Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Jen was here on Monday & DS was a little cranky when she arrived. She usually has him sit with her face to face on the floor while they "read" & play. Well, she asked him twice to repeat a word from a flash card that he's said many times before. He didn't say a thing both times she asked him so she said she was turing him away now & his turn was over. She slid him him away from her & she asked me to go over & sit in DC's spot on the floor so that we can show DS that he lost his turn with the flash cards if he wasn't willing to cooperate & that we (she & I) are moving on without him in repeating the flash cards. She literally had me put on a show for DS & put up her flash cards of dog, cat, apple & made me go along with "learning" the sounds of these words. I felt like a fool & I guess I made a face at some point because she mentioned that he is taking it all in even though he isn't participating. Fine, ok so after around 10 flash cards, DS tries to sit in my lap & rejoin the group. Obviously, he has warmed up now & wants to participate. Well, no, Jen told him that "mommy & I are still playing now" & she had us turn away from him again. Now, I'm getting pissed & said to her that is is asking to come back so after 1 or 2 more cards, whatever word, I had just repeated after Jen, DS repeated as well so she asked DS if he wanted to play & he said yes, he ran over & began to say words with her. After about 15 min, he started looking around & loosing focus (he just turned 2 btw) he walked over to one of his cars, picked it up to hold & brought it back to the group. She asked me to take it away from him & told me from now on, we shouldn't have distractions within his reach, like his toys. Uhhh, ok, we live in a 1 floor home & the living room is DS playroom because his bedroom is so small. She asked to me take all of his toys out of the LR for our sessions. I mean, the woman gets here at 8am & before that I need to wake DS, get us both dressed, feed him, brush his teeth, no way can I clean up his toys as well, the basics take over an hour alone. His toys aren't scattered all over the floor, they are in the corner of the LR in those storage bins in a bookshelf & some of his bigger toys are placed against the wall in another corner but there is literally now where else they can go. I'm not about to rearange furniture for a 1 hour session a week at 38 weeks preggo. I'll have to hide everything & then when she leaves pull everything back out!

Am I being stubborn? I keep telling myself that I should be grateful that it's a free service to help him but honestly, I don't want to do this now, nor will I be able to do this once my newborn arrives in under 2 weeks. They can sit at the kitchen table(where there are no toys but may be harder to keep DS in a seat for a long time) but she prefers to sit on the floor, indian style, while they face eachother.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Both my kids have received some form of speech therapy (though I went through my insurance, as I did not receive adequate services through the system). The speech therapist's office had plenty of toys and games in sight during my children's sessions. If they get distracted enough to wander over to other toys, I would take that as a cue that the child is bored with the current activity, and to try something else to re-engage his interest. It's unrealistic to expect a completely distraction-free environment, whether it's at home or in a therapist's office, IMHO.

I don't think it's a big deal that the therapist asked you to participate, though. I often sat in on my children's sessions, and sometimes would participate in some way, at the therapist's request. Observing/participating makes you more familiar with what techniques the therapists are using, and then in between sessions you can reinforce stuff at home with similar activities.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Message edited 5/23/2012 2:51:27 PM.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Does seem a little odd. I don't even stay in the same room when DS gets his therapies. He sees a Speech Therapist and OT and neither women ask me to participate unless they need something or I help out.
Only for the first month I sat there.
Oh, and they are toddlers and going to have "off" days.
Both therapists say that. They know Mason and know pretty much what he can and can't do. If he isn't doing something or zoning out they'll say something to the fact that he's being silly that she'll try one more time and then we can pick another game or toy so he is more involved.
Oh, and I never clean up b4 his therapies. Sometimes they incorporate some of the toys and sometimes they use only theirs. Actually his Speech teacher likes when he's more sporadic and brings stuff to her rather than wait for queues.
I'd talk to her about it. Maybe give her a call and let her know you weren't comfortable or happy with his last session.
Honestly, DS does better when I'm not in the room. I just peak in once in a while and I listen the whole time (while I take care of the baby and other stuff in the kitchen and they're in the next room)

ETA - as the PP said I don't think it's a big deal about you participating either. I did more so in the earlier sessions so he can see how it works or with the OT to show him the beans, puddy, etc won't hurt him. Just for 1 turn and then allowing him to go right after when he seems interested

Message edited 5/23/2012 2:40:20 PM.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

I actually think she was very clever. She used planned ignoring to get him back on task. By prohibiting him from participating, it made him desire the task. I think it was great she had you participate because you role modeled the behavior to him.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

What about the hiding the toys issue?
Would you comply?

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

DS gets speech therapy in the kitchen. He sits in his high chair most of the time. It is the only room with the least distractions in it... Sometimes I am in the room. If DS is clingy that morning. I stay for a few minutes and then leave. Kids have off days.. I don't expect DS to behave at every session.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

I get what she was trying to show him but I think it went a little too far. My twins get speech therapy (twice a month) and the therapist has never done anything to that extreme to prove a point to one of them. I probably would have said something like "OK I think he gets it now." as a hint to her that it was being dragged on too much. How long as she been the therapist? I was told in the beginning that if I had any issues with the person we were assigned to call and they immediately give us someone else, no questions asked.

As for the toys being out...my therapist brings two giant bags of her own stuff but has commented that b/c of the abundance of toys that my kids already have she could just leave hers home and still have everything she needs. So I would think that comment was a little off too.

Good luck!

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

My DS gets speech 2x a week & there are days I need to do what you did to re engage DS. It's hard bc I have a 22 month old too. But it gets DS back & they can continue their session

In terms of toys, I took away certain toys that seemed to distract DS from his sessions, usually do the nught prior & then he days them back at the end of the session. I just found it helped him focus on the task rather then being distracted with his favoritw toys. There are still plenty of toys in the took & if DS becomes disengaged, his speech therapist uses his toys to get him back.

I would discuss this with his teacher. If needed, you could change therapists but I don't think its too much to declutter the room the night before with big items that might distract your DS.

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

I personally have a lot to say regarding "Jen" lol From what you describe about her session, she seemed to be working on trying to control your dc's behavior instead of picking up on cues for communication. She also used some aversive behaviorism in there, which imo is not appropriate. (by initially not letting your ds join in when he came back). She should have reinforced his interest in rejoining. I also think that his lack of interest in those flash cards, was clearly a form of communication, and it should have been validated not altered. Teaching your ds how to politely turn something down and how to request what he wants is HUGE at his age.

I think if she was more concerned about working on joint attention, and communication, around your ds's interests the therapy sessions would be more productive.

Not sure how distracting the room is...it sounds as if your ds has a huge interest in participating therapy. The fact that he bought his toy car over to the therapist is a wonderful thing. He is sharing an interest, which is "communication". She could have worked on functional language with him with that toy, by turning it into a game.

Like I said, I have a lot to say, so I am sending you an FM ;)

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

Re: Can I have some thoughts on my DC's last speech therapy session? (long)

We get ST through EI 3x per week. Usually our ST plays a game in which she picks an activity and then my DS gets to pick from her bag. This usually helps him become interested and engaged. And then after 5-10 minutes on an activity they move on. 15 minutes on flashcards is REALLY long. I have the ST in the playroom and she is always asking me to get out the farm or the house ect. And if we were doing something when she gets there she continues that activity to help transition. I think that her ignoring activity was pretty good- but she should have let him join as soon as he was ready. Usually if my DS loses interest and starts playing with one of his own toys she creates an activity with that toy.

Maybe its time to consider switching therapists. We had a therapist that came for 3 sessions and I knew immediately she wasn't going to work out. You just call the agency and they'll send someone else.