Where the Magic Happens
As speech therapists we often hear the work we do and the impact it has on each child referred to as *magic*. It’s almost as if we sprinkle magic dust in our sessions and communication happens. We truly wish it was this easy, however it’s when we implement evidence based strategies (based on research) for facilitating language development that creates the most magical moments. These moments happen when a child learns that
interaction with others is an amazing experience
there are other people around him that are interested and ready to engage and interact
she can use communication to get her message across and have a shared interaction (whether it be through eye contact, gestures, vocalisations, words, or sentences).
How do we get to this point? you may ask. Simple, we make magic together! Our main goal as therapists is to work closely with you as parents/caregivers and teach you the various strategies for enhancing the interactions with your child. We model, then coach you through the various ways to keep the interaction going, giving feedback along the way. Most importantly we want you to leave the session with the confidence that you can do this at home throughout the week. This is where the magic happens!
Studies have shown that children, particularly those with Autism, benefit more from approximately 25 hours of intervention per week. This does not mean 25 hours of services, but can come from direct interaction with caregivers during play together, daily routines, shared reading, time driving in the car etc. This is why we encourage families to continue building on strategies throughout the week after they leave the therapy session. It has been proven to work over the years.
For this week’s action plan we have 2 simple activities for you:
Think of your daily interactions with your little one through the day. How can you enhance interaction and build language through these activities. Can you think of 10 different routines?
Some great moments are bath time, getting dressed, mealtime, diaper change/toilet time, cleaning up, going in the car, outdoor play and exploration, bedtime, cooking and meal prep.
Take some time this week to get down on the floor and play with your little one. Getting to his level allows you to connect more easily and allows you to tune in to each other’s messages. Give some time to listen to what your child is telling you without asking lots of questions (we’ll talk about this in another post).
Think of this week as learning more about your child’s communication, as well as your opportunities for communication throughout the day. I also want to encourage you to journal these moments. Reflect on how your child responded (it can be bad or good), and how you interacted during each moment. How did she attempt to communicate? Reflection plays an integral role in our parent coaching model for facilitating language development.
For more information on routines check out our post on our sister site Ei-Oh.
and follow them on Instagram for more ideas.
Go ahead and sprinkle some magic dust on this week. We believe in you.