An intensive is a short-term, high-frequency therapy program designed to help children make rapid progress toward their motor or functional goals. Intensives typically involve multiple therapy sessions per week over the course of 1–3 weeks.

Intensives may be a good fit for children who:

• Are highly motivated and can tolerate frequent sessions

• Are preparing for or recovering from surgery or a major transition

• Have hit a plateau in regular weekly therapy

• Have specific motor goals, such as walking, balance, strength, or coordination

• Are visiting from out of town and want to make the most of their time

Some DMI exercises are limited to children who weigh under 35lbs.

Pediatric Pelvic Floor Patients are not eligible for intensives, as intensives do not align with the plan of care established by the PT.

Each child’s schedule is customized, but most intensives involve:

• 1–3 hours of therapy per day

• 4-5 days per week

• For 1–3 weeks total

This will depend on your child’s need, as well as availability.

Complete our Intensive Interest Form below to get started. Once submitted, our team will reach out to confirm availability and discuss next steps. Spots are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

New patients will need to have an evaluation performed by one our our therapists prior to scheduling the intensive.

We offer limited intensive spots seasonally. Our clinic is not associated with a school district as we are a privately owned clinic, so our clinic is open year-round, and we try to align intensives with local school district closures.

Intensive sessions are typically billed as standard physical therapy sessions. Coverage depends on your insurance plan, your child’s diagnosis, and remaining therapy benefits. While our clinic attempts to verify insurance benefits, it is ultimately the patient’s responsibility to understand their coverage and facilitate authorizations as needed. You can always request support or documentation from our office to assist with prior authorization.

We are contracted with the following insurance companies:

• Premera, Anthem (and other Blue Cross companies)

• Regence Blue Shield

• United Healthcare

• First Choice Health Network

• Cigna

Currently, our clinic only offers Physical Therapy services, so unfortunately we cannot provide multidisciplinary intensives at this time. But a multidiciplinary approach is a great option, and is in our vision for the future!

We build intensives around your and your child’s goals, and take into account their tolerance and needs. Sessions include breaks, movement variety, and play-based motivation. Our therapists monitor your child closely to ensure a positive and productive experience. We encourage at least one family member to be present during the intensive, to offer support, and be part of the experience!

We recommend completing the full intensive for best results, but we understand life happens! Let us know your availability in your application, and we’ll do our best to accommodate your schedule. Please note that our availability is limited and may not align with all schedule preferences.

Family members and siblings are welcome; however, please note that our clinic space is limited. We ask that you limit the number of people accompanying your child to no more than 3 (4 people total including the patient).

Young children must be in the presence of and supervised by an adult at all times. Older siblings may wait in the treatment room or lobby, provided they can sit quietly and avoid disrupting therapy sessions. Please note that the gym and treatment areas are not open for free access during sessions.

Please read thoroughly!

A $250 deposit is required to reserve a spot in each intensive session. This deposit secures your child’s spot and the therapist’s time, and is separate from payment for therapy services.

Deposit Amount

• A $250 deposit is required per intensive session (ex. Fall, Winter, Spring, etc. are all separate intensive sessions).

• This amount will be applied as a credit to the patient’s account. After applicable fees are deducted and insurance claims are processed and paid, any remaining balance will be refunded once the intensive is complete.

• Deposits must be paid using a debit or credit card and cannot be made using HSA or FSA cards.

  • If you plan to use an HSA or FSA card to pay for treatment, we can arrange to charge that card separately for the cost of services. Any applicable fees will still be deducted from the deposit credit on your account if needed, and any remaining credit from the deposit will be refunded.

Refund Policy

Deposits will not be refunded in the following cases:

• Canceling two or more days of the intensive within 21 days of the start date, regardless of reason (including illness, emergency, etc.).

• Missing two or more days of the intensive, with or without planned notice.

• Arriving 10+ minutes late to any session will cause a $20 late fee to be applied, and $20 will be deducted from your deposit refund to pay that fee.

​If a therapist becomes unavailable (due to illness, etc.) and any portion of your child’s intensive is canceled due to the therapist being unavailable, the deposit will be refunded in full after any applicable fees or insurance claims are processed, unless we are able to reschedule any missed session(s) within the week of the missed session(s).

Deposit & Paperwork Deadline: 30 Days Prior

• The deposit must be paid in full by or before the due date for that session. The paperwork is also due within this timeframe.

• Intensive spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If the deposit and paperwork is not received by the deadline, the spot may be released to another family.

• Intake paperwork will be sent via OceanFriends EMR. New patients are required to complete intake forms, and current or returning patients may also be asked to do so. Forms can be submitted through our Patient Portal.

Reserving Without Immediate Payment

• Families may apply for multiple open sessions in advance without paying all deposits at once.

• While we will try to hold your child’s spot without a deposit, unpaid spots may be released to other families if deposit is not received in a timely manner.

  • If signing up within after the due date of the session, the deposit is due as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

  • If booked far in advance, you may submit the deposit anytime before the deadline.

• We encourage families to submit deposits as early as possible to secure their child’s placement and ensure a smooth scheduling process.

Important: If your child is ill or showing symptoms, you must cancel in accordance with First Step’s sick policy to protect our therapists and medically vulnerable patients.

Please note: this will still result in a non-refundable deposit, as outlined above.