Covid-19 Statement 

Updated: July 2021

Dynamic Pediatric Therapies (DPT) takes seriously the COVID-19 pandemic and our role to help ensure the health and safety of our staff, our clients and our clients’ families. In addition, we feel strongly that we have a responsibility to our broader community to uphold best practices, as they pertain to mitigating the spread of the virus. With these goals at the forefront of our operations, the DPT clinic continues to comply with CDC, IDPH, and City of Chicago COVID-19 guidelines, including those required by the Chicago Emergency Travel Order. We update our policies and practices as new data, information, and professional recommendations become available. 

Our practice has always endeavored to meet each family where they’re at and to provide services that best fit each child and each family’s needs. Our philosophy has long prioritized in-person sessions as the most effective format for the vast majority of our clients. As parents know well, in-person interactions help children to practice important interpersonal skills, verbal and non-verbal communication strategies, and associative and cooperative play, as well as cognitive, organizational, physical, behavioral, and problem-solving skills. In addition, in-person sessions most effectively facilitate a strong therapeutic relationship between the child and their therapist, which is further bolstered by the broad array of resources, tools, and manipulatives in our clinic that help to facilitate important fine motor, gross motor, sensory and regulatory learning opportunities. For these reasons, Dynamic therapists recommend in-clinic evaluations and sessions whenever possible. However, during this unprecedented time, we recognize that each family’s needs, preferences and risk-assessments are different, which is why we have expanded our therapy options to best accommodate the needs of all families.

Occupational Therapy (OT) & Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

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We continue to recommend in-clinic evaluations and ongoing sessions. However, if your family is not able to participate in in-clinic appointments due to concerns of COVID-19, we are committed to working with you to establish and maintain therapy services via a Telehealth (i.e. internet-based video sessions from a computer or tablet) or Hybrid (i.e. some telehealth and some in-clinic) approach. As a parent/guardian, the choice of delivery format is yours and of course, can - and will - be adjusted as circumstances require. Should you have questions or concerns about a particular delivery format, please contact your child’s therapist, who will be happy to help you weigh the pros and possible challenges of each option, given the unique profile of your child.

Should you opt for hybrid or in-clinic sessions, please review the below guidelines, which are designed to help keep us all safe and healthy when in-person together.

Dynamic Pediatric Therapies: COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for In-Clinic Sessions

Our commitment to you:

• Sessions will be scheduled to encourage social distancing between clients/families 

• Therapists and clinic staff will wear masks that cover both nose and mouth at all times

• Therapists will sanitize high-touch surfaces and thoroughly wash hands between sessions

• No Dynamic employee will report to work feeling ill or following any known COVID-19 exposure or travel as restricted by Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order

Your commitment to us: 

• Prior to each session drop-off, the client’s trusted adult will be asked to complete a short COVID-19 symptom/exposure questionnaire on behalf of the household. Please respond honestly and completely. 

• All clients and any adult(s) facilitating drop-off/pick-up must wear a mask that covers both nose and mouth for the duration of the in-clinic session

• Clients must remove shoes and wash hands upon entering the clinic. An on-site, non-contact temperature check is also required. 

• Families and clients shall not arrive for an in-clinic appointment if:

  • Anyone in the household has symptoms associated with COVID-19

  • Anyone in the household has had known exposure to someone with COVID-19

  • Anyone in the household has traveled outside of Illinois and has not yet met the requirements of Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order

  • Anyone in the household has any other reason to believe they may have contracted the virus

Please note, these requirements remain in effect even for those who are vaccinated, including staff. 

DPT remains committed to helping ensure your family’s safety and well-being. Please contact our office should you have questions or concerns. In the coming months, we look forward to working together to foster more health and more hope!