Shared Therapist

About our Shared Therapists

Similar to our full-time live-in therapists, our shared therapists provide therapy throughout the week, but they have two families that they work with. They work with one family for 3-4hrs per day, 5 days a week and another family for an additional 3-4hrs per day, 5 days a week. The shared therapist will either live with one of their families or nearby to both. We can only offer this option should there be another family interested in sessions that live near you.

Our experienced therapists are guided by their supervisors in creating Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s) to assist your child in all developmental areas.

All our programs include an initial program, various profiles to help manage a range of behaviors (challenging behaviors and sensory overload included) as well as ongoing child-specific training and feedback.

Empirical research states that families who receive respite and support experience decreased levels of stress and a higher rate of feeling equipped to manage their entire family unit.

Our therapists have training in various therapeutic modalities, such as ABA, Playtherapy, RDI and other. Some of our therapists have also completed courses in AAC, Makaton, Spelling to Communicate, to name a few. The therapists are all experienced in generalizing goals and targets from Speech and Language therapists, Occupational therapists and teachers at school to the home environment.

Who our shared therapists are for:

Families that only require a few hours of therapy a day for their child usually choose this option. The majority of our families start with full-time services (in-person or online) and then move to shared options (or less hours). If your child goes to school without a facilitator and needs an “extra hand” at home or a tutor for specific subjects, the shared option might be the best for your family.

FAQ about shared therapists

We have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions, but feel free to send us an email should you need more information (hello@aimsglobal.info).

How much does a shared therapist cost?
We offer monthly payments that include the therapist’s salary, continuous supervision, initial programs, child-specific profiles, updates to the program, feedback and ongoing reports. The monthly cost for a shared therapist and all of these services is country-specific as we need to keep in mind cost of living for therapists too, but it ranges. We also have various options that are even more affordable - such as hiring a local therapist (who might have less autism-related experience), but this option is only available in certain countries. Please enquire with us should you want to consider hiring a local therapist (hello@aimsglobal.info). Online therapy (telehealth services) is another practical option where you receive a dedicated therapist to support you and your child. The telehealth services have proven to be extremely effective (together with being affordable for most families).
Will I know the other family I share a therapist with?
This depends. Many of our current families refer friends to us and this can lead to sharing a therapist with that family at some point. Most of our referrals are from pediatricians that we have worked with for many years and have seen the difference our support system has made with the clients they refer. In this case, the family that you share a therapist with might be someone you don’t know. Due to confidentiality we are not able to disclose information about another client and thus, we would need to get permission from the other family to share contact details should you want to contact them for any change in schedule. Our HR department is more than happy to assist with a change in schedule on your behalf though.
Who is responsible for other expenses?
As with our full-time therapists, families are responsible for securing a work permit, flights from and to the therapist’s home country and meals during sessions. The difference with a shared therapist is that these costs will be shared between the two families.
What countries are your shared therapists available in?
We work in all countries! As long as we have two families relatively near each other and you (and the other family) can secure a work permit for our therapists, we can place someone to work with your child.
What if my therapist, for some reason, is not a good fit?
This does not occur often, but we always want to provide peace of mind to all our families. We offer a 2 months trial period where you can ask to change therapists and we do not charge for this switch, yet travel costs are the responsibility of the family. Please do keep in mind that this option depends on the availability of another therapist at that specific time with the experience that is right for your child. We are always available to speak about this option, should it be necessary.
What’s the process to start services?
Click “I’m interested” above and we can start the process. You will be invited to a free conference call with one of our directors - Karla Pretorius and we will send a guidelines document to you to help guide you along to start with therapy ASAP.