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Ruby is 12 years old and has faced ongoing sleep challenges, but the recent transition to high school made things even more difficult. Her mum, Caroline, talks about their journey to finding the support Ruby needs.
Last year Ruby was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. She has struggled with the transition to high school, and it became clear that she is masking her struggles. Her anxiety has made it difficult for her to sleep, and more recently, she has been showing a Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) profile.
She has also been struggling to access school, which has led to Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
Before accessing Kids, we struggled with Ruby’s sleep for many years due to her anxiety. As a family, we didn’t fully understand the reasons for some of her behaviours. We found that Ruby was given various diagnosis, however after initial signposting, there was limited support from the NHS.
Kids have been brilliant at supporting our family. Prior to attending the online Sleep Workshop I spoke to a Kids practitioner who went over and above to listen to me and suggest ideas.
When I attended the workshop, I found it a really positive experience. I met other families in the same situation, which made me realise we weren’t alone in what we were experiencing. The Kids practitioners are so supportive they have a lived experience which made a huge difference.
We also accessed the one-to-one support through the Family Support Online service, which really helped us gain a wealth of local knowledge and signpost us to lots of support.
My daughter was eventually prescribed melatonin; but making the decision to accept this wouldn’t have been as easy without attending the Sleep Workshop. Thanks to the workshop, I received valuable background information and practical routines to try alongside the melatonin, which gave me the confidence to move forward.
My daughters sleep patten is now so much better, and we are all getting a good night’s sleep which makes a huge difference in our ability to function day-to-day.
I also attended the Demand Avoidance Workshop, which gave me the knowledge to better understand what my daughter perceives as a demand and how I can reduce these. I have now tried different approaches with her and rewording demands which has had a positive impact.
We appreciate services like Kids who are there to support and who bring parents/carers together to share experience.
Kids, thank you for all of your support and keep doing what you are doing.
With your help, we can create life-changing opportunities for more children like Ruby.
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