When to quit OT??

[Moxie]

My 8yo son has sensory issues.  He chews on everything, runs and slams his body into walls and slides on the floors (it was worse than it sounds).  So, we started OT in the spring.

 

Therapy costs $40/week.

 

At first, he made great progress and we all learned a lot and things have improved.  We seem to have plateaued though. 

 

I sit and watch him work with the therapist and I know we could do they things they do at home (but, would I make the time??).  This morning they did some brushing and some swinging and then they made an obstacle course and had him do different kinds of walks around it and then he copied some patterns with some Target popper beads.  All things we can do at home.

 

So, how do you know it is time to quit OT??

[Anne]

First I would discuss this with the OT - let them know that you're not seeing as much progress.  Maybe they could change things up or make adjustments.

 

Then, I would "take a vacation" from the OT and see whether or not I was really doing his therapy the way it needs to be done.   That way, I would avoid burning bridges with the therapist before I was sure it was time.

 

Another thought:  A good therapist should be willing to talk about transitioning out of regular care and should be able to offer you suggestions and ideas.

 

Anne

[EmilyGF]

You might ask about meeting half as frequently. We went to every-other-week PT for my son when the cost became too much for us and it was clear he was nearly done.

[Valley Girl]

Did the therapist give you a home program to do in conjunction with the office OT? That's really important. Ours gave us a long list of additional games and things we could do as well as specific exercises to work on every day. That might be a way to jump start your son's progress.

[Moxie]

Did the therapist give you a home program to do in conjunction with the office OT? That's really important. Ours gave us a long list of additional games and things we could do as well as specific exercises to work on every day. That might be a way to jump start your son's progress.

 

It isn't a long list but there are some things we are doing at home. 

[Χά�ων]

First I would discuss this with the OT - let them know that you're not seeing as much progress.  Maybe they could change things up or make adjustments.

 

Then, I would "take a vacation" from the OT and see whether or not I was really doing his therapy the way it needs to be done.   That way, I would avoid burning bridges with the therapist before I was sure it was time.

 

Another thought:  A good therapist should be willing to talk about transitioning out of regular care and should be able to offer you suggestions and ideas.

 

Anne

This. 

 

Have a heart to heart. Take a break. If you do this and find progress still lacking, it maybe time to find a new OT. 

 

A new OT made all the difference in the world for DS. He works harder, does not cry and is making real progress. The new OT did research on his dx and then did more research and reevaluated him when a new DX came to light. She never assumes that his issues are 100% behavioral. She listens to him to figure out what the problem is and takes his input into consideration. Polar opposite to the last one. 

[Crimson Wife]

Is it purely sensory integration work or is he working on any fine motor skills?

 

The last OT clinic my little one went to managed its wait list by doing 3 months on and then 3-6 months off. We did 6 months in between cycles because my DD's fine motor skills are actually pretty good and it was mostly sensory stuff that the OT was working on. However, SPD was not recognized by our insurance company at the time so the goals had to be fine motor & self-help related. So we needed to have there be enough time in between cycles for there to be new goals.

 

ETA: It's been almost a year since her last OT cycle. We had an insurance change and then DD started intensive (20 hrs/week) behavioral therapy. We may do OT again in the future but for right now our priority is on the ABA.

[texasmama]

I have a son who received OT (free) for years.  I noticed that when he missed OT for a month, he began having more emotional meltdowns.  His neurological connections suffered.  A young brain is very malleable, whereas the older we (and the kids) get, the more firmed up our neurological make up becomes.  My point being that young is the time to address these issues.  Your son sounds like he has some manifestations of SPD which pretty negatively affect his daily functioning.  I also think it is normal to plateau and then make more gains. 

 

I would speak with the OT, consider taking a break to watch for regression, and do some of the home program.  I do feel your pain about knowing what will happen at home with an OT home program.  I was never successful at implementing those, either.  But my son was dependent on once weekly OT like crack for years to maintain his best functioning self.  We did it every three weeks over two summers because of the regression he had without it.  He is 13 and graduated now, but he received OT until he was 12, and it made an obvious difference for him to NOT receive it when we had long breaks.  He received many interventions, but the OT was the single most effective and lasting one.  It just took a LONG time.