BY AARAN PATEL Does your child or a child you are teaching, struggle with reading tasks? Do they hate being given a piece of comprehension homework? Do they complain of having to read for more than a few minutes? Do they seem to try to avoid doing any schoolwork? Do you feel like they are...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS How do you build trust in your work? Whilst there is no set formula, building trust is something I think about a great deal. Each parent and child that I meet brings their own needs, hopes, fears, and requirements, and I need to tune into these quickly. Whether with parents, children or...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS I am consistently in awe of the amazing parents I meet. Without exception, they love their children deeply and have often gone to the most exceptional lengths to help them. But by the time they reach me, they are often at sea, unsure how to move forward. They ask questions such as:...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS Often when I meet a new family, there is real confusion about what is going on for their child and how to help. Whilst I carefully note existing explanations for the situation, I very much consider the situation with fresh eyes, making no assumptions about what is or is not going on....
BY SUSANNA PINKUS The thought of meeting new adults for assessments can be a daunting prospect. But for youngsters who have social communication differences or experience social anxiety, meeting new people in unfamiliar settings may be exceptionally nerve-wracking. Yet there is much we can do to ease anxieties around the process, and to promote an...
BY ANONYMOUS Discovering I was dyspraxic in my 40s was a wonderful liberation. At first, I felt a little deflated but quickly that passed as I began to learn how being dyspraxic means I have great strengths, while also explaining the things I struggle with. I had always joked that when God made me, he...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS Although they were some time ago now, the lockdowns were a very challenging time for many. But for some of the youngsters I see, and particularly the girls, for the first time in their lives, they seemed to experience a different way to live and learn. A way where they could separate...
BY OLIVIA KNIGHT Many people, perhaps understandably, have never heard of occupational therapy and don’t know how we can help, especially in relation to children. So perhaps it is no surprise that I am often asked, ‘What do you actually do, and how can you help my child?’ When I mention the term, ‘occupation’ many...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS When a young person who is struggling at school comes to see me, this question is often at the forefront of my mind. Making no assumptions, and looking holistically at the situation with fresh but specialist eyes, I note what has been explored previously, but just as importantly what has not. I also identify...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS Having a keyworker, mentor or, sometimes I say, ‘cheerleader’ when a young person is struggling at school can be transformative. But the process of allocating support in this context needs to be carefully thought through. Here are my top considerations: 1. Who is the keyworker? The young person should, wherever possible, have a...
