Questions to ask when choosing a child therapy centre

Choosing a therapy centre for your child is a big decision. In most cities there are now many options. Searching "child development centre near me" in Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi can bring up dozens of results, each with a website that sounds much the same.

It is hard to tell them apart from the outside. The best way is to visit, ask questions and notice how the team answers.

This guide gives you questions to take along. It works for speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioural therapy and special education, and for centres in India or the UAE.

Before you start: what are you looking for?

It helps to be clear about your own needs first. Write a few lines on:

• what your child's doctor or assessor has suggested
• what you most hope therapy will help with day to day
• how often you can realistically travel, and at what times
• your budget, including for the months ahead

There is no single "best" centre. There is a centre that fits your child and your family. Keeping your own needs in front of you makes it easier to compare.

Who will be working with my child?

Questions about qualifications and experience

• What qualifications do your therapists hold?
• Are they registered with the relevant professional body where required?
• How much experience do they have with children of my child's age and needs?
• Who supervises newer therapists?

It is fine to ask these directly. A good centre will be happy to answer.

Questions about continuity

• Will my child see the same therapist each week?
• What happens when a therapist is on leave or leaves the centre?
• How is information handed over if the therapist changes?

Children often do best with a steady relationship. Changes do happen, but it helps to know how the centre manages them.

How are goals set and progress shared?

This is one of the most important areas to ask about. Therapy works best when everyone knows what the goals are and how things are going.

Questions about goals

• Will there be an assessment first? What does it involve?
• Will I get a written plan with goals?
• Are goals set with me, or shared with me afterwards?
• How often are goals reviewed?

Questions about progress

• How will you tell me how a session went?
• Will I get written notes, a quick chat at pick-up, or regular reports?
• How do you measure progress on each goal?
• What happens if progress is slower than expected?

Notice whether the answers are concrete. "We'll keep you updated" is less helpful than "You'll get a short note after each session and a review every three months."

If you would like to understand what progress can look like, our article on signs speech therapy is working may help.

How involved will I be?

Parents often spend more time with their child than any therapist does. Centres differ a lot in how much they include parents.

• Can I sit in on sessions, or watch some of them?
• Will you show me what you are doing, so I can try it at home?
• How can I share what I see at home with you?
• Who do I contact between sessions if I have a question?

Some therapies work best when the child is alone with the therapist for part of the session. That is fine. What matters is that you are kept in the loop and given ways to help.

What about practice at home?

Short, regular practice at home often supports what happens in sessions. Ask:

• Will you give me activities to practise at home?
• How much time a day or week do you suggest?
• Will the activities fit into our normal routines, like meals, bath time or play?
• Can I check with you if an activity is not working?

Home practice should feel doable, not like a second job. Good centres usually suggest small activities that fit into everyday life. For ideas, see our guide to occupational therapy goals at home.

Will the centre work with my child's school and other therapists?

If your child sees more than one professional, coordination matters.

• Are you willing to speak with my child's school or special educator?
• Will you share goals or reports with other therapists, with my consent?
• Do you offer more than one therapy here? How do those teams work together?

Even if everything is not under one roof, a centre that is open to sharing makes life easier. Our guide on keeping one record when your child sees many therapists has more on this.

How do you handle my child's information?

Therapy records are sensitive. It is reasonable to ask:

• What information do you keep about my child?
• Who can see it, inside and outside the centre?
• How do you share reports and notes with me?
• Do you ask for my consent before sharing anything with others?

The practical questions

These matter as much as anything else. A centre that is hard to reach or afford may not be sustainable for long.

• What are the fees, and what do they include?
• Is the assessment charged separately?
• How long is each session?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• Is there a waiting list? How long?
• Are sessions available at times that work around school?
• Are online or home sessions ever an option?

What should I notice during a visit?

Questions are only part of it. While you are there, look around and notice:

• Does the space feel safe, calm and child-friendly?
• How do staff speak to the children, and to parents?
• Did the team listen to you, or mostly talk?
• Did they talk about your child as a person, with strengths and interests?
• How did your child seem in the space?

Trust your sense of the place. If something does not feel right, it is fine to keep looking.

What if I am already at a centre and unsure?

Many parents wonder this. Before deciding to move, it can help to have an honest conversation with the therapist. Ask about the goals, how progress is being measured, and what the next few months look like. Sometimes a clear conversation resolves a lot.

If you still feel it is not the right fit, that is a valid decision too. Ask for copies of your child's assessments, plans and notes, so the next team can start from where things are.

In closing

There is no perfect checklist, and no perfect centre. A good fit is a team that knows your child, sets clear goals, shares progress openly and treats you as part of the work.

Whichever centre you choose, keeping your own record of goals and progress makes conversations easier. Some parents use a notebook. Pravnya is one option, and therapists can be invited to a child's care team by email. If you run a centre, our partners page explains how centres can work with families this way.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Your child's paediatrician and therapists know your child best, so please talk to them about your child's needs.