Not knowing what actually happens in a first OT session is one of the most common sources of pre-appointment anxiety we hear about - parents picture anything from a battery of tests to a single quick chat that won't tell them anything useful. Neither is quite accurate. Here's a concrete, honest walkthrough of our process, so you know what you're walking into.
Our Process: Assessment, Planning, Review
We work in three connected stages.
1. Assessment
The first session is about understanding your child, not delivering a verdict. The therapist will ask you detailed questions - your child's developmental history, birth and early milestones, current concerns in your own words, what a typical day looks like, and what you've already tried. Alongside that conversation, the therapist directly observes your child: how they move, how they handle toys or tasks offered to them, how they respond to instructions, and how they manage transitions or mild frustration within the session itself. For younger or shy children, a good amount of relevant information also comes from what you describe about home and school, not only what's visible in one hour.
2. Planning
Based on the assessment, we build a plan specific to what was actually observed in your child - which areas to prioritise (sensory, motor, self-care, play, classroom-related), a realistic session frequency, and concrete goals you can track over time. This isn't a generic template; it's built around your child's specific pattern, and we'll explain the reasoning behind it in plain language, not just hand you a plan to accept.
3. Review
Progress is checked at regular intervals against the goals set in the planning stage, and the plan is adjusted based on what's actually changing - more focus where progress is slower, less where a skill has become independent, and an honest conversation if something isn't working the way we expected.
What the Therapist Is Actually Asking and Observing
Beyond the direct questions, the therapist is watching things you might not think to mention yourself: how your child holds a pencil or manipulates a small object, how they react to being asked to do something new, whether they seek out or avoid certain kinds of movement or touch, how they communicate needs, and how they manage the small frustrations that naturally come up during an hour of new tasks with a new adult.
If Your Child Is Shy, Anxious, or Unsettled During the Assessment
This is genuinely common, and it doesn't undermine the session. Meeting a new adult in an unfamiliar space is enough to make many children quieter, clingier, or more reluctant to engage than they are at home, and an experienced therapist accounts for that rather than reading it as the child's baseline. Where a child is especially unsettled, we lean more on what you describe about their everyday behaviour, and may suggest easing in gradually across the first session or two rather than expecting full engagement from the first minute.
Setting Honest Expectations
We want to be upfront: the first session is not an instant diagnosis, and it's not a quick fix. One assessment gives a clear, professionally observed starting picture and a recommended plan - it does not produce a finished outcome in sixty minutes, and any service that implies it does isn't being fully honest with you. Real progress comes from the planning and review stages that follow, built on what the assessment actually found.
Cost and Logistics, Honestly
We won't quote you a figure on this page, because pricing depends on the specifics of your child's plan and is shared clearly with you before you book, not buried or sprung on you afterward. In-person assessments happen at any of our three East Delhi centres (10 AM-7:30 PM); online assessments run 9 AM-1:30 PM and are available anywhere in India - see our page on how online occupational therapy consultation works for exactly how the online version of this first session is adapted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will we get a diagnosis at the first session?
No. The first session is a functional assessment, not a diagnostic evaluation. You'll leave with a clear picture of what was observed and a recommended plan, not a label.
How long does the first assessment take?
It typically runs long enough for a genuine conversation with you and direct observation of your child - we'd rather give you an honest, unhurried first look than rush through a fixed slot.
What does it cost?
Pricing is shared with you clearly before you book, based on your child's specific plan. We don't publish a fixed figure here because it depends on individual circumstances, and we don't want to give you a number that isn't accurate for your situation.
What should we bring or prepare beforehand?
Nothing special is required - just be ready to talk through your child's history and current concerns. For an online assessment, a quiet space and a few of your child's everyday toys on hand are genuinely enough.