Free coffee mornings in Lynn, Downham and Swaffham to focus on sensory processing issues and how occupational therapy can help

An occupational therapist from Heacham will be out and about across West Norfolk next week explaining how her profession can make a real difference to people's lives.

Lynda Niles, will be holding a series of free coffee mornings in Lynn, Downham and Swaffham to coincide with national Occupational Therapy week which kicks off on Monday.

Lynda, who is a registered occupational therapist, is inviting parents and carers of children and young people with neurodevelopment difficulties to attend the two-hour informal meetings. Young people and adults who feel they have some form of neuro-diversity are also welcome to attend.

Said Lynda: “I love taking part in Occupational Therapy week as it is an opportunity for people to see that it is so much more than what they think. Bringing people together for an informal chat over a cup of coffee and something nice to eat is a great way for letting people know both what I can do, but also what the wider world of occupational therapy can offer.

"I look forward to meeting people and exploring the role of OT with those who have sensory processing difficulties. It is a time to meet and share hints, tips and ideas of ways to promote overcoming the barriers from a sensory processing perspective and to explore what OT can do for them.”

For those with a known neurodiversity, the sensory aspects of this can create difficulties as the person gets older. For example sensory sensitive people can find the flickering of lights in the supermarket, loud sounds and people bumping into them highly stressful.

At home the sounds of the vacuum cleaner, food processor machine and hairdryer can be exceptionally irritating or even painful to hear. Auditory sensitivity is often noticeable in children but adults learn to mask their discomfort and not say that they find it extremely distressing.

Some of the neurodevelopment difficulties she helps children, young people and adults with include dyspraxia, autistic spectrum conditions or attention deficit disorder.

She said: "Sometimes people don't have a diagnosis but they just know they can't live their life the way they want to and may be experiencing under or over sensitivity to sensory information making it hard to coordinate movements and to complete everyday tasks at home, school, college or in the workplace."

Lynda, who qualified as an OT in 1987, has worked in a number of different settings in the NHS and local authorities but has been running her own independent occupational therapy service, Lynda Niles OT Associates, for nearly eight years.

This service works with those who self fund and those able to gain funding through their local authority. Services can be on an individual basis but also include a range of training workshops available on topics and themes suggested by clients.

All the coffee mornings next week are from 10am to noon. They will be held at Swaffham Community Centre, Campingland, on Monday; Discover Downham Market Heritage Centre, Priory Road, on Tuesday; and at St Augustine’s Centre, Columbia Way in Lynn on Thursday.

Lynda Niles can be contacted by email: lyndaniles@live .co.uk or by phone on 0741 1177 747.