Frequently Asked Questions

Carolina Therapeutics Academy (CTA) is located at Illumine Church in Rock Hill, SC, just five miles off Interstate 77. We are conveniently located near downtown Rock Hill and we’re not far from Tega Cay, Fort Mill, and Indian Land in South Carolina, and Pineville and Charlotte in North Carolina. Get directions!

Carolina Therapeutics Academy is open Monday through Friday. Our special needs preschool operates from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and After-School Therapy operates from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our preschool is closed during the summer months; After-School Therapy is offered year round.

The Carolina Therapeutics Academy preschool follows the Rock Hill Schools academic calendar and is therefore closed for all holidays and teacher workdays. Please find our academic calendar here. 

After-School Therapy is offered year round.

Yes, a fee of $1/minute is applied to children not picked up by dismissal. We will never leave a child unattended after their designated pick-up time under any circumstances.

All prospective students must be pre-screened and evaluated by both the Carolina Therapeutics Academy educational staff and Carolina Therapeutics therapeutic staff as part of the application process.

During pre-screening and evaluation, we will ensure your child qualifies for at least two pediatric therapy services (ST, OT, PT, and/or ABA), and – for their safety and the safety of fellow students – to ensure that your child’s behaviors can be appropriately managed by the Academy team.

Pre-screening and evaluation appointments are available every Friday. Connect with us for more information.

Every caregiver, guardian or approved person must sign their student in and out in ProCare using a unique PIN at drop off and pick up daily, and they must escort their student to and from their classroom.

Only approved adults can sign students out. Students are released only to an approved adult after their identity has been verified. Should an approved adult appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at pick up, law enforcement will be called.

We safeguard the confidentiality of all student records, including their name, address, and other information about the child or family that may identify a child. All files are locked in the office and accessible only to the parent/guardian, relevant staff, and DSS Child Care Licensing.

Our therapeutic staff follows regulations outlined by HIPAA, and any protected health information is securely handled to ensure student privacy.

Parental permission is required for use of photography of their children online and in publications.

At CTA, we do not use corporal punishment. Our staff will never physically ignore an individual, use punishment procedures, or – unless approved by parent and director, or demonstrating risk of harm to themselves or others – overcorrect a student through time out or removal from the classroom.

Instead, we manage behavior by:

• Using methods of positive reinforcement
• Practicing antecedent strategies (e.g. first/then, visual schedules, token systems)
• Implementing redirection

• Reinforcing socially-acceptable behaviors
• Individualizing behavior plans to each child
• Introducing preventative strategies to help reduce the behavior in the future
• Keeping children out of harm’s way

See our school Handbook for more information. Please contact us with questions or to discuss particular behavior challenges you have with your child.

As a general rule, yes – but, of course, there are strict protocols for storing, handling, and administering over the counter and prescription medication. See our school Handbook for detailed information.

While we do care for mildly ill children, students who are notably ill or contagious – including but not limited to vomiting, rash, diarrhea, and a temperature of 100.4 degrees or above – they cannot return to the Academy until they are fever- and symptom-free for 24 hours.

Out of consideration for the health and well being of other students and our staff, please be honest about illness and symptoms. If your child has communicable disease, other parents will be notified of the illness in their child’s classroom.

If your child becomes ill while at the Academy, we will notify you immediately, separate your child from their peers, and supervise them until an approved adult has signed them out.

See our school Handbook for more information.

Generally, we adhere to inclement weather closures dictated by Rock Hill Schools. However, we reserve the right to make an alternate decision for the safety and well being of our staff and students. Please visit our homepage for updates.

Your child will participate in therapeutic activities during their day school experience. Students should wear comfortable clothes, including long pants. Leggings and athletic clothing is ideal. Closed toed shoes are mandatory.

Yes! Weather permitting and as curriculum dictates, your child will go outside daily and play in our playground area. During warmer weather, please apply sunscreen to your child ahead of time.

Scheduled parent-teacher/therapist conferences will be held at least once annually to discuss the development, behavior, and any other relevant topics for each individual student. Notes will be taken during the conference and will be added to your child’s permanent assessment portfolio. This portfolio will be confidentially held between CTA staff and parents.

Of course, you can request to meet with the director and your child’s teacher and/or therapists more frequently should you desire

Communication is the cornerstone to student success. As partners in your child’s progress, we are committed to keeping an open line of communication with your family. In addition to scheduled conferences and the ability to speak with teachers and therapists at pick-up time, we are available for direct communication at any time through ProCare, our daycare management software that is made available to all families with children enrolled with CTA.

To qualify for CTA Preschool enrollment, children must be:

• 6 years of age or younger by September 1 of any given school year
• Eligible for and receiving at least two therapy services from Carolina Therapeutics (CT)
• Approved for enrollment through CT pre-screening evaluation and assessment
• Enrolled with an approved homeschool association if over the age of 6 after 9/1

The SC Department of Education (pursuant to South Carolina code 59-65-10) requires children age 5 before September 1 of any given year to be enrolled in an approved educational program. For your child to attend Carolina Therapeutics Academy, you must obtain a kindergarten waiver and elect non-attendance.

For children age 6 by September 1 of any given school year, CTA is considered a homeschool cooperative. As such, SC parents with children in this age group must enroll their child in an approved Option 3 homeschool association in order to attend our Preschool.

See our school Handbook for more information.

Our preschool operates from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please find our academic calendar here. 

$250 | Registration Fee
Nonrefundable; includes evaluation and assessment. 

Payment does not guarantee admission. 
$275 | Weekly Tuition

Weekly tuition rate applies regardless of frequency of attendance.

Invoices and tuition payment history can be accessed through ProCare, our secure online billing portal for preschool tuition. See our school Handbook for more information.

There is no such thing as a “typical” day with preschoolers, but we do have a daily schedule that includes age and stage-appropriate activities that promote social, emotional, developmental, and academic development.

Activities include educational activities and lesson plans, free play, and individualized therapeutic instruction. Free play allows children to play with toys, read books, socialize with other students, and may also include outdoor activities and playground time. Naptime is not scheduled, but we do provide cots for each room to support children who need rest during school hours.

Sample schedule for ages 2-3, 3-4, 5-6:

While we encourage children of all abilities to play and learn together, we are dedicated to engaging children with special needs at Carolina Therapeutics Academy. Our teachers and therapists are trained to provide immersive educational and therapeutic experiences for special needs students during school hours, and we desire to ensure that their expertise is focused on this underserved population. Carolina Therapeutics does provide therapy services to typically-developing children after school hours.

To qualify for CTA After-School Therapy, children must be:

• Eligible for therapy services from Carolina Therapeutics (CT)
• Approved for attendance through CT pre-screening evaluation and assessment

After-School Therapy for both CTA students and non-CTA students is provided on-site from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, year round.

After-School Therapy is billed to each family’s health insurance carrier.

Families are responsible for any applicable copays and deductibles.

Preschool tuition does not cover access to After-School Therapy.

To pay your therapy bill online, use our secure, online transaction system called Kareo.

There is no “typical” therapy session because care plans are individualized to the needs of each child. All therapy sessions are designed to achieve the goals created by the child’s family and clinical team, and include age and stage-appropriate activities that promote social, emotional, and developmental growth.

Of Course! The After-School Therapy program at Carolina Therapeutics Academy caters to both CTA students and non-CTA students.