A parent’s instincts are very strong – and invariably cannot be faulted. I knew my son was encountering difficulties, that even I could not understand. Trying to get the right support and help for him, seemed to be a bewildering and complicated world to navigate – and a world in which the ‘wheels of change,’ can turn painfully slowly!
My son was a ‘late developer.’ He did not crawl properly and did not walk until he was 18 months old. At the time, I remember being concerned, but did not understand any of the implications, or even how to make things better. I never, for a second, realised how these things could and would affect him in his later life.
He seemed to do ‘ok’, at school. Good friendships, learnt to read ok, had a little trouble learning to write, but generally was ‘ok.’ He took a long time to learn to ride a bicycle, and a long time to decide whether he was left handed or right handed. Gross motor skills and fine motor skills didn’t seem to refine as expected. Little things niggled, and so I started to ask more questions. The long process of trying to find answers and get him help, began from the age of 6. No one really listened – or so it seemed. The only thing that was picked up was that he had some difficulties with his reading comprehension – inferential comprehension. That was it! He moved to junior school, and he received some help using Brain Gym, and he had OT support to help him with his writing. Teacher’s continued to lament his untidiness and disorganisation. He also continued to be challenged by his gross motor coordination. Poor core strength, meant that he got tired very easily and daily life was more of a struggle for him, than the ‘norm.’
High School arrived. Started off ‘Ok.’ He seemed happy enough. But, soon he started to lose confidence in himself. He wasn’t ‘poor enough’ to warrant an IEP, or SENCO intervention, so he did not receive any help. Coping with all the demands of school was really too much for him. So I started to ask more questions. We went through the OT route again, and finally I went down a private route. That decision was the best one we ever made. Rhythmic Movement got to the root causes of why my son found so many things difficult. Slowly, we worked on each of the causes – active reflexes, and after six months, he was a totally different individual.
So what am I trying to say to other parents out there? I am saying, ‘Trust your instincts. Educate yourselves. Read, research, question and read some more. Fight your child’s corner and invest in a better future for them.’ I am not saying that Rhythmic Movement is a ‘cure all,’ but it is an excellent starting point, because it works from the foundations, up.
Please contact me if you have ANY questions.
If you want more information, check out: www.rhythmicmovement.co.uk OR www.rhythmicmovement.com
