Sam's Occupation - Part 1

So I found out occupational therapists (OT) work not just on folks who have formal occupations.
They work on little kiddies too.

Sam's teacher recommended we get an assessment on Sam.
Sam showed the following symptoms:

• finds it hard to write synthesised ideas
• finds it difficult to listen and follow certain instructions
• finds it difficult to stay focused
• finds it difficult to stop an activity and move onto a new one.

So I'm not really concerned - but took the opportunity to find out how we can help Sam, particularly when

1. Sam's our first child - learning from our mistakes early gives us a chance to sort stuff out with Jimmy and Naomi
2. Sam is not like other kids. He has the Knack
3. We might be able to help him overcome things holding him back from developing 

So we made our way to Kids Matters, OTs who specialise in helping kids.

This venue was surprisingly a warehouse in a normally industrial complex.

I wasn't sure what to expect but I took Jimmy with us to give Jenn a break from the boys.

Sam's OT was Kat.

We made our way into the room. 

"Wow!" I said. 

It was decked out with soft play matts and cushions, equipment hanging from the ceiling.

Kat explained the format of the sessions: two 50min assessments with Sam and 1 debrief session for the parents.

Kat got Sam onto some activities.

Jimmy got onto the iPad while I explored the room. I kept an ear out for Kat doing her thing.

By the end of it I could see Sam was having a great time.

In many ways I would have really enjoyed that 1 on 1 time.

I am always fascinated observing professional kid wranglers with my kids. These are kindy teachers and OTs alike. Professionals, in the way 

1. they stay composed, not letting failures or disappointments upset them.
2. they are in the moment with the kids.
3. they respectfully listen and respond without judgement.
4. they encourage, build rapport and trust with kids

Got me thinking...

What does it take for parents to be professional to our own kids? 

Are we parents far too biased/invested?

A breakdown of what I noticed about that experience for Sam:

1. Focused attention was for a limited time - 10 to 15min before a reward 
2. A reward was in the form of facilitated play time, chosen by the child
3. The reward was timed
4. The child was told what to expect and why they are doing the activity
5. The whole interaction was timed (45-50min)

Sam's reward for the experience was to go into the bouncing stretching hanging hammocks. There are three layers, the more layers you have under you the more it holds you up. The less you have the more you're likely to hit the ground.

I am really learning about how broad OT is and the value they add. More on this in Part 2, stay tuned.