‘Some people change when they see the light, others when they feel the heat.’

– Caroline Schoeder

Remember the story of the Sun and the Wind? One day they had a competition to see who could make a man take off his coat…when the Wind raged and blew as hard as possible from all directions, the man not only didn’t take off his coat, he fastened up all the buttons…‘Can’t you see you don’t need that coat?!’ shouted the Wind. But the man just turned his collar up and pulled down his hat.

Then the Sun shone gently, kindly. The Sun continued to shine calmly, surrounding the man with warmth. Slowly the man relaxed – and finally took off his coat. But it took some time for the man to relax enough to trust, to believe that it was ok to take off his coat…

Few people will change their behaviour unless they see the reason for changing, understand the benefits to them – and really want to change.

This section of the website is about effective communication – within families, within professional teams, between professionals and families – and how a consistent warm approach can be much more effective in leading to positive change than trying to persuade by forceful argument (no matter how reasoned).

Autism, ADHD, alcoholism, drugs, gambling, eating disorders, mental health problems and many special educational needs – all can involve difficult or ‘challenging’ behaviour.

When the individual who needs special care may have distorted thinking, may misunderstand other people’s intentions, actions, events, may be frustrated and distressed due to unknown or unrecognised factors (even sound or touch) – the picture becomes even more complex.

Whether you’re a professional – e.g. social worker,  psychiatrist, doctor or other support worker – or a home/family carer, this section of the site aims to provide the information and tools needed to build the most effective 24-hour care possible for the individual at the centre of all support efforts.