Characteristics of an Incredible Early Intervention Service Provider (Speech, Occupational, Physical Therapies)
Awesome intervention service providers are really difficult to find. If you’ve had a child in speech, physical therapy, or occupational therapy for an extended amount of time you know what I’m talking about. In Luke’s journey, we have experienced the gamut of different providers. Some have done a good job and checked most of the required boxes in therapy. Others haven't clicked with Luke at all and he didn’t get much benefit from what they were trying to present. Only two so far have been incredible! Both have gone the extra mile to get Luke more services, to advocate for his unique needs, and to personally connect with him.
Let’s take a look at what characteristics made these two amazing speech-language pathologists stand out above the rest of the service providers we have encountered. First, they were willing and eager to collaborate with me as Luke’s parent. They provided additional resources for me to study, recommended different related therapies, reviewed his IEP, and helped me write some customized goals, and they would let me in on insider tips to get more support. My questions were not a bother to them. In fact, engaging with these SLPs helped me grow as an advocate for Luke. They encouraged me to push for more from the school system and advised me on best practices for Luke’s speech journey even when they wouldn’t be providing therapy for him anymore. Incredible service providers have a vested interest in your child’s success as a person.
This vested interest often starts with our next characteristic of high-quality therapists: they develop personal connections with their clients and customize therapy to meet their unique needs. They don’t subscribe to a one-size-fits-all all model of therapy. These therapists know if you’ve met one kid with ADHD then you’ve met one kid with ADHD. The same goes for any other child with different learning needs. Great providers customize learning to meet the children where they are and gradually raise the bar. They create a scaffold of support that will help your child grow and attain their goals. The best providers don’t see Autism listed on a child’s paperwork and create generic goals and lessons that aren’t tailored to that specific client. If they keep presenting your child with executive functioning exercises when they really need support with sensory overstimulation then your child is not benefiting much from this therapy. The therapist must use time wisely and know your child’s needs. If they are providing generic session content without customized experiences or modifications, then I would find a different provider. Luke had an occupational therapist that had a plan in mind for months and the pace was very slow. We had a healthy conversation about Luke’s goals and our needs as a family. I helped bring materials from home to support the sessions but this therapist was not receptive to collaboration or making adjustments to her plans even though they weren’t aligned with what Luke needed. This provider was also out of network and costing us a small fortune. Please, don’t invest money into therapists who don’t meet your child's needs or don’t collaborate with you! You are the expert on your child. You know their specific needs, how they tick, and what works for them. Keep searching until you find a therapist who is the right fit and values personal connections with clients. Ultimately, we decided to switch to another OT provider. It’s important to not waste time, money, and your child’s mental bandwidth on services that aren’t beneficial.
Another consideration is how they engage with the children in their care. Therapists who make a difference are trustworthy, kind, and gentle with their clients. They understand that these children learn differently and just need a different approach to learning the necessary skills. A big sign of an incredible therapist is they view their practice through a neurodivergent affirming lens. A neurodivergent affirming perspective doesn’t see a child as broken or needing to be fixed. Instead of focusing on deficits, neurodivergent-affirming therapists and parents focus on the child’s strengths and how they can be used to help the child learn. So, essentially this is a strengths-based approach to learning and living life. These therapists aren’t comparing the child to neurotypical norms. They are embracing their differences and seeing them as potential superpowers.
For instance, my husband was really fixated on computers from a young age. He built his own computer independently around age 12. His mom invested in that interest in computers above other things and now he has a great job in software engineering. Leverage a child’s interests and strengths to encourage learning other content. Luke loves raccoons! He has stuffed raccoons, raccoon figurines, and raccoons for different purposes. He calls them all “TT.” There is homework TT, Travel TT, Outside TT, Inside TT, Little TT, PIllow TT, and apron TT when he likes to cook or do art. I realized that if used one of his small raccoon figurines during homework sessions, it increased his engagement. We let TT jump on uppercase letters and count numbers up to 20. It works really well most of the time. Sometimes TT has to go in the backpack if it’s distracting. But, I adjust and find another creative way to practice homework with Luke. Maybe your child loves trucks. You could create a parking lot on a piece of paper and have them drive the truck onto the answers for math problems. Whatever the child’s interest, see how you can use it to make learning more exciting and enjoyable. Learning in traditional forms can be frustrating for neurodivergent learners so let’s find ways to do it differently. Remember, you don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done!
The next of our characteristics isn’t surprising. We need to select providers that have strong credentials, a reasonable amount of experience, and are extremely knowledgeable in the area of your child’s needs. Luke has Childhood Apraxia of Speech. General speech therapy is not beneficial for him. We have to find experienced SLP’s that specialize in Apraxia. The techniques used to encourage the motor planning he needs to speak need specialized care. As parents, it’s important to know our child’s diagnosis well and how it impacts them uniquely so we can discern what services and providers will actually work for them.
Finding knowledgeable providers leads us to our next characteristic: there are healthy boundaries and structure in place during your child’s services. The provider is well-organized and prepared. They always have a plan B and maybe even a plan C if your child is struggling with the content or their self-regulation that day. The provider is flexible and easily adapts to whatever is happening in the session. They slide in plan B smoothly and adjust to the changing conditions. They don’t become fixated on one plan. They know if an activity isn’t working that it’s important to make a change or scrap it and move on.
Another indicator of a high-quality provider is that they will guide and counsel you in the next steps of your child’s journey. I didn’t know about the Child Find process until our SLP mentioned it. Side note: Child Find is a federal mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Act that requires school districts to find and evaluate children who may need special education services. The law covers children from birth to age 21. Call your local school district and inquire about child find if you suspect your child needs special education services even if they are not yet school-aged. There are lots of early childhood programs that your child may qualify for for free.
This same service provider was with Luke for 2 years and guided us to new opportunities, helped bump Luke up the OT waitlist, and consulted on his IEP for school. I learned so much information from her that helped me become a stronger advocate for Luke. I’m a natural introvert but throughout Luke’s special education journey, I’ve learned to ask tough questions, be committed to constantly learning, and intentionally network with providers, teachers, and other parents of diverse learners. You never know what you will learn or what opportunities will become available when you build relationships with others.
Relationship building brings us to our next point: high-quality providers are happy to collaborate with other people involved in your child’s developmental journey. Our private SLP communicated with Luke’s school-based SLP by sharing documentation about Luke’s progress and goals. She also provided resources that were helpful to Luke in private therapy so we could provide consistency between private speech, school speech, and learning at home. This private SLP even consulted with Luke’s classroom teacher! Having similar self-regulation strategies, visual supports, and accommodations present in all different contexts including school, private services, and home will put your child’s anxiety at ease ensuring a continuity of care that helps them build skills and confidence.
Speaking of consistency across the board for our kids, our final characteristic for today is high-quality providers welcome parents into private sessions to carry over learning from the clinic setting to the home. They encourage parent observation to relay strategies and suggestions that can be implemented at home. When the family is actively using strategies from the private sessions, the child will make more progress at a faster rate than if practice happens only in the clinic. I understand that it may be difficult to be in a speech session for example, when you have multiple children. You don’t want the siblings distracting the therapy session. Whenever Luke starts with a new provider, I try to coordinate schedules with my husband to be able to attend the first few meetings. There have been times that I’ve been able to get therapy appointments before or after school and work hours which has allowed me to be present with Luke in session. Find what works for your family and try to poke your head in session whenever you can. Learning more techniques to use with your child will help improve the flow of your home environment as well.
As you can tell, I am a big proponent of private early intervention services. When I was teaching in the elementary classroom, I saw too many students not receiving the therapy sessions required by their IEPs. There were many different reasons for that including overwhelming caseloads and not enough service providers. Even though I respect the school system, I cannot rely on them to make sure my child’s needs are fully met. I have also found that there is better quality and more expertise in private therapy services. As always, these are just ideas to consider. Every family has different considerations and dynamics that impact what types of services, when, where, and how they play out. Check into your insurance coverage and see what private services are available and what’s doable. Remember, you are resourced and resilient!
Until next time,
Ash
