What it costs. What to bring.

Everything a parent usually has to call and ask for is on this page: what it costs, how we bill, what to bring, and what the first visit actually looks like. No forms to request, no ranges, no “call for pricing”.

Anything still unclear, call (516) 744-7550 or email ester@planetsensorytherapy.com.

What it costs

Planet Sensory publishes its self-pay rates. These are the same numbers we would read you over the phone.

• Comprehensive initial evaluation: $360
• 30-minute session: $90
• 45-minute session: $135
• 60-minute session: $180
• 8-session package: 10% off
• 12-session package: 15% off

Session length is set at the evaluation, based on what your child can work through before their tank runs out. A four-year-old and a twelve-year-old rarely need the same hour.

How to pay

• Credit cards
• Cash
• Checks
• FSA cards
• HSA cards

If a package would cost you less than paying visit to visit, ask and we will price it both ways before you decide.

Insurance and courtesy billing

Planet Sensory is an out-of-network provider. That is a deliberate choice: it is what keeps sessions one-on-one and a full length, instead of cut to whatever a network schedule pays for.

If your plan has out-of-network benefits, we submit the claims on your behalf as a courtesy, and your plan reimburses you directly at whatever rate it covers. You pay us at the time of service, and the reimbursement comes back to you.

Send us your member ID before the first visit and we will help you find out what your plan actually pays, so the number does not surprise you later.

If your benefits run out partway through a plan, care does not stop. We move to private pay and set up a payment plan so your child can finish what they started. Tell us as soon as you see it coming.

Do you need a referral?

In New York, a licensed occupational therapist can evaluate and treat your child for up to 30 days without a physician referral. That applies to non-restorative services such as handwriting, learning and developmental skill training, when your child is not in acute care.

Past that window, or if your insurance plan requires one, we will ask you for a prescription from your pediatrician. Call before you chase paperwork you may not need.

Your first visit

The first visit is the comprehensive initial evaluation. You talk through what you have been noticing at home and at school. Ester watches your child move and play in the 2,100 square foot gym, because that is where the real information is, not on a worksheet.

You leave with a plain-language explanation of what is going on and goals you helped set.

What to bring

• Photo ID and your insurance card
• Any prescription or referral, if your plan requires one
• Recent evaluations or school reports: CPSE or IEP paperwork, school-based OT notes, anything a district gave you, including the letter that said your child did not qualify
• A short list of what you are noticing, in your words, with the times of day it shows up
• A comfort item, if your child has one
• A water bottle

What to wear

• Clothes that can be climbed, swung and crawled in, and that you do not mind getting messy
• Sneakers, plus socks, since some equipment is used barefoot or in socks
• Hair tied back if it gets in the way
• Skip anything stiff, brand new, or with a waistband your child fights

Watching the session

HD cameras stream every session to a television in the waiting area. You watch the whole thing live, then you get a debrief after: what your child worked on, what moved, and what to try at home.

You are never handed a printout and told how it went.

Home programs and school collaboration

What happens in the gym has to travel, or it does not count. So you leave with things to do at home, built for your house and your routine, not a generic handout.

Services here are complementary to school-based OT, and Ester collaborates directly with your child’s school.

Progress is reassessed regularly. Discharge planning starts once your child is meeting their goals with at least 80% accuracy, and the home program is what keeps the gains after the sessions stop.

Hours and location

826 Merrick Rd, Baldwin, NY 11510. (516) 744-7550. ester@planetsensorytherapy.com.

• Monday to Thursday: 1:00pm to 7:00pm
• Friday: 10:00am to 7:00pm
• Saturday: 9:00am to 2:30pm
• Sunday: closed

Saturday appointments exist, which is the whole reason some families can do this at all.

Ready when you are

You didn’t need a checklist to tell you something was different. You’ve known for a while. The parents who get here fastest are the ones who stopped waiting for someone else to confirm it.

Skills build on skills, and the year spent waiting is a year your child works harder than everyone around them to keep up. Schedule my appointment, or read the full FAQ.