Little Kneaders offers a range of therapy services for adults and neurodivergent children including; autism touch therapy, emotional regulation therapy and infant sensory integration assessments & therapy.  

 

Amy specialises in supporting neurodivergent teenagers with restrictive eating & eating disorders and emotional regulation therapy with younger neurodivergent children. 

 

Touch Therapy

Amy draws on her expertise and training as an autism touch therapist and story massage instructor to help parents & carers establish a positive touch relationship with their child through different gentle methods at the childs pace.

All to often a parent or carers relationship with their child can be full of negative touch – wrestling into clothes, carrying away from something the child is enjoying ie the playground, restraining from running away or trying to get into the car. 

Amy works with families to encourage a more positive relationship with touch, a way to incorporate it into daily routine to nurture that bond between parent and child or carer and child. By establishing a positive touch relationship we gain a closeness between parent and child, we recreate a bond that may have been lost. Positive touch can improve sleep patterns and it gives the gift of being able to create precious moments of calm between the parent and child as needed throughout the day. 

 

Family Touch Therapy sessions are 45 minutes long and cost €65. 

 

 

Emotional Regulation Therapy

 

Amy works with children and adults of all ages and abilities to help them with emotional regulation, to help them understand those big feelings that are too big for them to understand and to give them tools for when those explosive emotions take hold. No diagnosis is required for this service. Each session is tailored to the child’s needs.

 

As a breath work coach, Amy is able to provide fun, deep breathing exercises that provide immediate results and teach the child how to regulate through using breathing techniques. The brain will automatically realise that it needs to draw on these breathing tools during episodes of overwhelm, anger or frustration – therefore reducing challenging behaviours. 

 

Amy also provides sensory input advice to aid with emotional regulation and tools/equipment/toys to draw from as the rumble stage approaches. Tools to allow children to sit with all  their feelings, including those of anger and frustration but to vent them in a non violent and productive way – ultimately reducing challenging behaviour such as spitting, hitting, biting and kicking. 

Amy believes in establishing a preventative management routine rather than allowing a child to get to the point of overwhelm and meltdowns. 

 

As a qualified yoga instructor for children and adults with additional needs, Amy draws on this expertise to incorporate yoga into her therapy sessions teaching children poses that allow their bodies and minds to relax and feel safe. 

 

Emotional Regulation Therapy sessions are 45 minutes in duration and cost €65. 

 

Emotional Regulation Therapy for Parents. 

 

This service is offered to the parents and carers of neurodivergent children and adults. 

Receiving a diagnosis for your child, watching your child go through extreme emotional episodes such as meltdowns or being on the receiving end of physical challenging behaviour can weigh extremely heavy on your shoulders and have a huge impact on your own mental wellbeing. Too often we seek services to support our own children’s wellbeing but neglect ourselves. 

This programme aims to support you as a parent, give you the tools to improve your mental wellbeing and support you with the difficulties that can arise with being a parent of a child with complex needs. Exhaustion, anxiety and being in a state of constant hypervigilance have a significant negative impact on our daily lives and overall wellbeing, it is important we address them and learn tools for coping during challenging periods. 

We often worry about what the future will look like for our children – by talking this through and learning about the support services available can significantly reduce anxiety and lift a huge weight off our shoulders. 

 

Parent/carer emotional regulation therapy services are 45 minutes in duration and cost €65 – they are available in person or online via zoom. 

 

 

Emotional Regulation Program for Siblings 

 

Siblings of neurodivergent children often need extra support and help with emotional regulation due to the unique challenges they face. Many siblings experience social isolation, judgement, embarrassment or shame and they also often carry the responsibility of educating peers about neurodivergence from a young age. 

Studies have shown that siblings of neurodivergent or disabled children are an at risk group for developing mental health or behavioural problems later on in their lives. Our programme teaches siblings the importance of mental wellbeing and gives them an emotional regulation tool box to draw from as and when they need to.

The specially developed program also helps siblings to explore and understand their feelings, even the ones that are uncomfortable to sit with. 

Sessions are 45 minutes in duration and cost €65. 

 

Infant Sensory Integration Therapy 

As a qualified infant sensory integration practitioner, Amy assesses infants aged between 0 days old and 1001 days old with sensory processing deficits. Amy will explore therapy plans with you following the assessment and provide a home program for you.  

Please contact Amy at hello@littlekneaders.com for prices of assessments. Therapy sessions are 45 minutes in duration and cost €65.