So, I’ve been falling a little behind lately with my blog posts. The main reason is that I’ve been feeling overwhelmed.
My current caseload is four very different children and their even more dramatically different families. I’ve been doing this work a long time and can easily move from case to case implementing programs ranging from simple gross motor imitation to reciprocal conversation to complicated play schemas involving a peer. In fact, I’m feeling invigorated by the current challenge of having children who are in such different places developmentally. When it comes to the kids, right now I’m bringing my ‘A’ game.
The thing that is leaving me feeling a bit discouraged is how difficult it can be to present the same information to different parents and caregivers especially when it comes to family training sessions. One parent wants me to be a straight talking express with no holds barred. Another needs me to tip toe around sensitive issues while modeling techniques and strategies. This discrepancy has left me feeling confused and frustrated. I haven’t felt that it was an appropriate blog topic because quite frankly, the last thing parents need is to listen to me complain about not always knowing when and how to help them.
But then I started thinking… who better to ask than the great group of people we have reading the Different Roads to Learning blog? I would love to hear from parents and professionals alike about their successes and failures regarding communication with each other. Tell us your stories!