“I can heal your child”

Emma Ottaway

August 17 2016

Recently I have seen a few programmes and companies advertising their services by using their autism success stories.

And as an experienced professional working with families and children on the spectrum, this frustrates me.

Because what these companies are saying to families is that huge, powerful, emotionally fuelled promise ….

“I can heal your child.”

So why does this frustrate me?

Firstly, for my own personal reasons I don’t agree with using the word ‘heal’ when talking about autism.

Secondly, I know first hand that big progress and positive changes and breakthroughs take time.

So when a company pops up on my Facebook, promoting their programme, telling me this Mum from Ohio changed just 2 things and boom suddenly her previously mute son was talking to her…

I’m kind of sceptical.

I’m not saying small changes can’t create huge results.

I’m not saying mute children can’t begin speaking.

But I do question how long it took these parents to get these results with their children and what was really involved.

One thing I say about my work time and time again is that it’ll take, patience, hard work and consistency to see big progress in your child.

You’ve probably heard me say it a hundred times!

I tell parents this because it’s true.

I DON’T want to lead the families I work with into a false sense of security, expecting to see huge changes without barely lifting a finger.

Nope. It just doesn’t work like that.

The children I’ve seen make the biggest changes always, and I mean always, have the most hard working committed parents behind them…

Dealing with the tough stuff like, meltdowns, slapping, kicking, refusal, non compliance, exhaustion, loneliness, worry and frustration…

And they do all this so that they can get through the other end and really change their child’s behaviour, promote independence and speech and form a close bond with their child.

In my paperback book “A Guide To Unlimited Autism Success” I give real strategies to help you deal with the tough stuff, tons of insights about why your child thinks and behaves like they do, plus Q&A’s from other parents with children on the spectrum for you to learn from and relate to.