The Sensational Kids Show: Recent Episodes
Aniesa Blore
A podcast all about empowering kids and the adults who raise them, care for them and teach them. Through making connections, sharing, and learning together.
This podcast is for all those parents who want their children to thrive, to succeed and simply not to have to struggle with what seems to come so easily to other kids their age. It is for anyone caring for a child with any range or level of additional needs.
I will share my own tips, tricks, strategies, hacks, rants and moans for achieving greater connection in your life.
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation. Aniesa has one teenaged son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to greater connection with children and their parents.
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
As we head into the holidays Aniesa wanted to explore stress and what is referred to as allostasis. She explores the concept of the allostatic load and the impact this has on the body in both the short term and long term. Aniesa also discusses the role things like sleep and trauma can play in how we manage and cope with stress. Importantly, Aniesa talks about how we can all learn to manage our stress levels and take ownership of minimising the impact as much as possible.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Allostasis is the process of trying to achieve stability through physiological or behavioural change. This is usually in response to stress.
- Your allostatic load is your chronic exposure to fluctuating and increased stress levels.
- Stress produces a spike in adrenaline and after this initial spike, the body and you relax. But this cycle of high and low adrenaline has an impact on your body.
- There is an elevated risk of chronic disease and mental health disorders from those who have long-term elevated stress levels.
- There is a very strong connection between your allostatic load and things such as your class, finances, living situation and perceived discrimination.
- Sleep, exercise and a balanced diet are simple but can help your body manage stress.
- If we can take ownership of managing our stress and learn what works for us as individuals to manage stress then we can lessen the impact it has on us.
BEST MOMENTS
"It’s self-regulating so we’re trying to keep this constant state while we are under stress”
“This constant continued strain is really going to compromise your immune function”
“That’s going to affect your overall lifespan, your cognitive function and your well-being”
“There’s a real strong association between your allostatic load and your social demographic characteristics”
“We need to be proactive in managing our stress, we need to stay informed”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Aniesa explores the reasons behind camouflaging, which has three categories: compensation, masking and assimilation. Aniesa talks about what these can look like, why so many neurodivergent people feel the need to camouflage and talks about how we can demystify and educate everyone on camouflaging.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Masking is essentially changing your personality and natural way of being to fit in, to be perceived as neurotypical.
- Camouflaging in the natural world is an evolutionary trait that has developed to help creatures protect themselves which is why it lends itself so well as a descriptor of neurodivergent masking.
- Neurodivergents are trying to camouflage themselves alongside neurotypicals, to go undetected, seen as ‘normal’ and appropriate.
- Camouflaging can be a way to avoid feeling the shame often attached to neurodiversity.
- There are consequences for camouflaging, from burnout to feeling anxious.
- Those who are neurodivergent learn that they get a negative reaction from being themselves. Many feel like if they don’t mask they will be excluded and isolated.
- Assimilation is masking on a higher level, you create untrue versions of yourself, usually multiple ones depending on who you are with.
BEST MOMENTS
"We’re really talking about changing our natural personalities so that we can fit”
“I like the idea of camouflaging as a word as it’s a really strong tactic”
“The consequences of camouflaging are huge, they are so detrimental”
“When you’re compensating you’re trying to keep up with others socially but when your masking you’re hiding key aspects of yourself, just so you can fit in”
“We all mask every single day”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Aniesa is joined by Archie in this episode to talk about what is frequently called the 8th sense, interoception. Interoception is associated with everything from pain sensitivity to decision making and Aniesa and Archie discuss why struggles with its regulation are associated with neurodivergence and the common challenges it often presents.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Your interoception is there to show you when your body has needs such as thirst but it is also there to show you when you are angry, for example.
- If an individual struggles with their interoception physical body needs signals, then that will impact their emotional regulation.
- Being able to identify your emotions is an essential step in being able to self-regulate.
- Attention and detection are the two ways we can tap into our interoception.
- Interoception is personal, it is something that you can learn about yourself and teach yourself what things impact you.
- Your body is constantly trying to reach homeostasis, to be balanced.
- Trauma can hinder or even stop interoceptive awareness, neurodivergent people almost always experience trauma and this could explain why they have difficulties with interoceptive awareness.
- When a person becomes overwhelmed, their interoception becomes so low they can no longer regulate their emotions.
- Your interoceptive awareness is positively linked with social connectivity.
BEST MOMENTS
"Interoception is strongly related to our emotional state”
“Until your interoception is fully developed you’re going to find it really difficult to manage your emotions and social interactions”
“He would try to regulate the kids when he wasn’t regulated”
“What is it that I am feeling, why am I feeling that way?”
“As a neurodivergent person, you experience trauma and that is going to lower or stop your interoceptive awareness”
“People with interoceptive issues are likely to have a higher baseline of anxiety” CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Aniesa interviews Archie about sensory processing and how it impacts kids and people with neurodiverse conditions. They explore the different senses like touch, movement, and sound, and how over or under-responsiveness to stimuli can affect learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The vestibular system impacts balance and spatial orientation, located in the inner ear
- Proprioceptors provide feedback from joints and muscles, helping with body awareness
- Tactile input like deep pressure can calm and self-regulate
- Sensory needs change day to day depending on factors like stress or nutrition
- Tuning into your own sensory profile allows self-advocacy
- Sensory processing differences are very individualised
BEST MOMENTS
"I will often just sing what I’m doing, or I’ll just make up songs and sing all the time."
"Your reactivity can vary...what works today might not work tomorrow."
"You learn when you are happy and relaxed and regulated."
"Sitting still is for me, personally, cognitively, a very hard thing."
"Proprioception is your like your player of the match."
"They have no restrictions in that 40 to 60 minutes of a lesson. And yet we're saying to the learners, sit still for an hour."
"I skirt the edge of professionalism."CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Whilst Aniesa has been travelling in South America, including hiking the Inca trail and being in the Amazon jungle, she reflected on all the things she is grateful for. In this episode, she shares the top three things she is grateful for in life and talks about why connection is a pillar for regulation in all areas of life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Aniesa’s Top 3 Things to be Grateful for:
- Running drinkable water
- Every one of her senses, her sensory systems and having her interoceptive awareness
- Human connection
- Having a shared goal can help you make a quick and strong connection with someone
- The trip was one of the hardest things Aniesa has done and she realised she needs other people to co-regulate
BEST MOMENTS
“I didn’t realise just how much I depended and needed being able to just drink water straight from a tap”
“The ability to just remove oneself and just go somewhere we can allow ourselves to feel grounded, to have the silence”
“I realised just how important having a good interoceptive system is”
“I absolutely realised in each place…how important connection is to me”CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Join Aniesa and Sensory Intergration Physiotherapist Mel King as they chat to Elmien about her vestibular disorder. Elmien talks about the journey to her diagnosis and her experience of living with debilitating migraines, vertigo, and balance issues for years. She provides a revealing look into the daily struggles of living with chronic vertigo and migraines, but also discusses the importance of pushing forward one step at a time.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Elmien has had chronic migraines and vertigo since age 10, exacerbated after recent jaw surgery. Her symptoms are disabling, affecting vision, hearing, balance, motion sickness.
- She has trouble with activities like driving, reading, using stairs, loud noises, bright lights, crowds, and head movements. This has impacted her independence.
- Despite her challenges, she has adjusted her occupational therapy practice to continue working with patients who need her specialised understanding.
- She feels greater empathy now for children with sensory processing disorders and their overwhelmed feelings.
- Elmien emphasises taking things one step at a time and being kind to oneself and others facing difficulties.
- Her experience shows the all-encompassing effects vestibular disorders can have on daily living.
BEST MOMENTS
"It feels as if the walls are falling onto you. It’s literally you walk into a place and everything topples over on the front."
"I have much more empathy for my children, like my children on the spectrum, ADHD children, children who are sensitive."
"Independence has gone out the door. Yeah. Yeah. Wow."
"Talking is my thing. And I can still do talking while I sit down, so that's okay."
"If there's awareness, we can help each other."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Aniesa and Archie chat about things they wish they knew as neurodivergent kids before getting their diagnosis, such as wishing they knew it was normal to react differently to their environments, not having to justify everything, taking time to process before responding and more. They open up and share their thoughtful reflections on growing up neurodivergent and give some great advice for neurodivergent kids (and their parents!) today.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- I wish I knew my reactions were normal for neurodivergent people, not that something was "wrong" with me.
- I wish I hadn't assumed what others thought of me or took things so personally (RSD).
- I wish I knew it was okay to have lots of hobbies and interests, not feeling bad when I got bored of one.
- I wish adults admitted to making mistakes rather than acting like they were always right.
- I wish I was comfortable expressing myself the way I truly was and felt
- I wish I knew I'd be okay as an adult and not to worry so much as a kid.
BEST MOMENTS
"I wish I'd known my reactions were normal for a neurodivergent person, not that something was wrong with me."
"I wish I hadn't assumed what others thought of me or took things so personally.
"I wish adults admitted making mistakes rather than acting like they were always right."
"I wish I was comfortable expressing myself publicly through singing, answering in songs, etc."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
The theory of monotropism suggests there is an autistic-specific tendency to focus attention on a small number of interests. It is a big part of modern autism theory and Archie joins Aniesa to talk in depth about what it is and what it means for those with autism including the difficulties it can present and why it can also be a strength.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- In a monotropic mind, fewer interests can be aroused at one time but each interest is delved into more deeply. This can require more resources from the individual and make it hard to deal with things outside of these interests.
- Many autistic children have great difficulty transitioning and this would fit into the theory that it’s very difficult for a monotropic mind to switch out of the topic or task they are in.
- Being able to put so much attention and focus into one thing may explain why people who are autistic are so good at pattern recognition and problem-solving.
- Hyperfixation and ‘time blindness’ would also be explained by the state of flow those with a neurodivergent mind get into.
- Finding a way to transition between tasks more easily can help a neurodivergent mind, for example, getting a snack is a simple way to break out of a fixated state.
- Monotropism can be utilised to help neurodivergent minds be productive, pick just one thing to do per day and focus on it.
- The double empathy problem is the misunderstanding that can occur by those who see the world differently from most. This can result in a lot of communication barriers and frustration on both sides.
BEST MOMENTS
"This theory can explain a lot of things, it has autistic people in mind”
“It can potentially explain why we are geared towards pattern spotting and problem solving”
“A common tendency when hyperfixating is ignoring the bodies needs”
“For a lot of neurodivergent people productivity can be an uphill struggle”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Archie joins Aniesa to discuss RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria), the extreme emotional sensitivity or pain which is triggered by the perception that they are being rejected or criticised by important people in their life. It can also come into play when they feel like they have failed to meet their own, or others, expectations. They talk about how RSD presents, what the experience feels like and whether RSD is specific to ADHD including what other conditions or issues can present in a similar way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- RSD is often linked to ADHD but trauma can present in the same way.
- Individuals with RSD can feel a lot of shame when they are given feedback or criticism.
- RSD isn’t recognised as a mental disorder or illness, which can make people feel like it isn’t actually happening to them and feed into imposter syndrome.
- Difficulty with emotional regulation is a major indicator of ADHD and RSD only impacts this further with intense and overwhelming emotions.
- Individuals can become consumed, almost hyperfocused, on behaviour that they perceive to be rejection.
- Justice sensitivity is a feature of RSD, individuals are more attuned to justice for victims. It can be very distressing to experience but can also make very good advocates.
- RSD comes with very high standards that are usually impossible to achieve, impacting self-esteem.
- The fear of rejection can sometimes actually mean an individual with RSD will put up with a lot of bad behaviour before reprimanding someone, it can take a lot for them to see the ‘bad’ in people.
- Genetics and the brain’s structure are thought to be the biggest cause and indicator of RSD.
BEST MOMENTS
"For people with RSD, these universal life experiences are much more severe than for neurotypical individuals”
“For me when I’m in conversation with someone my main objective is how do I agree with this person which is so annoying because I’m never going to agree with everybody”
“The RSD is so strong, sometimes at its strongest just because you are alone”
“Then you have a whole family of people who are always seriously second-guessing themselves”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Aniesa is joined by Archie again but this time to discuss alexithymia: the inability to identify and describe emotions in oneself. They explore the spectrum of alexithymia, how it impacts interoception, and share strategies like tapping into bodily cues, surrounding yourself with understanding people, and using tools like journals and voice memos to help identify emotions. Aniesa and Archie have an insightful conversation about how this lesser-known trait manifests in neurodiverse people and provide compassionate perspectives on embracing all feelings.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Alexithymia is difficulty understanding emotions in yourself, ranging from struggling to express emotions to not identifying them at all.
- It impacts interoception - knowing what's going on inside your body. Confusion can occur between positive and negative emotions.
- Strategies include using bodily cues, journals, voice memos to identify patterns and name emotions.
- Surround yourself with accepting people, say "I don't know what I'm feeling," and give yourself time to grow your emotion vocabulary.
- All emotions are okay, be compassionate with yourself.
- Emotions are not always controllable, and that's okay too.
BEST MOMENTS
"Alexithymia could be I struggle to know how I feel but I recognize that I feel quite anxious sometimes and I can't quite unearth the emotions underneath that."
"When you grow up, you get the words to describe how you're feeling. It just takes some time."
"I think also not being afraid to say, I don't know what I'm feeling is, is really useful for yourself, but also the people who, who, who care about you."
"It took me a while to learn that sometimes my emotions are just out of my control. And I think that's, um, that is, is, is a hard, a hard thing to learn and to accept."
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
Dive into the lesser-known strengths of neurodivergence as autism mentor Archie joins Aniesa once again and shares uplifting insights on the talents and abilities people overlook in neurodivergent individuals. Learn how intense focus, honesty, pattern recognition, creativity, and acceptance can all be traits of neurodivergence. Explore how rigid thinking can also lead to flexibility, how potential weaknesses can become strengths given the right environment, and more. Their thoughtful discussion will change your perspective on the diversity of neurodivergent minds.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Hyper-focus on niche interests can lead to exceptional expertise and competence in any matter of subjects and topics.
- Logical thinking skills related to needing structure and spotting patterns can manifest in strengths like list-making, repetition, and task focus.
- Creativity thrives in neurodivergence - lateral thinking, adaptability, idea generation, and visionary concepts point to success in arts and STEM.
- Traits like hyper-focus and monologuing seen as weaknesses can become strengths in accepting environments that allow you to capitalise on them.
BEST MOMENTS
*"I have a number of terrariums and from that I've gone on to propagating my own plants. I didn't think I could ever do that because I tend to just kill plants."
"I prefer not forging my own way. I like just being passive and doing stuff people ask me to do. I don't think I could own a business because I like set structure."
"When I work on something I enjoy, my brain takes over until it's done. I enter a hypnotic state. Afterwards I'm like, oh okay, I'm back."
"Monologuing is often seen as an issue but speaking to a big crowd it's essential. Some traits are drawbacks only due to the environment."*
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Join Aniesa as she speaks to Archie Gouldsborough, a mentor who has ADHD and is awaiting and ASD diagnosis. They discuss what mentoring is, how Archie discovered it and the many benefits it can have. Archie also shares his own personal struggles and talks about why he thinks having a neurodivergent brain makes you empathetic and compassionate in a unique and powerful way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Archie is good at speaking as well as listening and this is why his mum knew he’d be great at mentoring.
- Asking open-ended questions and allowing the person to talk about and answer in the way they feel comfortable is essential to being a good mentor.
- Secondary school is a turbulent time for many neurodivergent people, and this is the age range Archie specialises in.
- It’s important for every individual to feel comfortable in a session and to do that you have to tailor it to their communication style.
- PDA stands for pathological demand avoidance, which some consider to be its own type within autism. It can be defined as an extreme need for autonomy and control over your environment.
BEST MOMENTS
*"When I was a bit younger I was a therapist friend for some people”
“Mainstream school is incredibly triggering and difficult and a lot of the time it is as simple as having someone for their child to reach out to”
“I’m of the opinion that everything is a skill”*
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Aniesa is joined by mentor Archie in this episode to debunk many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding autism. They talk about the most common ones they have heard and discuss what might be the reasons behind them.
COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTISM
- Autistic people are introverted and anti-social: It’s actually difficulty with understanding social cues that might make autistic people seem this way and often autistic people need more processing time after social situations.
- Autism is a boy’s condition: This is not true at all, boys generally are just diagnosed more easily and more often than girls.
- Autism should be cured: Autism is part of who someone is, it’s not inherently a disability and isn’t something to cure.
- Autism is caused by bad parenting: Research proves that this is not true at all.
- You can grow out of autism: Not true even though there is a lot of focus on children and young people. There is a large number of adults who have never been diagnosed.
- Autism is bad: This is just the stigma around autism, it does not mean that you or your brain is ‘bad’
- All autistic people have superpowers: Autistic people can have extra abilities and capabilities, but this isn’t the case for most autistic people, what is more common is the concept of special interests, something you know a lot about or are really good at.
- Autism is caused by the MMR vaccine: All research firmly states that this is not the case, the original study was scientifically flawed, and the scientist was biased.
- Autistic people can’t show or feel empathy: Empathy may look differently for those who are autistic, but they are certainly capable of feeling and showing empathy.
- Autistic people don’t have emotions: Some autistic people might not express their emotions in the same way as neurotypical people, but this doesn’t mean they don’t experience them.
BEST MOMENTS
“It’s a representation of the diagnostic criteria, not a representation of actual autism”
“When it comes to the idea of curing autism it kind of perpetuates the medical model of disability”
“Autism is a way of being, a way of seeing the world”
“We need to now be looking at the 50/60/70 year old autistic people”
“It’s amazing how that one person can just have such a huge impact”
“That can be a boundary for getting diagnosed, not being able to express normative emotions”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Aniesa met Charlotte when she brought her daughter to see her. Charlotte joins the podcast to talk about being a parent of neurodivergent children, including when she realised they had additional needs, the differences between her two children and their difficulties as well as how she and her family manage each day with two neurodivergent children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Both Charlotte's son and daughter have additional needs but present very differently. Her son will talk about anything and everything yet her daughter doesn’t externalise anything.
- Her daughter in particular was very good at masking in primary school so the school didn’t recognise that she had any issues, but she would then release her difficulties at home and once she began secondary school she could no longer cope.
- When Charlotte’s daughter was diagnosed with autism at 12, her daughter looked visibly relieved to have an explanation for her challenges.
- The biggest difficulty Charlotte faces isn’t her children, but the level of ignorance and judgement many people display towards her children and their additional needs.
- Battling with systems, assessments, forms and more is one of the biggest stresses for parents of neurodivergent children.
- With neurodivergent children it’s important to recognise their unique differences and work with them to help them in different situations, for example, are they less exhausted by outside social activities -vs- those inside?
- As parents of neurodivergent children, we need to teach them about themselves, help them work out healthy coping strategies and also how to advocate for their true selves.
- If you suspect your children might have additional needs, write everything down, not only to help you with assessments but to remind yourself of the challenges you face.
BEST MOMENTS
“I didn’t even know what a SENCO was”
“You have to do a lot of advocating for her”
“They don't cause me stress, what causes me stress is the limitless ignorance out there and judgement”
“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I wasn’t doing everything that I absolutely could”
“Trust that you know your child better than anybody else”
“I want them to be capable and understand themselves”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Aniesa wants to remind everyone that the summer holidays are a big transition point for so many of us and we need to recognise that. From some children starting reception to others moving up to secondary school or even to university, there is a lot of change and we need to support our children with this where we can.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The summer holidays may seem like a more relaxed environment but actually, it is a huge transition period for many and with this comes anxiety.
- We have to be kind to ourselves and our children and look after our well-being. Validate your children's emotions and help reassure them.
- Try to connect with yourself and help your child do the same, a great way to do this is with deep breathing exercises or a walk in nature.
BEST MOMENTS
“There are a lot of changes going on”
“With change comes anxiety, we need to be kind to ourselves”
“It’s really important that they are able to express what they’re feeling, or find a way to express what they’re feeling”
“Have them know that you are there for them and you are offering reassurance, offering no judgement, no pressure just understanding”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Join Aniesa as she shares some of her top tips for ‘surviving the summer holidays with neurodivergent children including tips to keep them regulated and how to avoid added stress and difficulties.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Be organised. Plan in four categories, expensive activities, small-cost activities, free activities and home activities
- Make snack pots and snack ideas for kids to be able to help themselves and not always shave to come to you.
- See if there are any clubs or holiday schemes children can go into to break up the long stretch of holiday for both them and you.
- A holiday diary is a good project and task for your kids to work on, this also gives them time to reflect on what has happened each day.
- If going away preparation is key, think of ways you can keep your children regulated in places like the airport.
- Practice your own self-regulation and be calm with yourself. Continue to do things that bring you joy, and keep the pressure off yourself, children don’t have to be entertained all of the time.
BEST MOMENTS
“Think of things like that are going to just make it easy for you”
“If you are going to go on holiday think about what you are going to get out of it”
“Remember your kids are going to need a lot of time after that holiday to decompress and so are you”
“Try and keep your boundaries in place, if you have rules keep them in place too”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
In this episode Aniesa explores the concept of whether our feelings, emotions and reactions are just our own to control or whether other people and external factors influence them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Emotions are very complex, they are a mixture of internal and external factors, other people can have an impact on our own emotional state.
- Our emotions are closely tied to our relationships and interactions with others, something that is essential to human nature.
- There is the concept that we need to own our emotions and people can’t make us feel a certain way but it isn’t right to accept that we have no influence over other peoples feelings.
- We can pick up other peoples feelings through empathy too, it’s not always to do with how they respond to us.
- We have to learn that whilst we can’t control how we feel completely we can control to some degree how we interpret and respond to others.
BEST MOMENTS
“We absolutely can make other people feel emotions”
“We can experience emotions in response to other peoples actions or words”
“Two people can have completely different responses to the same situation”
“Our external influences will contribute to our mental state”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Aniesa is joined by Elmien a therapist with a daughter who has ADHD. She talks to Aniesa about her and her daughter's journey to getting diagnosed including her own realisation that there might be something else happening when her daughter was missing milestones and acting out. Elmien also talks about the uniqueness of having a child with additional needs and how you can find the special moments in your journey with your child, regardless of the difficulties and struggles they may face.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Elmien’s daughter needed therapy for delays in crawling and walking but at this point, Elmien didn’t consider she may have additional needs.
- Eventually, Elmien’s daughter got the diagnosis for ADHD and looking back, Elmien could then see the signs from many of the difficulties she and her daughter had experienced, especially in school and more formal settings.
- Dealing with a child that she now knew was different, was quite a challenge. Elmien had to learn to take care of herself as when she didn’t she wasn’t able to do her best for her daughter.
- The school system failed Elmien’s daughter in many ways, they weren’t supportive in any of the ways Elmien and her daughter needed.
- Elmien suffered a lot of judgement from friends and family about her daughters' diagnosis which made things very difficult in the beginning. She now does not care or pay attention to those who comment on her parenting and childs behaviour.
- If Elaine's daughter comes to talk to her, she always puts her first and listens because if she doesn’t then she knows her daughter will forget and she has to put her daughter's needs ahead of everything else including politeness.
- Although those with additional needs have difficulties, they do learn and progress at their own pace, they are always making leaps in their understanding and mechanisms for dealing with life.
- All Elmien wants for her daughter's future is for her to be happy. If she is comfortable in her own skin and those she is with and the direction she is going in, she will be happy.
- It is hard to have a child you did not expect but embrace it where you can and try and inject fun when you can. Remember to take the pressure off yourself and always do what is good for your family and child.
- Having a child with additional needs will make you appreciate so many things that others don’t even notice, that is special in its own way.
BEST MOMENTS
“She was the most difficult little girl, the year when she was 4 was really hard on me and her”
“Friends and family were a problem for me because they were judgemental”
“Sorry about that, but she’s different”
“I want my child to be happy”
“Things are never going to be what you planned them to be but it’s going to be a great journey”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
Aniesa is joined by Stacey a mother of two, to talk about life as a parent of a child with additional needs. Stacey talks about her journey to finding out her eldest, Viv had autism, the many challenges they face and what her every day looks like. She also talks about the things she finds helps her as a mum with a neurodivergent child and advice she would give to any other parent who is dealing with the same challenges.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- When Stacey’s daughter, Viv, was small she had many trips to the doctors, this is when they first suspected additional needs as there was often no reason for her unsettled manner.
- There are unique challenges to parenting a child with additional needs, from sleep issues that impact everything to communicating their needs.
- Those with neurotypical children often don’t realise how difficult every day is, simply going to the shops can be extremely difficult.
- Stacey has had to stop working in order to support her child in nursery and further education settings.
- Stacey and her husband work as a team to tackle the many challenges they face each day.
- Research is essential in understanding your child. Regardless of what one person may say, look into everything yourself and learn as much as you can from as many different sources as possible.
- Learn to see the world as your child does, this will aid you in be able to support them, particularly in planning and foreseeing things that may be difficult for them.
BEST MOMENTS
“Her journey has been interesting and not easy”
“Parents of a neurotypical child take that for granted, just being able to have a conversation with their child”
“That seemingly innocuous event to us can be a problem”
“You try your best to make them happy and hope they will be in the future”
“Try and understand things from an autistic persons perspective”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
When we garden with kids it’s an incredible way to teach them about nature and responsibility. Aniesa shares in this episode the many benefits of gardening with our children and why it is also something she enjoys too.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- There are great sensory aspects to gardening. Digging in particular is a great activity.
- Involve your kids in the planning of the garden including choosing the plants, this will give them a sense of ownership and responsibility.
- The fun activities to be created from gardening are endless, from building bug hotels to decorating pots.
- Gardening can be a great tool for improving your own mental health.
- It’s easy to make accommodations for any child to make gardening a calming and connecting activity.
BEST MOMENTS
“I think gardening should always be fun”
“It’s very calming for me and I feel it reduced my stress levels”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
While on holiday, Aniesa kept hearing the same phrase over and over again, parents telling their children to ‘use their words’. In this episode, Aneisa talks about why this isn’t a fair expectation of young children and actually why it could do more harm than good as a parenting technique and what to do instead.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- When children are struggling to communicate with you, telling them to use their words isn’t clear to them. They don’t have the capability to digest and understand this phrase whilst struggling so much with their emotions.
- Children will only be able to become more regulated in their emotions if we teach them the proper tools to deal with them.
- Instead of saying phrases like use your words, we need to instead model the behaviour we want to see.
- We have to use simple and specific language when communicating with young children.
- Name emotions for your little ones, if they are lashing out try and help them learn to communicate how they are feeling.
BEST MOMENTS
“We need to help them to learn how to solve problems, we need to help them how to become more regulated”
“What we need to do instead of saying the words is model the words”
“Before we react, take a deep breath, a moment and carry on”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
In this quick and informative episode, Aniesa shares a few tips to make things easier for you and your family in the hot weather!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Make sure everyone is hydrated, even if this means using squash to incentivise people to drink and think about what temperature they like their drinks to be
- Pay attention to energy and tiredness levels
- Keep your freezer stocked up with cold treats
- If your child struggles with certain textures and appropriate clothes, sometimes it’s best to just leave them, rather than everyone get worked up.
- Be validating of your children’s complaints, let them talk about how they are struggling with the heat.
- When applying sun cream, let the child have control to put it on themselves and/or use a lot of pressure.
- Practice low or even no demands when it is very hot
BEST MOMENTS
“Just let them be them”
“Give them the control”
“Think about when you are hot and tired, it’s very hard to concentrate so bear that in mind for your kids”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
This show was brought to you by Progressive Media
In this episode, Aniesa focuses on how we can talk to children about loss and grief as well as the ways we can help them come to terms with death and how to deal with the many emotions and challenges it presents.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Dealing with grief and loss is a natural part of the human experience and children aren’t immune to this.
- It’s important we give children the right tools to manage their grief.
- Be honest and open about what has happened, sugar coating is not necessary, use the most developmentally appropriate language to ensure they understand the facts.
- Listen to them, and make them feel safe to express their emotions and thoughts.
- Encourage a variety of mediums for them to express themselves, like drawing or writing.
BEST MOMENTS
“Provide reassurance and let them know any feelings they have, any reaction they might have are completely valid”
“We need to avoid dismissing or minimising emotions”
“Think of other creative ways to tell stories”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa discusses the concept of optimal sensory engagement thresholds/bands. Aniesa explains what this means in real terms, giving clear examples and talks about what you can do to self-regulate and self-manage, including utilising external factors in your environment to help yourself in times of high stress and anxiety. Aniesa also talks about the role of masking, difficulty in making decisions and other challenges neurodiverse people may come across when outside of their optimal engagement band.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A lot has been researched and written about the optimal band where we function our best.
- Each day we process various neuro-functions registering and detecting sensations and how we respond to them including self-regulation and we all have a threshold.
- When things aren’t going well you may feel anxious, distracted, stressed and have trouble sleeping or have attentional difficulties.
- If we are in a state of stress or high arousal then it can be challenging for us to engage with the world around us and also our threshold for self-regulation may be a lot lower. This can lead to emotional outbursts, difficulty making decisions and other challenges.
- We need to think about what can happen and what is possible when we are within our optimal engagement band.
- Those who are neurodivergent tend to have higher sensory reactivity and knowing their optimal engagement band and how to get to that level, to co-regulate, can be very helpful in managing life.
- There are some days we may feel the need to mask which will further deplete our levels.
BEST MOMENTS
“A lot of research has been looked at between our sensation and our arousal regulation”
“That calm alert state, that’s where we have our optimal functioning”
“I just wanted something to get my arousal levels down”
“Look in the environment and find what we call co-regulation, what can we do in the environment to help us regulate”
“This is when the energy levels, or the effort that is required is greater than that individual's ability”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa gives her thoughts on the recent BBC Panorama documentary on private ADHD clinics. Aniesa also talks about the topic of diagnosis, the crisis in the system and why she thinks we are seeing such an increase in people seeking diagnosis for ADHD.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The system is broken when it comes to diagnosing people with ADHD. It is not being over diagnosed at all, it’s actually taking far too long to diagnose.
- People don’t want a diagnosis just for the sake of it or to be medicated. Anyone who is paying for a private diagnosis already has a good idea that they probably have ADHD and they are seeking a diagnosis to feel validated and seek support.
- Some of what is shown in the documentary isn’t representative at all. Aniesa hasn’t met a single person that has had a 3-hour ADHD assessment on the NHS, most follow the same format as the private clinics.
- There is a shortage of signposting for ADHD as well as clinicians to diagnose.
- Documentaries have a place in raising awareness, particularly among neurotypical people. But they have to be done in a way that supports the neurodiverse community, not shames them or invalidates them.
- There will be individuals out there that will now be questioning a legitimate diagnosis of ADHD and this is unfair and extremely detrimental to their health.
- All psychiatrists have to follow the NICE guidelines around ADHD, regardless of whether it is a private practice or via the NHS.
- ADHD can cause a wide range of issues for individuals from binge eating to depression, it’s essential people get the right diagnosis and treatment options and that they are supported and accommodated in the right ways.
BEST MOMENTS
“If someone is prepared to spend money that means they usually have a pretty good idea that they have ADHD and they just want that confirmed and they want better support”
“I didn’t come to that decision very lightly, to go for an assessment”
“It's one of those conditions where there are other co-occurring conditions”
“We’re leaving a huge number of people unsupported”
“We really need to think about what message we are putting across”
“We have to get better at diagnosing, we have to get better at supporting”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Exams are something that can be a real challenge for neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with ADHD. In this episode, Aniesa talks about this topic and the role exams currently play in schooling, education and our children's lives.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Those with ADHD may need different preparations for exams.
- What do exams prepare our children for, dealing with failure or stress? Are exams really necessary for young children in particular?
- We need to think about the level of stress and anxiety we place on those doing exams.
BEST MOMENTS
“Schools are not preparing young people enough”
“I feel very strongly that we should get rid of all exams”
“Why are we testing knowledge and who is it for?”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kerry is a Senco at a preschool and joins Aniesa in this episode to give some insight into her role including why relationships with the child and families are so important and the tremendous value in getting support in at the early years stage for children with special educational needs.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Part of Kerry’s role is to look for earlier identifiers of children who may have additional needs or be neurodiverse and provide early intervention.
- Sometimes children come to the preschool with a diagnosis but often they do not which means some tough conversations have to be had with parents.
- You have to build a foundation of trust with all parents, they know their child best.
- There’s a lot of support out there, putting it in place in early years gives the child the best outcome.
- Kerry’s support for families often outreaches the preschool from teaching families strategies they can use at home with their children to educating them about the support they are entitled to.
- Singing can help children with SEN, especially those with delayed speech or language.
BEST MOMENTS
“Putting that intervention in as early as possible provides the best outcome for the children”
“At the end of the day, it’s their child and you have to remember that”
“I always sing what I want to say to them”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A few difficult weeks including a bereavement has meant that Aniesa has been reflecting on the relationships in her life, recognising the people that validate her emotions and feelings and that we all need to be doing this for young people in our care too.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- We need to validate and acknowledge when kids are struggling, allowing them to feel seen.
- Simply by saying we know something is hard for someone or that we are sorry they are finding something hard is enough to acknowledge it and validate their feelings.
- We need to find true acceptance and adjust our own expectations in order to validate our children.
BEST MOMENTS
“You could see that she felt seen and she felt validated and that is something we need to do more of”
“We might not see or feel that is a struggle but in their minds, it is a huge struggle and we need to validate this”
“Give them the support they need to make them feel seen, to make them feel heard”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa wants to talk about the lengths we all go to in order to fit in. Everyone, regardless of whether they are neurodiverse or neurotypical mask to some extent in order to fit in and Aniesa talks about why she thinks this may be.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- There are countless examples of us all trying to fit in, from styling our clothes to putting on a smile at a job we hate.
- There are things in life we have to do but there are lots of things we don’t have to do but often feel like we must.
- No one wants to be labelled or judged which is why people do so much to fit in with everyone else.
BEST MOMENTS
“Why are we doing all of these things to fit in and is it always bad?”
“Try and do your own thing”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It can be a challenge being on holiday with our children and in this episode, Aniesa reminisces about some of the frustrating as well as funny things her children have complained about and how sometimes, kids are annoying!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- We can easily forget the frustrating things our children do when they no longer live with us or when we are spending more time with them.
- Sometimes children just need to be able to complain.
- Aniesa sympathises with all parents out there, kids are just annoying sometimes!
BEST MOMENTS
‘Sometimes they just have an innate need to complain”
“For anyone who is struggling with the Easter holidays this week, I am absolutely there with you”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Decision-making isn’t always easy, particularly when we are presented with too many choices. It can lead to stress, exhaustion and even depression. In this episode, Aniesa talks about the impact of having choice overload and what we can do to either prevent it from happening or to minimise its effects.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- We can mistakenly think having more choices is better but as humans, we find it more difficult to make decisions the more choices we have
- You can end up spending so much time and energy on simply making a choice that it can leave you with negativity and stress.
- Decision fatigue is real and can cause brain fog and in extreme cases, exhaustion.
- Consciously make fewer decisions by streamlining your choices, for example by making a shopping list, creating meal plans and deciding on outfits in advance.
- Create a life where you have fewer decisions to make on a daily basis, you can do this by turning tasks into habits and routines as well as delegating to others.
BEST MOMENTS
‘It actually harms our wellbeing and can lead to depression and anxiety’
‘When we are less satisfied with our lives we become less happy and less optimistic when we try and make too many decisions’
‘We need to think about what we can cut out that isn’t important’
‘Delegate, give others the power to make decisions’
‘Try and set daily routines, put things on autopilot’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is an interview episode with Aniesa Ally, whom Aniesa has known her entire life! Aniesa talks to Aniesa all about Biodanza, what it is and why she has such a passion for it.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Biodanza is a personal development modality that uses music and movement. It was developed back in the 60s and was founded upon humans engaging with each other on an instinctual level through music and movement.
- Biodanza focuses on reconnecting people with their humanity and ability to love, that is so often lost in modern society.
- Aniesa found out about Biodanza after her divorce and after going to just one session she felt like she had found something that was going to transform her and her life.
- Life is dynamic, we are constantly faced with different situations in our life all the time and if we are connected properly, we can find the right movement and flow to be able to approach these in the best way.
- There aren’t any steps to learn with Biodanza, but there is guidance.
- Biodanza is perfect for doing with your children. Aniesa has found she has been able to connect in a new and more playful way with her child outside of the home environment through Biodanza.
BEST MOMENTS
‘It’s reconnecting you to your humanity and your ability to love’
‘A circle is a representation of life in general’
‘Everyone needs to dance!’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa wants to talk about how we can teach children to lose and how to teach them to do that in the right way, exploring the best techniques and methods to help them build resilience and skills for the future.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It isn’t easy for children to lose but teaching them to do so gracefully is helping set them up to build resilience.
- The best way to teach children how to lose in the right way is to lead by example and talk about how we feel when we struggle to lose.
- We can’t always win or be the best, there will be winners and losers. We have to focus on the effort and teach children the same. We should also use losing as an opportunity to teach and learn from mistakes.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I’m not always happy when other people win and I don’t’
‘We can talk about what we can learn from making those mistakes, losing is an opportunity to learn’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's episode, Aniesa talks about trust. Why whether you have or don't have trust has such a big impact on how happy and content with life you are. That is why it is important that you talk to kids about trust, define it, and help them to learn to trust others and be trustworthy themselves.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Being able to trust people is important, it plays a big role in how happy and content you are with life.
- Trust is that if someone says they are going to do something that you believe they will do what they say.
- Demonstrating to your children that you are actually listening to them and understanding what they are saying is a part of building a trusting relationship with them.
- To be a reliable parent or adult, you need to be careful not to promise something you cannot deliver.
- Always tell the truth.
- Set boundaries and stick to them so your child knows what is coming, and what to expect. So that they can trust you to be consistent.
BEST MOMENTS
‘It can take years to build up and it can take moments to shatter someone's trust.’
‘That child is going to learn that my Mom is listening to me and it's important for me to speak up and it's important for me to speak up.’
‘It's really important that we keep our promises.’
‘Recognise that having those routines and that consistency, we can reduce conflict’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Content Warning: Those who have experienced trauma and gaslighting should listen with caution.
For this episode, Aniesa returns once again to the subject of gaslighting. This time looking at how children can do it to their parents, either deliberately or unconsciously. She provides examples to help you to recognise the signs and explains how to tackle this issue effectively.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The signs of gaslighting are subtle. It is important to be on the lookout for them, recognise them, and take action to address this negative behaviour as soon as possible.
- A child that consistently denies something they did wrong is engaging in a form of gaslighting.
- Blaming a parent for something that they (the child) did wrong, for example saying they stole something because the parent didn't buy it for them is another example of gaslighting.
- Children tend to remember events in a selective way which can lead parents to doubting their own memories. Parents need to bear this in mind, pause and recall what really happened.
- Dealing with a child that is engaging in gaslighting is highly stressful, so be sure to take time out for yourself. You need to decompress regularly.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Kids can gaslight parents by manipulating their emotions’
‘Some kids are very good at remembering events in a way that is very selective’
‘You need to be very clear with your child that this behaviour is not acceptable’
‘If you are finding this is something that is not getting better, you should seek professional help’
‘It is very important to think about why this (gaslighting) is happening’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Content Warning: Those who have experienced trauma and gaslighting should listen with caution.
Aniesa hasn’t always recognised parental gaslighting but has discovered that it is something that is more common than many of us realise and can even come from a place of misguided care. In this episode, Aniesa explores the role of gaslighting in parenting, how it frequently occurs, how to recognise it and how to prevent using it as a parental tool.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Aniesa recognises that as a parent, she has used gaslighting without realising it.
- You may dismiss or deny your children's feelings, telling them they are being overly sensitive or dramatic. This is a form of gaslighting and children may feel like their feelings don’t matter.
- Gaslighting parents may tell their children that they are remembering things incorrectly or that they didn’t experience events in the way that they are describing. This will make a child feel like they can’t trust their own memory, leading to self-doubt and confusion.
- Parents may blame children for their own behaviour, making children feel like they are responsible for our bad mood. This can lead to them internalising their carer’s negative emotions producing feelings of anxiety and shame.
- Using humour or sarcasm to belittle children. It may not be intentional but it can make them feel unimportant and upset.
- Gaslighting parents may compare their children to others, by pointing out other children’s achievements or asking them to be more like someone else, leading them to feel inadequate.
BEST MOMENTS
‘We may do so to maintain control, maintain power and have a sense of power dynamic in our parent-child relationships”
‘When a parent engages in gaslighting it can have long-lasting effects on their child's mental health and wellbeing
‘Think about the language that you are using’
‘How often do you blame your children for your own behaviour?’
‘That can make the child feel like they are responsible for the parent's wellbeing which is incredibly stressful and overwhelming [for them]’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There have been many difficult news stories over the past couple of weeks which has made Aniesa consider the best ways to talk to our children about these types of subjects. In this episode, Aniesa gives some strategies for helping adults talk to children appropriately and compassionately about difficult topics.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The right approach to explaining difficult topics can make all the difference in how the process the situation
- Chose an appropriate space to talk to your child and ensure you are actively listening to their concerns and questions.
- Children may need space to process the information we tell them, they may need time to ask questions late.
- Consider the language you use, it needs to be factual and straightforward in an age-appropriate way.
- Encourage questions and discussions around the situations, openness is key to them being able to process and understand what is happening.
- Respond to questions honestly without giving more information than they can handle.
- Acknowledge their emotions and validate them, let them know it’s ok for them to feel upset or angry. This is crucial for their emotional wellbeing, remembering to offer reassurance and support.
BEST MOMENTS
‘It’s important to remember that children are sensitive, they are curious, they are really intelligent human beings’
‘It’s better to use clear and direct language the conveys the message in a sensitive manner’
‘It’s really important that we encourage questions and discussions’
‘We really need to validate out kids feelings’
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa gives a few short and simple tips for getting your child to take medication, this will be particularly helpful if you have a child who has difficulties with sensory activities.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Use a visual schedule that shows the steps involved in taking their medication, including when and how much.
- Try offering choices: it is really beneficial to give children who struggle with sensory reactivity choices.
- Establish a routine and stick to it
- Distractions are helpful, such as singing a song or playing a game
- Mixing the medicine in desserts can be helpful or even taking it through a straw to minimise the sensory feeling if the medication is for example, gritty.
- There may be different ways to take a medication, spoeak to your Dr about struggles, they may be able to alter frequency or dosage.
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Self-advocacy is the act of speaking up for oneself and expressing one's needs, but how can we teach our kids, especially those who are neurodiverse, to self-advocate? In this episode, Aniesa gives practical ways you can start to teach your child this essential skill in life to help empower and build confidence within themselves.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It can be particularly challenging for those who are neurodivergent to self-advocate for themselves when they often already struggle to communicate and demonstrate their needs.
- It’s important that we teach neurodivergent children to appropriately self-advocate, meaning they feel heard and comfortable whilst doing so.
- Start teaching self-advocacy skills early. The earlier the better, children as young as 3 can begin to self-advocate. If they say no, we as adults need to respect that.
- We can use visual supports to help teach neurodivergent children to learn to self-advocate. This can be a useful tool even for those who are good are verbal communication.
- Roleplay can be a great visual support to teach self-advocacy, giving your child the opportunity to practice their skills in a safe environment.
- The changes in confidence when children, and their caregivers, are taught practical ways for self-advocacy are substantial, allowing them to feel empowered.
- Using ‘I statements’ can be a very important tool in learning and teaching self-advocacy without being confrontational to others.
BEST MOMENTS
“We can help our neurodiverse kids learn to self-advocate effectively and to assert their rights in a respectful and appropriate manner”
“As they get older, we can teach more advanced advocacy skills such as how to communicate with people whom we might see as those with authority”
“If a child doesn’t like being hugged, that’s fine, they can say no”
“Encourage your child to use an I statement when learning to self-advocate”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa discusses two parenting styles that have been up for big debate in the past few years: helicopter parenting and free-range parenting. Aniesa explores what these approaches to child raising are, the advantages and disadvantages to both, giving a balanced view of these parenting styles and also talks about why any parenting is never just about the child.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Helicopter parenting which is characterised by a parent’s constant involvement in their child's life, is often seen as being overprotective.
- Free-range parenting is instead about giving children more autonomy and freedom to explore and learn on their own.
- One of the main criticisms of helicopter parenting is that it can lead to children who are overly dependent on their parents, struggling to make their own decisions and having a lack of resilience.
- The free-range approach to parenting advocates for children to have more autonomy and more independence whilst the carer still provides guidance and support. They also believe that children should choose their own interests.
- One of the benefits of free-range parenting is it allows children to develop important life skills such as problem-solving, decision making and resilience.
- The main criticism of free-range parenting is some believe that in order to thrive children need structure and guidance.
- Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages and what works well with one family and child might not for another.
- Parenting styles can evolve and adapt over time and something this is essential to meet individual children’s needs. There is not a one size fits all solution to parenting.
BEST MOMENTS
“His take on it was this type of parenting [helicopter parenting] is often driven by fear or anxiety and the desire to protect their child from harm”
“Helicopter parenting can lead to fear of failure as they have been constantly protected from failure in their childhood”
“Free range parents believe children should be able to make their own mistakes and learn from them”
“Free range parenting can be seen as neglectful”
“Parenting styles can evolve and adapt over time”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As Aniesa observes children at play on her trip to Johannesburg, she asks the question, “How often do your children play barefoot?”
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- When children spend more of their time barefoot, they generally have much better balance and coordination.
- Being barefoot builds stronger foot muscles.
- Wearing shoes can compress the foot arch, leading to flat feet.
- Children who spend much of their time barefoot tend to have better posture, likely due to core muscle engagement as they navigate uneven terrain.
- Children who go barefoot may also feel less stress, as they’re more in tune with their surroundings, more grounded and calm.
- Walking barefoot outside may also increase a child’s immune system, as they come into contact with more bugs and bacteria from an early age.
- Children who spend more time barefoot are going to gain a greater sense of independence as they make choices as to where to walk and explore safely.
BEST MOMENTS
“When children spend more of their time barefoot, they generally have much better balance and coordination.”
“Children who spend more time barefoot are going to have a better connection to the earth because we know the skin on the soles of the feet is highly conductive.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week’s episode, Aniesa explores after-school clubs and how pushing kids to partake in extracurricular activities can cause burnout, stress, and feelings of inadequacy for all involved.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Many parents feel they need to push their children into participating in after-school clubs to help them socialise and prepare them for new experiences. However, this can often cause stress and affect their overall well-being.
- Studies have shown that kids who participate in more than 15 hours of extracurricular activities can have lower grades in school.
- Children need time to relax and play after school. The structure of many after-school clubs leaves little room for free play and relaxation.
- The stress of making time for after-school activities and homework can often cause burnout in children.
- Find clubs that offer trial days, or more relaxed and flexible environments to allow kids to find a balance.
BEST MOMENTS
“While extracurricular activities can provide really valuable experiences and skills for children, forcing kids to participate can have negative consequences on their overall wellbeing and their general development.”
“Competition is really healthy in moderation, but having the constant pressure to perform at a high level can often lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem in kids, and that’s quite harmful to the younger kids who don’t have the emotional and cognitive skills to handle that pressure.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today’s episode, Aniesa discusses how you can help children set realistic and achievable goals.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It’s never too early to start teaching your children how to set goals.
- Make goal-setting a habit and lead by example by making them part of your daily, weekly, or monthly routines.
- Set SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound - goals to increase their chance of success.
- Encouraging children to set their own goals helps them to take ownership and be motivated to complete them.
- Help them break down their goals into smaller, less-daunting tasks and to write them down on a visible planner, or whiteboard.
- Help children to stay on track and encourage them to persevere. It’s easy to be distracted or lose faith.
- Celebrate their progress!
BEST MOMENTS
“I always said ‘practice makes perfect’ until a little girl said to me, ‘no, practice makes progress’, and I’ve always remembered that.”
“It’s never too late to teach our children about goal setting and the skills they need to succeed because there’s always going to be goals set for them.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It’s the last show of 2022! Save yourself from festive burnout with Aniesa’s tips to get you through the holiday season.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Plan time to rest, to sit in your pyjamas and do nothing. You know yourself and your family best, so plan to ensure everyone gets the time off they need.
- Take a moment every day to get outside, even if it’s just to stand in your garden, and find time to go for a walk without purpose. And yes, you can put trackies over your pyjamas to do this.
- Don’t forget batteries for those electronic gifts!
- Don’t let your kids hug people they don’t want to.
BEST MOMENTS
“Happy end of 2022, and I will see you guys on the flip side!”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Rest is more than simply taking a nap. In today’s episode, Aniesa discusses the six types of rest and how you can relax and recharge without having to close your eyes to sleep.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Mental rest: when you feel like there’s too much going on and you need a break, find a simple task you can do to give yourself a mental rest.
- Sensory rest: bright lights, groups of people, and loud music can cause you to need sensory rest. Take time to remove yourself from distractions, lay in a dark room, and relax.
- Creative rest: if your job requires you to use creative energy, allow yourself the time to find balance and feed your soul away from your desk.
- Emotional rest: it takes energy to bottle up your feelings. Take a moment to process your emotions - record voice notes, talk to someone, or write them down.
- Social rest: spend time with people who support you, bring out the best in you and feed your soul. Give time to the people who recharge your energy, and don’t drain your batteries.
- Spiritual rest: ground yourself. Volunteer, check in with people and take a moment to realise all that is beyond the physical self.
BEST MOMENTS
“People I speak to say, “I’m always tired. I woke up tired. Sometimes I sleep really well, but I just don’t feel rested. I feel exhausted.” there are actually a number of different types of rest that will help prevent this feeling of exhaustion, burnout, and overwhelm.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week’s episode, Aniesa discusses ‘Christmas Overwhelm’ and how the festive season can affect our routine and mental health. The next few weeks can be exhausting for many, so take the time to set boundaries and expectations, and find ways to regulate and relax.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Christmas season can become overwhelming, especially in a school, with the change in routine, rehearsals, singing and festivities.
- Those who thrive on routine and structure can struggle with this time of year.
- Aniesa’s sunset challenge forces her to leave the house at sunset to pause and enjoy nature, allowing her to calm and relax. Yes, even in the rain.
- Remember to set boundaries over the holidays. See your friends and family on your terms to ensure neither you nor your children become dysregulated.
- Recognise when you feel overwhelmed. Find time to regulate, to practise your breathing in a quiet, safe space.
- Do what makes you happy.
- Reflect on the past year, what went well, and what you’ve done to make positive changes.
BEST MOMENTS
“Do what matters to you; what brings you joy. It sounds cheesy, but do what feeds your soul. If that is lying on the sofa eating chocolates and drinking Baileys while watching Christmas films, do that. Do what absolutely makes you happy.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Following on from last week’s discussion about masking, Aniesa describes the symptoms and causes of burnout, both in neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals and what we can do to understand and support those who are suffering.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Masking, covered in last week’s episode, often goes hand in hand with burnout.
- Fatigue, headaches, dissatisfaction, dietary changes, and issues with sleep are all symptoms of burnout.
- Burnout is episodic, and you may not realise you have burnout until you come out of it.
- Not everyone suffers from burnout, making it hard for them to recognise and understand it in others.
- Burnout is common in neurodivergent adults and children, often due to the energy used daily to mask their behaviour.
- Fatigue, headaches, dissatisfaction, dietary changes, and issues with sleep.
- Burnout can affect mental health.
- Neurodivergent people can often suffer from Autistic burnout and ADHD burnout.
- Children suffering from burnout may often find excuses not to partake in activities they’ve otherwise enjoyed or show disinterest in things they previously cared about. They may procrastinate, become anxious or fearful of attending school or struggle to concentrate on a task, causing them to become irritable.
- Building a defined routine of breaks and boundaries can help to prevent burnout. This can include getting exercise by going for a walk, practising mindfulness, and putting yourself first.
BEST MOMENTS
“[We must] make sure we prioritise our kid's mental health and our own mental health. For kids, it starts by asking them what the emotions are that they’re feeling - and thinking about that for yourself as well.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, Aniesa discusses masking - what it means, how it’s used as a coping mechanism, and the effects it can have on neurodivergent adults and children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Neurodivergent adults and children, such as those with autism, or ADHD, may be inclined to hide aspects of their true selves. This is called ‘masking’.
- Masking is used as a survival tool, as a way of protecting one's self from discrimination, labelling, or bullying.
- Those who mask may be completely unaware they’re doing it.
- Masking may also be used to be more successful at work or school, make friends or make romantic connections.
- Copying a person's body language or tone of voice, giving expected answers to questions, and forcing eye contact, a smile, or laughter are signs of masking in social situations.
- Masking often occurs in situations where neurodivergent people feel misunderstood or unsupported.
- Masking may cause people to force themselves to experience uncomfortable sensory experiences, such as loud venues and crowds of people, in order to ‘fit in’.
- Masking can bring about high levels of stress, depression, and exhaustion.
- Some people are so good at masking that they’re not diagnosed as neurodivergent until much later.
- Masking can lead to a loss of self, where you’re so used to masking that you forget your authentic self.
BEST MOMENTS
“Although masking may seem really helpful, masking your true self can be emotionally draining.”
"Exhaustion. If we mask constantly, we are exhausted because we are using energy. The energy that should be used on other activities or other tasks. It’s that feeling of being really overloaded after a social situation, leading to you just wanting to withdraw, and be alone, and just not be in that situation.”
“Sometimes people can be so efficient at masking that they don't get a neurodivergent diagnosis until much later in life. We’ve said it several times for women, we often get overlooked when it comes to diagnoses of autism or ADHD.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week’s episode, Aniesa discusses Spoon Theory, first coined by Christine Miserandino, and how energy levels in neurodivergent people can be affected differently and what can be done to help manage them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Christine Miserandino first coined Spoon Theory when describing her chronic illness to a friend, using physical spoons as a unit of energy.
- For each activity her friend listed, Christine removed a spoon. Once all the spoons were gone, she had no energy for other activities.
- Many people use other items or concepts in place of spoons. Aniesa uses battery percentages.
- A few months ago, when Aniesa was suffering from anaemia, merely thinking about her day took up ‘battery energy’.
- When considering neurodivergent children, we must consider what extra factors take up their energy.
- Dealing with loud noises, flashing lights, or lots of people, can all use excessive energy.
- Kids may seem calm in the morning, but by school’s end, they can be dysregulated due to the energy they’ve had to use throughout the day.
- We need to find ways to help ourselves and others around us add to the spoon supply.
- Creating safe sensory spaces for children (and adults) to escape to, planning fun activities requiring less energy, and deciding on language to convey struggle help manage energy levels.
BEST MOMENTS“Personally, and that’s because of how my brain works, I can’t get to grips with the idea of spoons. For me, I use the analogy of a battery, and I’ll speak in percentages. So, each bar of a battery is how much energy I have left.”
“Think about setting up systems and structures where a person can let you know if they’re struggling.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As an adult with ADHD, Aniesa struggles with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). In this week’s episode, she explains the symptoms and causes of RSD and how identifying it in young children will help them cope later.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- In a nutshell, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is the fear of being rejected.
- The fear of rejection activates the same parts of the brain as physical pain.
- ADHD complicates the fear of rejection as it alters brain chemistry.
- Because of this, those with ADHD find it harder to process rejection.
- Teasing or being picked last for a team can trigger RSD in children with ADHD.
- Children will often act in one of two ways to deal with RSD. They will work extra hard to please people or avoid them altogether.
- RSD is hard to identify, especially in younger children who struggle to explain their feelings.
- Remember, "connection is everything".
BEST MOMENTS
“As humans, we are social beings, we live in little groups, little packs, little tribes, and we generally are hard-wired to fit in, to belong. And we stick together in groups because that’s what makes us stronger. And, because of that, the thought of being rejected, of being outcast, is very scary.”
“They can either cope with the trauma of the RSD one of two ways: they can try extra hard to please people and not get rejected, or completely start avoiding those anxiety-provoking situations.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Aniesa talks all about the power behind saying no. In modern life, it’s all too easy to say yes to things you either don’t want to do or don’t have time for, creating more stress and anxiety in your life. Listen in to hear how and why you should learn to start saying no.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The better you become at saying no, the more your stress and anxiety will be reduced because you are only doing and saying yes to the things you want to do and critically, have time for.
- Saying no means disappointing people, it’s inevitable. However, you need to put yourself and your family above others’ feelings. We can’t make everyone happy all of the time.
- If you feel guilty for saying no, ask yourself why that is.
- There are other ways to say no than just using the word. Such as “I have other commitments”, “I really wish I could” and even just “I can’t”.
BEST MOMENTS
“By saying no, I’m going to take on less”
“I can be kind, but I also need to look after myself”
“If I feel uncomfortable for any reason I’m going to say no”
“My mental health and well-being is more important”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After conquering her nerves and attending an Ethics Committee question and answer session for funding for her Masters research project, Aniesa reflects on on the lack of resources in education and healthcare which results in a large number of children going without the provision that they need.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Due to lack of resources, basic assessments for care of children are not being carried out.
- If you are aware as a parent of what your child should be receiving and pursue it, you are often labelled as a difficult parent.
- TAs are being left to apply OT to multiple children with complex needs with insufficient training.
BEST MOMENTS
“There is no funding to actually assess these kids so that we can see what exactly their education, health and care needs are.”
“This lack of provision is happening everywhere. It’s happening in all the local authorities that we work in, it’s happening in state schools, it’s happening in private schools.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondonABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa is an empty nester! In this week’s episode, Aniesa reflects on the last few weeks now her youngest is at University. The highs, the lows, and the cheaper food bills.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Aniesa’s youngest left for University three weeks ago.
- The silver lining of having no children at home is the abundance of food available!
- An empty nest may be quieter, but don't worry; the pets will always be there to demand your attention.
BEST MOMENTS
“I felt like I was leaving my heart on just a random street in Southampton when he walked away from us to go and do all his registration and Freshers things.”
“I don’t think anything anyone could have told me would have prepared me for the silence.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa chats with Jodie Isitt, founder of The Nurture Programme, offering bespoke training and support for teachers, carers, and parents of children with additional needs. Jodie has three autistic children and was diagnosed autistic during the pandemic lockdown. In today’s episode, she discusses the obstacles of being a parent of a child with PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) and how she works to help others with neurodivergent children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Nurture Programme started during the pandemic lockdown to provide online content and support for isolated parents.
- Jodie realised she was Autistic after talking to other neurodivergent adults during the lockdown.
- As an adult with Autism, Jodie feels privileged to share her experiences as a neurodivergent person.
- Jodie wrote short stories to indirectly teach her daughter's school about her PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance).
- Being the parents of a neurodivergent child means having to dismiss everything you know about parenting.
BEST MOMENTS“I feel like the little things in the book, if they were implemented in everyday society, the little things that cost no pounds, no pennies, we would have so many happy neurodivergent children in schools.”
“No professional likes a parent telling them what they think it might be. And I found that from very early on, I used to plant seeds so I could get them to tell me what’s going on.”
CONTACT METHODwww.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Product Design student Sean Fraser continues his discussion with Aniesa on the relationship between ADHD-diagnosed kids and education, focusing on the products used to aid Occupational Therapy sessions.
Aniesa explains the process of encouraging kids to build obstacle courses to regulate behaviour and how lockdown affected in-person Occupational Therapy sessions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It’s essential to set goals for children and be mindful of them during sessions
- If kids are unable to focus during sessions, Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS) helps to calm and regulate the sensory system
- Kids can build cognitive strategies through low-risk activities, for example, balancing on low swings and moving objects to build up the confidence needed to step onto an escalator unaided
- When kids are more regulated, they’re able to relax and speak more honestly about the problems they’re facing
- During the lockdown, Aniesa and her team were able to visit homes to continue sessions and utilised household items and local playgrounds to build obstacle courses over Zoom
BEST MOMENTS“If your sensory system isn’t working well, you lack the awareness of when you need to eat, when you need to drink, or when you need to rest and need the bathroom.”CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sean Fraser, a final-year Product Design degree student, talks to Aniesa about the resources and techniques available to aid ADHD-diagnosed kids in building a better relationship with education.
In part one of this two-part interview, Sean and Aniesa discuss the difference between how girls and boys present their ADHD symptoms, how changes can be made in a classroom setting to accommodate an ADHD student, and the products available on the market to aid productivity and routine.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Sean was diagnosed with ADHD at 11 years old and had a lot of support at home that he wishes to replicate for others.
- Aniesa was diagnosed with ADHD at 42
- Aniesa estimates the average age of boys diagnosed with ADHD to be between seven and eleven. For girls, it tends to be later.
- Girls often present the more subtle signs of ADHD, such as speaking out of turn and subtle hyperactivity.
- Parents often turn to Occupational Therapy when they realise their children have problems with self-regulation.
- Questionnaires are sent to parents and teachers to help plot a child's difficulties.
- On average, a child will have 2-3 blocks of Occupational Therapy, each lasting 10-12 weeks.
- Sensory integration techniques are also often used across autism, dyspraxia, developmental coordination disorder, anxiety and depression.
- Children with ADHD often have issues sleeping alone, winding down, and staying asleep.
- Aniesa and her team work with schools to help their students maintain focus, manage impulsivity, and fulfil sensory needs without distracting others.
- There are many recommended products on the market, including apps to aid in task management.
BEST MOMENTS“Through self-awareness, you get a lot of self-confidence.”“Sensory integration is probably one of the biggest techniques we use, but always relating it back to function, always relating back to the child's goals.”“It’s really important that we ask the young person ‘what do you want to get better at?’”CONTACT METHODwww.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Large scale events and overwhelming environments can cause sensory overload. Join Aniesa as she explains how to deal with sensory overwhelm, crowds and transitions. Learn how to become child-led and discover how to help anyone struggling with sensory overwhelm.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It’s important to remember that if you as an adult are experiencing sensory overload, it is likely, even more, overwhelming for a child.
- Everybody reacts differently to environmental transitions so it is vital to be consistent and constant by gauging your child’s reaction to change, let yourself be led by your children.
- Aim to be child-led when it comes to activities, some parents will take their kids to festivals and large events but if it is not comfortable for your child from a sensory point of view then do not force it upon them.
BEST MOMENTS“The sensory overload from everyone talking about the same thing was overwhelming for me.”
“Crowds are a huge source of sensory overwhelm.”
“If your child is becoming overwhelmed, think about what sensory distractions you can put in place to help them focus.”
CONTACT METHODwww.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOSTAniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How do you apply lotions and creams to your child? Join Aniesa as she explains our children's tactile defensiveness, how to go help your children become comfortable with light touch and stickiness and how to help them regulate their nervous system.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- One of the questions I got asked when it came to their kids, being tactile defensive was how you go about putting on creams and lotions.
- One of the difficulties that parents have is our children's tactile defensiveness. For example, when it comes to summer, children find it really difficult to deal with putting on sunscreen.
- Help tactile defensiveness by avoiding light touch, when you’re applying creams or lotions you need to use deep pressure because that feeling is going to override the feeling of a light touch or stickiness and it will make the experience more comfortable.
- Come up with a strategy to apply any lotions or creams so that it becomes a process that is repeatable and recognisable.
- Giving our kids as much control as possible is going to help them regulate and organise their nervous system. Feeling in control is gonna let them feel happy and when they're happy they're going to thrive and be independent.
BEST MOMENTS
“Always find the right lotion or cream that’s going to work for your child.”
“Tackling defensiveness is all about finding the childs preference to overcome it.”
“If you find a lotion that just soaks into the skin, you don't have the sticky residue that frustrates kids.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It is almost back to school time. Aniesa dives into the chaotic time of back to school in today’s episode of The Sensational Kids Show. Listen in to discover how to prepare your child for school and create a successful routine.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- It’s important for your health and your kid's health to make sure your kids are getting a lot of exercise. In the run-up to school, it’s vital that your kids are as active as possible so they do not struggle with their endurance or stamina.
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Make sure your child gets back into the school routine, bring forward their bedtime and try to take them up at the right time so they’re ready for school and their bodies are back in the right rhythm
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Plan and prepare your child for homework. If your child is going to get homework, you need to think about how that’s going to be planned into their routine, having a space for them to complete it and reducing their screen time so they can do it.
BEST MOMENTS
“It is almost back to school time.”
“I used to go through phases of feeling super relieved because back to school meant that my childcare nightmares were over.”
“There was always a sadness that my kids are starting a new school year and they’re another year older.”
“Prepare all of those things you need for your child to go back to school, the uniform, the books and marking important dates in the calendar.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Results aren’t a prediction of how well you will do in life. Join Aniesa as she dives into exams, results and teaching your kids. Discover why results aren’t everything and why being happy, independent and confident is far more important.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Don't write kids off, give them a chance to play, explore and come into themselves. There’s always a way to teach kids, results on paper aren’t everything.
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Your child's happiness is the most important thing. A happy child is more willing to learn than one that is being forced to learn in a way that isn’t right for them.
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It's not about the grade, it’s about if your child is trying their hardest and their best. As parents we need to help children understand that your best is good enough because results aren’t always a prediction of how well you will end up doing in life, nothing can predict that.
BEST MOMENTS
“We moved him from one school to a tiny little independent school.”
“Keep on advocating for your kids and keep on pushing if you think something's not right.”
“I just want my kids to be happy, to thrive and to do something they love.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are four areas where both children and adults can have sensory integration problems. In this episode, Aniesa explains each one and how it can impact our daily lives and the development of our children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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There are four areas that can be defined as sensory integration problems, sensory modulation, sensory discrimination and perception, vestibular and bilateral functions and finally your praxis.
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Sensory modulation occurs when your brain either over-responds or under-responds to the sensory input that's coming in and we can all have these reactions from time to time but for some of us, it can have a significant impact on our daily lives.
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Sensory discrimination and perception is about how your brain is processing and making sense of information and how it's going to interpret little differences in the information.
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Having difficulties with your vestibular processing is concerned with your movement and how your brain picks up information about the direction of movement.
BEST MOMENTS
“For some of us, the degree to which our brain is going to respond or not respond will have a significant impact and a significant effect on our daily lives and function.”
“With sensory modulation, you can become quite distressed and may miss out on things that are happening around you.”
“It's really important to figure out whether certain behaviours are because of poor modulation or if there's another reason for it.”
“If you have difficulties with sensory modulation you may form a pattern of sensory reactivity.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa explores the sense of smell among children and their parents in a new episode of The Sensational Kids Show. Discover how smell is closely linked to our memory, taste and emotions, learn how smells can trigger powerful experiences from your memory bank and why smell can be an indicator of child development.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Your sense of smell is closely linked with your memory and certain smells will spark a memory of a particular experience stored within your memory centre.
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The memory centre in the brain associated different memories to the senses and certain smells can trigger memories that fit the context of a personal place or emotion. For example the smell of salt water and the memory of experiencing the seaside.
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Kids can be incredibly sensitive to smells and this is linked to our taste and emotion. So our smells can either be there for pure enjoyment like smelling a flow or freshly baked cookies or a powerful warning system.
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Children and their parents react differently to certain smells and when observing your children it can help you to notice avoiding behaviours.
BEST MOMENTS
“Salient and important events can be quite strongly associated with memory.”
“The internal smell system is quite closely involved with regulating your emotions and your emotional memories.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are some things that are absolutely vital to teach our children. In this episode of The Sensational Kids Show, Aniesa explores what activities, thoughts and feelings are important to our kids' development, which activities will help them grow and why it’s important to respect their own decision-making.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Insist that your kids advocate for themselves. Respect their decision and when they’ve made their mind up about a certain situation. Always reassure them that it’s okay and explore how they came to that decision.
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It’s essential that your kids tell you how they’re feeling and tell you if they're unhappy. This means that you need to give them the space to be able to do so.
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It’s really important that kids have a say in what they do after school or on weekends. There is absolutely no point in making your child go to an activity that they are not interested in.
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It's important that we teach our kids to know how to win and how to lose gracefully and with dignity, to respect the rules of a game and that sometimes they're winners and sometimes there are losers.
BEST MOMENTS
“A lot of parents will ask, what activities should their kids do? What activities should I make them do?”
“It’s important to insist that your child plays outside.”
“It’s okay to allow your kids to be alone and to have time to themselves to be quiet, play, read or just relax.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How can we help our kids deal with disappointment? In this episode, Aniesa explains why we shouldn’t dismiss our children’s big emotions, why we need to teach them to deal with feelings to become self-regulated adults and how encouraging your children to open up can help them create their own inner voice.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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It's important to remember that we need to allow our kids to feel disappointed. Children need to learn how to deal with big emotions and understand what’s going on. This will help them become well-adjusted and well-regulated adults.
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As parents, we often minimise what happens to our kids but when doing this we distract them, dismiss their feelings and minimise what’s going on. We’re communicating to them that their feelings don’t matter.
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Do not avoid talking about big emotions with your children. Allow them to feel disappointment and communicate with them why it’s happening. This will help your child identify their emotions and validate how their feelings.
- Encourage your kids to express how they’re feeling, this will allow them to become competent and help them create their inner voice.
BEST MOMENTS
“Being disappointed is a very tough emotion, it can be heartbreaking and as parents, it can leave us feeling hopeless.”
“Routinely communicate with your child and affirm that you believe in them and that they can cope with their emotions.”
“Empathy is really important. Do not minimise your kid's emotions.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Learn why core strength is so important to growth and developing fine motor skills. Join Aniesa as she shares the daily activities you can do with your child to build a strong foundation of core strength, why it’s essential to improving a child's stamina and endurance and how a lack of core strength can result in a de-motivated and tired child.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Having a good core strength made up of a range of different muscles will form the foundation for most of our growth and fine motor skills.
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Poor core strength not only affects growth but will also negatively impact stamina and endurance. That’s why tummy time as an infant is so important, it builds core strength in the neck, upper back and abdomen which sets the foundation for them to look around and respond to sounds and voices.
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Tummy time prepares infants for crawling, rolling or independently getting manoeuvring into a sitting position. Core strength, in the beginning, is developed through play.
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Children that have a poor foundation of core strength will lack balance, attention and stability. They will have difficulty with tasks and staying still as they’re constantly trying to change positions to find stability.
- Embed fun activities into your daily routine that will help to build a child’s core strength. By making it a fun activity your child will remain engaged and build a stable base for the future.
BEST MOMENTS
“A child struggling with core strength may slump of hunch forward.”
“Kids that have a poor foundation of core strength will lack stability, endurance and have poor attention skills.”
“Core strength also develops precise finger movements and an effortless posture control.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome back to The Sensational Kids Show, in this episode Aniesa reflects on her experience at the international sensory integration conference.. Discover why inclusion is so important to children's development, how we can use technological advances in education to improve learning and why including others makes everyone's life simpler.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-
We've seen a lot of advances in medicine and technology, however often it is not made available to the younger generation. For example, when it comes to education, children are not allowed to use a laptop which may help a struggling child.
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We all have vestibular learning needs to varying degrees and if we had the equipment in classrooms children would self-regulate and those that need it more would thrive.
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Inclusion stretches to all areas of parenting from playdates to parties, for example, we need to be aware of phobias, obsessions, compulsions and special interests so that we can incorporate and include everyone.
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Being inclusive is just thinking about how we can approach people and make everyone's life simpler.
BEST MOMENTS
“I love all things, sensory and all things, sensory integration.”
“Inclusion is at the heart of what I do.”
“I don't understand why we would let someone struggle when there are alternative methods to make things easier for them.
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome back to The Sensational Kids Show as Aniesa reflects on how little she knew about everything when she became a parent. Tune in to hear why it’s okay to struggle, how to overcome self-doubt and limiting beliefs and why as parents we just need to do what we can with what we have.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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When your child is struggling and there’s so much you need to do, so many things their teacher is telling you to do to help them but it’s overwhelming. You have to believe in yourself, find your groove and be a bit more confident because it does get easier.
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It’s often hard to know how hard and how far to push your child. You want to promote independence but you also want to lead them down the right path that’s beneficial for their future.
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As parents we all just do what we can with what we have, we’re all just trying to get through it in the right way with some sanity intact.
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It's very hard to believe in yourself as a parent when we have a society of people who feel like they can just tell you what you should and shouldn't do, how you should raise your kids and how you should discipline them. It’s actually none of their business.
BEST MOMENTS
“I really was not confident in my skills, I just permanently felt out of my depth.”
“How far do you push? How far do you actually go? It’s all trial and error until you find what works for you and your relationship.”
“Don’t stress too much about what you’re doing because no one is necessarily doing any better or any worse.”
“It's all an adventure, it’s a roller coaster.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Aniesa as she discusses auditory sensitivity and auditory defensiveness. Discover how sounds can affect children and adults, how sensory systems are designed to protect us and the fight, flight or freeze mechanism.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Auditory sensitivity affects children and adults who struggle with being sensitive to certain sounds, loud or unexpected noises and sounds that are at specific pitches or those that might startle them.
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You may notice signs of auditory sensitivity if children are covering their ears or prefer not to go to places with crowds as the sound of them can be very dysregulating and cause sensitivity.
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Your auditory system has a very close link to how much attention you're paying to the sounds and some people’s systems they are much more sensitive than others. Any sensory system is designed to keep us safe and trigger an automatic response that we call fight, flight or freeze.
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Your brain processes sound differently in adults and in children and often you can have an auditory overload if there is too much going on at once.
BEST MOMENTS
“Often kids will be able to focus when there is a constant and consistent underlying sound like ambient noise.”
“Loud noises and certain pitches can distract and cause stress.”
“Fight, flight or freeze occurs when we experience anxiety and when you react or respond when you are more stressed to sounds.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa is joined my music therapist Claire Wood in today’s episode of The Sensational Kids Show. They discuss how music can help with multiple learning difficulties, why psychodynamic and neurologic therapy is helping people of all ages and why child-led sessions can empower children.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Music and psychodynamic therapy has always been used to support adults, young people and children with their general development, their movements and overall communication skills.
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Neurologic music therapy is evidence-based therapy looking at the science of brain development and the effect that music can have on the brain.
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Music is a unique art form and therapy mirrors lots of early bonding experiences of parent and child. Music forms the building blocks of communication and creates emotional regulation through co-regulation.
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Music is multisensory and can engage children with disabilities in a much more meaningful way than conversation.
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Professionals need to be as child-led as possible in terms of participation, co-production and thinking about what they want from the session, it can be really empowering and motivating.
BEST MOMENTS
“I'm quite eclectic, I mix and match my approach depending on what the children and young people need.”
“There’s huge amounts of publicity around the positive effect music can have on dementia care.”
“Being with someone in music is an easier way to express themselves.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa draws on a recent experience with her son. She had a very tough day and her son came home to find her very upset and in a state of overwhelm. It made her re-recognise the importance of children seeing their parents, caregivers and other adults experience real emotions and in this episode she explores why this is.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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When your child is sad, don’t tell them to not be sad. It’s better to let them experience and feel their emotions and instead offer them support, either by asking if they want to talk about it or simply letting them know you are there if they need you.
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It’s important that we validate our children emotions so that they learn to feel them in a healthy way.
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We need to be role models for our children. So be honest when you are feeling a big emotion and model the right way of dealing with it.
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Make sure you speak to your children, about their feelings, their emotions and reassure them that it’s ok to be sad.
BEST MOMENTS
“How important is it for us to validate our kids emotions?”
“I think it’s really important that we are role models”
“Regulate, then relate, then reason”
“The whole idea that boys can’t cry is so outdated”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
CONTACT METHOD
https://calendly.com/playhealing/callwithdebi?month=2022-03
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today’s episode of The Sensational Kids Show, Aniesa is joined by Wellbeing Specialist and Mental Health Expert Giselle Monbiot. They discuss anxiety in kids and teenagers, the movement towards expressing emotions and how forming attachments between parent and child is crucial to treating mental health issues.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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There’s an awful lot of anxiety in kids and teenagers in school, specifically in those that are possibly a bit more introverted and cannot be put into a particular box.
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As adults today, often we’re raised not to express our feelings when we’re worried or anxious and there isn't an outlet. Nowadays there needs to be a much bigger movement towards getting children talking.
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Anxiety comes out in sensations, It comes out in thoughts and fear with unique triggers that the body responds to. But what is useful is when you can understand anxiety on a physiologically level and that it’s simply a protection mechanism.
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Forming an attachment with your child is crucial because you’re then able to help to develop their behaviour through trust and communication. An attachment can become a stress reliever as the body will hold onto trauma and stress.
BEST MOMENTS
“I’ve developed techniques and tools to help dig into what the root cause of a wellbeing or mental health issue is and enable that person to release it.”
“I’ve mentored a lot of boys who have experienced immense traumas and they’ve been carrying the responsibility of experiences that have nothing to do with them.”
“Anxiety is a protection mechanism protecting you from a perceived threat.”
“The teenage brain is absolutely fascinating.”
“There’s a huge importance in reattaching for your children.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Giselle Monbiot is a Wellbeing Specialist and Mental Health Support expert enabling organizations to integrate wellbeing and mental health support for a productive, motivated and thriving workforce. She develops, facilitates and embeds wellbeing programmes for companies who care about the wellbeing and mental health of their workforce. Creating a thriving culture with improved productivity, motivation and unity.
CONTACT METHOD
https://gisellemonbiot.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of The Sensational Kids Show, Aniesa discusses our eighth sense, interoception. Learn how to tune into interoception to better understand your body, your emotions and what you need to do to stay healthy and in a positive mindset.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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It can be hard for some kids to just adapt to that change and often they can’t quite explain how or what they’re feeling.
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Our eighth sense is called interoception. You have your functional senses, which use your sight, smell, taste, hearing and vision but interoception allows us to feel our internal organs and our skin and it will give us information about our internal state and the condition of our body.
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Interoception gives you clues about your emotions and what your body needs to succeed, it tells you about your breathing and muscles which is linked to how you feel emotionally.
BEST MOMENTS
“Interoception gives us information about our internal state or the condition of our body.”
Rather than thinking of interoception as just feelings from our internal organs, it's the sense of the entire condition about the inner body.”
“Your vestibular is your balance or your sense of movement, and then your proprioception is your body awareness.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Aniesa as she discusses ADHD and how it presents itself differently in girls, and women and how it is so often undiagnosed or missed. Understand the signs and symptoms to be able to spot ADHD, how to overcome the gender bias and the different coping strategies to help a child with ADHD focus.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Why do boys often get diagnosed with ADHD and girls don’t? At school, boys are presented differently, as overactive and boisterous. Studies have shown a gender bias towards diagnosing ADHD in boys and other girls, even when the same symptoms have been displayed.
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Boys score the highest for learning difficulties or learning problems, hyperactivity, impulsivity and in-attention compared to the girls. However, girls also display these symptoms but they will always be compared to the boys first.
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ADHD can present itself differently, one of the main signs is a lack of impulse control but among girls who are verbally impulsive, over-emotional and easily excitable ADHD can also be a driving factor behind girls behaviour.
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Hyper-focus can be used as a coping strategy to help to curb the times when a child feels as if they have no control over themselves.
BEST MOMENTS
“I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 42 and despite working with those who have it, I never saw it in myself.”
“There is a gender bias, which means that girls don't get diagnosed.”
“If a girl is always in motion or hyperactive, we might say that she is boyish or tomboy because she loves physical activities, but it's not typically what girls do.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today’s episode of The Sensational Kids Show, Aniesa gives you some ideas of things you can ask your kids after school. How to engage with them and ask questions that lead to more meaningful conversations that give your child the opportunity to express their feelings and emotions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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As adults, we can be pretty annoying and it needs to be acceptable for children to be able to identify and vocalise anyone in a position of authority that annoys them. No feelings are wrong or incorrect.
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Show them that passion that you have for what you do so that your children can learn when they say something about their day they can express their emotions without feeling judged.
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Asking questions, showing interest and having those questions lead to meaningful conversations with your children is one way to connect and engage with your child and allows them to express themselves.
BEST MOMENTS
“Questions I ask them are things such as. What makes you happy or sad?, What do you struggle with? What do you want to get better at? And what do you want to be one day?”
“I really love this part of the assessment because it really gives me an insight into how the kids think about themselves.”
“Then try and change it up a little bit, try and change the questions that you're asking them and you might be surprised at some of the answers that you get.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
David Robson is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behaviour.
After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, he worked as a features editor at New Scientist for five years, before moving to BBC Future, where he was a senior journalist for five years. His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Aeon, Men’s Health and many more outlets. In 2021, David received awards from the Association of British Science Writers and the UK Medical Journalists’ Association for his writing on misinformation and risk communication during the COVID pandemic.
CONTACT METHOD
https://davidrobson.me/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Have you experienced Empty Nest Syndrome? Join Aniesa as she discusses the feelings, emotions and emptiness you can feel when your children grow up, leave and become less dependent on you. Learn how to overcome Empty Nest Syndrome, how you can fill your diary with new hobbies and why acknowledging your feelings is essential to putting yourself first.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Empty nest syndrome is a phenomenon in which parents experience feelings of sadness and loss when the last child leaves home. Although you might actively encourage your children to become independent, the experience of letting go can be painful.
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To overcome empty nest syndrome you need to make sure to plan your schedule and to have things in your diary because conquering it can be a massive battle. Get a hobby, invest in yourself and put yourself first.
-
Identifying and acknowledging your feelings will help you to deal with empty nest syndrome.
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Often with children, you have a routine and when they leave the routine is broken, however, this can give you the opportunity to be spontaneous, to connect with friends without worrying about the parenting responsibilities and to be impulsive.
BEST MOMENTS
“When your kids become teenagers, it's almost like you don't see them anymore.”
“Invest in yourself because one day your kids do leave and they become far less dependent on you.”
“Everything he owns is going up to his room, which has the space for it.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
David Robson is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behavior.
After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, he worked as a features editor at New Scientist for five years, before moving to BBC Future, where he was a senior journalist for five years. His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Aeon, Men’s Health and many more outlets. In 2021, David received awards from the Association of British Science Writers and the UK Medical Journalists’ Association for his writing on misinformation and risk communication during the COVID pandemic.
CONTACT METHOD
https://davidrobson.me/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa is joined by award-winning author and behavioural specialist, David Robson. Together they discuss the instinct of parents, the role teachers play in our children's lives and how you help your child connect, achieve and navigate.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Teachers have so much pressure to perform and to deliver lessons it’s hard for them to prioritise the emotional needs of their pupils, it’s the awareness of mental health that needs to be addressed as part of the teacher's remit.
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You've got instinct as a parent, you know when something's just not right and you will notice the subtle but significant difficulties your child may have with their development but wouldn’t get a diagnosis.
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Connection is the most important and it’s not just about connecting with your child but about parents connecting with themselves too. Once you can successfully connect, you can then achieve.
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Achieving means working on your child’s underlying skills so that they can be successful in their daily lives.
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Navigating is about approaching the ‘tricky’ situations in your child's life and building a foundation for their success.
BEST MOMENTS
“Our vision it's to empower kids and to connect, achieve and navigate because we believe that every child can achieve through high-quality occupational therapy.”
“There’s young people's mental health but there's also the mental health of the teachers as well.”
“We all as parents think we should be doing more, but actually we are.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://davidrobson.me/
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
David Robson is an award-winning science writer specialising in the extremes of the human brain, body and behaviour.
After graduating with a degree in mathematics from Cambridge University, he worked as a features editor at New Scientist for five years, before moving to BBC Future, where he was a senior journalist for five years. His writing has also appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Aeon, Men’s Health and many more outlets. In 2021, David received awards from the Association of British Science Writers and the UK Medical Journalists’ Association for his writing on misinformation and risk communication during the COVID pandemic.
CONTACT METHOD
https://davidrobson.me/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join Aniesa as she explores and explains the four parenting attachment styles and how attachment theory can impact parenting and the development of your child into adult life.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- As a parent, your presence is designed to make your child feel loved, safe, secure and protected and this leads to attachment. Attachment theory is how parents respond to their child's needs.
- Attachment styles are working models of how our relationships function and how they are formed early on in our lives. If we can understand our relationships better, we stand a better chance of changing any negative aspects and just increasing the positive by accentuating the positive.
- There are four types of attachment styles secure, anxious-ambivalent, disorganised and avoidant.
- What we should all aim for is to be able to provide a really secure childhood attachment so that our kids can move on, feel secure and have really successful, fulfilling and intimate reciprocal relationships as adults.
BEST MOMENTS
“When you think about connecting with your child, it's not always as simple as an instant bond.”
“We learn through our experiences through our mistakes and our achievements.”
“High-risk psychosocial groups tend to develop disorganized, insecure attachment styles that display atypical behaviour.”
“Avoidant, dismissive and insecure attachments lead to a child becoming self-reliant and they want to figure out by themselves.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Debi John, play consultant, and author of the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECTⓇ Flow, is a passionate advocate about championing and integrating the power of play into our incredibly busy lives.
Drawing from over 20 years of professional experience in safeguarding, education, and the creative arts, Debi prides herself in not prescribing exactly how to parent. There is not a ‘one-size-fit’s-all’ approach. She facilitates far-reaching, empowering, evidence-based discussions for parents to embrace the power of play their way.
CONTACT METHOD
https://calendly.com/playhealing/callwithdebi?month=2022-03
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kids love teaching! In today’s show, Aniesa shares why kids love to teach and how it benefits their development. Discover why letting kids teach others will help with their planning, sequencing and directional skills.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Kids teaching improves their planning skills, their sequencing and how well they can describe and explain their actions.
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Allowing kids the opportunity to teach and instruct can really help them develop their ability to give directions and to explain themselves. This helps them articulate themselves and also helps them also understand what it is that they're trying to do.
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Teaching can help with making the child aware of what it is they are actively doing and how they can put that into words or how they can explain that to someone else. Kids love the idea that they can help someone and they can help someone progress and learn.
BEST MOMENTS
“It’s empowering for adults to ask children to teach us something.”
“Teaching can be used as a game to help kids verbalise their ideas in a clear step-by-step way.”
“Getting kids teaching can really boost their confidence.”
“Kids absolutely love teaching. They love showing us what to do.
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Debi John, play consultant, and author of the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECTⓇ Flow, is a passionate advocate about championing and integrating the power of play into our incredibly busy lives.
Drawing from over 20 years of professional experience in safeguarding, education, and the creative arts, Debi prides herself in not prescribing exactly how to parent. There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. She facilitates far-reaching, empowering, evidence-based discussions for parents to embrace the power of play their way.
CONTACT METHOD
https://calendly.com/playhealing/callwithdebi?month=2022-03
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today’s episode of The Sensational Kids show, Aniesa explores strategies for treating proprioception difficulties, our adaptive system and suggested some activities for how to help develop kids who are under-responsive or over-responsive.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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In terms of proprioception, you can be under-responsive or over-responsive, and it’s really going to impact your movement, your motor functioning and your motor output.
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Somatosensory dyspraxia and your postural disorders are super important for proprioception. As an adult, you need to think about whether you use too much or too little force? And how you’re able to maintain posture when conducting different tasks.
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Our adaptive system allows us to move around a room. For kids, challenges such as navigating an obstacle course are going to help develop those gross motor skills and be able to do things that are perhaps more complex from a fine motor skill point of view.
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Our proprioceptors are located in our joints and our muscles, and that's going to tell us where our body parts are in relation to us and how much force they need to apply to any given task
BEST MOMENTS
“Your adaptive system automatically adjusts your body and manipulates you to do what you need to do.”
“If you use too little force, then you're not going to be successful. So kids who write lightly are grading forces all of the time.”
“When you have kids who are under-responsive, what you'll find is that they might lean constantly because they can't physically hold themselves upright.”
“If your body is not processing all of the perceptive input, your movements are going to be really uncoordinated”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of paediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Debi John, play consultant, and author of the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECTⓇ Flow, is a passionate advocate about championing and integrating the power of play into our incredibly busy lives.
Drawing from over 20 years of professional experience in safeguarding, education, and the creative arts, Debi prides herself in not prescribing exactly how to parent. There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. She facilitates far-reaching, empowering, evidence-based discussions for parents to embrace the power of play their way.
CONTACT METHOD
https://calendly.com/playhealing/callwithdebi?month=2022-03
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Executive functioning is overlooked, but crucial to development. In today’s show, Aniesa explores executive functioning, how to build cognitive skills and regulate behaviour. Discover how to create a consistent routine with your child, how to develop skills and why self-control and self-regulation are essential to development.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Executive functioning is the higher order of cognitive skills such as behaviour regulation and goal-directed activities. It’s the ability to be self-directed, adaptable to change and that allows you to make connections to concepts and ideas related to executive functions
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Emotions and past actions are linked to self-regulation. If a child or adult has executive function difficulties it may cause them to struggle with time management, planning and organizing.
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To overcome problem-solving and improve executive functioning skills it’s recommended to practise tasks repeatedly until the act of repetition helps develop the skill.
- Having a consistent routine with rules and consequences will help children to understand how to complete tasks, stay motivated, learn self-control and assist with executive functioning.
BEST MOMENTS
“Early demonstrations of executive functions can predict what your potential might be later in life.”
“If you can’t break down a task into pieces you may get stuck.”
“Problem-solving is crucial to developing improved executive functioning.”
“Lots of children require physical activity to learn.”
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aniesa is joined by play consultant, and author of the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECTⓇ Flow, Debi John. Today they explore the world of play, how to express, learn and connect with your child through the wonderful world of play.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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The opposite to play is rigidity and feeling very stuck. Playfulness is a free expression with creativity and no big agenda. Playing brings that feeling of joy and freedom of expressing yourself and learning and connecting.
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Play can heal trauma and it can heal communities because to be in a playful state we must be calm and relaxed. Imagine a society where we're not feeling completely under threat all of the time, unfortunately, adults lose their playfulness and that energy can be transferred onto our children in the home environment.
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Life is about being able to form, create and connect and having children who can think outside the box and not always conform to the norm is essential as otherwise we wouldn’t have any new inventions, innovations and have solved some of the world's problems.
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Let your children grow at their own pace and lead the way with non-directive play. Having periods of time where you Just observe them playing by being present and entering their world can make a huge difference to their development.
BEST MOMENTS
“If we can be a more playful society that would echo into so many areas of our lives.”
“If we’re more playful we'd be thinking more clearly, we'd be more loving and have more empathy.”
“Parenting and being playful is about creating an environment for your children to explore and be curious.”
“Counting to one can help busy parents be more playful with their children.”
VALUABLE RESOURCEShttps://www.playhealing.com/
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Debi John, play consultant, and author of the PAUSE, PLAY, CONNECTⓇ Flow, is a passionate advocate about championing and integrating the power of play into our incredibly busy lives.
Drawing from over 20 years of professional experience in safeguarding, education, and the creative arts, Debi prides herself in not prescribing exactly how to parent. There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. She facilitates far-reaching, empowering, evidence-based discussions for parents to embrace the power of play their way.
CONTACT METHODhttps://calendly.com/playhealing/callwithdebi?month=2022-03
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Five bugbears we have to overcome as parents, teachers and carers. In today’s show, Aniesa shares her own experience and the bugbears and annoying things parents are taught or told to do when looking after their child.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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It’s hard to build trust when a child has psyched themselves up about completing a task and then when they complete it parents, teachers or carers ask for more.
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Children won’t eat when they’re hungry if they’re forced and not comfortable with the taste, texture or smell of food. Children will eat much better when they’re in a happy and comfortable environment.
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We need to move away from the idea that a child should sit still or look at you when you want them to pay attention. Do not mistake moving for not listening, a child can listen to you and move around at the same time.
BEST MOMENTS
“You can't force anyone to do anything. It can be traumatic to do so."
“Visual input can be so overwhelming and often children need to look away if you want them to hear you.”
“Asking a child to sit still is one of the hardest things you can do.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Connection is everything, If we cannot connect and if we don't connect, then what's the point. Join Aniesa as she explains the value of connection, how to achieve and navigate your relationships in order to become happy and fulfilled and why the most important connection you can have is the one with yourself.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Connection and guilt go hand in hand but In order for you to connect you have to disconnect with the idea of guilt and that you’re not good enough.
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Connection is everything and often parents are so determined to feel connected to their kids and for them to feel happy that they completely forget to connect with the most important person, themselves.
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When you can connect with your environment and the people around you, you will achieve so much more and be much happier and more fulfilled.
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Connect, achieve, and navigate is a beautiful kind of concurrent process where you connect and then you can achieve. Connection flows into your achievement which flows into your navigation.
BEST MOMENTS
“I really struggled to fit in at school, find a tribe, find a group and to connect with others”
“I rarely connect with someone in a way that feeds my soul or in a way that fulfills me.”
“You have to take care of yourself and connect with yourself first.”
“One of the ways of connecting with myself is to just acknowledge my feelings.”
“Connect with your partner, be honest and be open.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Touch is a very powerful sense and can have a huge impact on development. In this episode find out more about our fundamental senses, the tactile system and how to develop your child's fine motor skills. Discover the difference between light and deep touch, how they’re related to your emotions and how to overcome difficulties with tactile processing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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The tactile system is made up of your functional senses such as sight, smell, taste and touch. Then you have your balance or the vestibular system which is centered around your body awareness, which is proprioception.
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Touch is a very important sense for social development, emotional development, physiological and psychological development.
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Sensory processing can result in poor modulation which can lead to different types of responses. One way is to take a really long time to respond or to notice touch.
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Identifying a map of your body is going to help you learn how to play, how to plan and how to organise your body movements.
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Your touch is going to tell you all about how you can develop your fine motor skills. But it's also going to be related to your emotions and self-regulation.
BEST MOMENTS
“There’s a light touch and there's a deep touch.”
“Light touches are there to keep us safe and to protect us.”
“Sensory processing can lead to difficulties with your modulation.”
“The biggest reason why we would have kids referred to us is when they have difficulties with their tactile processing.”
“School isn't the only way that we learn or the only place that we learn.”
“We promote function and we promote independence.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What happens when things aren’t quite going according to plan? In today’s show, Aniesa dives into sensory processing and how to overcome to manage our senses, responses, actions and reactions. Discover the impact of your tactile system, how to help your child's development and how to spot sensory processing disorder.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Sensory processing disorder is like a neurological traffic jam, which prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information they need to adequately and correctly interpret that sensory information.
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Sensory processing gathers all of the information from our senses and turns them into our responses and our reactions but when things aren't going quite right the senses don't get organised into the appropriate or correct responses. It can leave you confused and finding it difficult to respond to people.
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There are two main areas of sensory processing. Modular, which is focused on over/under responding to stimuli coming in and sensory discrimination, focused on using our senses to get specific or particular information about incoming stimuli.
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One of the most important senses is your tactile system. It provides you with information about. The world around you and the shape, texture and size of things whilst helping you to understand your surroundings.
BEST MOMENTS
“Your tactile system is important for your emotional, physiological and neurological development.”
“There are easy ways you can develop your child's tactile system with play-doh okay, cookie cutters and rolling pins.”
“Tactile sensitivities are phenomenally challenging and we need to make sure that we can connect with our children and let them know that they're not alone.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Guilt is the thief of all things joyful. In today’s episode of The Sensational Kids Show, Aniesa explores the guilt we all feel when we become parents and how to overcome it. Discover why guilt is completely unnecessary, how to take care of yourself and start letting go and why the perfect parents we’re trying to be simply don’t exist.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Guilt is completely unnecessary. It has no purpose, serves no purpose and is often completely and utterly self-inflicted.
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Guilt is a constant for parents and unfortunately, with the impact of postnatal depression parents can sometimes really struggle to connect and engage with their children.
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We're made to feel like we should be perfect and that we should be doing everything as a parent in a particular way. But the perfect parent does not exist. You are good enough just the way you are and you have to start believing that, taking care of yourself and also putting yourself first too.
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Everyone feels guilty, Dads feel guilty for not helping around the house enough, the working parent feels guilty for leaving the home, the parent who stays at home feels guilty for not contributing financially. Guilt takes away all of your joyful energy and leaves you feeling frustrated, detached and angry. We have to believe that we can overcome the guilt.
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Start letting go of the guilt, start focusing on solutions, start accepting your imperfections and forgive yourself for your mistakes.
BEST MOMENTS
“We, as parents, are so often made to feel guilty about every little thing.”
“I started feeling guilty for not feeling guilty”
“I am so incredibly guilty and that caused even more difficulties connecting and engaging with my child.”
“Guilt is the thief of all things joyful, It sucks out the happiness of parenting and it serves no one.”
“Guilt is completely unnecessary, you are good enough. Be kind to yourself and ditch the guilt.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to The Sensational Kids Show, a podcast all about empowering kids and the adults who raise them, care for them and teach them. This podcast is for all those parents who want their children to thrive, to succeed and simply not to have to struggle with what seems to come so easily to other kids their age. It is for anyone caring for a child with any range or level of additional needs. In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing a little bit about my own journey and passion and reasons for launching the podcast.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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Through occupational therapy, a child’s core skills are able to develop. A child doesn’t need to have a diagnosis to require extra help with their development but focused therapy will enable them to become more independent and successful.
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Parents want to connect with their kids and feel peace of mind that their kids will be okay. But far too often parents and teachers can’t get the answers they want for their children to thrive and succeed.
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The most important thing is to be independent, to make your own choices and to be able to do what you want through your own chaotic parenting journey.
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The success in your children’s development comes from connecting, understanding their goals and abilities and knowing they are so that you can navigate through life together.
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There's no way to prepare yourself for having a child. As a first-time parent, you might not pick up on any anomalies or difficulties until your child reaches the age of four.
BEST MOMENTS
"For many of the kids I work with they don't qualify for a diagnosis.”
“Parents and teachers can't get answers and all they want is for their children to be happy, to thrive, to succeed.”
“Success for me means being kind, giving back and engaging. It means my children being able to contribute to their community in whatever way they can to achieve goals and be contented.”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon
ABOUT THE HOST
Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.
Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.