should I get holiday gift for my child's therapists?

[Reader]

My child is in OT & speech therapy (just started). I wouldn't give my pediatrician a gift but I don't see him every week. Is it expected? Do you?

[crl]

Ours were through the school and I did give them small gift cards with a holiday card and a hand written note inside.

Catherine

[brittone2]

When I was working as a therapist in EI, families commonly did give a gift. My favorites were just little personal things made by kids (like a handprint ornament or something out of construction paper) or a personal note written from a family (sometimes CCd by the family to my supervisor). Those had a lasting impression. If the therapist has been a great fit or helped your child a great deal, then a handwritten note is very meaningful and says a lot.

Do not feel obligated to give a physical gift at all. When I was working in EI, there was a cap on the gift value a therapist could receive, so that's something else to keep in mind.

If you know the therapist is on the road a lot (like an EI therapist or someone who goes between schools), a Starbucks GC is nice, IMO. I stopped at places like that frequently to run in to go to the bathroom or grab a cup of coffee since I was in my car driving from house to house to house all day. If I had a cancelled appt and couldn't fit anyone else in that slot, I'd hang out there and work on paperwork, etc.

[kristac]

Last year I did cookies I baked. This year as a random appreciation gift I did fudge- he will be switching to the school system therapist at thanksgiving so not sure what I will be doing for the new therapist. Maybe an itunes gift card if she has an ipad she uses? I'm doing these bracelets http://www.apraxia-kids.org/site/c.chKMI0PIIsE/b.8439739/k.E61/ApraxiaKIDS_Store__CASANA_Giving_Bands.htm for goodbye gifts to our old therapists.

[ett]

DS1's therapists are through school and I do give them a holiday gift as well as an end of school year gift. I also gave to DS1's private therapist previously.