Lauren Richards, OTR/L, SWC, CLC
From In-Person to Teletherapy: The More Chaotic, the Better
As an occupational therapist at Amigo Baby®, Lauren Richards usually worked with children and families in their homes, at daycare programs, in parks, the mall, or the dental office. With COVID-19, she and her team shifted to 100% teletherapy services. She asked herself, “How am I going to do my job this way? How am I going to be valuable to these families? What am I going to do?” In this podcast, Lauren describes what an online session looks like with families, including joined planning, demonstrating actions, involvement of siblings, and use of materials visible to the therapist. When working online, she makes use of every cue she gets and comes to the conclusion, “The more chaotic, the better!” Communicating concepts clearly and empowering caregivers to lead the session by getting on the floor and playing with their child became central to the therapeutic process.
Resources:
- Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center. (2021). Preschool during the pandemic: Early childhood education in extraordinary times. https://ectacenter.org/topics/disaster/preschoolpandemic.aspxx
About the Interviewee:
Lauren Richards, OTR/L, SWC, CLC, is the occupational therapy team leader and field work coordinator at Amigo Baby®. She provides services in children’s natural environment to enhance participation in activities in daily living, support family routines, cultivate social engagement, and facilitate play. Being flexible during the COVID-19 pandemic, she adjusted her services by offering tele-interventions on a regular basis.
Contact: lrichards@amigobaby.com
Suggested Citation:
Kern, P. (2021, April 23). From in-Person to teletherapy: The more chaotic, the better: An interview with Lauren Richards [Audio podcast]. imagine. www.imagine.musictherapy.biz
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