Crying in therapy

By Natan Gendelman - http://www.enabledkids.ca

For many parents, family members and therapists, crying can be a big obstacle to overcome when teaching and working with a young child. While it may be difficult to manage this sort of behaviour, it is important to understand why a child is upset as well as the things you can do in order to see his way of thinking. In my opinion, the key to handling this issue is to try to figure out where the child is coming from and be willing to view things from his perspective. In doing so, you will be able to tell the difference between when he is simply protesting something new or if he is hurt and needs you to stop and assist him in his function.

Seeing from a child’s perspective

For this reason, it’s good to take a step back and observe your child. We often believe that since we are older and “wiser,” our primary goal is to teach a child the things that we know and understand. However, every child is different, and each has his own dreams, wishes and fears. In this respect our first response should be to learn as much from him as he learns from us. The ability to understand a child becomes really important especially when you are working with him to improve his function. In response to unfamiliar situations or tasks, a child will often cry because he does not want to do them. This makes it important to know the difference between crying as a response to new experiences or in response to actual injury. If he is really hurt, you will need to stop and find out what is happening. However, if this is not the case it is important to persist and continue with treatment.

Why is this the case, you may ask? If a child is only protesting, explaining things to him will be much more effective than stopping treatment every time he begins to cry. If you stop, he will automatically assume that crying will be the solution to stop you from making him do certain things. It is a self-defense mechanism, which is why you need to explain what, how and why he needs to do something in order for him to be able to understand. In this way, he will come to comprehend what is being taught and you will be able to continue with his treatment.

The effect of this approach

To demonstrate how effective approach this is, I’ll tell you about one of my experiences with a young girl that had cerebral palsy. As I worked with her, I made sure to explain every function and its purpose to her for each new activity we did together. During the girl’s treatment, her mother told me, “You are the first therapist that she didn’t cry with.” My question to her was: did anyone talk to the girl and explain what she was supposed to do? When the mom said no, it was easy to understand the differences she saw in her child’s learning and behaviour.

Whenever I encounter these situations, I ask myself: why do we have to assume things about a child and try to make him follow them, when we can simply ask a child what’s wrong and then explain what we are going to do? If a child is not willing to do the things which he should, then the approach to take is to explain, follow up, and repeat it again and again and again. This is how a child is able to learn and eventually follow. When we do everything for a child however, instead of simply assisting him as he learns to do things for himself, he starts to assume that everything can be done for him. If this were the case, then why should he have to follow instructions and strive to accomplish more? Without being given a reason for doing things, a child will continue to protest and cry whenever he comes across new situations.

So my final advice to parents, therapists and caregivers alike is this: communicate with your child. Explain why he has to perform certain functions and show him how to do them. It is important to be patient, persistent and understanding, for you are the one who will teach him what’s wrong, what’s right, what’s true and what’s false. As you help to introduce him to the world, remember: your child is bright, and it’s up to you to support and guide him as he continues along the path of development.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment down below or email me at natan@enabledkids.ca. Thanks everyone!

Phone App To Improved Stroke Rehab

Led by Professor Linda Worrall from UQ's Clinical Centre for Research Excellence (CCRE) in Aphasia Rehabilitation, the study will be the first of its kind to use the technology in combining two complementary approaches to aphasia rehabilitation into one optimal treatment outcome.

Aphasia, a language difficulty attributed to injury of the brain, usually from stroke, is estimated to affect 80,000 Australians. It can vary from mild difficulties with finding words, or reading text, to not being able to understand what people are saying and being unable to speak.

As part of the study, 50 participants with aphasia will wear voice-activated recorders for four weeks to record the amount of time they talk each day.

The small device, to be incorporated into their mobile phone, will function in a similar way as a pedometer is used in the 10,000 steps program, by keeping track of the users "communicative fitness".

Professor Worrall said that participants would then be allocated to appropriate speech pathology programs based on their communicative fitness, which will help them gradually communicate more often.

"Our study aims to examine whether people with aphasia can improve their language and life participation by increasing the amount of time they talk during their everyday lives," she said.

"The benefits of this program for people with aphasia and their families is that it not only aims to improve language function but also to prevent or overcome the effects of social isolation that come from not being able to understand or communicate clearly with others.

"We envisage that this study will lead to better communication outcomes, less social isolation, and better quality of life for people with aphasia and their families."

Professor Worrall said that the CCRE has recruited all known available researchers associated with aphasia in Australia and relevant international experts to achieve this goal, and anticipates that the size of the team will double during the program.

The major outcome from research within the CCRE will be the development of the Australian Aphasia Clinical Pathway in close collaboration with speech pathologists and consumers.

Source
University of Queensland

Common Courtesy: A Step Up in Communication

What does one think about when writing or sharing written material with other people through Twitter, You Tube, Disaboom, or Myspace. These modes of communication are to fill and enrich peoples lives, not bring unpleasant experiences. I know how uncomfortable it can be as when I was younger I could not write. As an infant, I was paralyzed due to a DPT shot. My body became paralyzed, and I had a severe learning disability which made me struggle pretty much my entire life, although, today, I have learned new ways to compensate, new ways to work through my fears, and I have found new ways to work under pressure. That is why having a common courtesy is so very, very important as one does not know who they are meeting over the World Wide Web. While my learning disability is not as severe as it once was, I still have my moments to this day. That is when being kind, caring, and tolerable comes in. One never knows whom they may encounter or meet. One never really knows what they may say while communicating that will offend someone deeply. Now, when I meet individuals like this I don’t let it get to me. I shrug it off. I use my positive tools to let it go with ease.

I want you to know that this is not always easy. In the past 3 decades I have not only learn to overcome and succeed in dealing with my problem, and what others may say, but I have supper seeded all my expectations of what I thought I would become. It is very humbling to remember that which I came from; as in my late teens, I could not even write a letter by myself. I remember my mother doing it for me. So, remembering this helps me to keep my communication skills up. It helps me to stay very humble and modest. The other thing that keeps me unpretentious is being myself and not coming off knowing that I know it all, egotistical, or un-kind. I have never for the sake of it just been un-caring, to others. I have always reach out with a warm concern about others and a concerned feelings to rise people up, not to tear them down! That is a common courtesy we aught all have. While speaking to other people and communicating with others it is nice just to be nice- I think twice about how I would like to be treated when I write back to someone writing to me. I don’t want to come across too abrupt, too conceded, or even too contrived. I remember always that people have feelings too, and that their feeling count just as much as mine. I remember you can’t take back words once you’ve spoke or written them- I also remember that while reading other peoples emails, writings, and blog entries to be kind always as I know what I reflect out to others, is a direct indication of my attitude and well being. So, I am not so quick to judge anyone.

I also remember when I was in my mid twenties, I remember a dear, dear friend lifting me up by sweetly saying…” write what comes to your heart and mind and put it to paper. And so I do the same now. I pay it forward. I want you to know I took to heart my friends empowering words and have been writing ever since. So I am the last to say a critical word! I have not only written an autobiographical, “THE BROKEN HOOF" but I write for two different disability magazines. I make sure my writing can help someone in some way. I make sure I write a whisper of hope to encourage and empower. A whisper to lift and rise. And a whisper to show that one truly cares!

My writing has become a tool in which I express myself. It is something I love to do, and find fulfillment in. I take much pride, and joy, in the things I write and share with the world. They have meaning. I try to teach and impart a personal closeness in what I am trying to convey to my readers. Writing for me is very therapeutic. It is an instrument to meet others that have the same interests as me; as well as helps me get comments and informal come backs from others. It is a way for me to center myself after an especially busy day. And, it calms me down, as helps me listen to that quiet, still, inner-voice of mine. Moreover it gives me a reason to sit down for a few minutes, all alone in the quietude of my own inner being. This is something I can give my all to. Something I can rejuvenate myself with, and something I can transcend, surpass, and go beyond any thought I might have or chose to develop. It gives me that sound strength to scribe on.Writing has not only become fun for me, but it has become a vital implement to share, teach, and express my feelings and emotions by which I choose to share as a messenger. It has become a certain kind of vehicle to which I can convey. Thus, we who have been selected and gifted with this amazing tool and means, let us be a positive instrument for all to convey this common courtesy.