Christine L’Abbé
In this video, our very own, Christine L'Abbé, interviews Judith Dack, Anat Baniel Method® of NeuroMovement® practitioner and Feldenkrais practitioner, to discuss the benefits of the method for children with special needs. Specifically, Judith speaks to how the method works, what a lesson looks like, how the children benefit and how the parents can also benefit from witnessing lessons with their children. Jude shares her story with us and speaks to the importance of the parents on this journey with our differently abled children. If this video was helpful or could benefit someone you know, please like, share, or comment.…
Alexandra Durant
The need for self-care and self-love became a rallying cry in the past decade. It seemed that we, as an entire society, suddenly woke up to the reality of how we were treating ourselves and interacting with the world. We weren’t just tired—we were burned out. We weren’t just stressed—we had undiagnosed anxiety, depression, and a whole host of other mental health struggles. Now more than ever, we, both collectively as a society and as individuals, recognize the need for creating healthy emotional and mental boundaries in both our personal and professional lives. However, despite not only a recognition, but…
Laura Friesen
My oldest son passed his learner's test this spring and now must spend the next 6 months figuring out how to actually drive safely. This is a new experience for our family and it brings back memories of my experience of learning to drive as a teen... it's interesting how I remember the stress, conflict, and insecurity of that process - and we all have seen the stereotypes of anxious parents freaking out as their kids try hard not to make mistakes (and the tension increases since mistakes are inevitable). I wanted my teen to be able to enjoy the…
Christine L’Abbé
To tap into that which is innate within our differently abled children, we must first clear away the fog that holds us back from fully embracing and loving ourselves – the light and the shadow. We must learn to accept who we are, without the constant need for validation. We must gain the confidence to express our truth without guilt or shame. We must find the power within to be seen, to be vulnerable, to be authentic. We must invest in the exploration and discovery of our own unique gifts and abilities. Not an easy task, right?! It's a lifelong…
Laura Friesen
A.D.H.D Take my hand and come with me, I want to teach you about ADHD. I need you to know, I want to explain, I have a very different brain. Sights, sounds, and thoughts collide. What to do first? I can't decide. Please understand I'm not to blame, I just can't process things the same. Take my hand and walk with me, Let me show you about ADHD. I try to behave, I want to be good, But I sometimes forget to do as I should. Walk with me and wear my shoes, You'll see its not the way I'd…
Christine L’Abbé
Think of a time when you simply gazed into the eyes of a two-month-old, completely overcome by their being, without judgment; without the need to do anything other than immerse yourself in their presence. How often do you remember doing this with your littles under one? It occurred to me, while visiting my three-month-old niece for the first time, that I don’t remember delighting in such simple, yet profound, moments with my daughters when they were very small. Perhaps it was because I was too tired, too overwhelmed, too busy juggling everything at once; perhaps my own feelings of lack…
Joana Talafré
Many of us, after surgery and treatments, are left with pain and discomfort. Most of us are told to just live with it, as though pain is a condition for being in remission. This is the irony about cancer: you never really feel the illness until you get the treatment to be rid of it. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? And is pain a necessity of recovery? I think not. Truth is, even before my encounter with cancer, I had already been living with pain. Mostly it was in my hips and knees. It was annoying, always present,…
Christine L’Abbé
Do you ever wonder how different this journey would be for you and your child with special needs if interactions with medical professionals and therapists weren’t so focused on your child’s limitations? How different your child's life experience would be if he was seen, heard, appreciated and loved here and now, rather than be made to feel like he wasn't enough – time and time again. Do you ever wonder how different the journey would be for you, if there were balance between the good news and the bad news. As a parent to a child with Atypical Rett Syndrome,…
Christine L’Abbé
Why do some people perceive our children with special needs as ‘not enough’? Why don’t they see what we see? Why aren't our children with special needs valued or seen like other children are? As a parent to a daughter with Atypical Rett Syndrome, and as a Pediatric NeuroMovement® practitioner, I believe our children with special needs are beyond enough. Like all children, they are teachers to us. And like all children, they have purpose. The difference, perhaps, is that children with special needs come to us with an opportunity to move us beyond how we currently see life and…