When I asked her what she wanted to focus on in the interview she said...
"We still haven’t nailed the accountability question – who the hell is responsible when lives are cut short through avoidable secondary complications associated with body shape distortion???"
And that about sums Sarah up...
Passionate, straight-talking and someone who not only teaches this stuff - but lives it.
We're talking 24-hour-postural management, body symmetry, nighttime positioning.
Sarah is passionate about posture! And her passion is highly contagious.
She has worked with families of children living with complex disability since the late 1990’s and her life’s mission is to enable parents and practitioners to help put an end to avoidable complications such as hip dislocations and scoliosis.
On top of that, she's grown up in a family where 24-hour-postural management is in the blood (with her mum being the brain behind the Goldsmith Indices which is used to measure body symmetry and her dad an inventor of therapeutic positioning equipment for over 30 years) and she's been in the thick of it since 2007 when her daughter Abigail was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour at aged 6.
And so now in 2019, Abi is doing well at a mainstream college with additional support and Sarah has three other children, works full time as a "therapeutic night time positioning & measurement of body symmetry" specialist for Simple Stuff Works and can regularly be found wearing her jumper inside out.
And also in 2019 I am excited to have been able to interview Sarah and dig into all things related to making postural management work in the real world!
If you're equally passionate about body posture or you're struggling to make 24-hour-postural management work with equipment and families, this podcast is a must-listen
You are going to love this interview – enjoy!
For handy links to things we've discussed in this interview, scroll down to the Resources Section at the bottom of the page.
The Podcast: Listen, enjoy, share...
If you have a slow internet connection, you may need to download the podcast first by clicking on the download symbol (the little down arrow) in the player below or listen on iTunes or Stitcher
Time Stamps (drag the cursor along the sound wave - might only work on desktop)
Content
Who uses night positioning? Three groups and three strategies 15:02 minutes
The one thing people need more than anything - a useful strategy for stressed-out parents and concerned therapists 19:30 minutes
Powerful powerful words to use 20:40 minutes
1st, 2nd and 3rd priorities of body shape management 21:55 minutes
Creative solutions & practical advice 23:46 minutes
24-HPM - Participation - Communication 29:00 minutes
Lemon Meringue Pie principle 36:00 minutes
What always (100% of the time) trumps posture? 40:00minutes
24-HPM - diabetes - oncology - teenagers (and pet shops) & getting the buy-in - what are the lessons 41:18 minutes
24-HPM - sleep deprivation & "When the terror comes" 45:44 minutes
Chest asymmetry and hospital admissions 56:18 minutes
Advice for new therapists 61:22 minutes
Don't make the solution a bigger problem than the actual problem - 62:51 minutes
Common Mistakes therapists make 64:09 minutes
Questions
Who and When to start? 31:56
Minimum knowledge needed by therapists 34:25 minutes
Spina Bifida and active wheelchair users 39:20 minutes
Co-sleeping 45:07 minutes
Efficacy and outcomes 54:31 minutes
Web-links
--> Sarahs Dropbox Resources and info
Extras:
Sarah Clayton talks about Postural care on YouTube (15 minutes)
The amazing egg video 👇
Links to People who are mentioned
Rachel Wright (Blog: born at the right time)
Books
"The Skies I’m Under" by Rachel Wright and everything ever written on her blog Born at the Right Time
Sensory-Being for Sensory Beings: Creating Entrancing Sensory Experiences Paperback
Please note: book links go through to Amazon Affiliate Program - Thanks for your support!
What a fantastic interview with Sarah Clayton. So much resonates, and a wealth of insight, gems, compassion, with "straight-up" talk about accountability. Thanks for sharing all these resources, and Im looking forward to hearing more from her when she answers all the other questions sent in