GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES!!

Smile Therapy uses a multidisciplinary, non-drug based approach to sensory integration and neuro-development through specific movement activities, and so helps to support and enhance learning effectiveness and social interaction. It is an individualised home based movement programme that believes in talking openly to the child and the parents about the every day struggles and difficulties that they face.

Smile is dedicated to improving the lives of families and most importantly children that are dealing with labels or issues such as:

• ADD
• ADHD
• Dyspraxia
• Co-ordination/Developmental Delay
• Learning Difficulties, Clumsiness or Low Self Esteem
• Poor Organisational Skills, Poor Concentration or Difficulty Following Instructions

Activity to increase proprioceptive awareness

Acquiring a vast understanding and in depth knowledge both personally and professionally about the importance of movement for the health and well being of the brain and body, she also noticed a constant and significant connection between the brain and body regarding MOVEMENT AND LEARNING.

Inspired and determined to dig deeper to find the ROOT CAUSE OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, convinced that a eco-systemic and practical approach was called for, she trained and studied with Professor Shirley Kokot in South Africa, and is a certified Integrated Learning Therapy practitioner and HANDLE® screener.

Smile approaches practiced:

ILT (Integrated Learning Therapy based in SA) www.ilt.co.za

The HANDLE® approach (based in the USA) www.handle.org

Move to Learn (based in Australia) www.movetolearn.com.au

GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES!

If your child has suspected learning difficulties or is challenged with any of The previously mentioned disorders, he or she may be struggling to cope within school, home, and / or their social environment. The repercussions of these problems can create low self esteem, poor self image, social difficulties and outbursts of frustrated emotional behaviour.

LEARNING DIFFICULTIES MAY BE CAUSED BY NEURO- DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS NOT EDUCATIONAL ONES.

These problems can be due to sensory impairment within the various neurological subsystems. In order to function at an efficient level for learning, we need to integrate our sensory and motor information smoothly to react appropriately to the outside environment. If one or a few of these inter-related systems are weak this can cause issues for your child such as:

• Difficulty concentrating on and coping with the immediate task at hand, i.e., school work, self help skills.
• Co-ordinating body movements that need gross motor skills.
• Manipulating objects such as books, cutlery, pencils that require fine motor skills.
• Being aware of their own body in space-(proprioception).
• A lack of regard for their own safety It is essential for the brain and the body to be integrating efficiently for learning effectiveness.

If for some reason during childhood important developmental stages have been missed out, usually formed through play, then delayed neural processing of the left and right sides of the brain can occur, so the body struggles to work smoothly and effectively. These developmental gaps can be filled in later, and new neural pathways can always be formed in the brain. We can achieve this by carefully selecting specific movement activities to map patterns and develop new neural pathways, thus helping to create more effective brain integration.