Introduction:
Success in child therapy for ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder depends highly on parental involvement in therapy. The first step is certainly to identify the best clinical psychologist in Kochi. To know more about this, read our article available on our website: ‘The Complete Guidance to choose a perfect Clinical Psychologist’. In this article, we will explore parental guidance in child therapy and the steps that can be taken to work in collaboration towards the welfare of the child during the therapy process.
Setting Expectations:
How can parents help in therapy sessions? At the start of the therapeutic process, parents should spend one consultancy session with the therapist discussing their role in the whole process. Clear guidelines and role expectations for the therapist, the parents and the child can be defined at this time. Such as:
1. Goal Setting: Learn and discuss the long term and short term therapeutic goals the therapist has identified for your child. Discuss any work on your end that needs to go into reinforcing the achievement of these goals.
2. Timelines and Progress: Ask the therapist to give you realistic timelines by when to expect visible progress in your child’s development. Work out how to track and report any progress or deviations to the therapist.
3. Define Roles: Clarify the extent of your role and involvement inside and outside of session with the therapist. Understand what is expected of you in terms of supporting the therapeutic process.
4. Follow Ups: Request frequent follow up consultations to under what goals have been achieved, what is working, what is not and what needs to be done next.
Pre-Session Preparation:
It is important to learn how to prepare a child for therapy. The prep required before and after sessions should be discussed beforehand with the therapist. They will be dependent on your child’s needs and the requirements of the interventions.
- Emotional and Mental Preparation:
Behaviour therapy for children with Autism, ADHD and other neurological conditions can be very taxing as they will be exerting themselves cognitively and emotionally.
- Talk positively about the session before going.
- Try to explain the sort of activities they will be doing.
- Motivate the children to go with rewards that will not hinder the therapeutic process
- Meet the Basic Needs:
- Make sure the child is well rested, well fed and not overstimulated.
- Dress them in comfortable clothing that allows for movement and will not be distracting.
- If the tend to be over energetic and do not sit still for sessions, take them out to play and spend their energy so they are able to focus during sessions.
- Take comfort items and fidget toys to help them feel at ease.
- Update the Therapist: Share key updates with the therapist as soon as the session begins about new behavioural concerns, triggers or needs. This will help the therapist to be on the look during the sessions and address any scenario efficiently.
- Avoid Known Negative Triggers:
- Minimise distractions such as screen time or over stimulating activities.
- Create a pre- session routine which allows the child to get into the therapy ‘mode’.
- Avoid foods that will disturb the child’s behaviour or stomach.
Home Therapy Reinforcement:
It is essential that parents know how to reinforce therapy at home. The following are some tips for parents of children in therapy:
- Do Your Homework: Therapists will provide parents with exercises and activities to keep up at home so that the child maintains the skills they are learning at therapy. Parents must ensure that this homework is done without fail otherwise progress will be disrupted.
- Keep a Behaviour Diary: Keep a behavior diary to record all your child’s undesirable behaviours, what triggered them and what worked to change the behaviour. Also keep note of your child’s desirable behaviours and what has worked to reinforce them. Track the progress or decline of these behaviours and discuss them with the therapist.
- Create a Work Space: Create a designated work space for your child which is comfortable and distraction free. This will help them to focus and get their work done.
- Practical Application: Find opportunities to apply the interventions used in therapy sessions in practical situations. This way the child will find ways to translate their newly learned skills into real life scenarios and use them more naturally.
- Diets, Exercise and Screen Time:
- Food Diet: Children with ASD, ADHD and other neurological conditions struggle with good gut health. Their moods, focus and energy are all affected by what they eat. Follow a strict professional approved diet to help them function better.
- Exercise: Some children are very lethargic and others are balls of pure energy. It is important for both groups to follow and everyone in between to have a consistent exercise routine. This will help them remain healthy, improve their cognitive functions and maintain positive moods.
- Screen Time: Screen Time has a profound effect on a child’s ability to focus and tackle challenges. This also translates directly into therapy. Children who have too much screen time may show slower progress in their therapeutic progress.
In Summary:
What parents should know about child therapy sessions is that parental collaboration in the therapeutic process is essential for the success of therapy. From the first session to the last, parents must be involved in following up with the goals and therapy exercises. Making therapy a positive experience for the child will greatly aid the progress of the sessions. It is essential to follow all the recommendations of the therapist and prepare the child for therapy as requested to get the most out of the sessions.
In order to get the most out of collaborative care, parents must partner with the best child development center in the area. Research and find the top therapy centers for children in Kochi. Look into the professionals at the centers to identify the best child psychologist in Kochi for ADHD and autism therapy in Kochi.