Private vs NHS Occupational Therapy for Children UK (2026)

Quick Comparison

What NHS Paediatric OT Actually Offers

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provides children’s OT in Kent. Check its current referral instructions: east, north and west Kent require an appropriate professional referral, while south-east Kent accepts parent/carer referrals subject to the criteria. Medway has a separate service; see local routes and support while waiting.

• Referral and triage — the service checks its current criteria and the information supplied
• Assessment — the setting, format and people involved depend on the pathway
• Plan — recommendations may include direct work, advice, equipment, environmental changes or support for family and school
• Review or discharge — ask at the outset how goals, progress, review and re-referral are handled

Occupational therapy focuses on participation in everyday activities. Ask the service which functional goals and interventions fall within its current remit, what it does not provide, and what support is available while waiting.

NHS wait times in Kent — how to check

KCHFT does not publish one waiting-time figure that applies to every children's OT pathway. Timescales depend on the child's functional needs, the referral route and local capacity, so parent reports should not be presented as an official Kent-wide estimate.

• Confirm that the referral has been accepted and which pathway it entered
• Ask for the service's current expected timescale for that pathway
• Ask what support or online resources can be used while waiting
• Contact the service again if your child's function deteriorates or circumstances change

If you have heard nothing after referral, contact the service to check it was received and keep a written record. Kent SENDIASS can help if communication breaks down or you need advice about support in education.

Questions to Compare Before Choosing a Route

The NHS route may meet the need if…

• The child is accepted and the proposed pathway addresses the functional goals you have identified
• The expected timescale is workable and interim support is available
• The service explains what assessment, written advice, family involvement and school liaison it will provide
• You understand how progress, review, discharge and re-referral will work

A private assessment may be worth considering if…

• A registered provider can offer a suitable assessment sooner and you understand the full cost
• You need a defined assessment or report scope that the provider has confirmed in writing
• Your child has a defined functional goal and the provider can explain how progress will be measured and reviewed
• You want optional family coaching or school liaison and have confirmed that it is included
• You have checked HCPC registration, relevant experience, complaints arrangements, insurance and cancellation terms

Ask the NHS service how a private assessment affects your existing referral and tell each clinician about other assessments or interventions so advice is coordinated. Paying privately does not guarantee an EHCP decision, tribunal outcome or NHS adoption of a treatment plan.

What Private OT Actually Gives You

Private scope varies. The written quote should explain what is included, what costs extra and what happens if the proposed work is not suitable.

Flexible session frequency

Ask which appointments a provider actually offers; more sessions are not automatically better. Frequency should follow the child's goals, baseline difficulties and response to intervention, with formal review points rather than an open-ended weekly commitment.

Sensory integration (often ASI)

Some private OTs offer Ayres Sensory Integration in an equipped clinic. Specialist training and facilities do not establish better outcomes. The NIHR SenITA trial involved 138 autistic children in mainstream primary education with sensory difficulties. Its 26-week programme showed no significant overall benefit over usual care on its main clinical comparisons and was not cost-effective; improvement in individual goals had no equivalent usual-care goal measurement for comparison. Ask what functional change is expected and how it will be measured.

Parent coaching

If coaching is one of your goals, ask how much parent or carer time is included, what written guidance you will receive and how advice will be coordinated with school.

Agree the report’s purpose and scope

A private report may include standardised assessment results, observations and quantified recommendations if those are clinically appropriate and included in the agreed scope. Ask for a sample structure and delivery date. A report is evidence to be considered; it cannot guarantee an EHCP or tribunal outcome.

Longer-term commitment

Some private providers offer continuity through transitions. Ask about availability, handover, records, review points and what happens if the clinician leaves or the arrangement ends.

What Does Private OT Cost?

Our OT fee guide gives dated, named provider examples with their scope and limitations. These are not national averages, and a screening is not the same purchase as a full assessment or tribunal report.

• Request the assessment, feedback and report price together, identifying anything excluded.
• Confirm who delivers sessions, their length, preparation and any supervision charges.
• Ask about travel, school liaison, meetings, equipment and report revisions.
• Check cancellation, unused-session refunds and total cost through the first review.

Ask why any equipment or specialist intervention is proposed, whether an alternative would meet the goal and how benefit or harm will be reviewed. A higher price does not establish better care.

Coordinating NHS and Private Support

Before arranging additional work, ask what the NHS pathway already offers and what question remains unanswered. A private assessment or course is optional, not a required step while waiting.

If using both routes, tell each clinician about existing reports and interventions and agree appropriate information sharing. Confirm responsibilities, review arrangements and separate private charges. Do not assume the NHS, council or school will adopt or reimburse a privately chosen plan.

How an EHCP Can Fund OT

Section F of an Education, Health and Care Plan specifies the special educational provision the local authority must secure. The authority may commission a suitable provider to deliver specified OT, but this does not automatically reimburse therapy a family arranges privately.

The wording should follow the individual assessment: identify what support is required, who delivers it, the amount and frequency, any training or liaison, and how it will be reviewed. A generic weekly sensory-integration dose is not a template for every child. See our Section F guide.

Wording such as "access to OT as appropriate" may need clearer criteria and detail. Provision must be detailed and specific and should normally be quantified; such phrases are not automatically unenforceable. If you see wording like that in a draft EHCP, challenge it. For the full step-by-step on getting OT into Section F, see our EHCP application guide.

Right to Choose for Children's OT

NHS patient-choice rights depend on the particular referral, service, contract and exclusions. Do not assume a generic paediatric OT entitlement or shorter wait. Ask the GP or referrer and the responsible NHS service whether a choice right applies, which providers are currently commissioned, and what each provider's scope and wait are.

Checks Before Paying

• Verify the named occupational therapist on the HCPC register; “occupational therapist” is a protected title.
• Ask for evidence for the specific intervention and goal. NICE advises against auditory integration training for speech and language problems in autistic under-19s; do not confuse it with Ayres Sensory Integration.
• Be cautious about cure promises or pressure to buy a large package immediately.
• Require an itemised scope and cancellation/refund terms, including reports and liaison.
• Ask about professional indemnity cover, safeguarding, role-appropriate DBS checks and complaints.
• Agree meaningful goals, review points and what happens if the approach is not helping.
• Clarify how school or other services will be involved where relevant, with appropriate permission.

How to Find a Private OT

Check HCPC registration, relevant paediatric experience and competence for the proposed work. Ask for the exact postgraduate training and supervised experience if a specialist approach is offered; a training-provider label is not a separate statutory registration.

Use the RCOT directory or our Kent OT directory as starting points, then verify details directly. A directory listing or personal recommendation is not evidence that an intervention is suitable for your child.

Questions to Ask Before You Book

• What is your HCPC registration number and the exact relevant specialist training you have completed?
• How much experience do you have with children like mine? (autism, ADHD, sensory processing, etc.)
• What does an initial assessment include, and when will I get the report?
• What approach do you propose, why, and what evidence and safety considerations apply to my child’s goals?
• Will you liaise with my child's school, and is that included or extra?
• Can you write EHCP-ready reports with quantified Section F wording?
• What's your cancellation policy?
• Do you offer home, school, or clinic sessions — and what works best for my child's needs?
• What happens if my child doesn't get on with you? Can we pause or switch therapists?

Key Takeaways

• Confirm the actual NHS and private offers, including scope and current availability.
• Use named fee examples to ask informed questions, not as a guaranteed quote.
• Check registration and competence, and agree meaningful goals and reviews.
• Private reports are evidence to consider and do not guarantee an EHCP or tribunal result.
• Keep private charges and NHS/council responsibilities clear; a booking is not automatically reimbursed.
• Patient-choice rights depend on the exact referral and eligibility rules.

Useful Resources

• What Is Occupational Therapy for Children? — the full parent's guide to paediatric OT
• How Much Does Private OT Cost in the UK? — full cost breakdown
• Find an Occupational Therapist in Kent — our curated directory
• Sensory Processing Difficulties in Children
• EHCP Application Guide for Kent
• Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)
• Sensory Integration Education
• Kent SENDIASS — free, impartial advice for Kent families