One of our summer workshops for The State of Texas was on ways to increase the participation of our parents in our therapy. Two of the most important ways that came up during discussion at the workshop were: 1. Including therapy activities in daily routines (e.g. meals, bath time, driving in the car, etc.) so that parents don’t feel overwhelmed
One of the hardest cases in early childhood intervention therapy is when you come in as the third or fourth provider to be involved in the case. The child hasn’t been seen in 4 months and the parents are frustrated because there has been no progress. The SMILE program has helped us to overcome these challenges. It is particularly rewarding
The SMILE program, as with all of our materials, was initially developed out of a need for tools that didn’t exist. As an independent agency, we are fortunate in that we are not confined by the bureaucracy that tends to slow needed change in our field. Rather, the only thing that drives us is the parent’s outcome and our efficiency.
One of the biggest challenges we encounter with the model of home-based therapy in Early Childhood Intervention programs has been a lack of follow through. Once a therapy session ends, we as therapists are relying on the parents to become the service provider. The problem has been a lack of structured materials and programs to guide the parents. They have
