Kid Confidential: Parent Education and Training, Part 2


Last month I discussed why parent education and training is important and offered tips to effectively train and educate parents.  Today I’ll be discussing how I realistically implement parent training and education.

There are two main ways in which I incorporate parent training and education: at the end of a therapy session and during real-time.

End-of-therapy session Education/Training

I typically use this type of parent education and training for older children (school-age and up) who are working on specific speech and language goals that require some traditional “drill and kill” therapy.  I will also use this type of training for young children who have been receiving speech therapy from myself for some time, long enough that parents are already familiar with implementing techniques at home.

Tips for effectively implementing end-of-session training and education:

  1.  Time management:  I ensure that I end the speech session with adequate time left (usually 10-15 minutes) to effectively educate and train parents (following the tips I shared in part one of this series).  If I feel rushed, due to numerous parent questions, parents requiring more assistance when demonstrating skills, etc. I take a mental note and end my therapy activities a bit earlier the next session so I can provide appropriate training and education.
  2. Review the session:  I then quickly review the session’s activities.  As parents are usually in the room/area where therapy is being provided they are already familiar with the activities I have provided and will quickly know and understand the goal of therapy that session.
  3. Technique(s)—Explain, Model, Take Turn, Feedback: Then, as in last month’s column, I will follow the same steps: explaining the rationale for the technique(s) used, model the technique(s), have parent(s) take their turn and provide feedback.
  4. Follow up:  I always begin the next session with follow up on how implementing the previous week’s techniques are going.

Real-Time Education/Training

This type of education and training is so effective for my very young clients (birth-5 years) as parents are such an integral part of language development at this stage, that it is necessary they are involved the entire therapy session.  This can sometimes propose a problem with there are numerous siblings present, however I tend to incorporate siblings into therapy in order to save time as well as train siblings how to use communication techniques as well.  My motto in this instance is “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!”.

Tips for effectively using Real-Time Education/Training:

  1. Techniques—Trial, Explain, Model:  The first thing I do with these young kiddos via play therapy is to trial a number of techniques.  Then I determine the most effective techniques and explain to the parent(s) the rationale for using them.  I then model the use of each technique, one by one, and demonstrate the positive effects of its use several times in a row (I strive for 5-10xs in a row to demonstrate the effectiveness to parents).
  2. Questions: I then ask the child’s parent(s) if they have any specific questions before they trial the technique. Usually they do once they realize they will be asked to perform the same technique.  If I need to provide specific step by step instructions, this is the time.
  3. Parent Model:  Then I have the parent’s take a turn using each technique a number of times (again I strive for several in a row-5 to 10xs-to build confidence).
  4. Feedback:  I provide feedback on each use of the technique.  I share the strengths that I see, I note the positive child responses, and of course address any weaknesses or modifications as needed.
  5. Make a list: For parents new to using therapy techniques, I will sometimes write a list of the techniques or the process of implementing a technique so they can refer to it between therapy sessions.  For my most basic language facilitation strategies/techniques I have created my own parent training/education handouts which you can find here.

Yes, real-time education/training can eat up a lot of your therapy time.  However, it is time well spent as long as the training is effective and parents can demonstrate independence with the use of the chosen techniques.  In my experience, using real-time parent education/training actually brings up several questions and concerns parents either do not think of prior to our discussions or are reminded of during therapy.  It’s a wonderful way to make the connection between the parent’s ability to change their communication approach and their child’s improved language development.  The goal of course with any parent education/training is to leave the parent feeling empowered in their ability to help their child.  A small amount of training can go a long way!

Next month, I will be sharing how I use digital recording to support parent education and training.
