Being the best advocate you can be…

Through the week, a young couple came in wtih their son Peter, aged 6. Peter has not long been at school, but already is showing some classic signs of wanting to be anywhere else, rather than at the start of an exciting academic journey!! He fidgeted from the start, eye contact was limited, his speech was delayed and he used limited vocabulary. The teachers at his school suggested that his parents seek some guiddance as to what was happening with young Peter. As Peter is their first child, Leslie and Simon (his parents) were feeling very powerless to assist Peter.

Long story short, the screening showed up some significant developmental delays, and a solid programme with the Occupational Therapist is required to assist Peter. However, the main concern to me was how powerless Leslie and Simon felt.  So, some advice to parents of school-aged children:

• Remember that you are your child’s best advocate. You have known this little soul the longest, and you know his or her quirks, behaviours and uniqueness. You are the best advocate your child can have – but be reasonable, objective and calm when in meetings about your child.
• Remember the teachers, schools, general practitioners, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, psychologists and everyone else you may encounter while looking for some answers, are there to help. They depend on you, however, to offer extensive descriptions, to articulate the problems well, and to explain what you are doing at home to help.
• Trust your gut instinct! if you think your child is in trouble, seek help, even if you have to seek second, third and fourth opinions. While well-meaning souls might tell you that your child will ‘grow out of ‘ immature behaviours, or maturationally, next year things might improve, trust your instincts. Do you WANT to wait a year to see what might happen? Yes, things might improve – but they might also get a whole lot worse too.
• Have fun with your child. They are with us for such a short time, and parenthood is not for the  faint of heart. Our children offer us such a unique opportunity to love another little person unequivocably so enjoy the experience, as it won’t come again.

Contact us at 5energies if we can help you in any way.