Like us on Facebook

Donate

 

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.