Today We Shall Learn

Posted by Sharon Galitzer (Physical Therapist) on 14th October 2020 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Disabilities

There’s no way to sugar coat the precariousness of this time in our children’s and our own lives.

We can’t look a week, a month or a year ahead, because we’re still unsure. Nevertheless, one certainty is that today brings a new opportunity for you to reach deep inside, to find that inspiration, and to make today count.

Each of us bears the ability to make ONE SMALL CHANGE. For some of us it may be to drink more water throughout the day, commit to stretching, to eat healthy, or to use our phones for less time throughout the day. However, there are those of us who face more dire challenges such as caring and nurturing for a medical involved child, a child on the spectrum or a child with multiple physical, social, emotional or cognitive challenges, and this letter is to you.

I’m sure you’ve learned a lot about your child over the considerable time that you’ve been cohabitating. Many families report that they’re seeing some amazing results as the caretaker has become the primary provider for intervention. I love that caretakers have learned their children’s rhythm, new likes and dislikes, new abilities; as well as other functional skills that are still difficult that may have otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Many times, if left to their own creativity, caretakers will come up with a solution for an area of need that the industry simply has not addressed, because it’s their own. You know your child the best, and you know how to motivate them. Now that you’ve gotten over the initial shock and embraced the good and the bad of this existence, this could very well be the time that you create a new plan to move ahead for the foreseeable future. What will your action item be?

If you could work on one skill that would change your child’s life, what would it be?

There are many resources out there, some with more and some with less validity. While you’re perusing Facebook groups, Instagram, and Pinterest...I would still urge you to consult with a physiotherapist. The wrong piece of equipment, the wrong time, or the wrong size may not only be frustrating to you and your child, but can be downright dangerous. Most physiotherapist are guided by evidence based information for decision making, combined with creative, out of the box solutions in real time, to help maximize the child’s function and quality of life.

Our mission is your child’s success. Success is relative to each child and that’s the discussion that you, your child and your physiotherapist should have. Create a plan today! The confluence of practice, repetition, positive reinforcement and challenging the child’s system can make the ultimate difference in what your child learns today. So, what shall we learn today?