How Do Therapists Communicate to Parents and Teachers?

How Do Therapists Communicate to Parents and Teachers?

Do you ever wonder how often other therapists communicate with parents and teachers?  Or what type of communication therapists prefer?  Well, you have come to the right place!  The results are in from the last Your Therapy Source survey where 167 participants answered questions on the frequency and type of communication with parents and teachers.  Please take a moment to answer the current survey when you are done reading the results.

Question #1:  What is your job title?

59.9% were OTs

16.2% were PTs

13.8% were COTAs

2.4% were PTAs

2.4% were SLPs

The remaining 5.3% were Parent advisor, School Counselor, Behavior Analyst, Mediator, OT service provider infant toddler, Adapted PE, Intervention Specialist, Recreational adaptive program coordinator and Music Therapist-Board Certified.

Question #2:  In general, how often do you communicate with a student’s parent (s) by email, note, phone or in person?

44.4% responded quarterly

17.3% responded monthly

16.7% responded weekly

8% responded yearly

2.5% responded daily

The remaining 11% responded other: every three to six weeks, each visit, depends on parent request and each trimester.

Question #3:  In general, how often do you communicate with a student’s teacher(s) by email, note, phone or in person?

63% responded weekly

13.9% responded daily

12.7% responded monthly

4.2% responded quarterly

3% responded as needed

Question #4:  What is your preferred method of communication?

45.2% reported email

36.7% reported in person

5.4% reported progress reports/report cards

4.2% reported letter or note

3% reported phone call

1% reported texting

The remaining 4.5 % reported other: parents in writing/teachers in person, combination or all of the above.

So how did you do?  Do you communicate more or less than the therapists in the survey sample?  Please take a moment to answer the current survey.

If you want forms and templates to increase communication between school and home check out, School and Home Communication Forms for Therapists.

Therapists, school staff, and parents are all so busy it can be hard to communicate. This collection of forms will save you loads of time. Therapists can review schedules, report on daily or weekly progress, track behavior, review IEP goals, track communication and more. It is suitable for all school based therapists. Parents can request therapist to complete daily or weekly updates especially beneficial for non-verbal children.  There are 21 forms including:

• Therapy Schedule
• Therapy Update 1
• Therapy Update 2
• Therapy Notes
• Behavior Form
• Teacher Communication Log
• Parent/Guardian Communication Log
• Weekly Log
• Daily Log
• Great News
• Letter of Concern
• Getting to Know You
• Pre-IEP Input
• Goal Review with Student
• Goal Review for Teachers
• Goal Review for Parent/Guardian
• Therapy Lesson Plan
• Communication Checklist
• Therapy Survey for Kids
• Therapy Satisfaction Survey for Parents/Guardians
• Therapy Satisfaction Survey for Teachers

Find out more about School and Home Communication Forms for Therapists.

Read 5 Steps to Increase Communication this School Year.

The post How Do Therapists Communicate to Parents and Teachers? appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Tips for Positive Communication with Parents

Parents are an integral part of the special education team. They know the most about their children’s strengths, weaknesses and personal preferences. Therapists and other school staff need to include parents in all decision making for children. Here are some tips on improving your communication with parents:

1. Always start off a conversation stressing a child’s strengths. No one wants to hear only negative comments.

2. Be very specific about your concerns for their child without using any medical terminology.

3. Do not be judgemental. If the child is the firstborn in a family, parents may not always recognize delays in the child’s development.

4. Be patient. You may be the first person to tell the parents that their child may need some extra help. Give them time to digest the information and schedule a time to talk again.

5. Allow plenty of time for questions. Make sure you have the time to address any questions the parent may have. Do not run off to your next scheduled appointment with unanswered questions.

6. Listen! Make sure you listen to the parent’s comment or concerns. They usually have the best insight into their own child.

Keeping the lines of communication open with parents will help your students to achieve their goals!  School and Home Communication Forms for Therapists will save you loads of time. Therapists can review schedules, report on daily or weekly progress, track behavior, review IEP goals, track communication and more. It is suitable for all school based therapists. Parents can request therapist to complete daily or weekly updates especially beneficial for non-verbal children.  Bonus – you can EDIT the forms!

There are 21 forms including:

Therapy Schedule
Therapy Update 1
Therapy Update 2
Therapy Notes
Behavior Form
Teacher Communication Log
Parent/Guardian Communication Log
Weekly Log
Daily Log
Great News
Letter of Concern
Getting to Know You
Pre-IEP Input
Goal Review with Student
Goal Review for Teachers
Goal Review for Parent/Guardian
Therapy Lesson Plan
Communication Checklist
Therapy Survey for Kids
Therapy Satisfaction Survey for Parents/Guardians
Therapy Satisfaction Survey for Teachers

Find out more information at School and Home Communication Forms.  

The post Tips for Positive Communication with Parents appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

5 Suggestions to Increase Family Involvement

Here are some simple suggestions to increase family (child, parents, siblings, other care givers, etc.) involvement in a child's therapy plan of care:

1.  Ask the family what their goals are in terms of therapy.  Collaborate to create appropriate goals.

2.  Take your time and be attentive.  Don't rush the family when talking about the plan of care.  Answer any questions.  Don't allow yourself to be interrupted.

3.  Offer choices and compromise.  Make every effort to offer suitable therapy times when scheduling that works for all people involved.   If you want to meet for a team meeting every month but the family can only meet every other month, you will need compromise.  Be realistic about home exercise programs.  Every family is busy so perhaps suggesting lengthy, extensive home exercise programs is not the best choice.  Try to incorporate activities into the everyday routine.

4.  Stay positive.  No one likes to hear negative things about their child.  Keep a positive mindset and focus on the child's strengths.

5.  Communicate.  Ask the family how they would like to communicate i.e. daily notebook, email, telephone, etc.  Once you determine how  and when you will communicate, make sure you follow through and update the family.

Title: School and Home Communication Forms for Therapists
By: Your Therapy Source

Summary: Download of 21 forms to increase communication between therapists,
school staff, students and parents.

Product Details:
E-Book: 25 pages
Language: English
Delivered electronically in PDF, Open Office and Word Format

Find out more information at http://yourtherapysource.com/commforms.html

 

What, Why and Who?

This might seem super obvious but as the school year starts out don't forget to tell the students, school staff and parents the following:

1.  What is therapy?  Make sure everyone is informed as to what is occupational, physical or speech therapy.  Describe what your role is as a related service provider and what functional tasks you can offer assistance with.

2.  Why does this student receive therapy?  It is important to be clear as to why the student receives the related service that you provide.  Review goals with all team members.

3.  Who are you?  Introduce yourself and include your title.  Be specific and explain the difference between a registered occupational or physical therapist and an assistant.   

Title: School and Home Communication Forms for Therapists 

By: Your Therapy Source 

Summary: Download of 21 forms to increase communication between therapists, school staff, students and parents. 

Get more information.