Qld mum on her 'amazing' special needs children

After two of her children were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Leah Chandler was desperate to help them in any way she could.

Leah, 40, from Yeronga in Queensland, has a son and a daughter with autism.

Her son also suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and her daughter has learning difficulties.

Leah recognised her children had special needs from an early age.

“[My son] would get upset over things, but the reasoning behind it wasn’t there,” she says, adding that his aggression also became difficult to deal with.

“He was at child care a couple of days a week and there were constant phone calls to pick him up because he didn’t cope well with free play. He needed structure.”

At the time, her son was a toddler and the family were living in the Northern Territory, where diagnostic services were scarce.

By the time he began grade two, he had been diagnosed and began to attend speech therapy to help with his communication skills and sensory issues. 

When her daughter was born, the mum says she noticed differences straight away.

"She was quiet and didn't speak a lot. We knew she was autistic and that we would manage it as best we could,” she recalls.

“She has some sensory similarities to my son, but she also has an audio processing delay as well as dyspraxia and learning difficulties."

Leah’s daughter attends a special needs school while her son attends mainstream education.

"I have three amazing children, and two of them just happen to have special needs," she says.

"We also have a neuro-typical teenager who has learned to work with his younger siblings by developing great coping and communication skills so he can live in our sometimes-crazy household."

Leah says after both of their younger children began attending therapy, they began thinking of what else they could to further assist their development.

"My husband and I have tried many tools over the years, however the most beneficial have been yoga and meditation," she says.

"We have not only worked with our family to improve our connection as a family but have seen how amazing it can be as a therapy tool for all special needs children.”

Leah and Garrith now work as yoga therapists and have seen first-hand how special needs children can benefit.

"The benefits I have seen and experienced in my own family include better quality of sleep, fewer meltdowns, better movement, better social communication with others and emotional regulation," she says.

The couple run Kids-Fit Australia together and are able to use their skills to not only help their own children, but many other special needs children.

“My husband also works in schools, and I work around our kids so I am always home when they are,” Leah says.

She loves seeing how yoga and associated breathing techniques work to improve children’s anxiety and behaviour.

"You have to really pay attention to what they are doing and just do the best you can," Lead explains.

"First they have to trust you, and you try and meet them where they are. Some children may need a one-on-one session because they may not be able to engage."

Breathing is key to the treatment she offers to special needs kids.

"A lot of special needs children are shallow breathers so learning to breathe properly can help change their behaviour by relieving their anxiety," she says.

"Yoga teaches us to breathe, and it also teaches us to cope with overwhelming environments and situations and generally learn to relax.

"It can also help slow down involuntary movements, as breathing well encourages more oxygen into the body, which improves a wide range of issues including circulation.

"Last night my daughter had a big anxiety and stress meltdown because of the first week of school and dancing had started,” Leah continues. "She couldn't settle down because she was so stressed out and so tired."

Leah led her daughter through some exercises, during which she moved her legs into her chest, talking slowly while her daughter hummed.

"I then told her to breathe in through her nose and breath out with sound to calm her down," she says.

"That took 45 minutes and then she went to sleep."

Find out more at Kids-Fit Australia.