Family fun & therapy:
BALANCING BREAKS AND GOALS School holidays – especially our long summer break - are a chance to relax, explore, and create lasting memories with the whole family. However, for parents of children with disabilities who require ongoing therapy, the holidays can also bring concern and anxiety about maintaining progress.
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irstly, don’t stress! A break, even an extended one, can actually be a good thing. We all need a little down time now and then – especially our kids who put in so much work in their therapy sessions. Therapy demands a lot physically and mentally from them and they deserve a break as much as anyone. No-one can learn continually 100 percent of the time and time off from therapy allows time for skills
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consolidation as well as reflection on goals and progress made so far. Plus, summer is a time for FUN! If you do want to keep some skills practice going however, albeit in a lighter, more relaxed way, here are some familyfriendly ideas you can easily incorporate into your days.
SET CLEAR GOALS Discuss with your child’s therapists and create a list of specific goals you’d like to work on during the holidays, such as improving fine motor skills, speech articulation, balance, or emotional well-being. It’s a good idea to share your holiday plans and factor those into your goals, as you’ll need to consider the environment and access to tools and resources. Remember, you don’t want to overwhelm yourself or overschedule your child – so narrow it down to one or two goals and incorporate them with your holiday plans.
HOME-BASED ACTIVITIES Incorporating therapy-based activities into your daily routine is an easy and fun way to keep up the momentum during the holidays. You can adapt activities your child is familiar with, or try some of these at home: • Holiday-themed arts and crafts • S ensory activities such as playing with slime, kinetic sand, or water beads • Pool activities to continue physiotherapy • Storytelling and reading aloud • P uzzles and board games for problemsolving and social skills Make it fun and simple and enjoy quality family time while maintaining your progress.
THERAPIST RECOMMENDATIONS Reach out to your child’s therapists and ask for suggestions on home-based activities that can supplement their regular sessions. Make sure you discuss your holiday plans so they can tailor