6 Reasons Why This School Year is the Right Time to Seek Private Therapy

Does your child already receive some sort of therapy in school? Have you ever thought about getting private therapy too? Maybe you have questioned that decision because you thought that may be too much therapy. Guess what? There is no such thing as too much therapy.

With therapy, it always pays to double down

Due to time constraints of classes and your school therapist’s workload, your child may not  be receiving the amount of therapy they need to succeed at school. Providing extra opportunities for your child to hone their communication, fine, or gross motor skills may help them improve faster.

The younger the better

Just like there is no such thing as too much therapy, there is no such thing as receiving therapy too young. Evidence strongly supports that children who receive early intervention services are more likely to improve than those who do not. Why? In a nutshell, the brain of a young child is more “elastic”, or able to absorb and learn new information when they are younger, vs when their brain is more developed. So, if your child is receiving some sort of early intervention from their school, additional therapy will only help!

Financial Resources are Plentiful

In the past it was difficult to find funding for therapy services. Insurance companies were limited in what they covered and there were not many options available. Today, insurance companies cover a wide variety of disabilities and disorders (they are even beginning to cover behavior intervention!). In addition, outside funding such as the Autism Scholarship and the Jon Peterson Scholarship are available for therapy needs. Not an option for you? Still no need to worry, check with your local organizations. In north-east Ohio, Zane’s Foundation is an organization with the sole goal of allocating funding for therapies and services for those families in need.

One on One Sessions

I have the unique experience of being both a school and private practice therapist. At school, there are numerous things I can do in therapy that I can’t necessarily do at our offices. For example, I can easily form social groups, provide therapy in the classroom, observe my students outside of therapy, and readily check in with teachers about progress. At our offices, there are things I can do in therapy that I can’t necessarily do at school. Private sessions are typically one on one. So, this allows the sessions to be more personal and provides opportunities more frequent feedback and scaffolding. It also seems to limit some of the natural distractions that come with multiple students in a group.  Additionally, goals can be addressed that aren’t just educational in nature. I can work on anything in the private setting, including goals that focus on daily functions in the home.

Take a More Active Role in Your Child’s Therapy

It is great to receive progress notes, talk on the phone with your child’s school therapist, and to attend IEP meetings to gauge how your child is doing. Unfortunately, you cannot sit in on your child’s sessions while they are at school (could you imagine the humiliation?!). At a private session, you are able to sit in and be a part of the therapy process. You can ask questions as things are happening, learn strategies for carryover in the home, provide feedback to your therapist, and act as the liaison between the school therapist and your private therapist. Think about all the help you could offer with homework!

Something’s just not right

I often struggled in school. Ultimately, I earned my Master’s degree, but it took a heck of a lot of work! Things that took me an hour took my peers 10 minutes. Part of it was undiagnosed ADD, but I also think I had some weaker math skills. I did not qualify for any sort of services in school because I was a student who worked hard and got by. However, knowing what I know now as a seasoned SLP vet, I wish I would have gotten some specialized help. Maybe your child is a lot like me; they work hard and get decent grades, but it is a struggle. A student like this wouldn’t qualify for any sort of services in the school, but that doesn’t mean their learning or development is normal. Private therapy may be your solution to working on those skills, regardless of how mild they may be.

With the start of school right around the corner, now may be the perfect time to explore outside therapy. Click here to schedule an appointment.