You’ve probably heard about community-based services, but you’re not sure what they are or how they will benefit your child. Here are some of the most common questions about Basal Therapies’ community-based services.
What Are Community-Based Services?
Community-based services are therapies provided by our licensed providers at community locations, such as schools and centers. This service delivery model provides the opportunity to bring your child’s therapies into real-world situations and environments.
How are Community-Based Services Different Than Office Therapy Sessions?
When a child experiences therapy in a natural environment, the sessions are more memorable and meaningful. Community-based services allow the child to interact and practice with their peers, depending on the goals of their therapy plan.
Community-based services offer the opportunity to support and encourage your child’s interactions within their environments, especially if new experiences cause anxiety.
What are the Benefits of Community-Based Services?
Community-based services provide many benefits for your child and the entire family including the convenience of flexibility in scheduling therapy. Parents and caregivers don’t need to coordinate their busy schedules with their therapist’s schedules.
School-focused community-based services will offer therapists a bigger picture of your child’s unique needs. The therapist’s ability to support, collaborate, and communicate with teachers will increase your child’s participation in the curriculum while observing them interacting in a natural environment.
What Will Basal Therapies’ Community-Based Services Look Like for Our Child?
Free screenings may be requested at community locations. Following the screening, an evaluation would be completed at one of our office locations. Then a therapy plan is created Therapy sessions may take place in the child care setting, here at the office, or a combination of both. All parents and caregivers will be kept informed through an agreed-upon mode including email, text, phone call, or message so the family can help with the carryover of skills in the child’s home.
How Will Parents and Families Stay Involved With Community-Based Services?
We understand the importance of keeping the child’s family an active and informed resource for successful treatments. Meetings are scheduled periodically so that therapists and families can collaborate on progress and updates to goals. This can be done in-person at our offices, or via a virtual telehealth meeting. Parents are encouraged to schedule in-clinic sessions, as they are able, to increase their engagement and understanding of the therapy sessions. Parents will be kept informed with routine communications about their child’s progress on a weekly basis.
Keeping Teachers and Child Care Providers Informed if Therapy Sessions are Not On-Site
If your child’s therapy sessions are not on-site, share the strategies they are learning with all providers involved in your child’s care. Never rely on your child alone to share or show what they are working on during therapy sessions.
- Communicate routinely with teachers and caregivers:
- Share what the child is currently learning or practicing both in therapy and at home
- Share any videos of your child in therapy so the concepts are clearly understood by caregivers
Let Basal Therapies show you how community-based services can help your child to learn, retain, and use their therapeutic strategies. Contact us now!