Sad days

"Today is my sad day," stated Lauren, in a matter of fact tone.I work with many children who have superior language skills.  Often, those language skills outpace motor expression and emotional coping ability.  Sometimes doctors or psychologists call it a non-verbal learning problem or sometimes they will label it Asperger's Syndrome if the child has other behavioral quirks.  Either way, I am accustomed to hearing kids say things to me that would take the average listener off guard.Lauren was a quick-witted and confident child with uneven red bangs from her own attempts at hair-styling.  Besides those bangs she had long tangled curls cascading down her back because she could not stand having her hair brushed.  Lauren had a habit of curling and twisting her hair in her hands, contributing to the tangles.  The mom intended to cut her hair to her shoulders but Lauren bargained herself a delay because she wanted long hair and also because she had the ability to perform verbal calisthenics and get things that she wanted.I was seeing her because she had attention problems and some motor delays.  I know better than to respond too quickly, so I let her comment sink in a moment.  "What do you mean that 'Today is your sad day?" She reached into her backpack and pulled out a picture, directing it under my nose in a way that made me have to move my head back in order to focus."Today is the day that my dad died."This was another one of those mom...
Source: ABC Therapeutics Occupational Therapy Weblog - Category: Occupational Health Tags: OT stories Source Type: blogs