Empowering Progress: Every Child's Story Matters
In the enriching journey of child development, every step forward illuminates the path of progress and resilience. As therapists, we are privileged to witness the remarkable strides our buds make, filling our hearts with joy and pride.
The team at Project Superhero came up with the idea for us to take a moment to pause, look back, and encapsulate our experiences from the past year. Some of our team members will be sharing their thoughts on the year they have had and the profound moments they’ve shared with the children and families we serve.
As the longest-serving therapist at Project Superhero, I have witnessed incredible progress in my time here. I’ve seen previously non-verbal children start using words and children who felt unable to cope with new things begin wanting to try them.
Perhaps these changes don’t sound all that impressive when you talk about it, but when you actually see it, it’s amazing. For example, one of our buds this year was becoming quite upset when separated from their parents, even for short periods. They would cry, begging their parents not to take them out of the house, want to go home on trips out, and find trying new activities scary. These fears don’t magically disappear, but helping a child face them can better equip them to regulate their emotions. By practising short separations from their parents, showing confidence in their ability to cope by acknowledging their feelings without over-emphasising them, this child learnt that they could cope with the feeling of their parents leaving.
Before we knew it, this child was sending their parents on their way with reminders “don’t forget the petrol.” They’ve also now spent an entire day trip away from parents without meltdown, instead able to verbalise their feelings that they missed their parents, showing that they can handle big emotions.
How soon a child gets to this point depends on the child, their innate abilities and their level of fear about a given situation. It also depends on the child’s level of motivation to react differently, and how much practice they’re getting at doing so – both of which we can help them with. This looks different for each child, which is why the flexibility of our programs is so important: we calibrate to each child’s pace rather than following a rigid set of standards.
Being able to offer different types of sessions and change things week to week as needed helps both the child, their family, and us as therapists. We shape the system around the client’s needs, and this flexibility allows us to be more effective in our roles.
After years in this work, one thing is clear: we as therapists need to work with each unique child, not for them. Whilst we need clear long-term goals, progress also relies on flexibility. Meeting kids where they are allows us to see, hear, and empower them more meaningfully.
Join us in celebrating the incredible journeys of growth and resilience. Together, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of children and families we serve.