Au pair on a therapy trip and therapy holiday: relief for families with a child with a disability

A therapy trip with a child with a disability is not a typical family holiday.

Several therapy sessions a day, new therapists, unfamiliar routines, journeys, waiting times and a child who is stretched physically and emotionally. At the same time, there may also be siblings along, who of course also have their own holidays.

Many parents therefore know the feeling:

We do go away – but this time is not necessarily restful for us.

An au pair can also be valuable support for the whole family during a therapy trip or a therapy holiday.

Is the au pair allowed to come along on a therapy trip?

In principle, an au pair can accompany their host family on a therapy trip with the child.

What matters here is exactly the same as with a normal family holiday:

If the au pair looks after children during the trip, accompanies them to therapy sessions, or is expected to be available for the family at certain times, this counts as the au pair's working time.

The location does not change the task.

Whether the au pair accompanies the child to occupational therapy at home or takes them to the next therapy session during a therapy trip makes no fundamental difference to how it is classified as working time.

Why can an au pair be so valuable during a therapy holiday?

An intensive therapy week often consists of more than just the actual therapy sessions.

The child has to be got ready in the morning.

There are fixed appointments.

Waiting times arise between sessions.

The child needs breaks and things to do.

Perhaps after a long therapy day they simply want to play.

And at some point everyone also needs to eat.

With an additional familiar person, the family can share things out much better.

Perhaps Mum accompanies the first therapy session.

The au pair then takes over a leisure activity.

Dad goes swimming with the sibling.

Later, everyone meets up again.

No single person has to cover everything at once from morning to evening.

The au pair can accompany therapy sessions

If it has been agreed with the relevant clinic or therapy centre, the au pair can also accompany the child to individual therapy sessions.

This can be particularly useful when the au pair already knows the child well and also spends a lot of time with them at home.

The division of roles stays clear here:

The therapy is carried out by the professionals.

The au pair accompanies the child.

Perhaps they watch.

Perhaps they get to know certain forms of communication, games or everyday aids in the process.

And perhaps they pick up ideas that can afterwards be woven playfully into everyday life at home.

Insights into the therapy can also be valuable for everyday life

Especially on more intensive therapy trips, things are sometimes worked on that are meant to be continued afterwards in family life.

Perhaps it's about communication.

Motor skills.

Independence.

Play behaviour.

Everyday structures.

If the au pair is allowed to be present during individual sessions, they may understand much better why certain things are done in a certain way at home.

This can be especially valuable if the au pair goes on to support the child in everyday life for many more months.

Therapy trips can be emotionally demanding for parents

A therapy trip is not only about organisation.

Such stays can also be emotionally demanding.

Parents may receive new assessments.

They talk to doctors and therapists.

Developmental goals are discussed.

You are pleased about small steps forward and, at the same time, may have to process things that you had wished were different.

And meanwhile, everyday family life carries on.

An additional familiar person can then simply mean:

Mum and Dad don't have to be fully functioning every single minute at the same time.

Just catching a breath after therapy

Perhaps the child had several tiring sessions in the morning.

Afterwards, the au pair says:

"Come on, let's go to the playground for a bit." (Translated)

Or the two of them get an ice cream.

Play in the hotel room.

Go for a walk.

Ride a scooter.

The child gets a perfectly ordinary afternoon – and the parents perhaps get an hour to rest or to talk to each other.

Especially during a therapy stay with a child with a disability, such small breaks can be incredibly valuable.

And what happens with the siblings?

This is exactly where an au pair can take on a quite different role again.

Because a therapy trip for one child often automatically means:

The siblings travel along too.

And while one child gets several hours of therapy, the others may spend their holidays in the waiting area, in the flat, or around the therapy centre.

With an au pair, quite different possibilities suddenly arise.

Perhaps the au pair stays with the therapy and Mum goes on an outing with the sibling.

Or Mum accompanies the therapy and the au pair takes the siblings to the swimming pool.

Or Dad goes to therapy with the child and the au pair has a lovely holiday day with the others.

This means that during a therapy trip, not everything necessarily has to revolve solely around one child's therapy.

Combining a therapy trip with family time

Perhaps the therapy takes place in the Black Forest.

Then the time around the therapy can still turn into family time.

During one child's therapy session:

The others go hiking.

Visit a wildlife park.

Go swimming.

Ride a summer toboggan run.

Visit a museum.

Or simply spend a relaxed afternoon outdoors.

Above all, the au pair creates one thing:

The possibility of sharing tasks out.

And because of that, an organisationally demanding therapy trip can, at least in part, also become lovely shared family time.

The au pair can also be a familiar leisure companion

Especially for a child with a disability, it can be pleasant not to move exclusively from one therapy session to the next during a therapy trip.

Outside therapy hours, the au pair can be there as a familiar companion, or leisure assistant.

Playground.

Swimming pool.

Walk.

Children's programme.

Outing.

Playing together.

This way the child themselves also gets breaks and normal leisure time between therapy sessions.

Working time remains working time

Even during a therapy holiday, the normal framework conditions of the au pair programme apply.

If the au pair has to accompany or supervise the child, or be available for the family, this time counts as working time.

Even a beautiful hike does not automatically become leisure time if the family says:

"You're going to go hiking with our child for three hours now, so that we can rest." (Translated)

Then it's a lovely leisure activity for the child, but working time for the au pair.

This should be planned transparently before the trip.

Plan together before the therapy trip

We would recommend that families don't wait until they're there to think about when the au pair will be needed.

Discuss beforehand:

What therapy times are there?

Who accompanies which sessions?

When does the au pair take over the child?

When are they there for the siblings?

What leisure activities could take place?

And when does the au pair themselves have time off?

That way, everyone knows what to expect.

An extra person can turn a therapy trip into a different kind of family time

An au pair does not take the therapy off the family's hands.

They do not replace a therapist.

But they can significantly ease everything around a therapy trip with a child with a disability.

They can accompany.

Keep occupied.

Do something with siblings.

Give the child leisure time after therapy.

Be present during individual sessions.

Give parents breaks.

Or simply be there where an extra person is needed at that moment.

And that is exactly what can make a huge difference on an intensive therapy trip:

Not everyone has to be everywhere at once any more.