Hi everyone!
Once again, it's the holidays! And that means...vacation time! This generally means two things for therapy: one: your child with special needs will spend more of his time at home, and two: he will spend even less time with his speech pathologist.
While practicing as a speech pathologist, I've noticed that in our country, children with special needs receive therapy mostly from either private clinics or big hospitals. Another trend I've noticed is that financial constraints generally limit speech therapy sessions to once a week. Some kids get to attend their various study sessions (including occupational or physical therapy sessions, home therapy sessions, extra-curricular classes at school, on-the-job trainings, summer classes, music classes, dance classes, etc.--whew! that's a lot!) more than once a week. But the majority cannot do so.
These observations have reinforced in me what my enlightened college professors have told us before: carry-over of therapy goals at home is as important, if not more important, than attending therapy sessions. Since the child spends most of his time at home, the family must continue teaching him what he has been taught by his therapist.
"Carry-over at home is as important, if not more important, than attending therapy sessions."
I've noticed that children, though they each do have their own pace of learning, generally learn faster and better when their parents and families actively participate in therapy and do carry-over at home. In line with this observation, and with the recommendations of my therapist friends (yes, it's you guys!), I will be dedicating a series of posts in order to help give parents a starting point in carrying-over speech goals at home.
"I've noticed that children...generally learn faster and better when their parents...do carry-over [of therapy goals] at home."
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Parents who actively try and get themselves involved in their children's therapy is a therapist's best friend! Even as I quaked in my boots as an intern (figuratively speaking of course, it's much too hot to ever wear boots in the Philippines unless we're talking about plastic boots for all those floods) when faced with a parent who's asking a lot of questions regarding their child's therapy goals, progress, activities, etc., I've always heaved a really really big sigh of relief afterwards because of this: I know the child's parents are putting in as much effort into their child's progress as I am.
However, parents who are first-timers in the business (usually those whose children have just been diagnosed, or those whose kids have just started any kind of therapy with no prior experience) tend to be less actively involved than the ones who have experience with therapy for years already. I believe it's partly because they're rather overwhelmed, and partly because it's Filipino culture to be passive when faced with a professional opinion (think of all those doctor appointments where you really can't follow what the doctor is explaining but are too reserved to voice questions).
However, parents who are first-timers in the business (usually those whose children have just been diagnosed, or those whose kids have just started any kind of therapy with no prior experience) tend to be less actively involved than the ones who have experience with therapy for years already. I believe it's partly because they're rather overwhelmed, and partly because it's Filipino culture to be passive when faced with a professional opinion (think of all those doctor appointments where you really can't follow what the doctor is explaining but are too reserved to voice questions).
"I know the child's parents are putting in as much effort into their child's progress as I am."
I encourage all parents to not be afraid to ask. Ask your doctors to explain the meaning of that laboratory test, ask your therapist their goals for your child, ask other parents about how they deal with their children. Ask, and ask away. Genuine curiosity is richly rewarded: you learn more about your child's needs, and therefore how to address them.
"I encourage all parents to not be afraid to ask...Genuine curiosity is richly rewarded."
So for you parents, in my next post I've scrounged up a list of a few toys (easily available and rather cheap too!) which you can use at home to target various therapy goals which might be your child's goals. For more suggestions on how to use toys you already have at home in ways which are more tailor made for your child, don't be afraid to chat up your speech therapist!
Stay tuned for my next post!
Source of photo and a great site to visit: http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/plan/common-treatments-and-therapies/speech-therapy/
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