Flexibility works both ways...

For every child I visit, I plan our session ahead of time. I have ideas of games, of activities and of conversations we might have together. But quite often, in fact really often, we don't get to these best laid plans of mine! Because although I know the child's motivation and challenges, I can't always know how they are feeling that day. A child can only develop when they are feeling calm and settled, when they have had enough sleep and when they have eaten well. So if we end up reading a Dr Seuss book when I'd planned to play Snakes and Ladders, then that is perfect for that session and right for that child.

For the children on the autistic spectrum, being flexible can be a huge challenge. Through my play, I'm often trying to help them to become more flexible. But my point here is that this works both ways. As the team supporting a child, we too have to be more flexible sometimes and drop our agenda if it just isn't right for that day. We can always come back to it! 'No' doesn't mean never, its just means not today.

Beth