages 6+, LGBTQIA+ and Gender Identity matters are addressed with the utmost discretion and your child is ensured a safe place to discuss their feelings.
How Do Children’s Services Work?
Children experience the world differently than adults do. In their earlier years, they also learn differently. Just as there is no one right path to better mental health for adults, neither is there one path for children and adolescents.
Our pediatric behavioral and mental health experts will work with you, your child, and your family to determine the best care plan for your child.
In some cases, you may play an active role in your child’s mental health care, in other cases our therapists will work individually with your child and keep you updated as your child progresses.
What are Behavioral Day Services for Children?
Behavioral Health Day Services are available for children ages 7-17 who are experiencing emotional or behavioral issues.
Behavioral Health Day Services are offered in-person at our Fort Myers-Metro office or virtually through telehealth.
Behavioral Health Day Services are designed for families who have Medicaid or Blue Cross Blue Shield, and for children who have emotional and behavioral issues. The program can support children who experience depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, and more.
Learn more about Behavioral Health Day Services here.
Can Children’s Services Help My Child?
Our pediatric therapy and psychiatry professionals use proven methods of care that can help guide your child through stages of development or symptoms of a mental health condition.
In general, if your child’s symptoms or behavior persists for longer than a few weeks or interferes with their ability to function at school, at home, or in other social situations, you should consider seeking help.
1. When should I consider a mental health evaluation for my young child?
- Have frequent tantrums or are intensely irritable much of the time
- Often talk about fears or worries
- Complain about frequent stomach aches or headaches with no known medical cause
- Are in constant motion and cannot sit quietly (except when they are watching videos or playing video games)
- Sleep too much or too little, have frequent nightmares, or seem sleepy during the day
- Are not interested in playing with other children or have difficulty making friends
- Struggle academically or have experienced a recent decline in grades
- Repeat actions or check things many times out of fear that something bad may happen
2. When should I consider a mental health evaluation for my teenager?
- Have lost interest in things that they used to enjoy
- Have low energy
- Sleep too much or too little, or seem sleepy throughout the day
- Are spending more and more time alone, and avoid social activities with friends or family
- Diet or exercise excessively, or fear gaining weight
- Engage in self-harm behaviors (such as cutting or burning their skin)
- Smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs
- Engage in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends
- Have thoughts of suicide
- Have periods of highly elevated energy and activity, and require much less sleep than usual
- Say that they think someone is trying to control their mind or that they hear things that other people cannot hear
What can I expect from Children’s Services at Orlando Premier Psychiatry Behavioral Health?
For the first appointment, you and your child will meet with one of our Care Coordinators and then be matched with the provider(s) who specialize in the appropriate area of children’s behavioral and mental health care.
You can help your child prepare for their first appointment by making them as comfortable as possible on the day of their first meeting with their provider. Wearing a favorite article of clothing or, for young children, bringing along a comfort item, such as a toy or blanket, may help them to anticipate the first appointment in a positive way.
Your child’s therapist or psychiatrist will create a treatment plan tailored to the needs of your child and your family. Together you will set goals for each stage of your child’s therapy. The part you will play in this treatment plan will be thoroughly explained. Remember, you are not alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Speech Therapy?
2. What Can Speech Therapy Help With?
- Speech Difficulties
- Memory Issues
- Birth Injuries or Defects
- Challenges with Eating or Swallowing
3. What is Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy?
- Increase Language and Communication Skills
- Improve Attention, Focus, Social Skills, Memory, and Academics
- Decrease Problem Behaviors and Behavioral Patterns
Applied Behavior Analysis involves many techniques for understanding and changing behavior including positive reinforcement, ABC theory, and ongoing assessments.
4. What Conditions Can Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy be Used to Manage or Treat?
5. What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapists help children participate in meaningful activities (or “occupations”) that are relevant in their daily lives. Although many think of an occupation as work or a job, an occupation can simply mean any activity that a person does on a regular basis, such as playing, working, leisure activities, or self-care.
6. How Can Occupational Therapy Benefit a Child?
- Visual Perceptual Disorders
- Bilateral Coordination Delays
7. How Old Does My Child Need to be for Therapy or Psychiatry Services?
Psychotherapy, or Talk Therapy is designed to benefit children as they navigate through life changes and challenges, such as relationship conflict, anxiety or stress, major life changes, grief or abuse. The types of therapy used with your child will be age and developmentally appropriate.
8. What Can Therapy or Psychiatry Help With?
- Anxiety
- Adjustment Disorder
- ADD/ADHD
- Bipolar Disorder
- Conduct Disorders
- Chronic or Terminal Illness
- Depression
- Neurobehavioral Disorders
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Psychotic Disorders
- Family Conflicts or Changes
- Grief or Loss
