As the parent of a child with special needs, I have to constantly navigate between setting up enough therapy for my daughter such that she gains as many skills as she can for life but not too push her so hard that she can't still be a child. I've never met a therapist that walks this line with such grace as Audrey. Audrey is demanding (knows exactly how far to push my daughter) but equally playful and light-hearted and allows my daughter space to give her a sense of independence. This is partly because her patience knows no bounds. You will immediately see this if you observe Audrey in a session. Her patience combined with her tenacity makes her tremendously effective.
My daughter has a genetic syndrome that includes global developmental delay (including delayed fine motor skills, dyspraxia, speech apraxia, reduced body awareness, low attention, hyperactivity). My daughter has consistently improved with Audrey in the past year and a half. When my daughter started with Audrey, she was a hyperactive little bee buzzing around. Now, my daughter patiently sits awaiting the next activity or reward (swings, scooter, cuddles, etc). In addition to all the skills my daughter has gained, my daughter now also will try during an activity that isn't easy for her instead of immediately trying to escape.
Things that Audrey has taught my daughter to do include: improving her body awareness and coordination (now she can climb more safely and independently on all sorts of playgrounds at the park!), learning how to problem-solve when confronted with a challenging or new task, being more independent with daily self-care routines, such as taking off and putting on clothes (she used to get so frustrated while dressing, but is able to do this all by herself now!), brushing her teeth, washing her body, using buttons and zippers, washing her hands, and figuring out how to regulate and organize her body using sensory techniques. It is without a doubt that my daughter has come long ways in her therapy, as you can see a drastic change in her determination, cooperation, attention, emotions, and mostly, confidence! read more
