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"Our son has SPD, ADHD and some learning disabilities. He is doing great right now, and we attribute most of his progress to Christy and the useful things she has taught our family about keeping our engines in the “just right place”. Christy is the “horse whisperer” of sensory-challenged children."
Alison D., son, age 8, Marietta
"Christy often understood my child's struggles more than I did. Her wisdom, support and therapy have changed our lives! My eight year old son often felt out of sync and was not "grounded". He would accidently bump into children on the playground and was accused of purposely doing this. It was very hurtful for him. Christy picked up on his need for vision therapy which has helped him significantly. That coupled with the sensory integration work have helped him become a grounded, poised and self aware child. He now loves school and is well liked and accepted by the other children. A few months after working with Christy, my son was following her suggestions to do some heavy lifting work at home. After 30 minuets, he suddenly looked at me with tears in his eyes and said that for the first time he felt that his feet were planted in the ground and that he knew where he was in space! That was the turning point and I hope that all children struggling with sensory integration can experience this self awareness!"
Kathy S., son, age 10, Atlanta
"Christy is a unique teacher, who makes learning sensory integration skills fun for children. We have seen amazing progress in the classroom!"
Meg S., son, age 7, Atlanta
"Our son had always been a difficult baby and toddler. He was
sweet, energetic, and happy but things bothered him - light, noise, and especially clothing. He would wear three or four pairs of
underwear at a time. All shirts had to be very tight. His socks bothered
him. I thought this behavior was normal - he was my first and only child. THEN, he started washing his hands, sometimes up to 10 times an hour. He could not play with his toys because of the way it made his hands feel. We
immediately sought help from his pediatrician and a psychologist. He was
diagnosed with OCD. Little did I know, his sensory system was partially the culprit. I attended Christy's seminars and our son later started seeing her twice a week. He was a different child within 2 months. He had completely
stopped washing his hands inappropriately. We continued seeing her for a year and a half.
In that time, we all learned so much about sensory systems, neurological
pathways, and OCD, but most importantly, he learned the language that his
body spoke. He learned to express himself in relation to thoughts, feelings
and actions. He began to make connections between what his body was telling
him and what was happening around him. We still struggle with sticky
thoughts and handwashing and tempers but now we know what causes it, and we
have the tools needed to 'calm the waters.'
To use some nontechnical terms, Christy just "gets" it. She looks at mind,
body, nutrition, lifestyle, and exercise. She treats the whole person - all the
while, entering into a partnership with the parent or caregiver. She is a
gifted teacher and friend. The bottom line is Christy changed the course of my son's life; therefore, my husband's and mine as well, and I am incredibly thankful for her."
Cary C., son, age 5, Atlanta
"Before we began seeing Christy I mentioned to a friend of mine that we were looking for an occupational therapist. She was skeptical about whether the 'traditional floor work' that had served her child's OT needs, would be helpful to our daughter. She was only partially right. Most of our therapy has not been 'traditional floor work', but working with Christy has been invaluable for our daughter, our entire family, and for me personally.
Our child has developed significant self awarenes, and is now very capable of 'checking her engine', assessing her emotions, and adjusting her resopnse to difficult and challenging situations. Her spatial awareness, focus, and 'stick-to-it-tiveness' have also all improved significantly.
Our daughter has not been the only beneficiary of Christy's efforts. Christy has been instrumental in providing me with the tools to respond to my child, my colleagues', and my own, high engine moments. I had a light bulb moment when I realized that my measured and tailored responses to the behaviors I wanted to change, were as much about me, as they were about my child or my peers. This may not have been 'traditional OT', but it has been so very helpful. Thanks so much Christy!"
Karen H., daughter, age 6, Avondale Estates |
