Guest // Patricia Lemer, LPC

Host // Beth Lambert

When a child is sick and parents are in “get it done” mode, stand back. We’re booking appointments, stocking up on supplies, recruiting therapists, setting up protocols, implementing new programs, and buying lots (and lots) of supplements. It’s a relief to be productive but the feeling doesn’t last. Our frenzied, sleepless activity gives way to a kind of unnatural calm where we ask:

What am I missing?

There are elements of a child’s growth and development that are almost always overlooked.  This is true for all children but it’s especially true for those on a healing journey. For example:

• State-of-the-art won’t mean a thing if the basics aren’t covered — think: sleep, sunshine, laughter.
• What are retained primitive reflexes and what do they have to do with memory, sensory integration, emotional maturity, eating, handwriting, and stress management (among many, many others)?
• Did you know that visual acuity (i.e., can your child see the blackboard?) is just one component of vision?

Patricia S. Lemer is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and practiced as an educational diagnostician for over 40 years. She was co-founder and Executive Director of Developmental Delay Resources (DDR), and international, non-profit organization for 20 years. DDR merged with Epidemic Answers in 2013, and Patty serves as Board Chair. She holds a Masters of Education in counseling and learning disabilities from Boston College and a Masters in Business from John Hopkins University. Patty lectures internationally on developmental delays, including autism spectrum disorders. From 2012-2014, she served as Chief Consultant in the establishment of a center for young adults with disabilities in Kuwait. She is the author of EnVISIONing a Bright Future: Interventions that Work for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Outsmarting Autism. Visit her website for more information.

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