The Importance of Carryover
By Jessica Jordan, MS, OTR/L
What is carryover?
Carryover is the client’s ability to take skills learned and practiced in therapy and generalize those skills in order to apply it broadly in all environments. Carryover is important to practice in a variety of naturalistic environments in order to encourage greater skill development. Carryover usually involves the client’s family members and support systems, which we have always said is such an integral part of therapy here at SUNRISE Therapies.
Why is carryover so important?
Think about it, therapy sessions usually last for an hour (typically in an outpatient or naturalistic environment) possibly even 30 minutes in the school setting. If a client is seen 4x a month, that yields to 4 hours of working on new skills which may sound great, but there 672 hours in a month, therefore 4 hours out of 672 is not even 10% of the time! Carryover yields greater success in all environments, which we know is essential because we all perform differently in different environments. Carryover doesn’t need to feel overwhelming or something that needs to occur exactly the same way it was taught by your therapist. There can be tweaks (i.e. my OT shared in sessions my child does much better with auditory feedback, however at home he thrives on visual feedback) made along the way, but starting small is at least taking that first step to generalize that skill!
How can I start practicing carryover?
I always like to encourage my clients I am working with to practice those skills in a desirable time for them. For example, it may be harder to practice deep breathing when you are already frustrated, in comparison to taking opportunities to practice it during a time when you may be more regulated in order to really be present and notice the effects on your nervous system taking place. Another tip I recommend for younger clients or children, is practicing the new skill during play in order to keep your child extremely motivated. One of the core values of occupational therapy is to strive to make what we are doing meaningful. Play is the primary occupation of a child and is a meaningful expressive outlet for our children, therefore practicing a new skill like brushing your teeth is far more motivating when you can do it on your baby doll first. And lastly, I like to encourage all my clients to start small. If it is a multi-step task, just focus on one part of the activity before expecting to generalize the entire skill in one weekend. Also, don’t forget to give yourself grace as a caregiver!! Any implementation or exploration of tools and activities is better than none… any bit counts!
Feel free to comment below on any strategies you have used in order to practice carryover in your home after an occupational therapy session.