Munira - Children's Occupational Therapist

Have you heard about my Writing Breakthrough offer?

Probably not as it's been a while since I've talked about it.

I created it so parents could get support and kids could be helped right away.

You see, many parents tell me they wish they could have an OT's eyes on their child and get personalised advice for their writing challenges.

But they can't find an OT, have to wait for an appointment, or they just don't have the time, funds, or energy to do an assessment with follow-up and recommendations.

That's where my Writing Breakthrough comes in.

You get fast, individualized to your child help in 48 hours.
You send me 4 short videos of your child (I'll tell you exactly what to record).
I review them and identify what's getting in the way and how to help.
Then I send you my observations and findings, and 4 personalized activities to start working on right away.
It's like a mini screening, review, and activity program all in one.

No waiting lists.
No appointments.
No dragging kids when they may not want to go.
Just practical, individualised support based on your child.
£150

Delivered within 48 hours.

Parents are always surprised how much I can pick up within these videos, and it's because I've been an OT for 28 years and supported thousands of kids including my own by this point.
I know what to look for and what to do to help.

I've got space for a handful of these at the moment.

And if you're looking for something slightly instantly doable and fast help, send me a message or comment 'breakthrough' be:low for the inf0.

This will be amazing! Highly recommend.

We are excited to announce that GROVE is developing a new course:

Certificate in Mentoring Neurodivergent Young People

Every day, neurodivergent children and young people are supported by adults in schools, alternative provision, specific mentoring services, youth organisations, tutoring settings and community projects. Yet many professionals find themselves in these roles with little opportunity to explore neurodivergent experience, identity, communication, safety and wellbeing in depth.

This course has been created to help.

Grounded in the Neurodiversity Paradigm and informed by lived experience as well as professional and academic knowledge, the course will combine self-paced learning, optional live online sessions, reflective practice and contributions from respected specialists.

Suitable for:

• Exisiting or aspiring Mentors
• Youth workers
• Tutors
• Teaching assistants / LSAs
• SEND professionals
• Family support workers
• Alternative provision staff
• Anyone supporting neurodivergent young people through relationship-based practice

The course is suitable both for those new to mentoring and for experienced practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding, strengthen their practice and develop a more neurodiversity-affirming approach.

This course is not about training participants to mentor in the same way we do – it is about giving access to the most up-to-date and affirming information about neurodivergent experience so that learners can apply that thoughtfully and ethically in their own context.

We are currently developing the course, securing contributors and working towards an externally accredited assessment pathway alongside a GROVE Certificate of Completion route.

Learn more on our website!

Applications will open in September 2026, with the first cohort beginning in January 2027.

Gentle Reminder!

As parents (teachers and anybody hanging out with kids), we all need this reminder, including me.

Kids genuinely want to do well.
They want to do the right thing or do the task right.

If they won't write, sit still, read, focus, or do what you say, it's because they actually can't, not that they're being lazy or stubborn.

It's likely that....
The environment isn't set up for them.

They're missing certain skills.

They are misunderstood by others and learn in a different way than is being taught.

All of this and loads more affect a child's ability to do a task.

Sometimes it may look like they can do something one moment, but not the next so surely they're being willful. (Not true.)

Their capacity fluctuates based on what's happening in their body, their environment, their nervous system, their energy levels, how understood they are by others, and the demands being placed on them.

When we understand that, we move beyond wondering, "Why won't they?"

And start asking, "What's getting in the way?"

Rather than expecting kids to do all the heavy work, we need to better understand their needs and ways of being, and look at what we can change so they can do the thing.

If you've been wondering about this, my 1:1 Brainstorm Sessions are designed exactly for this - to figure out the why and come up with a plan to support.

Send me a DM and I'll tell you more.

I’ve adopted this word cozy.

Cozy in the sensory way and figuratively too.

And I’m convinced the universe wants me to really cozify my life as part of my burnout recovery journey.

I had popped into a bookshop and this one was glaring at me. 🙂
I had this instant knowing I needed this book.
It’s been sitting on my bedside table for months and I just finally read it all in one go. (That’s how I tend to read / skim. I need to know endings and what happens.)
And I loved it. Got so many great reflections and ideas for my nervous system.

I loved reading about the word ‘cozy’ in so many ways from:
cozy hot drinks
cozy clothes
cozy textures and home
cozy spaces
cozy connections

We have our tactile shaggy rug.
Our hammock chair swing to cocoon in.
Loads of herbal teas for my son and warm drinks and cozy food for me.
We have our screen projector and cozy blankets for movies and cozy connection time.
Oh yeah, and of course cozy PJ days too.

So what makes you feel cozy?

Have you ever been told you're doing too much for your child?

That by putting their shoes on, brushing their teeth, cutting up their food, or getting their school bag ready, you're doing too much and how will they ever learn to do that when they're an adult?

That you'll still be doing those things for them as a grown up?

I mean, how will they ever be independent and learn to do those things if you're doing it all for them?

(Not true and absolute rubbish, by the way!)

My son is 14¼ years old now. (Important detail. 😉)

You see that knife just hanging out on the edge of his plate?
He hardly ever uses it.
So I still cut up his food.

Using a fork and knife isn't easy for him. If he really had to, he could do it, but it would take a lot of effort. His food would be cold and he'd use up his reserves for cutting rather than enjoying the meal.

So I cut up his chicken or foods that need cutting and make it easier for him.

And yes, some people might think I help too much.
They might wonder how he'll ever manage when he's older.
But honestly, he's 14.
Not 18.
Not 24.

Why are we talking about adulthood when children are still children and have years ahead of them to develop skills, confidence, and independence?

More importantly, what does he learn from knowing I've got his back?
What does he learn from knowing that home is a place where things can be easier?
What does he learn from feeling supported instead of constantly pushed?

Because that's more important.
The safety.
The connection.
The trust.

Those things matter most and are the actual foundations for developing those skills later on, not force, pushing, and endless practice.

So yes, help your children as much as they need.

Support, safety, and connection are the very things that make developing those hard skills possible.

So the next time someone says, "How will they ever learn if you're doing it for them?"
instead wonder:
"How will they learn if they don't feel safe enough to try?"

Just finished watching the replays from the Autistic Burnout Network.
I was super keen to watch these from a paediatric OT perspective but also for my own personal burnout journey.

This was really a great conference with so many good talks ranging from:
PDA burnout
Self-compassion
Co-regulation
Sleep
Severe & Enduring burnout
Stages of Burnout
Sensory Support
Schools & burnout
Post Burnout

So many aha's!
Highly recommending joining next year.

And thanks hugely to Dawes Autistic Advocate for setting this up!

"He's still not writing."

A few parents in my Foundations for Writing programme mentioned this last week.
They had been hoping their child would be writing at this halfway point in the program.

I could hear that they felt disappointed.

But when we dug a little deeper, they told me their child is:
✨ climbing more
✨ taking more physical risks
✨ more adventurous with his whole body
✨ choosing gross motor activities they'd previously avoided.

And you know what?

That's progress!

As we're only 5 weeks in, and we're not starting with writing.

We're building the sensory and motor foundations that writing depends on: body awareness, strength, coordination, motor planning, and confidence.

A child who is climbing, balancing, hanging, swinging, cycling, swimming, and exploring their body in new ways is building the foundations they need that move towards writing.

Writing difficulties are rarely just about writing....but about these underlying skills instead that lead to writing.

So these kids are doing amazingly!

If you'd like to better understand what's really getting in the way of your child's writing and learn exactly what activities to do to help them, my Helping Kids Write mini workshop is a great place to start.....and it's £29.

👉🏽 See the l1nk in the comm3nts.
or comm.ent 'hey' for the l1nk.

Ok, I know this doesn't look like much but it is bringing me the biggest joy!

Tiny little buds and leaves on my plants and cuttings.

It's a sign that I'm not killing these plants.
I've never had luck with indoor plants but it's now becoming my deep dive and hope these will live.
I've somehow accumulated 17 (including cottons) in two months.

New deep dive! 🙂
Are you into plants?

Want to help make writing easier for your child today?
Get instant access to my Helping Kids Write mini workshop to get to the root cause and have a fun program to do. £29 👇🏽

Helping Kids Learn Their Way

Most kids are expected to learn the way the majority does but this doesn't help our neurodivergent kids who learn well, just differently.

When we ask kids to:
👉🏽 Make eye contact to focus
👉🏽 Stop moving and sit still to learn
👉🏽 Stop fidgeting to concentrate
....... we are doing two things:

We’re stopping them from using their own sensory regulation strategies and listening to their bodies.

We’re taking away their ability to properly learn and feel capable.

We all use our senses differently to cope, learn, and make sense of our world. When we honour this, learning becomes more accessible, joyful, and meaningful.

For example:
🧍🏽‍♂️ My son? He learns best hands-on doing origami, arts, and getting to mooooove out in nature or exploring the city!
🙋🏻‍♀️ Me? I need practical, hands-on activities with visual cues alongside anything auditory—and yes, I need movement too! This is why I loved hands-on practical labs in OT school.

When others understand children's unique sensory system, it helps in so many ways.

You’ll be able to:
✅ Support them to move, learn, and play in ways that work for them
✅ Help them advocate for their needs
✅ Build their self-esteem and confidence
✅ Reduce frustration and encourage their natural curiosity
✅ Stop seeing their behaviours as “naughty” or willful and instead understand the real reason behind them

I can help you with this in my 1:1 brainstorm sessions.

You get to pick my brain for an hour, ask me your main questions, we make sense of it, and you have both an alternate way of thinking and moving forward with your child.

DM me or comm.ent 'me' bel.ow for details.