What’s a therapy home program?
A therapy home program helps your child build skills and make progress toward therapy goals while engaged in everyday activities. You can incorporate the included motor, sensory and language exercises into your child’s daily routines.
Talk with your therapist about how to do the activities with your child, so you are comfortable with them at home.
Post each sheet of your home program handout in the location where the described activity takes place. For example, put the Brushing Teeth and Bath sheets on your bathroom wall, and post the Diaper Change sheet above your child’s changing area.
Write on the posted sheets when you have ideas to add to your home program activities.
Relax; give yourself plenty of time to interact and have fun.
Blow, pop and catch bubbles.
Wash and bring hands together.
Talk about what you are doing (washing, rinsing, splashing).
Include vocabulary terms, such as wet/dry, warm/cold and dirty/clean.
Be part of the family meal: Talk with others and sit at the table.
Explore how food looks, feels, smells and tastes.
Make mealtimes fun and enjoyable.
Practice fine motor skills, such as picking up Cheerios or holding utensils.
Talk about the foods and utensils.
Include vocabulary terms, such as words that describe flavors and textures.
Talk about the toys and how you’re playing with them.
Include vocabulary terms, such as big/small and go/stop.
Sing songs with actions, such as Itsy Bitsy Spider and Pat-A-Cake.
Use tooth brushing as part of your daily routine.
Learn to take care of your body.
Talk about places in the mouth.
Include vocabulary terms, such as in front/behind, in/out and top/bottom.
Use this time to interact closely with your baby.
Make funny faces and sounds, and blow raspberries on baby’s tummy.
Talk about body parts and what you’re doing.
Help child learn to be independent in taking care of himself or herself.
Balance with a single leg.
Place each item on the floor to squat down to get it.
Work on learning how to do buttons, snaps and zippers.
Talk about the steps needed to get dressed.
Include vocabulary terms, such as “first” and “then” (for example, “first underwear, then pants.”); types of clothing; and action words, such as pull up, take off, zip.
Include vocabulary, such as soft, fuzzy, itchy, and names of colors.
Create a routine around bedtime. This helps children learn how to fall asleep on their own.
Pull back covers and fluff pillow.
Use different positions during story time: lying on tummy or side, or tall kneeling on edge of bed.
Roll up and down bed.
Include pointing to and talking about pictures.
Encourage your child to sing along.