A writes:
Hello Phillip and mom. It’s me the OT
again in need of some advice. Hoping you all are doing well. So I am still
working with my friend, who is non-verbal, but very much aware of EVERYTHING.
He is almost 5 years old and is really starting to buck the system. I have
taken your advice very seriously and have been working with him on purposeful
motor activities, which he usually gets mad at me for, pinching me and pushing
his head into my face. I always tell him that I understand that this is hard,
but I know he can do it. Please advise....what is the most encouraging way that
you have had someone working with you be? I don't want him to not want to
come to therapy, but I also don't want to be a disservice and not help him to
be more than he knows he can be... Understand that most of our session is way
fun...it's just those moments...
I would like to tell you about people who make good
teachers. People who are nice, patient, and understanding make the best
teachers. I mean to help the caring teachers be more effective at helping us. I
owe a debt of gratitude to all my teachers. I love learning. I try to learn
from everyone. My teachers make my learning interesting by acting
interested in what they teach.
I hope you are becoming more aware of the reasons
behind your students’ behaviors. When I get overwhelmed with stress I am more
likely to act impulsively. I stress when I am in new situations. I stress when
I feel I am not in control of my body. The fear of acting badly is often a
source of anxiety too. My body acts with a mind of its own. I never mean to
hurt or annoy people. I should learn to better meet stressful situations. I can
take deep breaths. I can pray.
I need patient and kind teachers who know I am not
trying to be bad. The people who can wait for me to do things on my own time
are the best. This does not mean I should not be pushed. I need to be pushed or
else I could not progress. What I need is someone who can help me be successful
at being my best at that time. Teachers cannot get me to do what I am incapable
to do yet. But they should be patient to let me keep trying because some day I
might get it. Please try not to get frustrated with me. I know I can be hard to
understand.
I think the best way to deal with behaviors is not
letting them make you hardened toward me. I do these things because I get
anxious, scared, or feel out of control or overwhelmed. Try to understand. Try
not to get mad at me. Try to keep me calm by being a calming person. Be
encouraging and persistent. Learn from me too. Push me more but not in a mean
way. Mean manners make me more upset. Be a good person to me and you will so
win my trust and hard work, but know I still have my limits. I badly want to
learn and progress. Meaningful relationships with my teachers are ones in which
my teachers know I am smart and push me to do more in a gentle and
understanding manner. I love when I learn something new. I need teachers.
Philip
Copyright 2016 Philip Reyes. All rights reserved.