PSA on EI therapists

As an EI therapist I often get questions about what it takes to qualify to be a therapist. ?I have also seen people questioning this over here. ?It's something I feel parents should be informed about, because the therapist they get it an important part of their lives. ?To me the most frustrating part of the EI experience is that you do not get to choose your therapist.

What is required to be an EI therapist? ?I speak for primarily for my state (Illinois) but I think the info can be generalized. ?To receive my initial certification, I had to show that I had a state license. ?The state initially requires that I have a degree from a certified Masters' program. ?In the first year of EI, I was supervised with each child once per month by a fully licensed therapist. ?After that, I was on my own. ?To maintain your state license and your EI credentials, you must show a certain amount of continuing education every three years. ?EI pre-approves certain trainings and has requirements so that you get a range of training topics, but they are very broad.?

What does this mean? ?

?-?EI therapists are not necessarily experts on every aspect of their field. ?For example, I do not do feeding, although it is an area that falls under speech. ?Some OTs are focused more on rehab, while others focus on sensory needs. ?Some PTs work primarily with toddlers and rarely see infants. ?It is largely a matter of what your school's focus was, your personal interests, and how you pursued continuing ed later on. ?Even a good therapist is not necessarily qualified to meet your child's needs. ?If they aren't, they should say so. ?If you feel you need somebody different with a particular skill set, ask.

- EI and the state both have continuing ed requirements. ?These are typically broad, meaning that your therapist is not necessarily up on the latest info on autism, torticollis CP, etc, or that they even have more than basic coursework on these topics.?

- EI is not out there interviewing therapists. ?If you have a license and EI credentials, you can be put on the lists and called to provide services. They are not reading resumes. ?The therapist chooses EI. ?EI does not choose the therapist.

- Experience is not everything. ?Some of the wackiest therapists I know have been treating kids for years. ?I can only imagine that their skills are outdated or they have developed a superiority complex. ?That said, some therapists are inexperienced. ?I have friends who work primarily with adults in hospitals and nursing homes, then see 2-3 EI kids on the side. ?It's a very different skill set. ?Some therapists will not have the training or experience necessary to treat a complex child.

- Your service coordinator does not know each therapist, does not know each field, and does not necessarily understand all of your child's complexities. ?They are mostly wonderful, compassionate people who understand the system as a whole. ?However, their primary role is to get a therapist in the door. ?They try to make sure it is the right therapist, but they can't always know who is right, and sometimes they get desperate!?

- Some therapists think they know everything about everything. ?If your OT thinks she is also your ST, PT, and DT, she might be overstepping her boundaries. ?A little crossover is ok, but if you are happy with your other therapists, direct Super Therapist back to her own field.

- There are great therapists out there. ?There are also bad therapists. ?If you feel that something is not right with the services you are receiving, say something. ?I have seen families suffer with a therapist who was, for one reason or another, just not doing their job. ?Ask for a change. ?If you feel it is needed, file a complaint.

- Some therapists are great for one family, and a bad fit for another. ?It is part of being a therapist. ?Talk to your therapist if you think the relationship can be salvaged, and you want to give them a chance to try something that works better for you. ?If not, or if they do not change, it is ok to ask for somebody new. ?Being dropped by a family is something that none of us enjoy, but it is a (hopefully rare) rite of passage. Even if I think a family is wrong, I can never begrudge them doing what they feel is best for their child. ?It is my job, I'm a tough girl, and I'll be fine.?

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I am an EI therapist because it was upsetting to meet older children and wish I could have gotten them help earlier. ?It's almost worse when they are in EI and still not getting therapy to meet their needs. ?Therapists are hard to come by, but that doesn't mean you and your child should ever have to suffer in silence. ?

I am sure there are plenty of therapists and parents reading who have something to add or outright disagree with me. ?Please do. ?I just want to give parents the tools and knowledge to advocate for themselves - I am by no means the authority on this!