Victor

We are expanding!!

Over the past week we welcomed Victor and Louise, speech pathologists, to our team. It was a hectic week, with Victor and Louise thrown into a full schedule of clients – and by all accounts they were exhausted but happy!

Victor is working through the week, while Louise (photo on right) is taking over our Saturday sessions, and will shortly be joined by an Occupational Therapist.

Louise

Alexandra, our resident Speech Pathologist has been enjoying the company of Victor and Louise, and these two talented people have enjoyed their first few days as part of the team.

We were also remiss in not introducing you to Carol, who has started in the front office with Julie. Carol (photo below) and Julie are still the first people to contact, as they are the queens of the diary! Carol is also our resident bookkeeper so is keeping us on the straight and narrow!

Carol

The office will shortly be undergoing some renovations too – we are very excited about that too. We hope there will be a minimum of disruption, but are looking forward to the more usable spaces that are created.

So all in all, a time of excitement for us in 5energies. We are currently looking for another Occupational Therapist and a teacher to join out team too so if you know of anyone who might be interested, please get them to ring the office.

Teachers

Alex and I have been so fortunate over the past month. During the school term break, we facilitated the training of another five teachers and a speech pathologist who are engaging with our 5energies vision of helping children with learning delays. These astute and intelligent women put in a tiring but highly rewarding three days of basic training, but as with any excellent training, Alex and I also engaged in our own learning journey too, learning as much from the participants as I think they learned from us. These newly trained 5energies people have already returned to their workplaces and the stories that we are already hearing about their successes is phenomenal.

Four of the teachers have engaged immediately in screening in their school, along with a previously trained facilitator, and with a limited amount of assistance from Mel, our talented Occupational Therapist, Alex, our brilliant Speech Pathologist and me, they have successfully discovered the capabilities of some 88 children. We had a planning day today where they are catering intrinisically for the individual needs of these children, and have planned a targeted, focussed program for the majority of these learner, to be implemented over the next term. Congratulations to all of these teachers for their willingness to engage in the process, their high expertise and their sense of humour!

Another facilitator in a different school reported that her school too is doing very well, and providing targeted programs of intervention, and that three words in particular sum up the parent comments about 5energies: caring and compassion with a sense of humour. What a lovely comment to receive.

Fortunately a friend had introduced me to the joys of perceptual motor programs, and we began a fortnight of ‘right’ activities. Everything, from foot placement, to throwing activities, to dance sessions, to using musical instruments, everything began with the right hand or foot. Within a fortnight, every single child knew immediately what we were talking about if we said to find the right hand, foot or side of the body. Seems too logical doesn’t it? Sometimes the best journeys begin with a magical ‘aha!’ moment, don’t they?

Long story short, we then took a look at other areas, and began a structured perceptual motor program for every child in that dual class – and the results were astonishing. By the end of the year, there were few children wtih learning difficulties, and if they were still identifiable, and had been referred to professionals for specialist attention, they were deemed as very minor delays, and to continue our program of assessment, focussed activities and extension in a remarkably fun environment.

*** Please note: Our introduction to ‘Untanging the Learning Pathways: Perceptual Motor Skills’ is taking bookings now. At 5energies, we are all converts to the importance of finding out what each child’s learning pathways are doing from a sensory perspective: if you want an excellent introduction, please give us a ring to book in for this workshop.