Navigating Therapies

NAVIGATING THE THERAPIES

Therapy is a wonderful thing, It helped Elizabeth grow and achieve so many goals. But there are some things I wish I would have known when we began our journey. Below are some of the more general ones:

– As wonderful as therapy is, the therapist has to be one you feel comfortable with and one who shares your same vision for your child

-That therapy does not fix the problem the first time you go.

-That a longer therapy session is not always the answer, sometimes 30 good minutes is better than 60 minutes of a struggle.

-That therapy needs good follow up by the parents or guardians.

-That taking notes and asking questions is always a good thing.
Our therapies include Speech, Occupational therapy, Therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder, Music-listening therapy from Advanced Brain Technologies, Cranial-Sacral Therapy (Upledger Institute), special gym instruction. I will visit each of these as time goes on… Please keep checking
Speech-
We have been in speech therapy since Elizabeth was two and a half years old. When we started speech initially, I did not realize there were many kinds of speech therapy. There is therapy to help a child talk in every day conversation, in everyday situations, there is a kind of speech that helps the clarity of your child’s words, there is the kind that helps the muscles of your child’s mouth to work better. Some therapists do more than one kind, some do not. It is very important to find the right fit for your child’s needs. It is important to do some research into what speech facilities or therapists are available in your area. We started off with one on one speech therapy. Our wonderful therapist worked out of her home and it was a perfect fit for our needs.

It is important to talk to the therapist and or a person at the facility to describe your child to them and see if you feel they can meet your child’s needs. I am a firm believer in listening to one’s instincts and if they are positive about the therapist or the facility then you are off to a good start. More to come about how to manage your speech “homework”

Homework
We all hated it as kids and as a parent it is kind of overwhelming to fit it into your day. I have always maintained that good organization if so important in managing the follow-up therapy at home. I cover this in better detail in the book. But get a notebook or folder and write down what is said to you as it is being said…trust me you will not remember it all and even if you think you will you won’t.
I then ask questions of the therapist as to how to work the “homework” in the days activities….like if you are working on a certain sound then as you cook or do a puzzle you can focus on the sound then and your will have done some of the homework…

I felt it was important to make it part of the day or else it was not going to get done and AND IT NEEDS TO GET DONE. So much of the success of speech is the follow-up at home. It takes work but it can be done………. Please check back for more soon…thanks

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