Teaching the Moving Child by occupational therapist Sybil M. Berkey is not an easy read but it is an essential resource for therapists and educators seeking an in-depth look at the research that supports the movement-learning connection and the OT interventions that address it. The traditional model based on OTs treating only students identified to have disabilities is transitioning into a teacher-OT relationship based on early collaborative problem-solving that includes Response To Intervention (RIT) and positive behavioral supports. In other words, the role of OT is expanding in general education to meet the needs of students who struggle in school.   

Through this blog, I have shared a bit about my kids but I haven't gone into too much detail because I was always on the fence about how much was too much to share.  Due to some recent frustrating experiences as a parent of children with special needs, I felt compelled to share more of our family's personal story. I still have reservations about public sharing and I wonder if one day my children will be angry with me for sharing too much. That said, I think that sharing some of our experiences can be helpful to other parents and to SLPs.   

When my daughter was about 15 months old, I thought she probably had CAS.  Around that time, I scheduled an appointment at the clinic where I was working for a full speech/language eval.  One of my co-workers completed the assessment and agreed that she saw red flags for CAS. Of course, due to my daughter's young age, my co-worker did not officially diagnose CAS.  So, with a diagnosis of "other speech deficit" and an "expressive language delay," we went forward into therapy 2 times per week for 30 minutes at the center.  I also went forward trying to devour all the info on CAS that I could find.

[Source:  Flappinessis.com]

Dear Shopper,

Yes, I know.  I'm well aware that my child is screaming.  Not just a regular scream, but an ear-piercing, sanity-shattering screech.  Even if I wasn't seeing and hearing it, I would know by the expression on your face.

Clearly, you have raised your children better than me.

That is what you were wanting to say, right?   There certainly can't be any other purpose to you stopping in your tracks to stare or elbow your companion  or better yet - give knowing looks to other shoppers passing by.

Henry is an energetic 6-year-old boy with fragile X syndrome (FXS). Physically he does not appear different from other children his age, though with a long face and fairly large ears. Henry enjoys giving hugs and singing, but when he meets new people he becomes very quiet and avoids eye contact. Transitions are stressful for Henry, so his teachers provide him with a set schedule for each day and give him ample time to prepare for new activities.

Most of Henry's utterances are two to three words in length, with more advanced comprehension than expression. Although in single words Henry's speech is intelligible, he talks rapidly and is quite difficult to understand in conversational speech. He has difficulty responding to questions and quickly changes the topic to something of greater interest.