How to Provide Therapy for Children who need Early

How to Provide Therapy for Children who need Early Intervention?

Vanessa Boucher Stevenson

1. How does providing therapy for children make me feel?

My passion is to help children foster mentally, socially, and physically. It brings joy to my life with great fulfillment, when the child has modified his or her behavior. It is also rewarding to bring a smile on a child’s face and their parents faces that gives them a sign of hope. Although, there are parents who have an issue with others commenting about their child, along with the notion of shame. My desire is to give hope to all the parents and families that I serve and to build a strong support team for the child being helped. When I work with a child who is non-verbal, lacks language or suffers a speech impediment/delay, it gives me great joy to witness the growth and development of language and seeing the child work well in a structured setting that they begin to spell words and starts speaking in sentences. In fact, watching the parents put the work in at home and carry over the strategies which was modeled for them whether its ABA, (Applied Behavior Analysis), or different methodologies that ultimately will create change for the betterment of the child, is extremely rewarding. Therefore, as a practitioner, it is important to take pride in what I do, and I enjoy and embrace each second and moment of it.

2.How do you provide parents with strategies to care for the challenged child?

It is important to engage the parents and establish a trusting relationship with each individual child. Making all the parents comfortable via communicating goals and outcomes for their child and how we as a team will be able to reach each goal. Parental involvement is key and necessary for the developmental growth of the child. Indeed, it is my duty to provide support for all of my parents by explaining and modeling the methodologies that can be used to change behaviors and that will bring about positive results. My parents must be able to understand each goal that is set forth for their child and be able to ask questions if there is still a need for clarity because we must all be on the same page for the child’s sake. I enjoy explaining and modeling the strategies for the parents and allowing the parents to imitate the strategies that I have modeled, just to ensure they completely understand. I take my work seriously and I want the best possible outcome for my families that I serve on a daily basis. I want to see a non-verbal child become verbal, and

be able to sit down and attend in a structured environment, as well as demonstrate excellent eye contact. Overall, ultimately following directions, which would lead to the increase of language because of all of the prerequisites noted above.

3. When does it become challenging to deal with the parents?

It can be extremely challenging when I am providing strategies for parents to use in the most difficult times to help with modifying the children’s behaviors. An example of this, would be if the child is a chronic attention seeker for the parents. The child would cry to obtain the parents’ attention; cry to gain access to things, instead of using words, (to communicate), or gestures (to point or sign). The child just engages in negative behavior only to get the parents to respond with hugs, kisses, or other forms of attention from the parent to the child. It’s difficult to explain to any parents why it’s necessary not to do certain actions with the child, when the child is engaged with negative behaviors. Parents usually have difficult times seeing their children cry or behave in a tantrum manner; this would often make a parent uncomfortable in the presence of a therapist. It is vital to teach parents how to redirect the child by using different strategies. Especially children who are engaged with behavioral issues. I am always honest with the parents and transparent through conversations without judging the parent’s parenting style. I am endeavored to encourage and enlighten all of my parents with the facts and strategies to help them cope with all behaviors. Behaviors such as crying, tantrums, spitting, hitting, busy bodies, running, throwing toys, rolling on the floor, kicking, screaming to the top of their voices. Even to the extent of the child causing self-injurious behavior such as the child punching the head. It is fascinating to explain to parents on how to eliminate the behaviors while the child is demonstrating the said behavior in the presence of the parents and the therapist. Examples of strategies are: giving the child a choice, redirecting the child, modeling positive behaviors, ignoring the child, but always making sure the child is safe. Providing the child with a new toy or activities that may spark the child’s interest. Providing sensory activities such as rice, beans, orbeez, sand, lights that can captivate the child’s attention, music and massages. However, refrain from restraining the child and always call for assistance to ensure the child is safe. It gives me great pleasure to see parents engaged and participate with the developmental growth of their children’s lives. When the parent is on board with implementing the strategies and they are consistent with the therapy, we will see positive results. The child will be able to cope with working in a structured environment. As he or she learns how to attend, demonstrate eye contact, point to request, and use sign language such as, “give me please”, and learn how to follow functional commands. Please remember it is necessary to be consistent with all therapy. Explain all the processes and strategies clearly so that all the parents will understand. It’s important to support the parent and to continually reinforce the importance of parents carrying over the strategies, molded by the practitioner. Great results will be seen on both sides.