speech therapy at home

amother

Thu, May 29 2008, 10:14 pm

I am interested in getting early intervention services for ds, particularly for speech. Can anyone share their experiences with this? How does it work out in terms of the therapist coming into your home? What do they really do with kids who are not even quite two yet? Dh is a bit hesitant --what if we don't like the person, what if we hate the intrusion and all.

ChavieK

Thu, May 29 2008, 11:31 pm

If you don't like the therapist you can ask for another. Coming to the house has it's plusses & minuses. When ds was a baby I could watch the therapists & fold laundry, run & check on the food...While still see what they were doing with him. otoh I was stuck being home at hours that mey not have been the best,or I would have been going out to appts even when the time didn't suit me. So overall the home visits are good

flowerpower

Thu, May 29 2008, 11:48 pm

Theres a service coordinater that you deal withfrom when you apply up until your dc gets discharged. She helps you with whatever you need help and guidance with and with all your concerns with therapists and all. First someone evaluates your child. Then theres a meeting with someone from the city-not scary. She will tell you what you are approved for. You have to click with the therapist. If you are not happy then tell the coordinater, she will take care of it.

Last edited by flowerpower on Fri, May 30 2008, 12:25 am; edited 1 time in total

Mama Bear

Thu, May 29 2008, 11:50 pm

I had Ot and Pt for my son from when he was six months (OT) and 18 months (PT) til he was 2. My experience was mostly good. I worked with a phenomenal agency (Step by Step) who did everything they could and beyond that, to help me. When I got a substitute therapist for the summer and fell in love with her methods, the agency helped me quietly dismiss the first one. When the first Pt and I ttoally didnt click, she helped me get a new one. WIth the OTs the timing always worked; when my baby was six months - 1 year I ahd the 12 noon slot which was good cuz that was usuallyb etween naps, and if he was still sleeping the therapoist would come a bit later. they are usually pretty flexible about changing a schedule if your child is unavailable. the 2nd OT came at 10 a.m. which was even better. With the PT it was a bit more challenging cuz one came at 2:15 pm and the other at 3 pm and he was asleep more often than not then and we endede up cancelingn too manys essions.

what a ST can do with a <2 year old? A LOT!!! They play with the child, age appropriate toys, engaged him/her in some interaction - it's great for the mother, that half hour I usually got a welcome break to eat lunch or do something around the house. Sometimes I'd be involved and watch, sometimes I wouldn't. I'd say go for it, it's uusally a pleasant experience and very helpful.

amother

Thu, May 29 2008, 11:54 pm

Thanks for the responses. I gues dh is sort of a "private person". He hesitates to invite someone into our house/life who he sort of percieves would be looking, thinking, judging (he's not paranoid, just private Smile

). He keeps asking, how do they teach a two year old? Is that actually possible? I don't know, he's not so old fashioned in general, but he seems really iffy about this whole concept. I just wanted to get an idea of the issues, good and bad, that come up in these situations.

Mama Bear

Fri, May 30 2008, 12:14 am

eh - the therapists never bother looking around at your house, prying, engaging you in personal conversations - they come in, spend thirty minutes in therapy with the kid, have you sign the paper and leave... it's your choice if youw ant to become friendly with the therapist... I loved my son's 2nd OT so much I still email her a year after we were discharged!

your therapist wont intrude into your life, dont worry.

mandksima

Fri, May 30 2008, 12:40 am

From birth, my DD had a speech therapist in the hospital that worked with feeding/swallowing issues. I suppose it is what you're used to. We had people coming in left and right because we had no choice and needed the medical services. Speech therapists help with the forming of words and sounds when they are young. 2 years old is normal for early intervention.

In the end it is all about what is best for your child. Are you able to bring your child to another place for therapy and would you rather? I found it so helpful that the therapists came to our house and they were flexible with the timing. We had PT. OT, speech and visual come to the house for a few years. We developed relationships with them and often, depending on the neighborhood, they were even frum sometimes. We are also private people but the needs for our kids outweighed the necessity to remain private. The therapists were really nice and never intruded. They were very respectful. If there is another choice like bringing your child somewhere and you prefer that, fine but please don't deny your child needed services from a great agency based on your preference for privacy. Children of all ages, the younger the better actually, make great strides with indivual therapy. My 7 year olds are still receiving it but in the school setting now.

Twizzlers

Fri, May 30 2008, 12:25 pm

therapy is great and can only do good for the child. ds is currently receiving speech, OT, and special ed and he's only 20 months! basically u can do the same things that they do but a new person with new toys is more exciting for the child and more incentive for them to do what you want them to do.

I also did not like the idea of having to deal with people in my living room (especially since I always have toys around and he would end up getting distracted from waht the therapist was doing) and I didnt want to have to put away all the toys 9 times a week!
so I asked them if they could please work in his room. which has no toys, and no distractions. they shut the door, and I have a half hour to myself which is great.

they can usually work out a schedule that works for everyone, and if u dont like a therapist, your service coordinator can get u a diff one.

I use yeled v'yalda and am very happy.

NotInNJMommy

Fri, May 30 2008, 1:34 pm

I have friends who've had for their children, and only heard good things. I never heard much about the therapist, more about the child's progress. The therapists always looked friendly and happy when I'd seem them in our development.

There is a lot to do with developing speech with a 2 yr old, and overall, it's much better to get help now while it's in our home.

For older children (3+ yrs), often the only early intervention services can be in public schools. Maybe Brooklyn has more options though. I've never lived there.

costanza

Fri, May 30 2008, 2:14 pm

My son needed speech therapy and began at age 2 yrs. 9 months. I also thought he was still such a baby, but in the first few sessions he made progress.

I never had the therapist come to my house, I always went to them. And I would recomment that you observe the entire lesson. 30 minutes a week will be useless if you don't follow up with daily homework and practice. It took my son until he was over 6 to achieve all of his sounds. It was expenseive and trying at times, but I don't doubt that he would never speek properly if not for that therapy.

Also, I don't know your child's particular issue, but my son had a gross motor delay. It also manifested itself as a problem when he began eating solids (which he couldn't do). If this is the case, we had HUGE success with the prompting method, whereby the therapist put her hands on his face and physically moved the muscels needed to make the sounds. It was a bit invasive, not painful, but it worked wonders.

Good luck.