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Parent Coaching & Support

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PARENT COACHING & SUPPORT

This year we are looking to work even closer with our families, by listening to the needs of not only our children but their parents and carers too. In 2022 we will be offering more parent coaching, providing support and guidance which is key in the intervention that supports the achievement of our goals. This supports the Explore and Soar theme 2022; self-awareness and growth. Our Explore and Soar team are working towards increasing and supporting our families as a whole. 

A strategy to support this is continuity support plans. These involve breaking down what you are hoping to achieve as a family for the year, our parents goals as well as our clients and how we plan to achieve this for the coming year. This further expands and enhances our intervention sessions with our families as a whole. We can review the plans at any time, especially if a circumstance has changed, allowing us to shift goals, intervention and strategies as needed. 

When I have spoken to families in recent weeks, there is a sense of pressure and parents becoming overwhelmed, especially in the current and unpredictable environment. Some of our families are seeing multiple allied health professionals, all providing home programs, activities and strategies to implement on a regular basis. This is great but can become very overwhelming when managing schedules and incorporating activities into everyday routines. When discussing continuity plans with our parents, asking how we can help and what they’d like to do next, the overall consensus is that they feel like they don’t know exactly what to do and when to implement each strategy.

Learning new tools and strategies is great but how do we manage our time? How do you know what to implement and when? How do you prioritise goals with your allied health professionals? We are consistently getting all of these questions. The most vital being how to manage home program strategies and activities amongst everyday life. Not to mention managing multiple children, different family dynamics and ongoing changes in our communities, impacting schooling, accessing sports, events or our ability to connect with others.

I see you! I hear you! It is challenging. 

We are all trying to get through each and everyday the best we can. We are here to help navigate the start of another year, navigate through the to-do list and support you in achieving your families goals when working alongside health professionals. 

As OT’s, a big part of our role is to support structure, organisation, prioritising, planning and goal setting. We love being able to do this for ourselves, but also for others. We are great at being able to zoom out and see your family as a whole and zoom in on the areas of concern. This allows us to remain family-centered but also clinically reason with what is best needed, implementing the tool or strategy that is most appropriate in that moment. 

Another skill that we have and use every session is active listening. The ability to actively listen, being attentive and noticing what is needed – even if you don’t see it as an immediate concern. We like to stay one or two steps ahead. Sometimes it will involve asking more specific questions to understand the situation in greater detail, in order to support you. This space to allow you to feel heard, empowered and to be able to work through what is happening in the moment, provides the support to keep going on the most challenging days. Celebrating the little wins with you and ensuring that you do not feel alone is exactly what we are here to do. 

Our greatest feedback at the end of last year was that you appreciated the continuation of services and support that you received during lockdowns. Knowing this, and with our values of community, connection and communication at the forefront, we will continue to be present, to show up and support you, not just for the needs of your children but you too as parents and carers.

We are looking forward to expanding our support in our local communities. As we are opening up conversations, listening to your goals and planning the next 3, 6 and 12 months, please ask us any questions and indicate your needs and wants. We want 2022 to be a year where feedback allows us to grow greater than ever before. 

We grow alongside you.

We are always tailoring intervention sessions, opportunities and education seminars based on what you and our communities are asking for. You matter, your feedback matters. Tell us what you would like to see from us this year, nothing is off the table. Would you like to be a part of parent support programs with other families? Would you like online educational seminars available each term for you to participate in and if so what topic interests you?

Let us know what you would like more support in. We are here to help.

We cannot wait to see what this year brings for us all.

Until next time,
Jess

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2, 2022

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Auditory Intervention

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AUDITORY INTERVENTION

As part of working as an occupational therapist, and under sensory processing integration, we work with all of the 8 sensory systems. 

One of these is the auditory system. The auditory system is complex and many other sensory systems are connected to it as a multisensory functioning organ.  

So What is Auditory Processing?  

Auditory processing is the process of recognising and responding to auditory input. Auditory processing refers to the ability to discriminate between similar sounds, tune into a parent, teacher or friend to pick up important information, in order to communicate effectively with others. There are multiple skills linked to auditory processing including memory, sequencing, development of expressive and receptive language, academic skills such as association of sounds with letters or numbers, listening skills, communication skills, social skills, and maintaining attention.  One of the greatest skills needed is the ability to differentiate sounds.  Our ears are developed to interpret the different frequencies of sounds a world presents us. The frequency (Hertz- Hz) of sound is then determined by the way in which sound waves vibrate whilst travelling through our ear. Once sound waves reach our ear, they cause the membranes within to vibrate at varying intensities, causing the activation of certain musculature of the ear, which then allows us to hear!  There are varying frequencies such as:  

Low Frequency sounds (1000 Hz and below): This sound activates the outer ear muscles, moving slow as it passes through. This includes sounds like: 

  • Dog’s barking
  • Lawn mowers
  • Thunder
  • Vacuum cleaners 

Middle Frequency sounds (1000-3000 Hz): This sound activates the middle ear and where language and social skill development is primarily processed.

High Frequency sounds (3000Hz and above): This sound activates our inner ear, moving hard and fast as it passes through. This includes sounds such as: 

  • Women’s voices
  • Birds chirping

Challenges in Auditory Processing

Difficulties arise when the brain does not effectively or accurately interpret and respond to auditory information. This creates misinterpretation of information. 

There are two forms of difficulties with auditory processing: 

Hypersensitivity to sounds (Auditory Defensiveness) 

This is a child who is overwhelmed by auditory input and may present with the following: 

  • Easily distracted by sounds not noticed by others (clocks, fans, air conditioners)
  • Disliking sound of vacuums, hair dryers
  • Startled or distracted by loud or unexpected sounds- running away, crying, covers ears.
  • Frequently attempted to control sounds in their environment (asking people to stop talking)
  • Refusing to go to busy/ noisy places

Hyposensitivity to sounds (Under Registration) 

This is a child who does not easily register auditory information in his environment and may present with the following:

  • Does not respond to verbal cues or own name
  • Loves loud music or TV
  • Loves to make sounds or noises
  • Difficulty understanding or remembering what was said
  • Talks to self when completing a task
  • Needing directions repeated

At Explore and Soar, we are dedicated to understanding these sensory systems, determining ways to integrate and apply intervention approaches that alleviate these concerns. To do so, we engage in continued professional development and collaborative reasoning sessions with our senior OT’s.

There are many auditory interventions that can be supplemented into your sensory diet or OT home programming routine, presently at Explore and Soar, we utilise two intervention types; Therapeutic Listening and Quickshifts. In addition to these we have other auditory training and supports, which are tailored to each individual client where appropriate. 

Contact our OT’s to find out more information or  to see how we can help you. We will tailor an appropriate auditory intervention solution for your child. 

From a personal perspective, when I’m feeling like my mind is scattered or overwhelmed, I put on one of our quickshifts that emphasise the lower frequency sounds in order to ground me, to feel safe and to slow my heartbeat.

If I’m feeling slow, I’ll put on a track with shifts of high and low tones, and varying rhythms to invite movement to my muscles to activate and boost my energy levels to get going. 

When i’m really needing to concentrate and get work done, i’ll put on music with a constant rhythmic sound, that holds my attention in one space, it provides intensity with high and low sounds, with a fast but constant and non changing rhythm to allow my body to sync with the music and work to that speed. 

Our families at Explore and Soar know we love to put on music in sessions to add as much support to our kids intervention as possible. Whether it be through speakers or headphones, the impacts to the child’s regulation, engagement, social skills and communication is amazing to see. Some examples of these include:

Child one: A young boy who has high levels of energy. One of his biggest challenges was sharing space, regulation and holding attention to share engagement for more than 5 minutes. When putting on the QS space, you could instantly see the change in his body. He slowed his body and movements, he took a deep breath and paused. The music gave him time and space, it give him the support he needed, prompting safety and regulation. 

Child two: An overwhelmed child. He has challenges moving and communicating with others around him, to follow the lead of others, to transition between environments and settle enough for sleep. With persistence, through each day of our 5 day intensives, little by little, the boy that started the week was a completely different child by the end of the week. He stayed in the room for the whole 50 minutes, he could regulate and move through the changing of ideas, he shared eye contact, laughs and we beautifully transitioned out of the session with no crying or frustrations. 

Child three: With a confident personality, she loves to be in control of the things around her. She does so with constant attempts to change the activities that are new or tricky, tensing her body to try and stabilise movement or completely avoiding an activity all together if it means using both sides of her body together. Music had an instant effect on her body. She began to use both her left and right hand together during sit down fine motor tasks. The music prompted a huge smile and by moving with the rhythm of the music, she gracefully challenged herself throughout the activities.

Auditory processing is such an integral part of development. If you think your child may need some auditory interventions, please don’t hesitate to reach out and see how we can help!

Until next time,
Maddie

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

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Play

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PLAY

This week we are going to chat about the importance of play and how it plays a roll not only in paediatric OT but in our lives as adults too!

I have to admit, playing is one of my favourite things to do. I enjoy being silly or cheeky, laughing, rolling on the floor or making a fool of myself. The joy I get from interacting with children is immeasurable. Whether it’s their bright eyes looking in wonder or their mischievous smile as they’re about to do something, it is incredibly rewarding to see a child enjoying themselves. 

Despite how well some of you may know me, I can also be quite serious or passionate on occasion. But play itself is what keeps me grounded, and serves as a reminder to not take life too seriously, to enjoy the ride that it is. 

This is how I fell in love with paediatric OT.  I loved that I got to play, move my body and support little humans achieve their own goals. I got to encourage them to reach their highest potential by teaching them skills through play that put their new found abilities to use and ultimately promote growth. What I loved even more was that I could do this in families homes and schools and not be tied to a desk all day, everyday as well! 

The role of play itself for our children is so important. Play and development forms the natural basis and foundations for the rest of their lives and continues to be a vital part of our development even into adulthood. Continuing to be playful positivity impacts upon our own mental well being, as well as our cognitive and emotional development over time. 

Did you know that play even helps us prevent Alziehmers?! Now that is pretty amazing if you ask me!

Playing can be fun, exciting, exhilarating, challenging, frustrating and full of experiments. Through play we are constantly learning and changing over time. Play itself can come very naturally for some and continue to be hard work for others.  The key to effective play for kids or even adults is find varied activities that spark joy. 

Some children (or big children aka adults) enjoy being inside, playing with figurines, coloring and drawing. Whilst others are always on the go; climbing, running and getting into a little bit of mischief through physical activity. Some kids can also enjoy both! any of these activities in play are normal and each are a part of our own unique personalities – it’s important to identify what play develops self expression, learning and cognitive behaviour that matters.

So how exactly does play help children?

It’s simple really. When kids play, they are constantly learning. Learning through play is deemed fun.. So when they are enjoying learning something through play, they will be inclined to repeat the experience over and over again, therefore putting into practice their new found skills or behaviours. This can come to the adults detriments… As may seem to bore you with the amount of repetition they are consolidating these skills, learning and integrating them into their everyday life. In turn it becomes a part of their skill repertoire, advancing them into adulthood slowly but surely and allowing them to then learn a new skill.

It’s important to remember that the only way children will consolidate and learn these skills is through repetition. Repetition is so important! So as much as you would like to pack away that noisy toy and for it to never be seen again… (oops! We’ve all been there), just think about what your kids are learning beforehand. 

Don’t you just love it when your kids are laughing and enjoying themselves? Did you know that laughter literally is the best medicine! When your child is laughing whilst playing, learning is happening at it’s fastest! So for all those families who have experienced my big over the top laugh with your kids, there is a method to my madness! Laughter = Fun = Learning = Fast!!  For those who haven’t, that’s probably a good thing, it ain’t pretty! So keep looking for ways to make your kids laugh… I promise that it is helping and that you are doing amazing at it!

As we are hitting the back end of the year, fatigue and tiredness may be setting in and motivation is the last thing that you may be feeling, I get it. But when was the last time you all had a good laugh from playing games as a family? How often is it happening and can we make it happen more? And no I am not insinuating that this should be happening every waking minute of everyday… but inside your busy schedule I ask you this, how can you turn your everyday activities like dressing or bathing into a fun game? Remember by turning normal everyday activities into fun, your child is learning that this is an important skill to master. 

So let’s get playing, laughing and being silly to foster learning together. We all need some more fun, joy and playfulness in our lives. Play more, be serious less.

Next time I’ll share with you exactly how I continue to envelop play in my adult life. 

Until then, happy playing!

Jess.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AUGUST 7, 2019

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