Options for OT during social distancing

By: Shannon Rolph OT Reg. (Ont)

I hope that you’re keeping as well as you can in these challenging times.

I’m reaching out to each of my families to let you know that we now have the option to connect virtually. This is a lot like Zoom or Google Hangouts, but more secure.  A lot of families have questions about what this looks like, because it’s pretty new to all of us!

For some families we’ve been finding this helpful to use for me to connect directly with parents.

There’s lots of great research that has shown that Parent Coaching can be a very effective way to achieve great outcomes in therapy:

  • It’s the whole ‘teach a man to fish’ idea.
  • Using this Parent Coaching model we will work together to find solutions, and you are the one who implements them.
  • Then we come back together to discuss what worked, what didn’t and how to move forward.

This option is wonderful because you get practice implementing what we talk about in our sessions while also nurturing the relationship between you and your child. 

A second option is for me to connect directly with kiddos.

  1. We’ll start out with some movement, then use stories, games or crafts to do some teaching and learning and will wrap up by sharing what we’ve learned with you.
  2. I will often send out a ‘scavenger hunt’ list before our session so that your child can collect all of the items that we’ll need for our session.
  3. What I’ve found is that often for the first session or two it’s helpful to have parents nearby, but as the child learns the new routine it’s easy for us to stay engaged without parental support.

I would generally recommend booking a 30 minute online session. The 60 minute session is ideal if we will be doing a combination of direct therapy and parent consultation.

If you’re not sure which of these options would be best for you, reach out to me at shannon@robinsnestfamilycare.com and we can work together to find the best solution.

As always, I’m here to support your family, especially during these difficult times! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about how best to support your child right now, or if there’s anything else I can do to help

Wishing you love, patience and good health.

Shannon