Parent-Based Early Intervention

Parent Based Early Intervention

An individualized early intervention plan for your child –  in collaboration with an integrated team of Occupational therapist and Social communication and language therapist.

INTENT

This Parent Empowerment Model will focus on engaging and empowering parents to help their child on the autism spectrum or other developmental difficulties. We believe parents’ involvement in the child’s therapeutic journey can contribute significantly to the child’s progress. 

This module will take into account, each individual child and family’s needs, skillset and overall context. 

This model will be offered to parents through online connect with the allocated therapists. After identification of the desired goal for the child and parent, the team will ensure the provision of adequate learning resources for the parents, including suggested activities and opportunity to follow up with reviews and discussion of videos of the activities done by the parents. 

STRUCTURE 

Two identified therapists will be allocated to each child/family. (Based on previous knowledge or familiarity)

Duration: 1  Week

Goal identification: Integrated (SCL + OT) Goal collaboratively decided with families 

Duration of session: 30 minutes each

Number of days in a week: 3 days (MWF or TTS sessions)

Number of participants: Single-family

CONTENT OF EACH SESSION

Day 1 – Goal identification and activity suggestion for the week :

Online SCL session with parents

• Pre-prep: Check-in with the parents will be done regarding
  • The materials required at home (A checklist will be sent).
  • The arrangement of space at home. 
  • Explaining the structure/format of the session before the session.
  • Documentation/Home work-sharing process
  • Other instructions if required. 
• Planning and Demonstration: The therapist and parent will outline the goal for the week, the activities to engage in, and the responses that they can expect from the child.

Ø  Observing the child’s profile, as well as their skills, therapists and parents together arrive at one goal that they think is appropriate to be enhanced at this time, and is an emerging skill.

Ø  Therapist defines goals for the parents: This could include changes in instruction giving, adjustment of space or any other method which will support the learning of the child.

Ø Audio- visual resources used for conceptual understanding and strategies

• Post Session:

Ø  Home based activity plan: Parents will be provided with one short activity plan (according to the child’s goals) to do at home, which they can video record and exchange with therapists, by the end of the week. Therapists will give specific feedback on these videos to the parents. 

• Parent Homework:  Parents are advised to keep a notes diary for all suggestion, concepts and thoughts they would want to write. A personal email address for exchange of resources and videos.

Day 2 – Online OT session with Parents

·       Same plan as SCL session, but the focus will be on Sensory and motor goals.

Day 3 – Online review

• Parents and therapists will review the goal for the child, and check in about the learning process in the past week. More resources or ideas will be provided if required (to work on the goal).

• Answer any questions based on the videos of the activities they have done.

• Feedback: Parents can share what worked for them and what didn’t work. 

• Addressing the takeaways for both parents and therapists from the sessions, including any challenges that parents were facing, as well as reflecting on the strengths. 

• Some discussion on the next goal- or consolidation of the same goal for next week.