Therapy from my Perspective

    We all have heard of some type of therapy in our lives and most likely have needed one at some point as well. Whether it is physical therapy, mental therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, and so on we are familiar with at least one of them. 

              Now imagine being a special needs parent and sitting in a room where you are being told your child has a disability and needs the following therapies: speech and language therapy-script is put on the table, occupational therapy- script is put on the table, ABA therapy- script is put on the table, physical therapy- script is put on the table. You sit look at all of these scripts, look at your beautiful baby boy with whom you knew had some difficulties but in your eyes didn't need this much help. You stand up, walk out, go home and just cry, This was me the day my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I felt like I just went to seek help and came home being told my son was broken and I needed to take him to all these places to fix him. He had been through so much in his short 3 years of life already. He was born with pyloric stenosis- a condition that effects the stomach and can cause forceful vomiting and dehydration. He almost died at 2 months from this and it took him till he was 5 months to be able to actually drink on his own without a feeding tube. He had come so so far and hearing that news...yes even as a teacher...devastated me. So many of you are probably asking, what did you do? Well he was already enrolled in a special needs school for speech therapy needs so I took his latest evaluation to them and they eventually added ASD to his IEP. I was blessed to have this school in my community because they were able to take care of his therapies at school. The only one I physically took him to was ABA therapy. It was draining to drive 45 minutes twice a week to hear him scream and yell during his sessions. He eventually weaned out of the ABA and was bale to receive the behavior therapy at school as well. I was so grateful. 

              Then when he completed kindergarten the school felt it was time for him to mainstream into a regular ed school and benefit from the resource and inclusion designs rather than self contained. I decided to move him to my school where I taught Special Education. It has proven to be a good move and he continued to receive services in the school setting but in a different way. In his previous school the therapists were in his classroom often and his teachers were well versed on the techniques. The therapists at my school are amazing but they serve multiple schools so it is different. I made the choice as mom to start taking my son to outside therapies to assist with his physical needs as well as work on social skills, behaviors, and sensory issues in occupational therapy. This is not something everyone can afford to do and this breaks my heart. My husband and I had to make some sacrifices to allow for this and the drive once again 45 minutes there and 45 back twice a week because we knew he needed it. It is hard on our schedules and we have had to make many sacrifices as a family, but we have seen so much growth because of it. 

           Throughout our journey with therapy we have seen so many families who take their children once a week, twice a week, and even everyday of the week depending on the severity just to get their children the help that they need. I have also see the other-side where families yearn for the therapies but are put on weight lists or do not have the means or transportation to take their children. Some also refuse to take their children because they do not feel their children need outside help. Everyone is in different places and scenarios. I can only give my story and my recommendations but that doesn't make them cemented or true for your situation. From my experience as an educator I have seen children flourish and grow with the extra help from therapies. I have students who have made strides through mental health therapy, I have students who went from being wheelchair bound to walking unassisted due to physical therapy. I personally have seen my own son go from being non-verbal and struggling with gross motor skills to talking up a storm and riding a bike. Its hard work. Its gut wrenching to watch. Its accepting the help for your child even though you wish they didn't need it, and its following through at home with the therapies to ensure they are benefitting from them. 

           My advice...don't push the script away because you are fearful or overwhelmed. Sit, process and think about what will benefit your child's overall growth. You are their advocate, you know them best and you essentially hold the key to their future. A resource that I as a parent and Mom have found very useful for many areas of special needs is Special Ed. Resource.com. This page was created to give parents and educators an easier way to find information and to provide assistance for families and individuals with special needs. In a specific article on the page called "4 Special Education Options" they mention many specific therapies -even ones I did not mention here in my blog and also give sound advice in saying that relying solely on your friends experiences can be a mistake, and even though researching can be overwhelming it is important to use those experiences as and aide into your own research (Dalien, 2015). This site has an abundance of help in one place and I urge you to check it out.  I  also highly recommend doing your research, hearing others stories such as mine but always remembering that every child is different and what my child needs may not be the same as what your child needs. 

What are your thoughts on Therapy? Comment below and share with me👇.

❤Author- Lindsey Cruz- Special Education Mama and Teacher

Resources:

Dalien, Suzie.(2015). 4 Special Education Therapy Options. Special Ed. Resource.Com. Retrieved from Https://specialedresource.com/4-special-education-therapy-options.