Parents expect a lot when they have their children go into therapy, whether it is occupational therapy or speech and/or language therapy and physical therapy.
Of course, they expect a lot because they pay a lot of money to be able to get these services for their children.
Here in the Philippines, parents/families of children receiving therapy services pay for these services, unlike those children in other countries who get these as part of their tax benefits.
Getting into these therapy services don’t mean instant relief and instant improvement of the developmental and behavioral problems that need to be addressed.
So what should parents expect during the first few weeks of therapy?
Below are a few observations I have made during the course of working with these therapists:
Expect crying, lots of it, especially for the younger children (ages 3 and below)
- These crying bouts will persist from the first session to sometimes well into the 10th or even beyond. Do not fear for the children are either adjusting to being with a new adult, or they are probably testing this adult’s patience to see how the therapists will react. Young children can be very manipulative, it seems. Just observe an infant who cries the moment he/she is laid on a bed but quiets when picked up.
- They do not readily understand why they have to be taught to do things because they are used to playing and doing things their way. And why not? They would definitely cry if they can’t get a toy they want if they have to do a hand gesture of “give” or say “give” first. Of course, these thins are difficult especially when they are used to getting their own way.
- They cry because they resist what is being asked of them like sitting, asking for things and not grabbing these things, following verbal instructions, establishing eye contact, packing away the toys/materials that they have played with.
- They cry because they do not want to do the vocalizations they need to be able to produce sounds which will later on be words that they can say.
- They cry because everything is new to them, the therapists, the place, the tasks and the different stimulation that they see around them.
So parents, do not be upset if your children cry during the first few weeks of therapy. In due time, they will enjoy doing these things and with your help, they would be able to achieve the goals that have been set for them.
This entry was posted on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 7:25 am and is filed under ADHD, Autism, behavior modification, Being a (Special Ed) Teacher, Down Syndrome, Giftedness, Language Development, Learning Disabilities, mental retardation, My Thoughts, Parenting, special education, Teaching Techniques. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
