Kylie Martin, co-director at Chatter-boxes Therapy Centre, Sunshine Coast, joins us with her experiences on how intensive speech pathology and occupational therapy over the summer break could give you something extra to celebrate this Christmas!
During the last school holidays, a colleague and I decided to approach speech pathology and occupational therapy a little differently for some of our clients. We decided to block off 2 – 3 hours of time and offer extended therapy sessions for some of our kiddos we thought would benefit from them.
We know that intensive therapy is associated with faster skill acquisition and improved retention rates. A study by Girolametto and Weitzman (2006) found that children with developmental delays showed greater improvements in language and social skills after participating in intensive speech and language intervention compared to those in regular time-limited weekly or fortnightly sessions.
Intensive therapy models designed for children with autism have demonstrated outcomes of significant improvements in social-communication skills and general developmental milestones (Landa et al. 2011).
Intensive intervention takes advantage of neuroplasticity, especially in early childhood when the brain is most adaptable. Research by Dawson et al. (2012) highlighted that children with developmental delays benefit from structured, high-frequency, high-intensity therapies, as these increase neuroplastic changes in the brain, enhancing the likelihood of long-term positive outcomes.
Finally, Case-Smith et al. (2011) found that children with motor impairments showed marked improvement in functional independence and motor skills following intensive and extended occupational therapy.
And easy approach to intensive therapy for families
We designed our sessions around family goals and functional activities such as:
- riding a bike
- brushing and plaiting my hair
- using the toilet
- building communication skills
Our extended sessions allowed us the opportunity to design a sequence of therapeutic activities that addressed all of these goals in a way where frequency and dose of trials were maximised and where the hierarchy of therapy could be broken down into very small steps and built upon within one session over and over again. And guess what – by the end, we had plaited hair, were going on bike rides in the park, could request, protest and comment using various alternate communication forms with minimal prompt and, best of all, have made some really good inroads to toileting independently.
Continuity and consistency in occupational therapy
Continuity and consistency are a cornerstone of effective therapy in all facets of speech pathology and occupational therapy, especially for children with developmental delays. Therapy provides a structured way for kids to develop skills, cope with challenges, and build a foundation for lifelong success. A good therapeutic relationship, trust, skill retention, and momentum for growth are the outcomes of a well-designed therapy strategy.
Don’t stop over Christmas!
So, as the Christmas Holidays sneak up on us, from my therapist’s heart, who has spent over 20 years working for the best interest and potential of kids on the Sunshine Coast, please don’t go cold turkey on your kid’s therapy over the holidays. A short break might be useful. But talk to your therapist about how you could change things over the holidays.
Maybe try an intensive or a group program, or go to the beach or the park. Pick one thing you would like to see change over the holidays, focus on that and have something extra to celebrate this Christmas!
About the author
Kylie Martin is a speech pathologist and co-director at Chatter-boxes Therapy Centre, Sunshine Coast.
Chatter-Boxes is a local paediatric allied health practice in the Sunshine Coast dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of children and families. They offer a range of services including speech pathology, occupational therapy, play therapy, feeding therapy, psychology and counselling services.
Reference:
Girolametto, L., & Weitzman, E. (2006). The effects of verbal responsive stimulation on language development in toddlers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49(3), 526-547.
Landa, R. J., Holman, K. C., O’Neill, A. H., & Stuart, E. A. (2011). Intervention targeting development of socially synchronous engagement in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(1), 13-21.
Dawson, G., Rogers, S., Munson, J., Smith, M., Winter, J., Greenson, J., & Varley, J. (2012). Randomized, controlled trial of an intervention for toddlers with autism: The Early Start Denver Model. Pediatrics, 125(1), e17-e23.
Case-Smith, J., Frolek Clark, G. J., & Schlabach, T. L. (2011). Systematic review of interventions to promote social–emotional development in young children with or at risk for disability. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(4), 395-403.
Rogers, S. J., & Dawson, G. (2010). Early Start Denver Model for young children with autism: Promoting language, learning, and engagement. Guilford Press.
