How We Help
Children's details have been altered to protect their anonymity
Stingray Swing Out Car Seat
We received a referral for Calum, aged 8, from his Occupational Therapist in
Wells. Calum has severe disabilities due to cerebral palsy, including breathing difficulties. He is unable to stand unsupported and relies on his mum for all
his personal care, including transfers.
The Stingray car seat provides postural support for a child of Calum’s size,
and it swivels to give easy access from the car door. The seat allows mum to
lift Calum more easily from his wheelchair into the car without having to
twist. This makes the transfer more comfortable for Calum, as well as protecting his mum’s back from injury. The postural support built into the
seat means that Calum can travel comfortably in the car without risk of injury.
All Terrain Delta Buggy
Ruby, aged 8, was referred to us by her Therapy Support Practitioner in Bridgwater. Ruby has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, suffering many seizures every day. She lives with her parents and her two brothers.
They are an active family who enjoy spending time doing outdoor activities. Ruby had been unable to enjoy these experiences due to her reliance on her NHS wheelchair.
The all terrain buggy has wheels that are suitable for use on soft ground, including sand. It provides postural support to keep Ruby comfortable and, crucially, it reclines easily so that Ruby can be laid flat in the event of her having a seizure whilst in the buggy. Having the buggy means that Ruby can now enjoy outdoor activities with her family, which hugely improves quality of life for her and for the whole family.
P-Pod Seat
Katie, aged 3, was referred to Help the Child by her Occupational
Therapist in Taunton. Katie has a rare condition which restricts the growth of her femurs, meaning she has shortened thighs, is unable
to walk and needs support in order to sit. She has a wheelchair
which can be used for sitting upright at a table but has not had access
to any seating for leisure time.
The P-pod seat looks like a beanbag but has specialist built-in
postural support. It provides a comfortable and safe seat for Katie so
that she can sit with her family in their living room whilst watching TV, listening to music or playing games. It means she has her own comfy
chair, just like the rest of the family.
Standing Frame
Ella is aged 4 and has complex physical needs and learning difficulties. She was born at 24 weeks and spent over a year in hospital. She was referred by her Occupational Therapist in Shepton Mallet. Ella relies on others for all her mobility, including transfers. She is unable to sit or stand unsupported. It is very important for her to be able to spend time in a standing position in order to strengthen her muscles and improve her bone density. She has a standing frame provided by the NHS which she uses at home on a daily basis.
Ella has now started attending her local Opportunity Group but her standing frame is a large, heavy and cumbersome piece of equipment, not easily transportable. Help the Child was able to provide a second frame for Ella to keep at school where it will be important not only for her physical development, but also to allow her to interact socially, to play and just to experience the sensation of standing upright along with her peers.
Switch Toys
We have provided switch toys for the children’s toy library, which is part of the
Taunton Play and Communication Clinic run by the Children and Young Persons’
Therapy Service.
Switch toys can be operated by a simple switch or button – allowing children with
limited control of their movement to operate the toy. This helps to develop their
concept of cause and effect as well as the satisfaction of independence (being
able to operate the toy themselves, not needing help from another person).
Predictable App
We were contacted by the Children’s Speech and Language Therapists in Bridgwater regarding Emily, aged 13. Emily has Autistic Spectrum Disorder and sees the Speech Therapist for support with her communication development. She is a bright girl with good literacy skills but she struggles with speech and often becomes frustrated by her inability to express herself verbally.
The Predictable App is a piece of software designed for use with a tablet or mobile device. It has a ‘type to voice output’ feature, meaning Emily can type in what she wishes to say and the app will speak for her. It can start sentences for her – working as a prompt for her to start to speak for herself. Emily is able to use the Predictable App on a school iPad whilst in school, or on her parents iPad at home.
The app makes a huge difference for Emily, helping
her to develop her own verbal skills and reducing her
frustration around communication.