What to Expect During Your Child’s Therapy Session
Starting therapy can feel like a big step for both children and caregivers. Whether your child is beginning speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, feeding therapy, or aquatic therapy, it is natural to wonder what will happen, how your child will respond, and how involved you will be.
At Cheshire Fitness Zone, our goal is to make therapy welcoming, supportive, and engaging. Each discipline begins with a first appointment called an evaluation. This is where the therapist learns about your child’s strengths, challenges, and goals. After that, sessions follow a structure that helps children build skills in a fun and encouraging environment.
Every child is unique, and therapy is always tailored to their specific needs. A therapist will determine which methods are best and create an individualized plan for your child. While the general flow of sessions may look similar across disciplines, your child’s therapy will always be personalized to help them reach their goals in the most supportive way possible.
Here is what to expect in each area of therapy.
Speech Therapy
Your First Appointment
The first speech therapy session is an evaluation with a speech-language pathologist. They will ask about your child’s development and communication history, then observe how your child talks, listens, and interacts.
Pediatric speech therapy focuses on helping children improve their communication skills, speech clarity, language development, and confidence in expressing themselves. For some children, this also includes support through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), such as picture boards, speech-generating devices, or simple sign language.
Play and simple activities may be used to check speech sounds, vocabulary, language understanding, and social communication. Feeding and swallowing may also be screened if needed. At the end, the therapist will explain their findings, set goals, and recommend a therapy plan.
What a Typical Session Looks Like After That
- A Warm Welcome and Check-In
Your child’s SLP will greet you, then ask about new words, communication changes, or challenges at home or school. - Goal Review and Planning
Goals might include practicing certain sounds, expanding vocabulary, following directions, or improving social skills. The therapist may share the plan in a fun way, like, “Let’s go on a word hunt today!” - Warm-Up Activities
To get your child ready, warm-ups may include songs, rhymes, breathing or oral motor games, or reviewing words with flashcards or picture books. - Skill-Building Activities
The main portion of therapy is playful and goal-focused:- Practicing speech sounds through repetition games
- Storytelling or role play to build language skills
- Using visual supports to aid understanding
- Social practice like greetings or asking questions
- Practicing speech sounds through repetition games
- Caregiver Involvement
Parents may be asked to model correct speech, encourage language-rich play at home, or practice short activities between sessions. - Cool Down and Wrap-Up
Sessions often end with a favorite game or song. The therapist reviews progress and gives you simple tips for home practice.
Progress Over Time
Communication growth is gradual. You may notice clearer sounds or longer sentences before bigger gains like telling a whole story.
Occupational Therapy
Your First Appointment
At the first occupational therapy session, the therapist completes an evaluation of how your child handles daily tasks and play. They may look at fine motor skills, coordination, and sensory responses using a mix of structured tasks and play. You will discuss your child’s strengths, challenges, and goals. The therapist will then recommend a plan tailored to your child.
What a Typical Session Looks Like After That
- A Warm Welcome and Check-In
The OT may ask about self-care skills like dressing or eating, changes in mood or focus, and school performance. - Goal Review and Planning
Goals might target fine motor skills, independence, attention, sensory regulation, or coordination. - Warm-Up Activities
Warm-ups get both the body and brain ready. Examples: climbing or crawling through tunnels, pushing or pulling weighted objects, or fine motor prep with putty or beads. - Skill-Building Activities
The main portion often looks like play:- Cutting shapes with scissors
- Drawing or tracing for handwriting
- Sensory play with sand, water, or foam
- Coordination games like obstacle courses
- Cutting shapes with scissors
- Caregiver Involvement
The OT may teach you adaptations for routines, sensory strategies for transitions, or strengthening games to try at home. - Cool Down and Wrap-Up
Sessions may end with calming sensory input like deep pressure, swinging, or quiet play. The therapist reviews progress and shares take-home tips.
Progress Over Time
Early progress might look like better pencil control before bigger gains like writing sentences or dressing independently.
Physical Therapy
Your First Appointment
During the first physical therapy session, the therapist completes an evaluation by observing how your child moves. They may look at walking, balance, posture, flexibility, and strength. Parents share concerns and milestones, and the therapist explains goals and a recommended treatment plan.
What a Typical Session Looks Like After That
- A Warm Welcome and Check-In
The physical therapist greets you and your child, then spends a few minutes asking about recent progress, challenges, or changes. Even small updates, like “She’s been walking more” or “He avoids stairs,” help guide the plan for the day. - Goal Review and Planning
Each session is built around your child’s goals. These may include improving balance, building strength, enhancing coordination, or supporting endurance. The therapist may frame this in a playful way for your child — “Today we’re going on a superhero mission!” - Warm-Up Activities
Warm-ups loosen muscles, prepare the body, and get your child engaged. Examples include animal walks (bear crawl, crab walk), short obstacle courses, or stretching disguised as “reaching for the stars.” - Skill-Building Exercises
The main part of therapy targets specific goals through fun activities:- Balance: walking on a foam beam, stepping over hurdles
- Strength: pushing a weighted cart, climbing therapy stairs
- Mobility: yoga-inspired stretches, reaching games
- Endurance: movement games like relay races
- Caregiver Involvement
You may be asked to observe, help with positioning, or practice short home exercises. Your therapist will explain how to safely support your child’s movement at home. - Cool Down and Wrap-Up
Sessions often end with stretches, breathing, or calming play like blowing bubbles. The therapist reviews progress with you and suggests home activities.
Progress Over Time
Progress may begin with small changes like smoother posture or stronger steps before big milestones.
Feeding Therapy
Your First Appointment
The first feeding therapy appointment is an evaluation with a trained therapist. They will ask about your child’s eating history, medical background, and current mealtime routines. You may be asked to bring a snack or meal so the therapist can observe chewing, swallowing, and reactions to different textures. Afterward, the therapist shares impressions, sets goals, and gives initial strategies to try at home.
What a Typical Session Looks Like After That
- A Warm Welcome and Check-In
You’ll share updates about mealtimes, new foods tried, or recent challenges. - Goal Review and Planning
Goals may include chewing more effectively, swallowing safely, reducing picky eating, or increasing food variety. - Warm-Up Activities
Warm-ups might include sensory play, oral motor activities like straws or whistles, or exploring non-preferred foods without pressure. - Skill-Building Activities
Feeding sessions often use play-based steps:- Touching, smelling, or tasting new foods gradually
- Practicing chewing and swallowing
- Using positive reinforcement to celebrate progress
- Touching, smelling, or tasting new foods gradually
- Caregiver Involvement
You’ll learn strategies for calm mealtime routines and how to support your child’s comfort with food. - Cool Down and Wrap-Up
Sessions end positively, even if your child doesn’t eat much. The therapist reviews progress and gives you next steps.
Progress Over Time
Change may start small, touching or licking a new food, before building to eating and enjoying it.
Aquatic Therapy
Your First Appointment
At the first aquatic therapy session, the therapist introduces your child to the pool environment and helps them feel safe. Gentle activities such as walking in shallow water, blowing bubbles, or floating with support may be used. At the end, the therapist reviews goals and explains how aquatic therapy builds strength, balance, and coordination that carry over onto land.
What a Typical Session Looks Like After That
- A Warm Welcome and Check-In
The therapist greets you both, gathers updates, and eases your child into the pool. - Goal Review and Planning
Goals may include building strength, balance, flexibility, endurance, or confidence through water play. - Warm-Up Activities
Gentle water-based activities like walking, splashing, stretching, or blowing bubbles help your child settle in. - Skill-Building Activities
The pool setting makes exercise fun and effective:- Floating and swimming motions
- Balance games like standing on one leg in water
- Resistance walking or reaching
- Endurance activities like races or treasure hunts
- Floating and swimming motions
- Caregiver Involvement
The therapist may explain how pool skills help with land-based movement and share fun water play activities for you to try outside therapy. - Cool Down and Wrap-Up
Calming water play helps your child finish on a positive note. The therapist reviews progress and suggests at-home strategies. - Progress Over Time
Children often build water comfort first, followed by gains in strength, mobility, and overall confidence.
Supporting Your Child’s Growth
Whether your child is beginning speech, occupational, physical, feeding, or aquatic therapy, each session is designed with their individual needs in mind. The details may vary, but the purpose remains the same: to create a safe, engaging environment where your child can learn, grow, and gain confidence. Progress may look different for every child, but with consistent support and guidance, therapy becomes a powerful part of their journey toward greater independence and everyday success.
