Perseverance

The biggest challenge doing prac in a country where they speak a foreign language is developing effective non-verbal skills to get the intended result. There are positives and negatives about working with children over here. Firstly they primarily respond by non-verbal communication anyway but it is the simple commands that hold you back. Secondly, even though you don’t need an extensive vocabulary, these children (especially the ones with Autism and ADHD) have very limited attention spans. 

One child in particular was very reserved, however constantly seeking visual and tactile sensory stimulus. Over a couple of days I noticed that he thrived off repetition and habitual activities, such as walking on the beams in a continuous circle holding your hand. He would go on all day if you didn’t stop him. Having poor core stability and balance this boy needed to progress. Reaching outside his BOS was a foreign idea for this boy. 

I attempted to gradually challenge this boy by taking my hand away. Eventually after much perseverance I was able to get his walking sideways and backwards. This activity required two of us using primarily manual handling to guide his feet. On this placement, I have learnt to pick up on small improvements as things happen a lot slower over here with the language barrier. In addition, my non-verbal communication skills have improved quite a bit.