Our occupational therapy is designed to help children with special needs develop everyday skills. What is their occupation? Playing, learning, eating, socially interacting, brushing their teeth—all these things are important for children to learn. With occupational therapy, we help your child reach their highest potential by teaching them how to participate in normal activities most people take for granted. In order for your child to get the most out of their therapy sessions, we recommend the following:
Tell Us Their Story
The best way for your child’s therapist to be able to help is to tell them about your child’s history. A therapist needs to know about medical history as well as any details of previous types of therapy. Also, tell them about what your child does and doesn’t like. The better the therapist knows your child, the more successful and meaningful sessions can be.
Set Some Goals
Since you know best what your child struggles with, only you can know what they need to work on the most. If you know your child struggles in a specific area, set some goals for your child with their therapist. By setting specific goals, you can know that therapy sessions won’t be wasted on improving a skill your child doesn’t struggle with as much.
Communicate with Your Therapist
To make sure you and your child’s therapist are always on the same page when it comes to your child’s progress, keep communication going. Use a notebook to keep notes on any discussions you have with the therapist and anything you feel should be noted such as your child’s being unusually stressed or doing exceptionally well at home. Keeping notes and communicating can also help the therapist to know what’s gone on with your child since the last therapy session. To make sure your child’s therapist has time to talk, be sure to schedule a phone call or meeting.
Observe Sessions
Every once in a while, it can be good for you to sit in on a session to see how well your child is responding to therapy. Of course, if you do choose to observe, talk to the therapist beforehand to make sure you won’t be a distraction to your child.
Ask About Home Activities
Compared to the amount of time your child spends at home, occupational therapy sessions are relatively short. In order for your child to continue improving, ask your therapist if they can suggest any activities for your child to practice at home that can be implemented into their normal routine. The more they practice, the more likely your child is to improve their occupational skills.
Our hope is to see every child in our Aquatic Therapy program succeed. To help your child get the most out of therapy, always keep your therapist informed and updated on your child’s progress. Every child’s needs are unique, which is why communication is important to growing your child to their highest potential.
