I am very impressed with Cranial Technologies! We noticed that my child had torticollis and a flat portion of his head at birth; therefore we were referred here by his primary. My baby was 2 months old at the time when we had our initial consultation with Cranial Technologies. It took a few weeks for our Medi-Cal insurance to approve it. We were so happy that it was. It's important to catch this condition early. He started his doc band treatment at four months old. He has been wearing it for about a month now and we are already seeing a drastic improvement! The clinicians are very sweet, professional and have taught me how to properly care for the helmet. We struggled with heat rash which caused his skin to peel on his forehead and on for the first few weeks, but they have taught me to do skin checks every few hours to properly monitor it. I was nervous how he was going to adjust to his new helmet. After the first two days of fussiness it didn't bother him at all. We are very grateful that we started treatment when we did as it is a time sensitive matter. Any time I have a question or concern the clinicians are very responsive via email. Thank you Cranial Technologies! read more

I am beyond upset and heartbroken with how Cranial Technologies has handled my son's care. This is my second time going through this process, as a mom, I knew exactly what to expect because I had already gone through it with my first baby. Back then, we had private insurance and everything moved quickly and smoothly. No issues, no games. But now that we have Medi-Cal, it's like they don't even see my baby as a priority. It's been over FOUR WEEKS and they've done absolutely nothing but give me excuse after excuse, delay after delay, clearly hoping I'll just give up and pay out of pocket. They've made it painfully obvious that unless you have private insurance, they won't give your child the same level of care or urgency. It's disgusting... This isn't just about insurance, this is about my BABY. His head shape is time-sensitive, and every week of delay matters. But they don't care. If you're a Medi-Cal parent, stay far away from here. They will waste your time, delay your child's treatment, and make you feel like your baby isn't worth helping unless you can afford to pay thousands out of pocket. Shame on you, Cranial Technologies. Families on medical insurance deserve better. read more

Single dad here.... Full transparency, I am not the best an arriving to appointments prior to the appointment time or at the exact time. I appreciate the 10-15 min buffer allowed by doctors offices to make appointments. Now that's said, I arrived to a scheduled appointment 10mins past the scheduled time. I have visited this office over 15 times over the past 6 months and have never walked in on time and been seen immediately. there has always been a 15-20 min wait after arrival. Today the office was very slow. Before I could approach the desk the receptionist said I'm going to have to reschedule you. I stated that my appt was scheduled for 9:20. The receptionist agreed(note* while beginning to type on her PC) until I asked about the grace peri... she then politely argued saying... "No. I told you we could only squeeze you in for 9am when I scheduled you and we only have a 20min grace period" At this point I'm irritated. She offers to schedule another appointment. I quickly realize my phones are in the car so I let her know I can't schedule at this moment. She states that she'll call to reschedule. I leave the office get into my vehicle and realize that she cancelled my appointment as we were at the desk talking. I am beyond disappointed with the administrative handling of patients by this employee. This is the 2nd time I've experienced this with this individual. Both times it appeared there were alternatives but she was firm in her position regardless of protocol. read more

Was told the latest to arrive was 3:40pm, I arrived and walked through the door at 3:39 and once I was talking to the girl in the front it hit 3:40 and she said I had to reschedule. Lobby was empty and didn't see anyone else. My work is strict so it's hard to get days off and I arrived by the time the girl told me. Will not be returning here. read more

We started the process to get our baby's helmet when he was just 4 months old. It took 2 months for everything to be figured out with insurance and to actually get the helmet. We wanted to start as soon as possible however the poor communication between cranial technologies made it an incredibly slow process and was very confusing to figure out. Once we finally got the helmet it was explained incredibly poorly. We watched a quick video and then we're sent off with the helmet. My baby developed a horrible skin irritation to the helmet where his skin was peeling and raw. I cried tears when I realized they didn't give us proper instructions for the helmet and my baby's head looked red, raw, and was peeling. They told us to see the doctor to get treatment for his skin where the helmet rubbed him so hard that it made his skin peel. We were quoted $100 for the helmet after insurance so we paid the $100 and then got the helmet. AFTER we got the helmet we were notified weeks later (when we were in the process of getting a second helmet bc he outgrew the first one) that we actually owed $950 due to insurance not covering all the expenses. Poor communication. It was absurd. After all of this, he could only wear the first helmet on and off due to his skin issues and the first helmet didn't do anything. He was still in the severe category. What a waste of time, money, and energy driving 30 minutes to and from appointments. Over an hour each time and had to pay for parking each time. Since his head was still badly shaped we did get another helmet. We again had to pay $100 plus $950. When we got the bill for the second helmet I assumed it was for the second helmet but it was actually for the first helmet which I didn't even know we owed that $950 in the first placed. I didn't pay it because I had just paid $950 for the second helmet which I thought that bill was for. But it turns out it was for the first helmet. I tried calling during my busy work day to talk to someone but I can never get through and they always have to call me back after I leave a voicemail. Long story short, we are still on our second helmet and the staff does genuinely love babies and I've only had a problem with that first initial person who didn't explain anything to us about the helmet. I am extremely disappointed and would never recommend this place to anyone. read more

See all

Writing this for prospective parents that are considering using Cranial Tech - hopefully it can help you make a decision if I share a detailed account of my experience. My son was born with a left-facing preference. Then as new parents, we did the best we could with making him look and sleep on his right as much as possible, but it's always hard with newborns. The left side just kept getting flatter and more preferred as the weeks rolled on. The infamous (and now recalled) Rock-N-Play sleeper only made things worse. At our 4 month checkup, our pediatrician referred us over to Cranial Tech. Aside from the obvious flatness on the left side, his ears were misaligned. An ear shift could potentially cause some difficulty with glasses and things of that nature later on. Lisa was the OT who did our initial consult. She later did many of our subsequent appointments, our progress reports, and eventually our exit. I always found her to be very professional and maybe the most knowledgeable of all the clinicians. I can see why people distrust the system. The format of the presentation is structured like a sales pitch, but I thought it was pretty forthcoming and low-pressured. If you've talked to a banker, bought a car, or sat through a timeshare session, then this is nothing. They define the terminology as best as they can, and if it freaks you out to hear things like "severe" or "deformed" then I think you should mentally prepare yourself more at home with some additional research. Pricing is handled through one of their internal insurance teams. You can call them, but you never see them. My insurance company didn't end up covering it anyways, so my price was $2400 out of pocket (per Cranial Tech this is the insurance contracted rate versus the $4000 retail price), which I chose to pay since I wanted to go forward with the treatment. The $2400 bill was split up over 4 months. This was the price for a single helmet, and included all taxes and services. My son was rated as "severe", but I knew we wanted to go forward with a helmet since he was getting worse and we had to do something to reverse the damage. The helmet itself is called a DOC band. It's a white plastic shell with some foam inside (maybe polyurethane?). After they take the initial measurements, the band is cut by some CNC machine in Arizona, and then you come in weekly to your local office and your clinician shaves the inside of the DOC band to allow for the head growth in the areas of the head that they want to round out. Conceptually, it's pretty basic. In practice, the baby wears the DOC band for 23+ hours a day, with breaks only for baths and whatever else necessitates it (maybe physical therapy, neck stretching, changes of clothes). Your clinician will teach you how to put on and take off the band, along with some papers to take home. Maintenance-wise, you can't let it get wet, and you only clean it with 70% isopropyl cleaning alcohol. That doesn't stop the band from smelling like feet after the first hour of use. I found that putting it in the sun to dry for 10-20 minutes a day really helped get rid of the foul odor. If there's any redness on your child's head, don't hesitate to call your clinician to get more specialized instructions. You are free to decorate the outside of the band. So now with that stuff out of the way - did it actually work? I think it did. His head looks a lot better to us. After 8 weeks in the band, our exit meeting showed that there was better rounding out of the left side and back of his head. The ear shift was improved, but still noticeable. Since the band still fit, we were cleared to wear it for an additional 2 weeks, or when it stops fitting. Lisa still recommended an additional DOC band (to the tune of another $2400), but did say that she would rate us as a "moderate" if this was our first consult today. We elected not to continue with a second DOC band (basically the same thing in a new helmet for another 3 months) since we were happy with the results from just the single band. Lisa didn't push or try to sell us on a second band, and was happy letting us go. Things to remember: - We all have some imperfection in our heads. It's perfectly normal not to be perfect. - Do your homework ahead of time. I've scoured the internet between the pros and cons of helmet treatment, and whether they actually work. My conclusion is that the current research is limited and inconclusive. - Understand your own insurance coverage for helmets - usually it's listed under orthotics or prosthetics. - Parking at the Cranial Tech building costs $5 for every 2 hours. It's $4 with validation. But if you visit 10 times, you should budget an extra $40 for it. - Clinicians come from varying backgrounds. Not all of them know much about physical therapy. Some are nurses, some are OTs. If you like one clinician, try to see them every week. As a parent - go with your gut! You know your child and your situation the best. read more

See all

We are finishing out our treatment over the next few months, and we have been going to the Orange, CA location for almost a full year. My son had some medical challenges to work on first, and we started the helmet process a bit late (at 8-9 months old). We have universally been treated with kindness, helpfulness, and respect by the staff and clinicians, and the visits were always efficient and punctual. The office is really well run, despite having to deal with changing COVID conditions. Now, after more visits than I can count, we have finally scheduled our helmet graduation. As grateful as I am to be almost done, part of me will actually miss going in and seeing these folks who've become part of our extended family. Leanne helped us get so much improvement in our son's head - the difference is incredible. I highly recommend this office and the Doc Band itself. So glad we did this. read more

Cranial Technologies - Medical Centers Near Me - Orange, California

Best place to get your babies helmet! They are so professional, caring and such a clean environment. They sanitize after each visit. Today was my sons graduation day, they showed me progress pictures, and I saw a HUGE difference. We are so happy we did the band for my son, but most happy we chose to do it with Cranial My sons head shape looks amazing! So happy! read more

Cranial Technologies - Sons graduation day - Medical Centers Near Me - Orange, California

See all

The Orange location is organized and has a strategy for reducing COVID19 risks. We were hesitant to get a free on site consultation for our child but when we finally did, we realized they have our concerns in mind when implementing their checkin process. On the day of the appointment, we texted them to let them know we arrived and they texted us back to tell us they were ready for us to come into the office. Only one parent can accompany the child. The office is on the 5th floor of the St. Joseph's Hospital. Everyone entering the hospital must have a temperature check. The consultation went really smoothly and took under an hour. A staff member took pictures of my child's head. It was funny watching my frustrated kid try to pull off the modified pantyhose they put on the head to get a better picture of the head shape without hair in the way. We then waited in a private waiting room while the pictures were being evaluated by an OT. It was a short wait. The OT was honest with her evaluation while showing us pictures taken of our child's head on the TV screen in the room. While we ended up deciding not to treat with the Doc Band, we would not hesitate to do so if our case was more severe. After our consultation, we received a thorough report by email with pictures and measurements of our child's head. Our pediatrician was also sent a report of the evaluation. The staff at Orange were very patient, professional, and kind. We had a great experience despite all the extra precautions we had to take due to COVID19. read more

It's all an aggressive sales pitch. Our personal experience was the same as others', who thought it was the same as a used car lot. There were multiple red flags every step of the way. It was difficult to make an appointment--it took ten days for someone to respond to our inquiry--and similarly it took a few days to change our appointment when we needed to. The intake is overly dramatized, to make it seem like they know what they're doing. The person who does your intake is not a medical professional, but a salesperson. The language used in the brochures and analysis seems designed to appeal to overly anxious mothers, who are worried that their babies will not be "normal." The diagnosis given through email was WAY overexaggerated, and uses language designed to induce anxiety. We received emails with advertising-like materials, and requests that we contact our doctor so that they could get insurance approval. Every step of the way, we experienced an aggressive sales pitch through Cranial Technologies. Do yourself a favor and schedule an appointment with Hangar Orthotics, who actually use professionals to look at your baby. read more

AMAZING RESULTS!!!! I had the BEST EXPERIENCE.My daughter needed a band for 3 months,they made the whole process go smooth. All the staff is super friendly.The office is so clean and sanitize. I'm so HAPPY with the results. My daughter just received her graduation certificate and I'm so glad We did this process. Thank you so much . read more

The staff made this rather difficult and new process for our son and us much easier. I wish there were more medical offices that mirrored this facility. No matter what insurance coverage we had or others - we are treated kindly, with respect, and we felt secure in our decision to have our son wear the head band. Every visit was friendly and informative. Our son started around 3.5 mths, he wore it for 8 weeks. There was much improvement and we are considering a second helmet to get even more results. Consults are free. I highly suggest parents schedule to inquire about what benefits the band may provide for their child with this facility. read more

They work really hard to tell you they can fix things but then say "we can do our best" after you pay for the treatment. Also they do not accommodate children with special needs well. Still to be determined if the results will turn out to be worth it because we are not far into treatment yet. Just very disappointed in how they have handled things with us so far. read more

I am seeing such bad reviews but I haven't fully finished my son band and wearing the helmet but I can say it was fast easy and simple to get my baby in they let me know the sooner the better my baby might have to wear it for 4-6 months thank god I caught it early but I want to say the front desk office is very nice staff are super nice today is our new appointment my son is sick and does not have covid symptoms and they said that okay as long as there no covid symptoms he can get seen so I am happy for that read more

We are extremely happy with Cranial Tech Orange County!! Our son's head was very flat in the back, stuck out above the ears, and was no longer symmetric. The initial evaluation was free and anyone can have an evaluation (even before a referral or prescription). The evaluation included 3D pictures (pretty cool and super quick and easy). They generate a report with exact measurements and can even send it to your child's doctor. We went through our insurance, so they got approval for us and we were able to have them make a custom helmet for our son. He was a bit annoyed at first when we put the helmet on, but after it was on, he wasn't bothered at all. Each visit, his head was measured and checked and the helmet was adjusted when needed after he'd have growth spurts. The care and kindness that all of the staff showed to us and our son, was awesome! They genuinely seem to care about all of their patients. Leanne, the person we had all of our appointments with, is so kind and gentle and very knowledgeable. Our son graduated from his helmet with a beautifully shaped symmetric head in less time than anticipated. I highly recommend them! Plus, the 3D pictures are super cute. On a side note, parking is easy & plentiful. The office has recently been remodeled & has a great play area for the babies with lots of fun baby toys. The appointments tend to run on time too. Basically, the staff, the office, and the medical service provided far exceeded our expectations! read more

Cranial Technologies - Playing in the new play area - Medical Centers Near Me - Orange, California

THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! My appointments have always started on time, sometimes if I get there early they take me immediately! They always make me aware of how much time I'll be spending at my next visit, which I love since I work I am able to plan out my day. The payment plans are affordable. The staff is very friendly and informative. They answered all of my questions before I could even ask them! They have a mat with so many different toys, my baby was able to stay entertained during her hour long visit! So glad we decided to choose Cranial Technologies read more

Cranial Technologies - Medical Centers Near Me - Orange, California

I really hope this review helps you. I was so conflicted about making the decision to get a helmet for my daughter. I ended up going thru with it, and well, I was so pleased with the results I opted for a 2nd helmet! No it was not pushed on me. The decision was all mine. A misshaped head effects facial symmetry for life, this isn't anything I wanted to have regrets about. The entire staff was terrific. We worked with Julie specifically and we just LOVE her! She was so friendly and empathetic, she really cares. It's a blessing to have someone like her while your doing something challenging. So very grateful for all the support! read more

I wish I could give this place 20 stars! They were amazing! From the friendly and knowledgeable staff to the cleanliness of the office (during Covid), we had the best experience! My son had to have his helmet on for 7 months, and they made the whole process go so easy! We saw leanne for the majority of the time we were there and she was awesome! I would recommend them to EVERYONE!!! read more

What a transformation! My daughter is 7 months. She has had to battle acid reflux, torticollis, and then a flat head! Thanks to Cranial Technologies, my daughter's head is round now! She is about to graduate from her helmet next week and we are thrilled with the results! It was easy to wear, easy to clean. It took my daughter a couple days to get used to wearing it at night but now she doesn't notice it at all. Thank you!!!! read more

Shameful business. Even in the midst of the Omicron surge they are only having their employees wear flimsy PAPER masks that have been repeatedly advised against by health authorities. I voiced feeling uncomfortable with this at a recent appointment and the employee told me she was vaccinated so my baby couldn't get COVID from her. VERY SAD how poorly informed she was about transmission. As clients we are bringing vulnerable, unvaccinated babies into the clinic, some of whom have underlying medical conditions. This business needs to step it up and at least pretend to care about these children by providing N95 or at the very least KN95 masks to their staff. I am considering stopping treatment for my child due to safety concerns, which is a heartbreaking decision to have to make when the company has the resources to improve safety but doesn't. This is downright negligence. read more

The band technology is very good but very horrible admins people dealing with all the Billings and wasting time. Before My baby finished the first band, the billing people contacted us and said they will go through insurance and by the time my baby is done with the first band, they will sort out all the insurance info already so no wait time for the next band. Fast forward, when my baby is done with the first band, the billing team said that they have not started the insurance process yet, so we have to go through all these admin process while my baby is wasting her time not putting the band on. One month after, they are still dealing with the billing and insurance. And finally figured out the amount we need to pay. A few weeks later we noticed that they overcharged us by $700 saying that the machine does not work. Because the 1 month of time is wasted, our baby need to wear the band for longer and all the way through the summer, which is really not pleasant for a little one to go through that, My only advice to them is that, great technology but just get the admin sort out in an efficient manner instead wasting parents' time and money. read more

Our baby Audrey just received her certificate of completion yesterday at this office, we are extremely pleased with the results! Thank you Lisa and the rest of the staff for making this an overall great experience :) read more

Cranial Technologies - Medical Centers Near Me - Orange, California

You should really consider your approach. The entire time I felt like you were selling me a used car. I can't tell you how many times you used the word "normal" to compare my sons head shape to the image of the other baby on the screen whose had a helmet. I booked this appointment because my pediatrician recommend that I speak to cranial technologies to get recommendations on how my son can lay to help his growth and head shape. I never once thought my son was "abnormal", I wanted to know when the flat spots were going to harden and what I could do to ensure they would harden correctly. i.e. lay him on his side, sit him this way, that way, etc. Instead this is what I walked away with: A lady enters the room, not a nurse, not a doctor, Dressed in regular clothes, holding a packet of information about baby helmets. She waits for the information to be sent back from the imaging labs in Arizona and waits to see what script she is supposed to follow. The results come in and according to a 360 photo of my sons head, she puts his image on the screen and a baby who is titled "normal" on the screen and starts to compare. My first observation: The baby titled normal has a head size that is about 50% the size of my kids, their face structures are completely different, different ethnicity, etc. On the Right is my baby who this "cranial Tech rep" decided to start breakdown on why he's not "normal". She continues with numerous medical terms, all of which I had no idea there meaning. I asked he to please explain it in a way that I could understand and of course she couldn't answer. She continues to stare at my son and ask me questions about the cause of his "abnormal" head shape. "How was he positioned in the womb, does he favor one side more than the other, how was labor, etc etc" I answered all right away that had nothing to do with his head. The she add's "does he sit in a rock n play (the #1 baby item for newborns). I said yes. She goes "Thats why!"As if she was the genius who solved the riddle. My second observation: So because I let my baby hang out in his rock N play, his head shape is now "abnormal". That makes me feel like a great parent! Then she asks about my husbands ethnicity. "Is your husband asian?" no he's hispanic. "Hm, that odd because your babies head shape is what most asian babies have. Are you sure theres no asian background in your family?" No. Im clearly white and again my husband is hispanic. My third observation: Are you insinuating something here? Because I see no point in your questioning my husbands or my ethnic background. Now that I am completely pissed off, offended, and excited to leave this joint. She continues to tell me that my cons has this that and the other and is a extreme case. Compared to the images of the other babies I have seen with extreme cases, where their heads look like that are pancakes, my son is not even close! She then tells me he will need a band for 3.5 months, wear is 23 hours a day, I need to drive 1.5hr to her office every 2 weeks. I told her that sounded very unrealistic seeing that we are beach goers and had a trip planned to hawaii. She the continues to tell me that she doesn't recommend sand getting in the helmet and babies should be at the beach that long anyway, so his 1 hour of helmet freedom could be then..... No. To top things off, she the pulls out the pamphlet with all the information and before I can even get a word in to say no, she starts selling me on the different colors and patterns some parents add to the helmets to make them "cool". My fourth observation: I have been given no options or a chance to give feedback. The only option she has offered me at this point is do I want "I'm a head case" written in kid friendly letters on my sons helmet. She then leaves the room and says she has to write the notes to summarize the visit and will be back in 5 minutes. She leaves me in the room, my baby gets impatient, and 15 minutes later she sits at the door wide open, in other words "get out, your done" and tells me everything will be emailed to me and the people in Arizona will be calling me about my insurance and a payment plan. I said, well hold on, whats next? Meaning, if we go through with this what is the process. She answers "insurance will call you with a payment plan". Oh perfect! Another $$ used car salesman response. I again ask, how is he head molded for this thing. Her response, "We don't have to cut his hair or anything, or do we have to take a mold like we used to. We just take a picture and sent it to our labs in Arizona". I said, aren't there exercised or different ways he can lay to correct since he is only 6 months? Her response "No, his head is already hardened." My fifth observation: This is a scam to make me feel like a crappy parent, scam me into $ for a cosmetic enhancement. EVERYONE STAY AWAY! THIS IS A MONEY SCAM! Your child is perfect, normal, unique. Love them and don't let this idiots tell u otherwise. read more

Great staff and attnetion to detail. The appoiments were always on time and efficient. Any time we had any questions we could call and talk to someone. At first the helmet did make some irritations on my son's scalp and so We were guided through caring for those and everything cleared up. Its pretty cool how they create the helmet and the whole process. We created a special bond with our care provider and we could tell she really cared about our needs. The process went quickly and our sons head made a huge improvement. I would totally recommend thus office to friends and family. read more

We left with a terrible taste in our mouth. Not about the staff or the building, but about the fact that we were told our son needed treatment before any measurements were taken. He "needed" treatment based off a visual comparison to a baby with a "perfect head". It felt like a money trap and semi unethical. Thankfully we got a second opinion at Hanger clinic where we were at-least given a list of things to try at home to allow his head to correct on its own. Our son was given a "moderate" diagnosis at this location. We were given a "mild at best" diagnosis from Hanger who actually took measurements for a comparison to what is considered "medically necessary" for treatment. They also recommended waiting until he was 6 months old to allow the head to have a chance to correct naturally as well as allow his neck to be strong enough to hold the helmet up without straining. Makes perfect sense. Cranial Technologies encouraged immediate treatment with no other options. I'm sure this clinic has done some great things however playing games with people and encouraging them to pay for a helmet out of pocket because they cannot convince insurance companies to cover it is unethical in my mind. We highly recommend you get a second opinion in regards to you children's head shape and the necessity of buying not 1, not 2 but potentially 3 $2000 helmets when it may not be needed in the first place. read more

While our pediatrician did not think we needed one, she referred us to Cranial Technologies because we wanted to know all our options. We ended up getting the band and are very happy that we did. My daughter was 8 months when we started treatment and we have about 4 more weeks to go (14 weeks total). Even though it was hard for me at first, over time I got used to the band and it was actually a great head protector for falling or hitting her head on furniture. We are happy with the shaping of her head. The service is great, I enjoyed working with Leanne. We are glad we made this investment. read more

We could not be more pleased with our experience at Cranial Tech for our daughter's Doc Band! We found the staff to be so caring and professional from the front desk to the Registered Nurse who helped with our daughter's fitting and shaping of the band. After researching the three companies in the area who provide cranial helmets we choose Cranial Tech and are so glad we did. Their technology was fantastic and most importantly her results speak volumes. An absolute five star experience! Thank you Cranial Tech! read more

Our pediatrician referred us to Cranial Tech after repositioning techniques and physical therapy failed to correct our twins' plagiocephaly (flathead). We are so pleased with the results! The DOC bands worked beautifully to give them normal head shapes. In researching treatments, we knew there were two main choices - traditional helmet vs the DOC band. We chose the DOC band because we thought it would allow for more adjustment as their skulls grew and also more air circulation around their heads (although our babies still developed helmet-stink, an apparently unavoidable consequence of wearing plastic/foam headgear 23 hours a day). Every 1-2 weeks, we would visit the office to get the DOC bands re-sculpted to their heads. The office staff, Socorro and Taylor, were always so nice, and they were very helpful when I had to make appointment changes. I was sad when our excellent therapist Leanne took a temporary leave, and I was relieved when her replacements, Judy and Amber, also took great care of our twins. Overall, this pleasant staff made it a very positive experience for our family. read more

It really upsets me to read the negative reviews on here or to hear people say this place is a scam. My baby went through not one, but two helmets here, and I also had a frustrating time getting the second helmet approved by my insurance. But this was not a reflection of the staff at Orange, my baby's helmet therapist (Krysten, you are family!) or the outcome of his head shape (which is perfect now!). Look, I want people to keep a few things in mind. Orange is only one of 4 locations for Cranial technologies in the entire state of CA. Millions of babies are born every year in the state, so there is high demand for the helmets and for appts. We were lucky we only had to drive 20 minutes away from our home when others had much, much longer weekly commutes. So if you have trouble getting an appt, my advice is to keep calling until you can get someone on the line. They aren't purposely trying to avoid calls and they do return them! But I understand not getting a call back and that frustrates me as well. Keep calling, they will pick up. Next, if there are problems with getting your insurance to approve the helmet, this doesn't prevent you from accessing an appt or getting the helmet for your baby. You sign paperwork that says if the helmet isn't approved by your insurance for the first helmet fitting, you may need to pay out of pocket. I understand seeing that huge amount ($2200-$2400) may be frightening, but that's the full cost if your insurance were to pay NOTHING. And the chances of that are slim to none. I paid $220 for the first helmet and nothing for our second. Just to give you an idea. Finally, I want to leave you with this: I initially rejected the second helmet because I thought his head looked fine (we were okay with it and I didn't want to go through the stress of a second helmet). We started physical therapy a month later because my baby wasn't crawling yet and his PT said the flatness was affecting his balance. The symmetry was also affecting the alignment of his eyes. It wasn't all cosmetic. You also have to think of things like bike helmets, glasses, and getting those things custom made because they don't fit. Your baby isn't going to be a baby forever. Do you really want to answer a grown version of them asking why you couldn't reshape their head out of all the other things in life you can't control for them? You can control this! It's 8-12 weeks of your life, just suck it up and make the best of it. It's called good parenting. So I did, we got fitted for the second helmet, it sucked, we got through it, and my baby's head looks so good now. His eyes are symmetrical and he is walking. My baby wore two helmets for a combined total of 20 weeks. There were some appts we had a long wait for, and others where we were in and out in less than 20 minutes. It's life. There are much worse things and no operation works perfectly. Keep in mind when just one person runs late it throws behind other appts just like any doctor's office. So do your best to arrive on time and keep the flow going. Chat with the staff, the other parents, let the kids play with all the neat toys. It's a great little helmet community and hopefully Cranial can expand and offer more locations. read more

Our son was evaluated and they recommended he start the DOC band (helmet) therapy. We've had a good experience. Visits are fast and everyone is friendly. We are happy with his results so far and with the team at cranial technologies. read more

Definitely make sure you do your research. Helmets never used to be a thing and they make it seem like 1 out of every 2 children need a helmet. We were told two months ago that our son needed a helmet. I don't disagree that his head his lopsided but wasn't sold on the helmet. I felt like i was at a used car lot the whole time. After doing extensive research and looking at dozens of before and after pictures for children who didn't wear helmets, we decided against it. Our sons head shape has already greatly improved since he started sitting up and crawling. 5 stars for the way this facility looks. Nice and bright and seemingly clean. 1 star for the used car saleslady who told us our son couldn't turn his head at all when really he was so disinterested in the toy she showed him. His pediatrician and geneticist laughed when I told them. Moral of the story, do what's right for your kid and family, you know best and don't forget to research. read more

Worst customer service you will ever experience. They will tell inevitably tell you that your baby needs a band and provide you with an official looking document with measurements showing just how 'severe' your baby's case of plagiocephaly is. Beware!! These measurements are EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE and can be manipulated to place your baby into the 'needs a band' category. They will respond by saying that they run your baby's images through a 'sophisticated' 3D computer program, inferring that the program automatically takes the measurements. Not the case at all!! Someone (i.e. an 'engineer' sitting in a remote room in Pheonix) manually selects points on the images of your baby's head and then the software program records the measurements. Highly unscientific! I highly recommend exploring other options and seeking the opinions of other physicians. read more

Wow horrible service trying to get an appointment... Took 3 days for them to finally answer the phone after leaving multiple messages... Finally got an appointment set and then "Nicole" calls me back saying sorry NEVERMIND that slot is already taken, then we settle for a different day and time and she calls me back again saying sorry we can't to that day or time anymore... Then we settle for another day another time and an hour before my appointment the same Nicole girl calls and said that their machine broke therefore they can't put me on the schedule until a week and half later. Basically I'm getting kicked off their schedule because their machine broke and I have to deal with it and wait a week and half!!! What kind of system is this? Then I settle for next Monday at 3pm and no joke Nicole calls me back 10 minutes later saying sorry we actually can't do that time!!!!!!!! Are you serious? So then I ask to speak with a manager and some uneducated younger lady gets on the phone, very disrespectful and just had useless information for me. No thanks, I shall go with a different company that can get it together! read more