From Injury to Recovery Through Language

We finally found a sport he loved. The progress was incredible. And then, the injury.

For any parent, an injury is a setback. But when your child has sensory challenges, you know that "Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation" (RICE) is going to require some serious out-of-the-box thinking.

How do you get a sensory-sensitive teenager to tolerate the bite of an ice pack or the restriction of a compression bandage?

The potential to railroad all his hard-won progress was real.

Then it hit me: Intention, Phrase, Metaphor, Story.

I stopped fighting the resistance and changed the language. I moved away from "you have to do this" and toward a supportive narrative he could accept.

The result? It gave me five days of full treatment - ice and heat - far more than I expected. Two weeks later, he was back on the field.

Our language has power. It is simply a matter of how we choose to use that power.

Intent – Guide my son to understand, in his own way, the importance of treatment, helping him feel safe, calm, and comfortable with each step involved.

Have him naturally begin to take the lead. Choosing to start the treatment himself, not because he must, but because there is something inside him wants to do what' s required to help him play again.

Phrase - As you feel the coolness of the ice, your knee is already preparing to get stronger, because it knows you’re getting ready to play again and as you allow the ice to do it's job, just a little each day, your body listens and heals.

You may also notice how doing these little things now prepares you to feel confident and powerful when you're back on the field, running freely, chasing the ball - just like before - and probably, even better.

Metaphor - You ever notice how butterflies know when it’s time to stretch their wings? Nobody teaches them. Something inside lets them know, and they begin. Your body is like that, it knows when it’s time to heal, to move, to grow strong again. And when that feeling shows up you simply start because it feels right to begin. Doesn’t it?

Story - The Garden of the Strongest Tree

Once upon a time, in a quiet valley surrounded by hills … there was a little tree… planted in a patch of soft earth, right near the edge of the forest.

It wasn’t the tallest tree … or the fastest growing…but it had something special deep inside it …. A feeling…like it knew it was meant to grow strong … to stretch high into the sky…and one day, stand proud among the giants.

One day, a storm rolled through the valley. The winds bent the little tree … and though it didn’t break, its right side felt sore … tired … a little weak.

The other trees whispered, “You’ll grow again. But first … you’ll need to listen to the garden.” So, the little tree began to notice… how the rain cooled its roots, how the sun warmed the aching side of its trunk… and how the breeze helped it gently sway and stretch.

Day by day … the little tree did these small things… cooling… warming … stretching just a bit. And without even realizing … it was already growing stronger. And deep beneath the soil … its roots whispered,

“This is how strong trees grow … they listen to what helps them heal.”

And one morning… the wind returned… but this time… the little tree didn’t bend. It stood tall… steady… ready. Just like a player… stepping back onto the field … The tree hadn’t rushed.

It had followed the feeling. The quiet call to begin again… when the time was right. And as you sleep …maybe something inside you might be just like that tree.

Feeling the warmth … noticing your healing … and already beginning … to grow strong again.