“I first met Moyna Talcer some years ago when one of my children was struggling with lots of different aspects of daily living, and not coping well with the transition to Secondary School. At the time I didn’t really understand what an Occupational Therapist could achieve for my child, and I was concerned too about my child’s negative attitude towards meeting with yet another grown-up, “who’s just going to ask me a load of stupid questions”.
“We knew it was going to be a long appointment, we were walking into the unknown, and although I had an open-mind towards the whole afternoon ahead of us, I didn’t really hold out much hope that Moyna would be able to make much of a difference.
“A whirlwind of cheerful, smiling welcoming energy, her friendliness and warmth completely won my child over in seconds”
“We sat nervously in the waiting room, my child bored and resentful about having to be there, me concerned that my child wouldn’t engage and the whole appointment would be wasted. Then Moyna appeared from nowhere. A whirlwind of cheerful, smiling welcoming energy, her friendliness and warmth completely won my child over in seconds. She took my child completely under her wing, and they bounced together ahead of me, chatting and laughing on the way to her consulting room as if they had known each other for years”.
“Between my three children we have seen countless clinicians, therapists, healthcare professionals and child experts. Moyna was different. To be able to win a reluctant child over that quickly is a total gift”.
“Moyna focused completely on my child, treating them like a respected equal, again something that many of the staff who work with our children struggle to achieve. Explaining what was going to happen, she led my child through a series of tasks, exercises, puzzles and physical movements using lots of different resources and equipment. However, at no point did she make it feel like an assessment, instead it was fun. Throughout the afternoon, her enthusiasm never wavered, her energy levels never flagged, and she heaped praise consistently on my child, making them feel good about themselves and building their confidence with every new task. I watched my child change from someone who was struggling with self-esteem and a positive sense of self, who had found making conversation with adults very difficult and who had been becoming progressively more withdrawn, transform into a chatty, engaging, giggling eleven year old”.
My child had a new friend, someone who they completely trusted and liked enormously”
“By the end of our first two-hour session, my child had a new friend, someone who they completely trusted and liked enormously. Throughout the afternoon, Moyna had given a lot of feedback, already my child was beginning to gain an insight into why they found certain tasks more difficult than their peer-group”.
“We had two more similar sessions before Moyna completed my child’s assessment and produced a very comprehensive report on all the difficulties my child faced. Several pages long, it wasn’t like any diagnostic report I’d ever seen before. Instead of focussing on what my child couldn’t do and what was “wrong” it was written in an extremely positive and upbeat style, with dozens of ideas we could practice at home that would make my child’s whole life significantly easier”.
“She met a lost, frightened and bewildered child and helped them to believe in themselves again”
“That was several years ago, but we have never forgotten her, and the huge difference she made within our family. She met a lost, frightened and bewildered child and helped them to believe in themselves again, with a lot of practical and supportive ideas that have made a huge difference in the way my child has since been able to function, and has also been able to restore their own sense of self-confidence and self-worth. Over the years I have met dozens of other local families in special needs parent’s circles and networks, and we often talk about the practitioners who are crucial to our children’s well-being. Moyna’s name crops up again and again, and I’m sure her ears must burn regularly with all the fabulous things people say about her. The support she gives our children, and the confidence she inspires in parents is simply wonderful. Thank you Moyna, for giving us our children back”.