Tommy’s story
Tommy is three years old, has no speech and some physical restrictions. He was referred to Kids Basingstoke Nursery following a diagnosis of Global Learning Development Delay. His mum talks about their experience accessing the nursery and getting the support he needs.
Settling in
Our son finds transition extremely challenging and he was attending another pre-school, prior to starting Kids. With Kids we were given the opportunity to have close to twelve settling in sessions over the summer period to prepare him for starting at the nursery in September. During the sessions, we were all made to feel welcome, including his six year old sister and both set of grandparents.
Staff were very quick to pick up his preferences and what made him feel safe and secure, which helped him settle in really well. As a special needs child, we were fully supported with the physical aspects of his needs such as nappy changes and tooth cleaning, which may sound insignificant, but to us is really important and makes him feel like a normal part of the class.
Showing significant improvement
It is very clear in looking at Tommy how his confidence has improved since attending the Basingstoke Nursery. Physically he has come along in leaps and bounds, he is able to push a ball with his feet and has recently started climbing the furniture at home. Although he still cannot speak, he is able to make noises and confidently express his preferences, follow instructions and play very well with adults.
It is evident that he loves his key worker and other staff, he relates to well. He has photos of the staff which he carries around with him at home and uses to make him smile when he is feeling sad or down.
Creating a community
The SEN (Special Educational Needs) world can be a very difficult place to navigate and his Kids Practitioner has made it a million times easier for us. Support has included introducing us to support groups and other parents, explaining things in a non-patronising and helpful way, showing us where to do paperwork and how to complete it whilst at the same time taking time for mopping our tears and reassuring us that we are making progress as a family.
It’s hard for us to envision where we would be today without Kids.