Teletherapy Tip Tuesday

By Stacy Puckett, MS, CCC-SLP

Last time we mentioned creating a dedicated "space" for your child to do teletherapy. Today, we are going to talk about something parents can do to help prepare their child to have a great therapy session....

GET THE WIGGLES OUT!

This seems like a really simple thing but many parents forget the importance of helping prepare their child for their teletherapy session. Everyone is busy and trying to juggle many roles. We all get busy and parents sometimes forget that it's not ideal to throw their kids in front of the computer at the last minute without any prep.

As adults, think about how you feel when you're running around and in the middle of something, only to suddenly remember you have a Zoom meeting in 5 minutes. You rush around and quickly hop on the call. Sometimes you have the luxury of just being able to sink into your chair and watch the meeting. Other times, you might have to be more engaged online. This is difficult if you are not fully prepared prior to the therapy session.

Simply put....GET THE WIGGLES OUT!

A few ways to get the wiggles out:
1. Do something physical prior to the session
2. Have a 5-10 min dance party
3. Have your child sit in their dedicated space and play some soothing music for a few minutes

As a Speech Therapist, if I have a child who is very wiggly, I will have them stand during the session. As long as they are attending and following my instructions, I do not mind if they sit or stand. Some kids do better standing. I have also played Simon Says. This is a great game to do in a teletherapy session.

Don't forget the power of movement. Getting up and moving around can really make a difference in helping a child sit through a 30 min session. 

So...GET THE WIGGLES OUT!