When Germs Happen: Sick Days in Therapy

If your child wakes up sick, please contact our staff and keep them home from the office. We can usually switch the session to telehealth, a phone call, or a parent session.

Every fall, winter, and honestly half of spring, we run into the same situation. A parent walks in with a child who clearly feels miserable. Fever. Cough. Runny nose. Sometimes the child tells us they stayed home from school that day.

We completely understand the dilemma. Parents are trying to keep appointments. Kids benefit from consistency. And many families worry they will be charged a late cancellation fee.

So here is the simple rule we follow in our office: If a child is too sick to go to school, they are also too sick to come to therapy.

Therapy works best when kids feel well enough to participate. When a child feels awful, the session usually isn’t very productive anyway. And bringing sick kids into the clinic spreads germs to therapists, other children, and other families in the waiting room.

The good news is that there are usually other options. If you child wakes up sick, call (630-549-6245) or email the office. You can reschedule or modify the session.

Often we can simply adjust the session for that day. Sessions can move online. We can do a quick phone session. Sometimes a parent comes in instead and we use the time for parent coaching. These sessions are often incredibly helpful.

We also keep masks available in the office. If a child has mild symptoms but is well enough to attend, a therapist may ask that they wear a mask. Therapists may also choose to wear a mask during sessions.

Trust us, we don’t love masks either. Therapy is built on connection. Seeing facial expressions matters. Kids read emotions. Therapists do too.

The easiest way to keep our office mask free is simple. Stay home when you’re sick.

Thank you for helping us keep our therapists, staff, and families healthy.