For the therapist’s benefit:
-Plan out ahead – write down a plan
-Have notepad with you during session to be able to track things that you’ve done/how much time was spent on each task (has really helped with documentation)
-Have caregivers give you a rundown of available equipment
-Let caregivers know what they need to prepare ahead of time
-Don’t try to do too much – focus on one or two skills (If you are teaching caregivers this is especially helpful so you don’t overwhelm them. If you are working with the child more just vary how you work on that same skill. For example single leg stance you can do ball taps, tree pose, slow marching in place, airplane, and the list goes on!)
-Figure out the child and the caregiver’s best learning styles – you may need to adapt how you instruct based on this
For the child’s benefit:
-Incorporate breaks
-Singing songs has been very helpful/associating activities with specific songs
-Use visual demonstrations and task breakdowns for older kids
-Give choices for next activity/exercise to help keep engaged
-Alternate between indoor and outdoor space if possible for your kid (definitely differs on kid by kid basis)
-Try different motivational strategies! 20 questions, hangman, or some of the ideas we have here!
For more ideas visit our Activity Round-Up or our Teletherapy Ideas Round-Up