Why Consistency Matters: Continuing Therapy this Christmas
For many families, school holiday periods (especially the Christmas season) are a time to relax. Many families take time to travel, connect with family or friends and enjoy a break from the usual routine. While a change of pace can be refreshing, continuing therapy over school holidays can play a vital role in supporting your child’s ongoing development. Maintaining regular appointments this Christmas can help kids retain the skills they have worked so hard to achieve throughout the year.
At QPAH, we often hear parents wondering whether it’s beneficial to pause speech pathology, occupational therapy or music therapy during the holidays. While every family’s circumstances are different, continuing therapy over school holidays (where possible) can provide significant benefits.
Development Doesn’t Take Holidays
Children are constantly learning and developing. The skills practised in therapy sessions are built gradually over time through repetition, consistency and real-world application.
When therapy stops for an extended period, some children may experience a temporary loss of progress. They may find it more difficult to re-establish routines and skills when sessions resume. This can be especially true for children working on:
- Communication and language development
- Social development and interaction
- Emotional regulation
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Daily living skills and independence
- Attention and concentration
- Confidence and self-expression
Regular attendance helps maintain momentum and reinforces previously learned strategies, making it easier to continue progressing towards therapy goals.
Routine Provides Security and Predictability
Many children thrive on routine. School holidays often bring changes to sleep schedules, family activities, social expectations and daily structure.
Maintaining regular therapy appointments can provide an important point of consistency during a time when many other routines are disrupted. Knowing that a familiar therapy session remains part of their week can help children feel settled, supported and secure.
For neurodivergent children and those who experience anxiety around change, retaining familiar routines where possible can be particularly valuable.
Continuing Therapy Over School Holidays Creates New Learning Opportunities
The holiday period often presents unique experiences that can be incorporated into therapy.
Family outings, holidays, Christmas celebrations, community events and increased social interactions provide rich opportunities for children. They can explore practising their skills in different environments.
Therapists can help families apply strategies to real-life holiday situations including:
- Navigating busy social gatherings
- Managing sensory challenges
- Communicating with extended family members
- Developing independence during outings
- Participating in holiday activities
- Building social confidence in new settings
- Emotional regulation during routine disruption.
Rather than putting progress on hold, therapy during the holidays can help children use their skills in meaningful new experiences.
Easier Transitions Back to School
Returning to school after a long break can be challenging for many children. Shorter breaks can mean easier transitions back to school.
Continuing therapy throughout the holidays can help maintain important skills and routines, reducing the adjustment period when school resumes. Children may feel more confident and prepared for classroom expectations if they have remained engaged in therapeutic activities during the break.
Therapy sessions can also be used to support back-to-school readiness by addressing organisation, emotional regulation, social development and communication needs.
Supporting Families During a Busy Time
The holiday season can bring both joy and challenges for families. Maintaining therapy appointments allows parents and caregivers to continue receiving professional guidance, support and practical strategies tailored to their child’s changing needs.
Regular check-ins with your therapy team ensure that any emerging concerns can be addressed early, helping children stay on track, while making the most of the holiday period.
Finding the Right Balance
We understand that holidays are important and that family time, travel and special events are part of creating meaningful memories together.
Therapy doesn’t need to prevent families from enjoying a well-deserved break. Even maintaining some appointments throughout the holiday period or switching to telehealth appointments can help preserve progress, reinforce skills and provide valuable continuity.
If your family plans to be away, speak with your therapist about the best approach for maintaining support and keeping therapy goals active over the break.
The Christmas break (and other school holiday periods) can be an excellent opportunity for children to continue growing, learning and building confidence. By maintaining regular speech pathology, occupational therapy or music therapy sessions where possible, families can help ensure that hard-earned progress continues and children return to school ready to thrive.
Flexible Options for Therapy
At QPAH, we understand that every family’s holiday plans look different, which is why we offer a range of flexible support options throughout the school holiday period. Alongside individual therapy appointments, we offer telehealth sessions, parent/caregiver consultations and personalised home programs and therapy resources that families can use while travelling, enjoying a staycation or preparing for the return to school. These options help ensure that children can continue practising important skills and making progress, even when attending regular face-to-face appointments may not be possible.
Group Therapy Helps Maintain Social Interactions
For children who miss the social interaction and routine of school or kindy, we can tailor small group therapy sessions. Where possible, we match children of similar ages/developmental levels. This allows children to build communication, social development, emotional regulation and play skills in a supportive and engaging environment. These groups can be particularly beneficial during the holidays, when regular opportunities to connect with peers may be reduced.
Our team works closely with families to design group experiences that align with each child’s goals, while providing valuable opportunities to practise skills in real-world social situations. Learning alongside peers can increase motivation, build confidence and help develop skills for everyday environments (home, school and community).
We also offer our popular Therapy Club program throughout the entire holiday period. This all-day, drop & go service provides children with a fun, structured and supportive environment. They can continue developing therapy goals through purposeful activities, social interaction, community experiences and play-based learning. Therapy Club not only helps maintain important skills and routines during the break, but also provides working families with flexible holiday support while children enjoy meaningful engagement with their peers.
Whether through individual sessions, small group programs, telehealth support, caregiver coaching or Therapy Club, our goal is to help children stay connected, continue progressing and return to school feeling confident and ready to thrive.
To book your school holiday appointments, contact QPAH on (07) 5647 6120 or email [email protected].