Welcome to the Brain FUNdamentals Blog!
I began this blog in May 2020 while working as the Lead Coach and Educator at Brain Fit Academy Inc. Today, I’m excited to continue sharing my insights and experiences—only now, I’m writing from the perspective of my own company, Brain FUNdamentals LLC! While the name has changed, my passion for this work remains the same!
It Happened Again
It happened again.
In a prior post titled “I Can’t Believe He Likes That!”, I spoke about a mom remarking on the fact that her child enjoyed an activity that she never thought he would- going through a dark, fabric tunnel.
Well the other day, I had a similar conversation with a father of a new client.
Hope
He did it.
My son graduated from high school yesterday.
Now, you might be thinking- “That’s great Amy, but tons of kids graduate from high school every year!”.
But here’s the thing that’s different for us- for my son- for my family.
You Can't Reason With Fear
You can't reason with fear.
Fear doesn't care that it appears mean when it throw objects at people.
Fear doesn't know that calling names is disrespectful.
Fear doesn't understand when you tell it that it's not okay to destroy other people's belongings.
Fear is FEAR!
I Can't Believe He Likes That!
"I can't believe he likes that!"
This was what the mom of a new client said to me.
I'm Here!
One of the difficult things about this job is that people don't know about the work that I do. When you're in need of someone to fix your pipes, you look up a plumber. When you need a therapist, you look for a therapist.
Cats vs. Pickles
Have you heard of the "Cats vs. Pickles" line of children's toys? They are one of those trends that has popped up in certain circles of "kid life". Basically, they are little stuffed animals that are either a "cat" or a "pickle". The intention of the manufacturer is to get kids to "collect all" and you can buy them blind- in a sealed package where you don't know which one you got until you open it.
I Envy You
In this post, I speak for me (both from the past and in the present) but I also speak for others with whom this resonates. Often, it seems like the only people who understand what having a child with special needs is like- are those who also have a child with special needs.
I see you. I hear you. I'm on the journey along side you.
New Year(s)
Each new year can bring with it hope, optimism, and a chance to start over. Do you think?
The Only Thing
"It's the only thing that's helped." These are the words of the mother of my six year old client.
"Unexplained" Behaviors
In the post titled "Behaviors are Communication", I talked about how important behaviors are. I talked about how I didn't listen to my client's words, I listened to his behavior. All behaviors tell us something, even if we don't know what it is.
The Road Ahead
Yesterday, I wrote a blog post that was difficult for me to write, but also very real and honest to where I am right now. I wrote about how I still don't fully accept my son and his diagnosis.
Acceptance
Acceptance is hard. The hardest.
Vocabulary
I love that at Brain Fit Academy, we use simplified vocabulary when we teach our clients concepts. Be they kids, teens, or adults, we have language that helps us to explain things in a way they can understand.
Labels
We have clients come to Brain Fit Academy with a variety of "labels". As I wrote about in my post titled "There's Someplace Else", we often have families come to us after they have tried other methods, therapies, and modalities. We are the "someplace else" that often seems to come further along on a family's journey to help their child.
Sometimes it Just Doesn’t Seem to Stick
Imagine being in a boat. It could be a row boat, or a kayak or canoe. You choose- it doesn't matter. You're rowing and rowing as hard as you can and just aren't getting anywhere- or at least, not as far as you would like.
It’s All About You (them-not you)
“This is about you”, I said to my 10 year old client. You tell me when you’re ready to stop. We were doing an assisted movement (which is just like it sounds- a movement in which the child needs assistance in order to complete it) and I wanted him to know that it was up to him to tell me when he felt like he was “done”. He- his brain and body- really seemed to be enjoying the movement and I let him continue until he gave me the word that he was all set.
It Might be Different Than you Think
When families come to Brain Fit Academy, they tend to come with expectations about what changes they are hoping to see in their child. It's natural, of course. The reason why they came to Brain Fit in the first place is to help their child with their struggles. Those struggles might be anxiety or ADHD, dyslexia, learning challenges, sensory processing or a host of other things.
“My Brain and Body Aren’t Friends”
"My brain and body aren't friends. They don't like to say sorry to each other". This is what my six year old client said to me as we sat outside on the step. He had been having a difficult time during our session and this young child was trying to articulate a confusing concept to a six year old- that his brain and body don't feel connected.
Behaviors are Communication
I didn't listen to him. I didn't listen to his words that is.
I Get It
I get it. I understand what it's like to have a child who struggles in school and in life. I get it.