I have learned that in a pediatric setting, the children you treat are not your only clients. Parents are an important part of the puzzle and so much hinges on parent cooperation. I was expressing frustration about a common experience at the clinic to my FWS last week: "The parents want us to work on feeding, on expanding the repertoire of foods their kids eat, but they refuse to bring the food to allow us to do that, no matter how many reminders we give them. What gives?" There's only so much oromotor skills training I can do with a Nuk brush before needing to introduce actual foods. And not every kid needs to work on eating the graham crackers we keep stocked, and if we went out and bought every food needed to have a successful feeding session (5 to 10 foods per session), we'd never break even.

My FWS reminded me that in the same way we meet a client where he is, with understanding and without expectations beyond his abilities, we have to meet parents where they are as well. It seems simple enough, but was obviously something I wasn't thinking of. Parents of children with special needs are probably among the most stressed out, busy parents a therapist could meet. Accepting them with grace right where they are on any given day is probably the most important thing I can do as a pediatric therapist. (And also have some munchables like carrots or celery in my lunchbox all the time, just in case.)