Hello reader, thank you for taking the time to read this. Things move so fast these days and time flies by. The last time I wrote on this blog was over a year ago. This year, I will do my best to post a blog a month, sharing stories about my experiences working with children with autism - what works, what does not, and helpful hints that might be helpful to you.
Firstly, please note that on Saturday, March 23rd at noon EST, I will be doing a workshop for parents at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, NY, answering questions about autism, sensory processing, and mental health. It will be based on my 13 years of experience as an OT, specializing in Autism treatment and Mental Health rehabilitation. I also plan to welcome discussion guest speakers regarding nutrition and more. It will be free to all who wish to attend.
This school year, I am working with an assortment of populations: pre-school children who have emotional disorder, elementary age children who have autism, and adults who have schizophrenia and depression. It is an interesting mix and there is always something to learn. I have also been working with the American Association Occupational Therapy School Mental Health Task Force for the past several years and we have written various Fact Sheets about improving Mental Health for children in our schools on a National Level. Members of this task force stem from states all around the country and research that we have based our work upon research that shows that 1:5 children in the school system in our country have mental health issues. Since what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School, we see the importance of this issue. It is real and is not going to get any better until we look inside ourselves and change who we are and how we relate to others.
http://www.aota.org/Practitioners-Section/Children-and-Youth/Browse/MH/44479.aspx?FT=.pdf
Are we giving our children the attention and the time that they desperately need? How do we do this when we are forced to work two jobs and are always worried about paying our bills? I am not a parent myself but I have noticed that most of the children who are on the Autism spectrum are seeking a different way of communicating with others. Most of it is non-verbal. They seek the patience and the complete acceptance by an adult of who they are. No need to change them, no forcing any demands. Just let them be who they are. Then, if they like you and feel respected, they will want to let you into their world and want to engage with you. I have gotten several non-verbal children with autism to communicate in this way. An example is first reading video game covers with a boy who used to refuse to transition to his OT sessions. He would kick and scream and tantrum each time. He loved reading video game covers and used to take my finger and point to words he wanted me to say. I would often repeat "DVD" or "MARVEL", whatever word he wanted me to say. Eventually, he was happy to transition to our sessions and I got him to start playing catch with me. We would take turns reading and then playing catch. He would make me run after the ball and then laugh at me. I would make him laugh more by making faces. Now we currently go for walks during our sessions because he is obese and the only time he gets good cardiovascular exercise is when we go for our walks.
Mental noise and over stimulation is a societal issue. I personally deal with it through meditation and teachings of my Guru in India, Swami Yogiraj Nanak. You can read more about Swami Yogiraj Nanak at
www.yogavanimission.org if interested. I also find that time and dedication in my musical studies as a guitar player and singer/songwriter is very grounding. I have also been blessed with a few friends who are very grounded and it helps me be motivated to be grounded myself. Filtering out all the noise is definitely still a daily challenge and I still find myself checking my phone way too many times a day.
Lastly, I would like to share this great tip on how to teach your child to blow their nose. I did not come up with it but think it is a wonderful idea.
Put a cotton ball on a spoon and have the child blow it off the spoon with their nose!
Best,
Jennifer Richman OTR/L
if you have any questions or suggestions that you would like me to post about, please let me know!
