Special Needs Kids
Movement coaching that meets your child where they are
Patient, one-on-one sessions for children with autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental differences — building coordination, strength, and confidence at a pace that works for them, with accommodations built in from the start.
Children I work with
Every child is different, and every plan is built around the individual in front of me. Families often reach out when their child has:
- Autism spectrum differences
- Cerebral palsy
- Kabuki syndrome
- Down syndrome
- Developmental coordination difficulties (dyspraxia)
- Low muscle tone or sensory processing differences
Not seeing your child's diagnosis? That's okay — Functional Patterns isn't organised around labels, but around how a body moves. Reach out and we'll talk about whether it's a good fit.
Why Functional Patterns fits
So much training assumes a "standard" body and asks the person to keep up. Functional Patterns works the other way around: it starts from how your child actually moves and builds from there. There's no rigid template to fail — just the next small, achievable step.
Because the method trains the whole body around its most fundamental movements — standing, balancing, walking — it translates directly into the things that matter in daily life: steadier balance, more coordination, more confidence in their own body. It's also why practitioners use Functional Patterns with genuinely complex cases, from cerebral palsy to severe scoliosis.
Above all, sessions are patient. We move at your child's pace, celebrate small wins, and keep it feeling more like play than work.
A team around your child. This coaching is designed to complement the care your child already receives — occupational therapy, physical therapy, and their medical team — not replace it. I'm glad to work in a way that supports what's already helping.
What sessions look like
Build trust first
We start slow and unhurried. Before anything else, your child needs to feel safe and comfortable — that's the foundation everything else is built on.
Assess through play
I get to know how your child moves — balance, coordination, posture — in a way that feels like games, not testing, and often with you nearby.
Build the fundamentals
Gentle, playful work on the foundational patterns — standing tall, balancing, moving with control — matched to your child's ability and attention.
Progress at their pace
We add challenge only as your child is ready, celebrating each win, and loop the family in with simple things to carry into everyday life.
Let's talk about your child
The best first step is a conversation. Tell me a little about your child — their diagnosis, what they love, and what you're hoping for — and I'll be honest about how I can help.
Get in Touch