Four-year-old Ollie isn’t afraid to tell you what toy dinosaurs he has at home. His ability to share and speak words is something for which Ollie’s parents Stephen and Victoria are very grateful.
“We’re so glad we could get help as early as we did for him,” says Victoria. “When we drop Ollie off at any kind of program, we aren’t afraid because we know he can ask for help if he needs it.”
Ollie’s speech success — forged in treatment sessions at Five Counties, and just as importantly at home — illustrates the power of partnerships. While Five Counties employs amazing highly skilled clinicians, parents and caregivers are often a child’s best therapist.
In Ollie’s case, around the age of one, Victoria noticed he was missing language milestones. This led to Ollie’s diagnosis for a motor-speech disorder called childhood apraxia of speech and the start of his speech therapy at Five Counties in early 2023.
“Five Counties really empowered us to know how to help Ollie and how we could get that practice done at home in a way that he loved,” Victoria says.
By asking questions during treatment sessions, and utilizing the resources and strategies provided by Five Counties, Victoria and Stephen were able to support Ollie’s language development in everyday activities at home.
“It was hard at times,” Stephen admits, “but we look back and it’s such a special memory to us that we got to invest in Ollie in a way that was so important to him.”
VIDEO: Parent’s Role in Child’s Treatment Success
Victoria and Stephen did this by incorporating speech activities with Ollie into everyday activities — at nap time, before bed, or while in the car.
“We did our word repetitions with Ollie, our practice and activities, and we tried to make it as much fun as possible,” Victoria says. “When you are getting to personally see the growth of your child as you’re helping them day-to-day, there’s nothing more rewarding than that. It’s truly the best way to spend your time.”
This investment at home has paid dividends for Ollie. While Five Counties staff work diligently with kids and families to support communication, physical, and developmental needs, treatment sessions are typically less than an hour each week for defined periods of time. As parents and caregivers spend the most time with their child, their role in following through at home with the treatment tips and strategies learned through Five Counties is vital to help their child succeed.
Diane, a speech-language pathologist at Five Counties, has seen the change over time.
Where once there may have been a belief that progress only occurred during therapy at Five Counties, there is now much better understanding that this process is enhanced at home and in the child’s natural settings working together with parents and other caregivers.
“At one time when I was first working, we would’ve done those strategies during therapy and children would be able to come in quite frequently,” Diane says. “Now what we’ve learned is that if we can coach the parents in these strategies, the children will make faster progress because those strategies are very portable and parents can then use them, not only in play-based activities with their child, but in everyday routines, everyday activities.”
control movement by stepping up and off different surfaces, in an obstacle course that also challenges her to see if she can ‘catch’ more fish than her mother. (Photo courtesy of Five Counties)
Diane offers the example of a child whose speech goals may include working on the ‘sh’ sound. If the child likes shopping, this becomes an excellent target word and everyday activity by which to work on articulation. The sound can be reinforced during grocery shopping, or in play routines at home where the child sets up a pretend store. As parents and caregivers follow the child’s lead, they can encourage ‘sh’ sounds within that activity such as using the words shop or shopping.
“The more that can be done at home, and the more natural and fun it can look, the better,” Diane notes.
Five Counties believes in a family-centred approach to care that sees clients and families actively engaged and playing a central role. It’s apparent the strength of families is essential for achieving the best treatment results for kids, but only possible when it involves a parent.
Five Counties Children’s Centre is encouraging parents to complete a family experience survey, available online until March 31. The survey asks for parent input on how Five Counties can improve its services and support for children and families. Families who complete the survey can submit their names to win one of three $25 grocery gift cards.
