Getting Started
Welcome to Southern Pediatric Therapy!
We are passionate about empowering children to reach their fullest potential and are excited to partner with your family on this journey. From the first step to the final milestone, our team is here to provide compassionate care tailored to your child’s unique needs.
Scheduling an evaluation
All new patients must have an evaluation prior to beginning treatment in order to determine the appropriate plan of care. Evaluations typically take about an hour and involve a combination of testing and conversation with both you and your child to fully understand their needs. When you are ready to schedule an evaluation, you may call our offices and speak to a referral coordinator, who is ready to answer your questions and assist you in getting started. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to your child’s evaluation so we can collect insurance and make a copy of your drivers license. New patient paperwork will be emailed to you prior to the evaluation. Please be prepared with your child’s insurance information, and be able to describe your concerns to our staff. If you have documentation from a referring provider, please provide it to us before your evaluation, if possible. Referring providers may send this information directly to us with your permission.
Starting therapy
Once your evaluation is complete and the evaluating therapist has made their recommendations and determined an appropriate plan of care, we will discuss treatment scheduling options with you. Typically, we prefer to give you and your child a recurring weekly appointment time for the frequency and duration recommended by the evaluating therapist. Having a regular treatment schedule helps insure consistent progress is both made and maintained. Our office is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Thursday, and 8:00am to 3:00pm on Fridays. Therapy can generally start as soon as the evaluation process is complete, pending any insurance pre-authorization, if required.
Financial Options
We are committed to making high-quality therapy accessible to families in our community. Understanding insurance and payment options can be overwhelming, but our front office team is here to help! If you have questions about your coverage, need assistance verifying benefits, or want more information about private pay options, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We believe financial barriers shouldn’t stand in the way of your child’s progress. Reach out today, and we’ll work together to find the best path forward for your family. Below are the financial options and insurances we accept to ensure your child receives the care they need:
Accepted Insurance Plans
We are proud to be in network with a wide range of insurance providers, including:
BCBS - Blue Cross Blue Shield
Traditional Medicaid
Cigna
United Healthcare Commercial
United Healthcare Medicaid
Magnolia
Aetna
Meritian Health
Molina
TN BCBS - Blue Cross Blue Shield
Tricare
Humana
UMR - United Medical Resources
All Savers
ASH-Link
Private Pay Options
For families without insurance coverage or for services not covered by insurance, we offer private pay options. Our team is happy to discuss
private pay options or any questions you might have regarding payment of services.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Typically, children are referred to our clinic by a child development professional that is trained to identify children who would benefit from services. This includes pediatricians, teachers, daycare providers, and other medical and mental health care providers who work with children. In many cases, caregivers have their own concerns about a child’s development and self-refer. We are happy to discuss your concerns with you over the phone and help direct you to the appropriate services, or schedule an evaluation if you are unsure.
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We are pleased to be an in-network provider with the following insurance companies.
BCBS - Blue Cross Blue Shield
Traditional Medicaid
Cigna
United Healthcare Commercial
United Healthcare Medicaid
Magnolia
Aetna
Meritian Health
Molina
TN BCBS - Blue Cross Blue Shield
Tricare
Humana
UMR (United Medical Resources)
All Savers
ASH-Link
If your plan is not listed above, please call our office at (662) 469-2906 to speak with our insurance specialist.
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Your child’s therapist will recommend a treatment session length based upon your child’s particular needs. Speech therapy sessions are typically 30 minutes, occupational and physical therapy sessions are typically 60 minutes, and music therapy sessions are 60 minutes.
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Every child’s treatment plan is different. While your therapist is unlikely to be able to tell you exactly how many sessions your child will need, we strive to keep you aware of your child’s goals, progress, and prognosis throughout the treatment process.
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Once your evaluation is complete and a treatment plan is established, our administrative staff will work with you to find a recurring therapy time that works with your schedule. We typically suggest that ongoing treatment be conducted with the same therapist to encourage rapport and maximize progress in therapy; however, there are some instances in which scheduling makes this difficult, or it is in the child’s best interest to work with different therapists. Both our administrative and clinical staff will discuss this with you as your treatment plan is developed.
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Our therapists have advanced degrees in their field and are all fully licensed to practice in the state of Mississippi. As a practice, we believe in evidence-based treatment methods, and we provide our clinical staff the necessary resources to obtain ongoing continuing education to stay current in their fields. Many of our therapists have obtained specialized training in specific treatment approaches or areas of specialty. For individual staff biographies, please visit our About Us page.
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Yes, we do allow shadowing opportunities for students and offer internships. We maintain a schedule to ensure we manage the number of students per discipline at any given time. If you're interested, please reach out to us for more details and information on current availability.
