Frequently Asked Questions

An intake interview is conducted with the parent/guardian of every child to ensure that the appropriate professionals be involved with that child’s care to provide the necessary therapies.

Do I need a referral for these healthcare services?

No. A referral, although welcome, is not necessary. Anyone can ‘self-refer’ to blueballoon by calling one of the facilities or going to the website and completing a parent questionnaire. This would be followed up with a phone call form one of BlueBalloon's intake coordinators.

Does my child need to have an assessment before getting therapy at blueballoon?

Your child does not need to have a previous assessment by another facility or professional before starting with blueballoon. However, a full initial assessment would have to be conducted by blueballoon to assess the needs of your child in order to set appropriate treatment goals.

What is the value of establishing goals and objectives?

Establishing and documenting goals and objectives are critical to the quality of BlueBalloon’s clinical programs. The effectiveness of a program can only be evaluated if objectives are established and your child's progress can be measured. Clinical programs are evaluated, and re-evaluated over time, based on observed and documented results.

Why is reporting so important?

Each child’s development is a complex and long journey. Many different individuals may be involved over time, including health care professionals, teachers and parents. Communication is a vital part of this process and clinical reporting ensures open lines of communication between the therapist(s), the parent(s) (or guardians), healthcare professionals and teachers working with the child. As with any medical intervention, it is important that clinical activities and the child’s response and progress are monitored and recorded. Consistent clinical reporting facilitates coordinated services in the present, and provides a valuable resource for the future. Clinical reporting is a mandatory requirement for regulated healthcare professionals to practice in Canada.

What is the value of an inter-disciplinary approach?

At blueballoon, we realize that no one discipline or approach provides all the answers needed to meet the broad and complex range of children’s needs. Many healthcare professionals often operate quite independently within their disciplines or techniques. Instead, blueballoon brings together expertise in a range of disciplines and therapeutic modalities with the goal of tailoring a comprehensive program to meet the needs of the individual child. Further, we have built organizational processes, facilitated by state-of-the-art technology, to ensure that members of the BlueBalloon clinical team communicate effectively and coordinate services. The benefits of this approach are numerous. By bringing together multiple disciplines and techniques under one roof, BlueBalloon helps parents navigate the process of attaining needed assessments and treatments for their child. Parents avoid the complicated, time consuming, expensive, and emotionally exhausting process of visiting multiple health professionals and then piecing together the various recommendations themselves. At blueballoon, the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration can be observed through the daily informal meetings of therapists and parents to the more formally and specifically designed interdisciplinary programs such as joint discipline assessments and cross-discipline programming.

What is blueballoon’s policy on privacy and confidentiality?

blueballoon is committed to safeguarding privacy and confidentiality. It is our belief that you should understand how we use any information that you provide us, and furthermore, that you should have the right to approve the use of that information. Our Privacy Policy is intended to be governed by, construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of Canada and Ontario, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Personal Health Information Protection Act. You can find out more about our privacy policy here.

How do I pay for the health services my child receives at blueballoon?

At blueballoon we understand that the number of services and programs offered to children is vast and can be challenging to navigate. Several options exist to help families pay for our therapeutic services. These include Private Workplace Extended Healthcare Insurance Coverage, both Provincial and Federal Government support programs, community-based or not-for-profit organizations and group based programs at blueballoon. Please click here for more details.

How is a group program different from an individual therapy program?

At blueballoon we strive to improve self-confidence through positive, fun, success-oriented experiences which foster a sense of acceptance, validation and well-being whether through an individual or group program.

Music Therapy:

What is a Music Therapist?

The root of a music therapist is grounded in theory, research and practice of both music and psychology. A music therapist is a trained musician who is able to play 2 or more instruments in addition to voice and has studied the elements of music including theory, harmony, history, counterpoint, analysis, composition, solo and ensemble playing. A music therapist learns through a combination of experiential and theoretical learning styles. They study both normal and abnormal human developmental psychology in association with symptoms and challenges faced by people having a variety of needs and/or illnesses, as well as, how to apply and use various treatment approaches and modalities as a holistic form of therapy. Music therapists acquire skills in observation, assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation of goals created. They must complete a series of at least 4 supervised music therapy practicums at designated placements before expected to complete a 1000 hour internship. Student therapists learn about people ranging from prenatal care to palliative care before specializing in an area of interest for their desired internship. Graduation from a reputable music therapy degree program requires a successful completion of 1000 hrs of internship, along with completing essays related to ones philosophy of music therapy; a case study, group reports, letters of reference, personal resume and proof of academic completion. A successful music therapist is one who respects the dignity of their client and conducts themselves according to the code of ethics as established by the Canadian Association of Music Therapy. A pediatric music therapist reviews records pertaining to their clients and establishes a rapport with their families. They can work individually or better yet as a team member with other health care professionals involved with their client in order to provide a higher quality of care.

What is the Music Enhancement Program (MEP)?

The Music Enhancement Program (MEP) is a paired discipline program (music/occupational therapy, music/physiotherapy, and/or music/speech language pathology) that uses music therapy to support and enhance current therapy goals and objectives through techniques such as vocal sounds, rhythm and instrument play. Making vocal sounds, rhythms and pitch patterns, and playing instruments can assist in a child’s cognitive development, articulation, and motor-planning and can provide an outlet for self-expression providing relaxation and reducing any built-up tension. It can also assist in the development of fine/gross motor and eye-hand coordination skills. Through the imitation and matching of vocal sounds, rhythms and instrumental play, a Music Therapist can help validate and reassure the child that they are being heard, giving the child a feeling of self-worth and acceptance in a safe and fun environment helping to build their self-esteem. Benefits include, but are not limited to two professional perspectives with two distinct yet interactive approaches and faster accomplishment of goals and integration of skills with double the motivation.

Speech Language Pathology:

Who is a Speech-Language Pathologist?

Speech Language Pathologists provide assessment and direct therapy services to children aged 0 - 18 years who experience speech, language or communication difficulties. Children may experience challenges in one or more of the following areas: articulation of speech sounds, oral motor functioning, comprehension of language (e.g. following spoken directions), expressive language (e.g. use of vocabulary and grammatical forms in sentences), voice production, social communication skills (e.g. turn taking, conversational skills, non-verbal communication skills), pre-reading and early literacy development.

How do I know when my child may need Speech Language Pathology?

How can Speech Language Pathology help my child?

Occupational Therapy:

What is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist?

How do I know when my child might need Occupational Therapy?

How could an Occupational Therapist help my child?

Physiotherapy:

Who are Pediatric Physiotherapists?

Pediatric Physiotherapists have specific knowledge and experience working with children. They have a special interest in child development and have extensive knowledge in normal and abnormal movement patterns and specific neurological, genetic and orthopedic conditions. Pediatric physiotherapists strive to help children with motor impairment reach their maximum potential for functional independence and active participation in daily activities at home, school and in the community. They work closely with families and caregivers in conjunction with other health care professionals in order to achieve therapeutic goals for each individual child.

What is the right age start physiotherapy?

Three months is the earliest age to start Cuevas MEDEK Exercises (CME).

How do I know when my child might need Physiotherapy?

How could Physiotherapist help my child?

Psychology:

What is Psychology?

Child psychologists are regulated health professionals who help children/youth and their families cope more effectively with developmental challenges and life problems, using techniques based on the best available scientific evidence, taking into account the family's unique values, goals and circumstances. Psychologists and medical doctors are the only health professionals in Ontario who can legally communicate a diagnosis of a mental disorder. Official documentation of a diagnosis is often necessary to receive needed supports from schools, government, and insurance. Child psychologists are specially trained to evaluate and diagnose mental disorders of children and adolescents, for example, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation; and disorders related to behaviour problems, depression, fear and anxiety, history of trauma, and stressful life events.

How do I know when I need a Psychologist?

How can Psychology help my child?

Frequently Asked Questions

Main Menu