Do you really understand your child?

• Why does your child act out in one situation and not others?
• Why do they seem to relate to some people better than others?
• Why do they respond to certain learning methods and not others?
• Why aren’t they making more friends?

As parents and caretakers, we often make assumptions and guesses to questions like this. They may be mundane but they are incredibly important for the child and their development. Young children may also not be capable of communicate the issues they face, how they feel, or what they think. So we are really left guessing and making best estimates.

For example, when a child stims and repeats words, actions, or flaps their arms, we have to figure out what is triggering them on the fly, and then decide what they need from us. It takes some time and attention to get to know a child well enough to make a good call, but we still need to figure which method will work to help ease and calm them. Whether this is by changing the environment or refocussing their attention will be up to you to work out based on your understanding of the child. 

The more you know about the child, the issues and conditions the child faces, the better able you will be to help that child in the manner that they need.