Support Your Child at Home With Parent Guidance
Plan with our specialist how to carry your child's therapy goals into everyday life at home. Parent guidance takes place in person at our centre in Beykent, Büyükçekmece (Istanbul), in English. For your child, we offer therapy in English and bilingual Turkish-English sessions.
Skills your child gains in therapy last best when they are practised in everyday life at home. At Çocukla Akademi, parent guidance means regular meetings in which we plan together how your child's therapy goals fit into your family's daily routine. Below you will find what the meetings cover and how they work at our centre.
This matters because your child spends most of the day outside the therapy room, with you. When it is clear what to focus on at home, the skills from therapy carry over into daily life much more easily.
On this page
What Is Parent Guidance?
Parent guidance is a series of regular meetings with our specialist. It helps you interact with your child more effectively at home. Together we look at what works in the therapy room and how it can fit your family's daily routine.
It is not a separate type of therapy. It is a layer of support that completes your child's other therapies: Floortime, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. Our specialists agree with you which areas to focus on first, based on your child's individual programme.
You can also read our Floortime at Home guide. It gives everyday examples of following your child's lead in play.
Parent guidance is not a one-off information session. It is an ongoing process that repeats at regular intervals and is updated as your child develops.
Our specialists take your daily routine into account, because unrealistic advice does not work in the long run. So we tailor every suggestion to fit the way your family already lives.
The meetings are planned to support your child's overall development, not just one area. Over time, the small changes you try at home become a natural part of your daily routine.
Why Does It Matter?
Even if your child has several hours of therapy a week, they spend the rest of the day with the family. A new skill from therapy only lasts if it is supported consistently at home too.
You are the most important person in your child's most natural learning environment. A parent who knows what to focus on can create countless chances for development within the daily routine, often without noticing.
Parent guidance also helps you understand your child's behaviour better and respond with less worry. This awareness has a positive effect on the whole atmosphere at home.
Parents often feel anxious because they do not know how to respond to a certain behaviour. Knowing what to do next reduces this uncertainty. It helps you build a safer, calmer relationship with your child.
Our specialists do not try to change your parenting style. Instead, they help you shape your existing strengths around your child's needs. This makes it easier to try new things without feeling inadequate, and it makes the whole process more enjoyable.
What Do the Meetings Cover?
What we talk about depends on your child's therapy and current goals. For example, connecting with your child through their interests during playtime and building shared attention are common topics.
Meetings on attention and behaviour cover practical strategies such as visual schedules, short task blocks and consistent routines. Families of children in our ADHD Support programme find these strategies especially useful.
In meetings focused on language, we talk about enriching everyday conversation, asking questions and waiting for your child to reply. These small habits help your child's vocabulary grow in a natural setting.
If your child is growing up with Turkish and English, we plan these language habits around both languages and the way your family uses them at home. Our Bilingual Children page explains more.
For sensory regulation, we plan simple strategies with you to use at home. Examples include calming techniques for busy, overstimulating places and movement breaks in the daily routine.
Fine motor and self-care skills can also be discussed. Our specialists give practical tips to help your child do age-appropriate daily tasks, such as dressing and eating, on their own.
Playtime is another frequent topic, because children learn most naturally through play. Our specialists look at simple ways with you to turn everyday playtime into a chance for development.
From time to time, sibling relationships and getting ready for school are also included. These areas directly affect your child's overall development.
Families often face challenges with eating, sleep and toilet training too. Our specialists give simple, practical suggestions in these areas. They match them to your child's developmental level and fit them into your everyday life.
Topic Areas Compared
| Topic area | What it covers | Related page |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction through play | Connecting, shared attention | Floortime at Home |
| Attention and behaviour | Routines, following tasks | ADHD Support |
| Language support | Vocabulary, chances to talk | Speech and Language Therapy |
| Sensory regulation | Calming down, movement breaks | Sensory Integration Therapy |
How Are Meetings Run?
Parent guidance takes place in individual meetings. They are usually planned once or twice a month, alongside your child's therapy programme. A meeting lasts between 40 and 60 minutes.
In each meeting, our specialists first share your child's current goals with you. Then we plan together, with concrete examples, what you can do at home for these goals. In some sessions, the specialist watches you and your child play together and gives feedback in the moment.
All meetings take place face to face at our centre. We do not offer online sessions. Watching your interaction together and giving instant feedback work best in person.
At the end of each meeting, our specialists give you a written summary, so you can easily remember what we discussed. This summary is also the starting point for the next meeting.
Parent Guidance in English
Many parents who come to us live in Istanbul and speak English at home. They include expat, international and mixed-nationality families. Our parent guidance is fully available in English, so you can ask questions and talk things through in the language you are most comfortable with.
- Parent meetings in English, with written summaries you can take home.
- Therapy in English for your child, or bilingual Turkish-English sessions planned around your child's language profile.
- Family meetings and progress updates in English.
- In person in Istanbul, at our centre in Beykent, Büyükçekmece, Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 18:00.
In many families, children hear one language at home and another at school or nursery. We talk with you about your family's language mix. Then we help you plan how to use each language in play and daily routines.
For our address and directions, see our Contact page.
How Does the Process Work?
Parent guidance starts alongside your child's main therapy and is updated at regular intervals. In each meeting, we review with you what has worked at home and add new suggestions when needed.
When you share short notes on what you noticed at home, our specialists feed this back into your child's overall therapy programme. This keeps information flowing steadily between home and the therapy room.
Over time, as you get to know your child's needs better, you start to develop your own strategies. Our specialists support this growing independence and guide you when needed.
Trust builds between you and our team during the process. It gives you a place to ask for help in difficult moments too, and it strengthens the therapy as a whole. You can always ask our specialists about anything you are unsure of.
Some periods bring fast progress, and others slower progress. Our specialists see these ups and downs as normal. They help you keep realistic expectations throughout.
By the end, most families feel more confident communicating with their child. This confidence is one of the most lasting gains of parent guidance, and it helps in other challenging periods too.
Who Is It For?
Parent guidance suits parents of any child receiving developmental support. It is especially useful for families of children with autism, ADHD or learning difficulties.
Families who have not started therapy yet can benefit too, if they want to strengthen their interaction with their child. Our specialists can share general suggestions that support development.
Parent guidance can be adapted for children of divorced or separated parents. When both parents follow the same approach, the child has a consistent experience in two homes. Moving between homes also becomes easier.
For working parents, we plan the meetings flexibly. For example, we can offer late afternoon or Saturday appointments within our opening hours. Our specialists give priority to the times that suit you.
For families with a new baby, sibling adjustment and time management can be added. Our specialists give practical tips so you can give each child enough time. They also share simple routines to make this period easier.
Siblings can join in as well. When siblings join play in the same way, interaction at home improves as a whole and family life runs more smoothly.
On request, grandparents or other adults who care for your child every day, such as a nanny, can be invited to meetings. When everyone in your child's life follows the same approach, things stay consistent and your child is not confused. Your child then has a similar experience in every setting.
The meetings also change with your child's age. With younger children, play-based ideas come first. With school-age children, academic and social skills get more attention.
It can also be adapted for families of children approaching adolescence. At this stage, communication and independence become more important. Our specialists share suggestions for this transition and support you throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is parent guidance a separate type of therapy?
No. Parent guidance is not a stand-alone therapy. It completes your child's other therapies and focuses on everyday life at home.
How often are meetings held?
Usually once or twice a month, alongside your child's therapy programme. The frequency can change according to your family's and your child's needs.
Can both parents attend?
Yes, both parents can attend. When you both follow the same approach, things are more consistent at home.
Is parent guidance linked to my child's therapy?
Yes. Parent guidance runs alongside your child's main therapy programme and is updated regularly.
Is it only for families of children with a specific diagnosis?
No. The family of any child receiving developmental support can take part. Families who have not started therapy yet can also benefit.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes. Contact us directly by WhatsApp or phone to arrange a suitable appointment. Meetings are usually planned around your child's current therapy.
What changes can we expect?
Parents start to interact with their child in a more aware and consistent way. Over time, you may see positive changes in your child's daily skills and communication. How long this takes varies from child to child and depends on regular attendance.
Can my child have sessions in English?
Yes. All our therapies are available in English, and so is parent guidance. Family meetings and progress updates are in English too.
Do you offer bilingual Turkish-English sessions?
Yes. For children growing up with Turkish and English, we offer bilingual sessions planned around your child's language profile. In parent guidance, we also look at how your family uses each language at home.
Where are you located?
Our centre is in Beykent, Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, right on the Beylikdüzü border. All parent guidance meetings take place face to face at the centre. Families come to us from Büyükçekmece, Beylikdüzü, Bahçeşehir, Avcılar, Silivri, Esenyurt and Çatalca.