The holiday season is a time for family, relaxation, and a change of routine. For many families with children who benefit from therapy, it can also be a time when the usual support systems, like school-based therapy, are temporarily unavailable. This can lead to regression in skills or increased challenges with regulation and routines. That’s where intensive therapy can play an important role, offering a focused and supportive alternative during holiday breaks.
What is Intensive Therapy?
Intensive therapy is a more concentrated form of therapy where children receive multiple sessions per week over a shorter time frame. It provides an opportunity to make meaningful progress in a condensed period, allowing children to focus on specific goals or areas of development with the guidance of their therapists. This can be particularly helpful during times when their usual therapy schedules are disrupted, such as during school breaks.
Benefits of Intensive Therapy During Holiday Breaks
- Preventing Skill Regression: When there is a break in schedule due to school holiday breaks, we often see regression in skills that children have worked hard to develop. Intensive therapy can help mitigate this by providing consistent practice and support during the gap. By maintaining a focused routine, children can continue making progress and avoid setbacks.
- Faster Regulation: Many children rely on the consistency of school and regular therapy sessions to help them regulate their emotions, behavior, and sensory needs. Holiday breaks can bring about changes in routine, family gatherings, and other disruptions that make it harder for some children to feel grounded. Intensive therapy can provide structured support that helps children regulate faster, offering a consistent environment where they can feel comfortable and work on their skills.
- Making the Most of Time Off: Holiday breaks are also an ideal time to focus on areas of growth without the competing demands of schoolwork. Intensive therapy allows children to concentrate on specific developmental goals without the distractions of their typical school schedule. It’s a time when they can make progress that might have taken longer under normal circumstances, setting them up for a more successful return to school.
- Support When School-Based Therapy is Unavailable: For children who receive school-based services, breaks often mean that these supports are paused. Intensive therapy can fill this gap by continuing the progress made during the school year, reducing the risk of regression. The regular practice and focus that intensive therapy offers can help maintain and even advance the skills that your child has been working on throughout the year.
Why Consider Intensive Therapy at Tumble N' Dots?
Our intensive therapy programs are designed to be flexible and responsive to your child’s needs. We use a child-led, play-based approach that makes therapy engaging and enjoyable, even during a more concentrated schedule. Our therapists collaborate closely with families to set individualized goals, ensuring that every session is purposeful and supportive of your child’s unique journey.
Whether it’s building communication skills, improving motor abilities, or developing self-regulation strategies, intensive therapy during the holiday break can provide a valuable boost to help your child thrive. By maintaining a consistent therapeutic environment during this time, children can enter the new year feeling more confident and better equipped to tackle the challenges ahead.