How Did I Get Here?!
Have you ever tried to explain your life’s journey to a total stranger? Where do you begin? Can you capture a snapshot of who you are and what motivates you? Well, here’s where I try to do exactly that and share how I was led to start Sense Enabled.
I was always going to be a dancer when I grew up, from the time I was three until my mid-twenties, dance and movement were my life’s passion. It led me to a love of the arts, lifelong friendships, college and eventually to Seattle. But life has a way of diverting our paths and parenthood changed mine, leading to a track of childcare, child development, and education spanning over 39 years in many different settings.
Much of my career has been spent as a nanny, dance instructor or Montessori teacher. Over the years I noticed as a growing number of children in my care struggled with ADHD, autism, sensory processing or learning challenges. I have a dear friend and professional mentor, who has done this work for over thirty years and when puzzling behaviors came up with the children in my care I would turn to her for explanations. After describing the behaviors, like magic, without ever meeting the child, she would tell me what was going on and how I could help. The HANDLE and reflex integration modalities she’d studied gave her the knowledge of behavior patterns and how they reflected challenged systems. She could tell which reflexes weren’t working properly, the stages of child development and what the brain needed to be supported to improve overall functioning. And while it’s all science based there are still times it feels magical!
Six years ago, the family I was caring for at the time had three children all with allergies, sensory issues, anxiety, ADHD or autistic challenges. We spent a lot of time at various therapist’s offices and their progress had really plateaued. My friend was visiting and generously agreed to make a home program for us to follow. Within three weeks teachers, friends and therapists were asking “What did you do? These are completely different kids!” followed by “Why aren’t you doing this work?” It was a great, motivating question and with a lot of encouragement from loved ones I headed down the new path by training for my own practice. It’s been a time of life changing transition for me and working with my families in the HANDLE and Reflex Integration modalities has been the most rewarding part.
The foundations of HANDLE and reflex integration work is all predicated on our observations of developmental stages, posture, movement and behavior. I have learned that these behaviors are the brain’s way of communicating what it needs to function, to feel safe or to learn. My work is all done with movement-based activities designed to support, integrate or improve the neuro-motor connections between the body and the brain.
One of HANDLE’s core philosophies is that “nothing stands alone” and that has certainly been true for me. Sense Enabled is the culmination of my life’s journey, it has brought all the disparate pieces of my life together into one coherent package. From my movement background, to childcare in the home, to behavior in a classroom setting, all these experiences help to inform my work and give me an understanding of a family’s needs. I feel strongly that I am resource, not just for my client, but for the entire family. Nothing stands alone, especially your child! For me there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the light spark in the eyes of a child when something turns on and you know life is going to be a little easier going forward. If you have any questions check my FAQ or reach out at: SenseEnabled@gmail.com.
