In our last blog post, we talked about the tips you need to know in order to get the most out of online therapy. Once you've mastered Zoom, it's important to know how to get the best possible results from your therapy sessions. There's a number of things for both the family and the clinicians to keep in mind in order to get the most out of our time together, so we've asked some of our team members to share what they find makes successful speech therapy and occupational therapy possible.
Rapport
Mutual trust creates a relaxed and motivating learning environment. That's why one of the most common responses from our team was that building rapport with clients is a key factor influencing successful therapy. We work hard to create a safe, respectful, and honest environment where clients can feel heard and supported. By being open with your Speech Language Pathologist or Occupational Therapist about any questions or concerns during the therapy process, we can work together to figure out the best plan to address any difficulties.
Motivation / Active Involvement
Being aware of the goals of therapy and the purposes of certain exercises can help keep you encouraged and motivated. Our therapists always do their best to explain the reasoning behind different the different tasks asked of our clients. If you ever need more clarification, don't hesitate to ask questions – it just shows that you're taking an active role in your therapy.
One of the best ways to maintain your motivation in speech therapy is to have a strong support system around you encouraging you to keep up all your hard work. Coming to therapy sessions with a positive attitude and determination can make all the difference!
Multi-Sensory Learning
Everyone learns differently, so no two clients will experience the exact same therapy sessions. Our therapists use a variety of different methods and materials to help the information stick, whether it's through visuals, sounds, "hands-on" tasks, etc. The more get to know you and your learning style, the more we'll be able to develop exercises that best suit your needs. Having a variety of methods can also help to keep little ones engaged throughout a session!
Fun
While we're on the subject of keeping clients engaged, an important factor influencing successful therapy is to make sure you're able to enjoy yourself as much as possible. Therapy can take time, so of course patience is valuable to have, but our therapists make an effort to incorporate fun and humour into our sessions to make the process feel quicker and more enjoyable.
Teamwork
What better way to sum up our discussion about successful therapy than with teamwork? Speech or occupational therapy involves constant communication and collaboration between the client and the therapist; we want you to feel included and heard during your time with us, so once again, don't hesitate to ask any questions or tell us what's working and what needs to change. We have the same objectives, and by working together, we can help you achieve them!
Remember – we're here to support you on your journey to communicating freely and building important life skills. Taking into account some of the factors we've mentioned here can improve your experience, and by reflecting as a team, we're always making efforts to improve as well.
Thinking about speech or occupational therapy for yourself or someone you know? Contact us with any questions or to book your first appointment.
Andalusia Speech Therapy has multiple clinics across Ontario and offers virtual therapy to clients anywhere in the world. Contact us more for information.