At Elmhurst Counseling, we often receive referrals that are best served by combining the expertise of multiple therapists. The most common examples are Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology. OT and social work are similarly intuitive. The credentials and expertise of these specialists blend naturally on behalf of the child. Let’s consider these two examples.
Many kids fall short of school district thresholds for speech & language and/or occupational therapy services. Yet each of these children displays concerning symptoms, whether that be difficulties with motor planning or self-regulation. What is a parent to do?
You can wait for the kiddo to ‘grow out’ of their symptoms, assuming the lag is within the developmental norm. Or you can engage your own resource network proactively with the understanding that early detection pays dividends.
It is probably no surprise that both speech and motor delays are partnered with most kids. The same goes for sensory processing and social pragmatics. An hour with either the Speech Pathologist or the Occupational Therapist addresses many of the same developmental challenges. When you put them together in the same room with a child, magic happens.
The same magic occurs when you add a Social Worker to the mix. It is the rare ‘OT’ or ‘SLP’ client who doesn’t have a strong social-emotional component to their clinical picture. The ability to address the childhood traumas and family dynamics that impact normal development is, in essence, prevention. Speech/language, social work, and occupational therapy interventions thus all become strengthened in a multidisciplinary approach.
The cost/benefit analysis is clear. Collaborative interventions in co-treatment models have measurable clinical efficacy. It’s just hard to find a practice that offers hybrid services. Most often, parents need to act as project managers and patchwork professionals together on their own. If you can find a clinician that partners in an interdisciplinary practice, sign your kid up!
About the Author
Steve Ritter, LCSW is the Founder and Executive Director of Elmhurst Counseling. He has served as a teacher, author, consultant, human resources director, health care administrator, and licensed clinical social worker since 1977. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Steve has provided coaching, therapy and team development services to thriving schools, businesses and organizations.