Susanne Nelson and Associates

Sense Rugby is a rugby based Occupational Therapy program designed to help kids who usually find it difficult to be part of a sports team. There are many reasons why kids may struggle to find success and enjoyment in sport. Sense Rugby is here to help you get to the bottom of it and send each child on their way to success.

Some of the goals families have when they join a Sense Rugby program include for their kids to:

Have fun!
Develop their confidence and self-esteem
Find a regular activity that can be their own
Find a way to get the movement they seek in an appropriate environment
Learn a new skill that gives them a great community to belong to for life
Develop co-ordination and gross motor skills
Make friends
Learn how to follow instructions, wait their turn and be part of a group
Learn how to manage their emotions
Improve their ability to self-regulate
and many more!
Sense Rugby has a few key values that help us help kids. We always have an experienced Paediatric Occupational Therapist present to help the kids achieve success in the activities. We use modified rugby skills and drills to provide the calming sensory benefits to then work on our identified therapy goals. We utilise a child’s strengths and their motivation to help them to participate and we focus on creating a positive successful social experience first and foremost.

Sessions can be covered using NDIS funding.

If you would like to sign-up please complete: https://sensetherapies.snapforms.com.au/form/sense-rugby-prahran?fbclid=IwAR0qNJe0Dn95guR_IHMzHlz70QQ38AWCdS8rsNY7PaGGX-bbq4ccyBcVUpk

If you have any questions or enquiries, please contact via [email protected] or 0422 522 162.

It fills me with frustration and sadness when I hear teachers say ‘I can’t do something different for ONE student’.

I’m sorry- why can’t you?

Surely it’s important that each kid has their individual needs met. And it’s obviously nonsense to think that all kids need the same thing.

To give all kids the exact same thing, to expect them to learn the same way, to think the same, to demonstrate understanding the same, to BE the same- is setting our neurodivergent kids up to fail at school. This isn’t speculation. This is happening widely.

‘But if I do that for him then everyone else will want that too. The rest of the class won’t understand.’

Hmm. The class also doesn’t understand fractions yet and I know that you’re going to spend a whole lot of time teaching that. Let me tell you, ‘everyone is different and has different needs’ will be a much quicker lesson.

‘The behaviour system works well for the majority. We can’t just not use it for these two kids. EVERYONE uses it.’

The behaviour chart rewards neurotypical behaviour. Our kids should not have to go to school everyday and spend all their energy pretending to be neurotypical. It teaches us that we’re not good enough as we are, and that does so much damage. Also, are you happy to stand up and advertise that you are actively ignoring the needs of minority students in your school?

Teachers have such an opportunity to teach their class that difference is good. That individuals all have differences, and it is these differences that make you special. Our neurodivergent kids would be so much happier and comfortable in a classroom where this was the culture. It wouldn’t be hard to do. I know that there are teachers out there getting it done.

When an autistic student is Stimming in class, and a peer asks ‘why are they doing that?’, the simple answer is ‘they concentrate best when their body moves around. Everyone has different brains and different ways of learning. I bet there are more of you who concentrate well when you’re moving!’

It’s not ‘oh, just ignore him.’
It’s not ‘ugh, I know. I’ll tell him to stop.’

It’s simply embracing difference.
It’s talking about it in a positive light.
It’s not that hard.
And it will save lives.

Em 🌈🌻❤️
AuDHD SLP

📣Shout out to all of the parents (and grandparents!) out there who never give up! We see you, and we think you're awesome! 💙❤️💚💪

https://tacanow.org/what-we-do/family-resources/

Reach out and make a difference.. ❤️

People who don’t understand can make judgements and assumptions that don’t support or empower us. That puts us in a negative light -and we can sense that. Our inner critic can then kick in if we aren’t in positive mindset.

Coby Watts

Spend some time this week on the floor, playing!

via becoming minimalist

Today I’m tired of treading water.

Em.

The Real Problem with Homework and ADHD. https://ot4adhd.com/2022/10/23/homework-horrors-improving-homework-performance-for-students-with-adhd/

🥰🥰🥰

Alternative seating that is available to the whole class, as part of an inclusive and neurodiversity affirming culture is best practice.

Student’s bodies seek out what they need to be regulated, focus and learn.

When we require them to conform to neuro-normative standards or society’s expectations of what an attentive child is “supposed” to look like, we are facilitating the disconnect between the student and listening to their body's needs.

That process reduces interoceptive awareness and leads to the child being dysregulated. The dysregulation is then seen (by adults) as “undesired behaviours”.

Let’s not let that cycle get started!!!

Having alternative seating options in class and supporting students to explore them facilitates them tuning into their bodies, learning about their personal movement and sensory input needs and increases their ability to focus and learn.

How awesome is that?!

No, it doesn’t “look” like society’s expectations of a typical class, but that is a good thing!

When I see a classroom where the students are very quiet and not moving much, it is a red flag for me, especially in primary school. Learning is active, dynamic and should be fun!

Let go of trying to control or manage behaviour in your class and trust in your ability as a teacher to facilitate your students’ learning.

Fight the urge to think the only attentive kids are ones who are looking at you, sitting still cross legged or feet flat on the floor. Trust in your student’s ability to intuitively know what they need to focus, concentrate and learn. Then allow them the opportunity to act on that. Collaborate with them and problem solve if needed.

In order for this to work, the seating option needs to match the student's sensory/movement needs, it just can't be assigned to them.

It's a great opportunity to support the student to further develop their interoceptive awareness, reinforce tuning into their own bodies and learning what helps them learn.

Tomorrow is another day!

via Big Life Journal

Pooh and Piglet for the occupational therapy win.

Love this from Christine Derengowski, Writer

Of all the things I've ever said online, this is the one that gets quoted the most. So once in a while I share it again.

Because this has been my philosophy in everything I do with the autistic people I know: my former students, my social contacts, my godchildren, everyone. And once I broke free from the idea that me 'becoming less autistic' was 1) desirable, and 2) in any way 'fixing' me, I was able to apply it to the autistic people around me too.

We don't need to become second-rate impersonations of neurotypicals. We're much better off being the best versions of the autistic selves we were meant to be all along. -Chris

Always

Via Art of Parenteen❤️

Visible Child™: Respectful/Mindful Parenting ❤️

The more you learn about autistic brains, the easier it is to understand autistic behaviors. So, here's a brief intro to autistic neurology!

MISSING WHAT OTHERS CATCH:

In autistic brains, some neural pathways are weaker. This can make it harder to notice implications, expectations, facial expressions, and body language.

CATCHING WHAT OTHERS MISS:

In autistic brains, some neural pathways are stronger. This can make it easier to notice errors, patterns, sights, sounds, textures, pain, and beauty.

FOCUS ON DETAILS FIRST:

Autistic brains tend to gather details before drawing a conclusion, and we're less likely to jump to conclusions based on intuition alone. This often makes us less biased, but worse at figuring out what others consider relevant.

FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME:

Autistic brains naturally slip into intense focus, not shifting quickly from one thought to another. This can be pleasant and productive, but also makes it hard to multitask or face interruptions.

EVERYTHING IS MORE INTENSE:

Autistic brains take in a lot of information at once, especially sensory information. This can feel overwhelming and difficult to process. Autistic movements are often an attempt to help our bodies feel more grounded.

EVERYTHING IS MORE SURPRISING:

Autistic brains make fewer predictions about what will happen next. We take life as it comes, and it often comes too fast to handle. Sometimes we react in ways that anyone would under stress. Plans and routines reduce that stress by making life more predictable.

This is only a summary of various theories that have helped me to understand autism. It's not a summary of my whole book – at best, it borrows from half of chapter 2 and part of chapter 9. In the rest, I explore what this framework looks like in practice, and how it's helping me to build a beautiful life.

Available here: neurobeautiful.com/book

Image description: "What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic" is in rainbow text on a black background. It's surrounded by short quotes from the post in white text, pointing to the title with gray arrows. Additionally, some technical terms are in parentheses: Bottom-up processing, Monotropism, Intense World Theory, and Predictive Coding Theory.

Quote of the Day

We are excited to announce today the launch of the new National Supporting Autistic Children Guideline by the Hon. Justine Elliot MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services (pictured with members of the Guideline Development Group).

Autistic children and their families will be better supported with Australia’s first national practice guidelines to promote the early development of autistic children, their participation in childhood activities and their overall wellbeing.

The Guideline has been developed to help ensure that practitioners who provide supports to autistic children and their families do so in ways that are effective, safe and desirable to children and their families and contains 84 Recommendations to promote health and wellbeing, prevent harm, and to encourage a best practice approach within the community.

You can register to access the guideline here: https://www.autismcrc.com.au/supporting-children

Kids need to learn from an early age that you are the person to go to if they see something that is inappropriate, make a mistake or they don't know what to do. The last thing you want is for your child to be scared to tell you something in fear of "getting in trouble", especially when it come to the internet and social media. Make it clear that you are there to help.

More information on my blog

https://www.thetherapistparent.com/post/it-is-never-too-early-to-prepare-kids-for-social-media

Link in bio