Occupational Therapist (OT), a waste of time?

Ktllc

New Member
Well, V has been going to Occupational Therapist (OT) for a month now (1hour every week).
He does not mind going, but systematically refuses to do what the Occupational Therapist (OT) asks him.
She sees that herself: as long as V initiate the activity, no problem. But if the Occupational Therapist (OT) intervein and/or impose a rule, V just refuses and moves on to something else.
She explained, during the first session, that she will not push him right away in order to build a trust relationship. I got that.
But after 5 sessions, we are still at square one. I know V, if you don't push him a little, he will never do it.
He does not get upset, just smiles and says no.
The develop. pediatrician think it might be anxiety (although he does not look anxious to me...). The Occupational Therapist (OT) says it is his dyspraxia and he just does not want to be out of his comfort zone.
In the mean time, I find it quite frustrating to witness.
How long before I should see progress or draw the conclusion that it is not working?
The dev. pediatrician is referring us for a psycho-educational evaluation (a lot more thourough than the school evaluation that we had in August). He thinks that sensory processing disorder (SPD) is just part of the problem...
 

aeroeng

Mom of Three
You should have sat down with the Occupational Therapist (OT) at the start and listed a set of goals that you want to see. At that point you would identify how you know it is working or not. I would create a list of what you expect, from the sessions and them meet with the Occupational Therapist (OT) to talk about how you know if it is being effective or not.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
More likely wrong Occupational Therapist (OT), rather than that Occupational Therapist (OT) is wrong to be doing.

Occupational Therapist (OT) here has dozens of approaches... including finding ways to make the child think its their own idea.
There should be progress.
 

Ktllc

New Member
When we walk out of Occupational Therapist (OT), he is more defiant than ever. Complety all over the place.
I feel lost, I don't even know what I should expect out of Occupational Therapist (OT). What kind of reasonable goal should I have??
Right after lunch, he wanted to play a board game with my Mother. He would not follow the rules (which he knows very well) and kept on doing the wrong things on purpose. I finally interveined and made him go to his cool down spot. Lots of crying, but managed to calmed down. But I can feel he is not settled, another episode is in the making.
After his evaluation, the Occupational Therapist (OT) wrote a list of goals:

1. provided with organizational and graded vestibular/proprioceptive activities, V will display improved spatial orientation and body awareness as evidenced with his ability to safely and accurately negotiate in defined physical boundaries independently for regarding others personal space and engaging in peer play.

2. V will dmonstrate improved sensory processing and praxis skills as evidenced by the ability to:
a- Accept alteration of activity by therapist or peer without frustration/avoidance
b- Vary/modify one or more components of an activity with verbal prompt

3. Improve self regulation in order to:
a- adjust and sustain activity level appropriate to task or environment for 10 minutes
b-transition from 3 tasks and out of treatment session when provided with 2 or less verbal cues

4. improved vestibular processing and postural control as evidenced by his ability to initiate and engage in movement based equipment with unexpected changes in speed and direction for 5 minutes without termination of task or upset

5. V and his family will demonstrate an understanding and implementation of all recommendations in order to ensure carryover into all environments.

We are SOOOO far to achieving those written goals. They seem pretty simple, but he just cannot handle it right now...
I will not stop right now, but how long should I wait be it is reasonable to assume it is not working??
 

Malika

Well-Known Member
Hi Ktllc. I do understand all this (I think) - your feelings, and why it is not "working" quickly. Just my instinct, but I think that the goals as set out would take YEARS to achieve. Seriously. How could those kind of huge changes be brought about in a few weeks? And I recognise... your desire for magic solutions because I feel that every time I go to a psychiatrist, psychologist, speech therapist, psychomotricien, etc.
What does the occ. therapist say about times and expectations?
 
T

TeDo

Guest
Maybe have the Occupational Therapist (OT) explain to him what they want him to do and why. That is what our Occupational Therapist (OT) does with difficult child 1 when he refuses. He just needs to know WHY she wants him to do certain things. The other thing is to maybe try some reverse psychology. "I bet you can't...." That also works well with difficult child 1 when he doesn't think he needs to strengthen his legs for example. She would say "fine, let me see you...." as she demonstrates lifting something heavy or whatever with her legs. difficult child 1 loves the competition.

I don't know, just some ideas.
 

Ktllc

New Member
He did ask me why he has to go. I tried to explain that she helps/teaches him things that don't come easy for him (getting dressed, using silverware) but then the activities don't seem to relate to my examples. Those 2 examples are the only things my 4 years old admits to be hard for him (versus other kids).
That's right, maybe the Occupational Therapist (OT) can find a better, yet age appropriate, explanation.
As far as reverse psychology it does not work with v at all. He will just agknowlage "yes, you're right.I cannot do it".
I thought of just speaking up and tell him to do it, but then... am I going to undermine the Occupational Therapist (OT)'s authority? I know he will listen to me.
The Occupational Therapist (OT) did not really give me a time frame or a pace for progress. I've just heard quite a few parents saying the huge progress their kids made with Occupational Therapist (OT). Some would say that within 2 sessions the results were huge.
For us, not so much.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't expext RESULTS in two sessions... something measurable within 5 or 10 sessions, maybe, not necessarily meeting goals though.

However - I would expect to be actively working on SOMETHING within a couple of sessions.

So... instead of allowing the Occupational Therapist (OT) to try and drag difficult child into what the Occupational Therapist (OT) wants to work on...
Maybe the Occupational Therapist (OT) needs to work on the things that difficult child recognizes as problems? Dressing for example... zippers, buttons, socks... Occupational Therapist (OT) needs to convince difficult child that exercises A, B and C will teach your hands to do a better job of helping you get dressed, or eat, or whatever else is on that list of difficult children.

The REST can come later... once difficult child sees some success.
 
T

TeDo

Guest
We've been going weekly for over 2 months and we are only now starting to see improvements. It depends on what they are working on. Some things can have results quickly, others take longer. Personally, given the information you've shared, I would talk to the Occupational Therapist (OT) and get their feel for the situation and express your concerns about the defiant behaviors carrying over to home after gettinghis way all the time in Occupational Therapist (OT). I would be afraid of "stepping on the Occupational Therapist (OT)'s toes" without discussing my observations/concerns first. That is JMHO.
 
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