Resources
Caregivers and Therapy
1. How can caregivers help?
Caregivers are cheerleaders who motivate clients to persevere especially when therapy becomes challenging. Caregivers (including siblings and helpers) are also good partners for play and practise of therapy at home.
2. How can fathers be involved in therapy?
Both parents are recommended to attend sessions, especially for preschool clients. This facilitates caregiver education and training to learn strategies that can be useful at home.
With more fathers attending therapy sessions, the home program can be shared between parents based on their individual strengths. At the same time, parents can be on the same page and support each other when upbringing practises benefit from adjustment.
How progress is measured
1. What is generalisation?
Generalisation refers to the application of skills, adaptability and reflection. Many clients can tell what they have learnt and why. However, the ability to apply those skills when the situation calls for it, can be challenging.
2. How is progress measured?
Progress depends on the goals, severity of issues and opportunities for practise. It can be measured objectively through testing and/or subjectively based on the feedback from the client, family members, teachers and others who interact with the client. Both objective and subjective feedback are equally important.
Additionally, the ease and consistency with which core speech and/or language tasks are carried out are useful indicators too. These are some measures that caregivers can bear in mind when discussing progress with their therapist.
3. When does therapy end?
In best case scenarios, therapy ends when the goal(s) of therapy or expectations have been met and the client can sustain progress independently. Other common reasons for ending therapy include a plateau in a client’s progress, scheduling conflicts or financial constraints.
While it may feel less awkward to discontinue sessions, ignore phone calls or email, it provides closure to be upfront and inform the therapist that you are considering stopping therapy. Often therapists are more than happy to discharge clients who are ready. After all, therapists work towards discharge as this is evidence that therapy has been effective.
An open discussion provides both the client and therapist a chance to acknowledge the work that both parties have put in to get to where they are. In most cases, it can feel bittersweet to consider terminating therapy as a relationship has been built. It can be unsettling, anxiety provoking even. Yet, the end of therapy is cause for celebration.
It can take one to two sessions to discuss how to transition the client to suitable mainstream activities to ensure maintenance and/or continued growth so that the discharge process is comfortable and empowering. This is especially valuable when a client requests to be discharged against the therapist’s advice.
At times, a therapist may suggest terminating therapy if they deem that they are unable to provide adequate care or when a client has plateaued. In this case, the therapist will likely refer the client to another therapist who may be better suited to their evolving needs.
Play
1. Is play really that important?
Play is hard wired into our brains to foster learning and adaptability. Additionally, play promotes pleasure, confidence, socio-emotional balance and resilience. It also mitigates teenage depression, anxiety and law offences. Analysis of our child’s play allows us to identify their strengths and talents.
Play is not just for kids. Much research has found that adults who are playful have increased group cohesion, creativity and innovation, motivation, quality of life, decreased computer anxiety, positive workplace attitude, job satisfaction and cognitive performance.
Read more at the National Institute for Play
2. How is play related to language?
Play takes many forms — sensory, exploratory, physical, constructive, competitive, cooperative, fantasy, play with rules and more. Therefore, it is easy to see how play develops the whole child from birth through childhood.
Fantasy or pretend play in particular has been found to be vital to cognitive development as it cultivates imagination, creativity, self-regulation, problem solving and abstract thinking.
Language acquisition also requires the child to learn and practise these same skills. Therefore, children with language delays are likely to have immature pretend play. However, children with only expressive language delay may have good pretend play as their understanding and thinking are not affected.
Growth Mindset
1. What is a growth mindset?
Scientists have proven that our thoughts and practicing new ways of thinking can reshape our brains. This breakthrough has transformed our understanding of how we can change habits, increase happiness, improve health and even our genetics!
The human brain is estimated to have 100 billion neurons making a total of 100 trillion neural connections. These neural connections are like hiking trails. Just as a path becomes well-worn every time a hiker walks on it, every thought and feeling you have strengthens specific neural pathways. Similarly, when we actively examine our mistakes, we create new neural pathways that physically change our brain and mentally alter our attitudes towards failure. Cultivating a growth mindset can determine how we cope with life’s challenges. Setbacks, mistakes and failures are all opportunities for do-overs; to look
at challenges from a fresh perspective.
Read more at https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/mindsets.html
2. What is a fixed mindset?
A fixed mindset is the idea that our abilities are finite. Our personality, intelligence and talents are limited to what we “are born with”. These limited views hinder opportunities to reach our full potential.
Remember the times when learning was natural and small accomplishments spurred us on? We also remember when learning was difficult and we think, “I can’t do this, it’s too difficult!’ or “ It’s too
science-y.” or “I’m just not creative…”.
These thoughts reinforce that mistakes are bad and mean failure. Challenges are avoided because it could show weakness. A fixed mindset amplifies success and failure. When setbacks occurs, as is common in life, this type of thinking is more likely to cause individuals to slide into a cycle of low
self-esteem and hopelessness.
Fixed Mindsets
• Focused on getting the right answer and
perceived as being smart
• Fear of judgment and not living up to
expectations
Growth Mindsets
• Focused on exploring, new experiences and
challenges
• Perceive mistakes as being part of learning and
the more mistakes made, the more we learn
Read more at https://bit.ly/3lzix44
3. How can we parent with a growth mindset?
Most of us have a combination of fixed and growth mindset; we are not all fixed or all growth mindset only. On a day-to-day basis, we may encourage our children to learn from their mistakes or to look for opportunities to turn a situation around. However, the moment our children come home with an unsatisfactory result, we switch to a fixed mindset faster than we can say “Jekyll and Hyde”. Suddenly, we are reprimanding them for not putting in sufficient effort and practise.
While a growth mindset is about living up to one’s potential, it is not about telling children that they can achieve anything they put their minds to. Dweck notes that having a growth mindset does not involve believing that anyone can become anything they want with enough education and effort. Not everyone can become Einstein or Mozart just because they try.
What we advocate and practise influence our children. Giving ourselves space to learn from and modelling grace when we make mistakes, teach our children more effectively than lecturing them. Teaching them how to show effort when circumstances are tough, will foster perseverance.
Without acknowledging that success depends on several factors, we end up teaching children that they did not achieve because they did not put in enough effort. This is an equally damaging perspective to send our children out into the world with. In the world of superheroes, parents are the true superheroes. Shaping a child’s world views into ones that promote independence, perseverance, compassion and patience can feel like a tall order. With a family mindset of growth, parenting can be an exploration of
firsts and unknowns.
Read more at https://teacherbooker.com/three-things-most-people-dont-grasp-about-growth-mindset/
Complementary Therapies
1. Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
ABA therapy is a systematic process of analysing and modifying behaviour using various techniques and strategies. By studying the relationship between behaviour and the environment, ABA therapists tailor their approach to meet the specific needs of each individual. ABA therapy comprises breaking down complex skills into smaller, more manageable chunks, teaching each step in a structured manner.
Designed to promote positive behaviours and skills while reducing behaviours that may be harmful or hinder learning, ABA has been highly successful with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
2. Breathwork
Research has found that breathwork has a positive impact on learning by reducing stress, improving concentration, enhancing memory, regulating emotions, promoting mindfulness and better sleep. All of these increase cognitive performance. Different breathing techniques will resonate with different people. It is important to try out different techniques to discover which works for you.
3. Counselling
A trained counsellor or therapist provides support, guidance and a safe space for clients to explore their thoughts, emotions and challenges. The primary goal of counselling is to help clients understand themselves better, cope with difficulties and make positive changes in their lives.
Various techniques and approaches are used to address wide-ranging issues such as mental health, personal relationships, personal growth and life transitions. Individuals talk about their experiences, gain insight and develop strategies to improve their well-being and achieve their goals. Counselling can be short or long-term depending the client’s needs and nature of issues being addressed.
4. Myofunctional Therapy
MFT therapy consists of exercises aimed at improving facial, mouth and tongue muscles to enhance speech clarity, breathing, chewing and swallowing. As chewing and swallowing skills improve, digestion is enhanced which aids the absorption of nutrients that support brain growth and learning. Correcting mouth breathing to promote nasal breathing oxygenates the brain to maintain attention and focus. This also improves sleep quality and cognitive function. Therefore, better learning outcomes and overall well-being is achieved.
5. Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy aims to help individuals of all ages to develop, maintain or recover skills needed for daily living and school. Examples of these skills include:
• Gross motor e.g. balance, coordination and movement
• Fine motor e.g. grasping toys, writing, using the scissors
• Self-help e.g. toileting, dressing, feeding, showering
• Sensory processing e.g. regulating attention, emotions and interpreting sensory input
A child with speech-language difficulties can experience related low muscle tone, incoordination, poor attention and sensory processing difficulties. These result in difficulties filtering out background noise, regulating emotions, learning to write, low stamina in the classroom, in sports and more.
6. Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy is crucial for children with injuries or conditions that affect their physical growth.
Examples include:
• Cerebral plasy
• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Spina bifida
• Cystic fibrosis
• Autism and other developmental delays
Physiotherapists use a range of exercises, stretches and play-based activities to improve:
• Mobility, strength and balance
• Flexibility and range of motion
• Posture and alignment
• Gross motor coordination e.g. walking, running, jumping
• Pain and inflammation
• Rehabilitation after surgery or injury
Early intervention can significantly enhance a child’s long-term development and quality of life.
7. Sound Therapy
Sound based therapy is often part of occupational therapy. There are several sound based therapy programs that occupational therapists use. They aim to improve auditory processing, sensory integration, communication and overall well-being.
Sound therapy works by retraining the brain’s response to sound frequencies. It involves listening to specially modulated music through headphones in a controlled manner. The music is customised to the individual’s auditory profile.
Sound therapy can benefit most children with developmental issues, learning disorders and auditory processing difficulties. It has also been found to be useful in helping both children and adults regulate emotions.
8. Vision Therapy
Vision therapy is not an indication of problems with vision. Often vision can be perfect but the way our brain processes what we see can be different. Carried out by a qualified eye care professional or vision therapist, vision therapy is a series of exercises to improve visual processing. This has implications for attention, reading, writing and learning.
With vision therapy, better hand-eye coordination facilitates activities like handwriting, typing and playing sports. Improved visual skills can lead to better tracking and focus which helps with reading speed and comprehension. Increased concentration also makes it easier for students to stay on task in the classroom and while studying. Other benefits include reduced eye strain and fatigue especially with increased screen time.
Visual memory and processing are enhanced especially for tasks that involve recalling visual information. Visual-perceptual skills are addressed in vision therapy to better interpret and make sense of what is seen.