Our practice model is primarily a co-treatment model. This means that a client receives both Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy at the same time. So what are the benefits of this model?
First off, we are both working toward the same common goal of making your child as independent as possible in their life. For kids with anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder, communication disorder, sensory processing disorder and a whole host of other diagnoses, the first step is to make you comfortable in your own skin. If your sensory system is on high alert, you are not going to sit and have a conversation about it. Think about if you were walking down a dark alley in a large city that you had neve been in. Now picture it being dark outside and you don't have your phone with you. Finally, you hear strange noises. If someone approaches you in this situation, you are not going to stop and talk to them because your body is telling you that you are not safe. Instead, you will likely be in fight or flight mode, looking to find a more familiar area where you will feel safe. There are times when this is exactly how children with sensory processing disorder feel. They are not going to just sit in a speech session and work on communication, they first need to feel safe and get the sensory input that their body is seeking. When you feel good, you can concentrate on those communication and social skills.
On the flip side, there are many times that I will try to explain something and the child will not understand. That is where Tatia will step in to help provide the words that they will understand. I worked solo with a 4 year old, trying to get her to put a bead on a string for fine motor skills. She could not get it on, and it was not until I had a student working with her that I realized that is was not a fine motor problem, but rather a comprehension issue. I told her to pull the string up toward the ceiling and she immediately got the bead on the string. After that session, I called Tatia and told her that I needed her to see this child with me. We continue to see this client and she is now a young adult. There are still times that I need Tatia to help with the explanation of the activity that we are working on, because these comprehension issues persist. However, given the right words, this client can move on and continue to work on the activity.
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month and I'm handing over the blogging to Tatia for the next month. Having the ability to see kids together in a co-treatment has definitely made me a better therapist and made both of our jobs more effective. I encourage everyone to read more about Speech Language Therapists and what makes them unique. I'm biased, but I think I work with the best of what's around!
First off, we are both working toward the same common goal of making your child as independent as possible in their life. For kids with anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder, communication disorder, sensory processing disorder and a whole host of other diagnoses, the first step is to make you comfortable in your own skin. If your sensory system is on high alert, you are not going to sit and have a conversation about it. Think about if you were walking down a dark alley in a large city that you had neve been in. Now picture it being dark outside and you don't have your phone with you. Finally, you hear strange noises. If someone approaches you in this situation, you are not going to stop and talk to them because your body is telling you that you are not safe. Instead, you will likely be in fight or flight mode, looking to find a more familiar area where you will feel safe. There are times when this is exactly how children with sensory processing disorder feel. They are not going to just sit in a speech session and work on communication, they first need to feel safe and get the sensory input that their body is seeking. When you feel good, you can concentrate on those communication and social skills.
On the flip side, there are many times that I will try to explain something and the child will not understand. That is where Tatia will step in to help provide the words that they will understand. I worked solo with a 4 year old, trying to get her to put a bead on a string for fine motor skills. She could not get it on, and it was not until I had a student working with her that I realized that is was not a fine motor problem, but rather a comprehension issue. I told her to pull the string up toward the ceiling and she immediately got the bead on the string. After that session, I called Tatia and told her that I needed her to see this child with me. We continue to see this client and she is now a young adult. There are still times that I need Tatia to help with the explanation of the activity that we are working on, because these comprehension issues persist. However, given the right words, this client can move on and continue to work on the activity.
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month and I'm handing over the blogging to Tatia for the next month. Having the ability to see kids together in a co-treatment has definitely made me a better therapist and made both of our jobs more effective. I encourage everyone to read more about Speech Language Therapists and what makes them unique. I'm biased, but I think I work with the best of what's around!