Understanding what is happening around us and to us is crucial to help us feel safe and secure. If we do not understand our surroundings, we may feel lost, confused and even out of control. Children who have challenges understanding what they are experiencing feel distressed, anxious and overwhelmed. They may display challenging behaviours to communicate their big emotions when they feel they cannot understand what is happening. We work closely with families to unpack what ‘challenges in understanding’ means for their child and family and how children make meaning around their life and control and navigate their life based on these meanings.
Sometimes children may not be able to understand their own bodies, they may not be able to understand other people’s bodies and what their intentions are. They may not understand why others cannot read their intentions because they have not been able to communicate their intentions clearly. Children may not understand their routines or why things need to be a certain way at certain times with certain people and not others. Often children may need visual cues and information presented to them in a way they can understand developmentally in that moment. Some children’s sensory processing profiles may change in different situations. For example, the same experience or interaction may be interpreted differently on different days at different times of the day with different people.
If you have concerns about your child’s understanding and you would like information on how to best support them, please contact us for a consultation.