When your child is seeing a therapist, it’s only natural to want their sessions to be as productive as possible. After all, you’re not only paying good money, but it’s time your child will never get back.
Many therapies are effective, but patient results are largely influenced by a variety of factors. If you want your child to get the most benefits from their sessions, try these tips.
Best Results from Your Child’s Therapy
1. Get In-Home Therapy
In-home therapy can help your child thrive at home, school, and in their community more than traditional appointments in a therapist’s office. Especially where ABA therapy for kids with autism is concerned, sessions conducted at home automatically put your child at ease. Anxiety can be a massive barrier to results, and many kids feel uneasy attending traditional therapy appointments. Prioritizing your child’s comfort will go a long way regarding their success with a program.
Another benefit to in-home therapy is the ability to address behaviors that only happen at home. When a therapist provides treatment in your house, they’ll be able to address issues in real-time. These particular behaviors may not happen anywhere else.
Having someone come to your house is also easier than traveling even short distances. It takes time and energy to get your child ready for an outside appointment, but it’s almost effortless to prepare them for an in-home session.
The easier it is to facilitate therapy for your child, the more likely they will do well.
2. Request Frequent Feedback
Take an active role in your child’s progress and request feedback to learn how they’re doing. Don’t just settle for short answers like, “they’re doing well.” Ask for details so you know exactly where your child is succeeding and where they need improvement.
Knowing exactly how your child is doing will allow you to change therapists or request different techniques when something isn’t working. Of course, it’s best to leave progress assessments up to professionals, but if you sense something is wrong, or it’s taking an unusually long time to see any progress, you may want to get a second opinion. Your child will only get results when they’re placed in the right program with the right therapist.
3. Take Part in Developing your Child’s Plan
For the most part, your child’s therapy strategy will be developed by professionals, but you should have a say in certain areas. For example, if your child has autism, the therapist needs to know their specific sensory triggers and where they struggle the most. Most issues will be observable during the initial assessment, but not all.
Although your input can help your child, don’t try to take over the plan. You have to strike a balance between getting involved and allowing professionals to do their job. It’s important to know when to leave things to the pros.
4. Tell your Child Therapy isn’t a Punishment
Sometimes kids internalize therapy sessions as some kind of punishment or the result of something they’ve done wrong. This is more common with older kids, but it happens to young kids, too.
Make sure you explain to your child that therapy isn’t a punishment, they aren’t in trouble, and they haven’t done anything wrong. Present therapy as something that will help them in ways that make sense to them. For example, if your child struggles in school, explain how therapy will help them develop sharper focus so they can be present with the lessons and follow along.
5. Try Different Therapies and Therapists
Therapy won’t work if your child refuses to interact with their therapist. If you notice that your child is heavily resistant to a particular person, consider requesting a different professional. It’s not worth fighting to force a connection. You probably won’t be able to convince your child to open up to someone they don’t like, and they might not be able to explain why they have so much resistance toward someone.
Likewise, if a particular form of therapy doesn’t seem to be working, or your child won’t participate, consider switching to a different therapy. Some therapies work great for certain people, but not for others.
Keep experimenting and go with what works
Getting your child into the right kind of therapy can take time and you may need to experiment with a few programs and professionals. However, when you find something that works, you’ll know because the results will speak for themselves.
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