Never Doubt Yourself

I do what I do to support vulnerable families who don’t always know their rights, or may have their own needs.

I know from experience the stress families with additional needs children are under.

The wait for:

Services.

Assessments.

Meetings.

Appointments.

Paperwork.

Reports.

Waiting lists.

Hoping you meet a stupid criteria to avert a crisis, no one gets how hard it is to actually ask for help.

Then, if you don’t feel listened too, you start to believe that it’ll never get better.

Or you start to doubt yourself.

Never doubt yourself!

Took me 9 years to be heard! Yes, 9 years!!!

It took moving house to another area, and just 1, one visit with an understanding GP to get the much needed referral.

In that 9 years, our story never wavered. We knew our daughter needed support beyond what we were able too. Added in years of self doubt, being told it was me- my parenting. Years of being physically attacked, and yes the “but she’s fine in school!!”

We moved schools 12m after we’d moved house. Suddenly our daughter was happier after school, less meltdowns/ shutdowns, she actually spoke after school- not thumbs up or down. No more walking on egg shells.

School got it, they got masking. They encouraged my eldest to talk- only when she was able to. She built trust in staff.

If someone had told me in 2016, my eldest would cope in mainstream secondary, I really would of laughed. Thanks to the right primary school, the right support. She’s in mainstream secondary and mostly doing well.

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Do we still get bad days? Yes!!

Are there days, I wonder, can I do this? Yes!!

Do I doubt myself anymore? No!

#nevergiveup #myausomegirl