“Having someone by my side made all the difference” – Sarah’s story
Life in our family can be very complex. Two of my three children have diagnoses of autism, ADHD and OCD, and my youngest is now showing similar traits. As their mum, I was already feeling completely overwhelmed when my eldest, Tom, got into a fight in our neighbourhood. It felt like everything was unravelling, and I didn’t know where to turn.
That’s when I was introduced to an ECI Family Support Worker. She came alongside me at a really difficult time. She met with me regularly, helped me prepare for and attend meetings with all the different professionals involved with our family, and explained the roles of the people supporting us. At first, she even spoke up for me in those meetings when I didn’t feel able to. Over time, she encouraged me to find my own voice – and now I have the confidence to speak for myself and for my children.
She also shared parenting approaches that really helped me connect with my children and take their specific needs into account. We talked about ways of managing day-to-day life, and she signposted me to other local and online support. Just having someone who understood, who would listen and say “no wonder you feel that way” made such a difference.
I’ve made some big decisions for my family, like choosing to home school Tom. I’ve already seen positive changes in him – his anxiety has reduced, and he’s showing more willingness to engage with learning. I also feel more able to understand and support my children. I can meet them on their level, manage things better during the tough times, and even look after myself.
Thanks to this support, I feel more positive about the future and more connected to the professionals around us. Most importantly, I feel more confident as a parent.