This article resonates with me even as a homeschool mom. My son Thomas receives three different types of therapy weekly and although our therapists have been creative, flexible, and resourceful we’ve encountered a mixture of both benefits and struggles.
Thomas is beginning to read and his speech therapist has been making comments lately about how she is impressed by his progress. However, we’ve had our share of struggles too. Thomas just recently started attending Physical Therapy and has not built up the strong rapport with this therapist that he has with his Speech and Occupational therapists.
Our physical therapist was quick to develop Plan B which was Zooming these sessions. She is creative and resourceful using technology platforms, scavenger hunts using items around the house, and toys that she knows he has. However, his intrinsic motivation is lacking. This seems to be a familiar story from parents across the country.
As a parent, I’m concerned that the progress he was making is stalled. Our therapist is concerned because she wants to teach him skills in a fun way but he is highly distracted. Our policy makers are concerned and there are rumors that social distancing is going to last longer than any of us originally thought.
It’s hard to juggle it all: school, work, household tasks, and when you add a child with some special needs to that mix it complicates things even more.
What has your experience been?