Using Obstacles To Regulate Behaviour

Product Design student Sean Fraser continues his discussion with Aniesa on the relationship between ADHD-diagnosed kids and education, focusing on the products used to aid Occupational Therapy sessions.
Aniesa explains the process of encouraging kids to build obstacle courses to regulate behaviour and how lockdown affected in-person Occupational Therapy sessions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• It’s essential to set goals for children and be mindful of them during sessions
• If kids are unable to focus during sessions, Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS) helps to calm and regulate the sensory system
• Kids can build cognitive strategies through low-risk activities, for example, balancing on low swings and moving objects to build up the confidence needed to step onto an escalator unaided
• When kids are more regulated, they’re able to relax and speak more honestly about the problems they’re facing
• During the lockdown, Aniesa and her team were able to visit homes to continue sessions and utilised household items and local playgrounds to build obstacle courses over Zoom

BEST MOMENTS 
“If your sensory system isn’t working well, you lack the awareness of when you need to eat, when you need to drink, or when you need to rest and need the bathroom.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/          
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/   
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents. 

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