40hrs of work is a full week for adults. Why is my child needing 40hr of therapy when he is only 3yrs old? Is this normal for any child?
No, 40hrs of table-top, strict therapy is NOT normal and we do NOT advocate this for any child. Your child might need extra support in different areas, but just like it’s important to focus on these, it’s important to remember he is still a child and a 3yrs old one at that. Children learn through play and it’s very important to keep within normal development when you include therapies or extra support.
So, what are the most important areas to focus on when you receive a diagnosis for your child? (Try to keep these limited to the top 3 for now. You can always increase therapy - we are always able to learn, no matter what our age).
If your child struggles to communicate his needs, you want to find a way for him to do so and a speech therapist will be able to help. If your child struggles with various sensory inputs, you can consult with a sensory integration OT and ask for activities that you can do at home too. If your child struggles with transitions from one activity to another, you want to focus on preparing them for these changes in advance.
Interest-based activities. If your child learns about the topics or toys they are interested in, they WILL learn and take in the information you or the therapist is presenting. If you are trying to teach every goal or target with a little treat at the end, your child might comply, but not understand what you are trying to teach.