Insiduous changes…
So today I ran into a front-desk lady at one of my schools who has told me about her grandson at the end of last school year, and we had chatted about him. I don't remember how his name came up, but she was talking about how he didn't like to do all these things and she was pushing him to do them and couldn't understand why he fussed so much. I asked her some questions and he sounded like a TOTAL sensory kid, in the sense that he over-reacted to a lot of different sensory stimuli. Anyway, we talked about some tactics she could use to gently get him into trying more sensory experiences, and also recommended he did lots of swimming, etc.
Today, I stopped by and asked how her grandson was doing. She told me about how he had gone from not being able to put his face in the water to being able to SWIM and loving it, and how excited and happy she was for him, a tear coming to her eye. She mentioned somebody said it wasn't a big deal but that SHE knew it was such an accomplishment for a kid like that.
I smiled happily. She didn't realize it, but late last year SHE was the one saying that he should be able to do these things, and now she is defending him and realizing that certain things truly ARE harder for him to handle. I feel certain I had a part in having her change her mindset, although I don't think she would realize it. I'm totally okay with that. I'm thrilled for her and her grandson.
I like – no – LOVE – when I can help someone change their mindset in a way that allows for more compassion for a struggling child. I feel like in a little way, I changed that child's world, for the better 🙂
Aug 17, 2012 | Category: Occupational Therapy | Comments: 1