As you are creating your summer calendar for your child with special needs, the question of whether or not to continue with therapy often comes up. There are pros and cons with putting therapy on pause. Although a personal decision, keeping some therapy in the mix can be beneficial for these kids (and their parents!). The following recommendations are appropriate for all kids, but especially important to consider for your child with special needs.
Continuity
Continuation can assure that kids don’t slide backwards, have a chance to see progress without the stress of school mixed in, and keep your spot with the therapists that often have waiting lists. That said, it can be important to take breaks. Whether it’s family travel, a camp, or just a staycation, having time to just focus on “fun” can be valuable.
Camps and Exercises
Talking to your therapist about their recommendations is a good place to start. There might be exercises you can do with your child during these therapy breaks. Also, there are overnight and day camps that focus on your child’s interests and still work on certain skills. Just make sure you interview the camps ahead of time to make sure that they are giving the right level of support to your child, and that the personnel seem qualified.
Visual Calendars
If you are thinking about beginning a new therapy during the summer, the relaxed environment can be a nice way to get your child started. Just make sure to focus on only one therapy or skill to be developed. Create a visual daily calendar for each day so that your kids can see when they have the “have to dos” vs the “want to dos” each day. These visual calendars will give the structure and predictability that is especially important for kids with special needs. And don’t forget to include popsicles as part of the day! 🙂
CCY parent coach Lauren Meltzer is the mother of a 14-year-old 2E (twice-exceptional) daughter. In 2019, she co-founded Parent Resource Advisors, a consulting firm supporting parents on topics relating to their neurodiverse or gender expansive children. If you are interested in working with Lauren or one of our other parent coaches, contact us today!