In these unprecedented times, the safety of our clients and staff is our top priority. The continued success of our learners is also of the utmost importance. For many families, in-home therapy allows us to continue meeting our client’s needs while prioritizing safety.
Beginning in-home sessions may be uncharted territory for many of our learner’s families. Here are some tips for how to prepare your home for beginning home based therapy:
- Designate a “therapy space”. This can be a broad as a room or as specific as a particular table. Choose a space that is quiet with limited distractions. Ensure that preferred toys and activities are also accessible for natural environment teaching.
- Set clear expectations. Inform therapy staff of any areas of the house that the child may frequent and any areas that are off-limits during therapy.
- Communicate any routine activities, such as meal times or toileting routines, to the therapist.
- For everyone’s safety, have cleaning and sanitizing materials available.
- Ask questions and communicate concerns to your therapy team. While therapists may need to consult with your child’s case manager before making changes to programming, they can relay your questions and concerns.
- One advantage of in-home therapy is that your therapy team may be able to target behaviors and skills that they weren’t able to in clinic. Take this opportunity to address those in-home issues and discuss them with your child’s case manager.
While beginning in-home sessions may be a new experience, the transition can be made easier as families and therapy teams communicate openly with each other. As always, feel free to reach out to your child’s case manager with any questions or concerns. Together, we can ensure the continued progress of our learners while maintaining everyone’s health and safety.
