The event, hosted by the Lighthouse Child Development Centre in Southend, provided parents and carers of children with ADHD, autism and other neurodivergent conditions an opportunity to meet local organisations offering support.
The event took place on 27 March and was the last of a five-week course for parents and carers of children receiving support from the Lighthouse, which is run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).
Hayley, who attended the workshops, said: “I didn’t know what to expect from the course, but the staff from the Lighthouse have been friendly and I know I can email them with any questions I have.
“I have talked to other parents who have children of all ages. It has been helpful to give each other advice if we have already been through the same thing before.”
Reflecting on the support available locally, Hayley said: “I didn’t realise there is so much out there – it has been eye-opening.”
Included in attendees was Punching 4 Purpose, which supports children with ADHD with boxing, fitness and life coaching skills. Run by George and Rich, both of whom have lived experience of ADHD, the sessions focus on movement, stress release and help to build self-esteem.
Gemma from the MegaCentre in Rayleigh introduced families to help available from their charity, which includes one-to-one parent support, a weekly term- time club for children and their families, term-time SEND soft play sessions, as well as regular coffee mornings, talks and guest speakers.
Adam from Kids Autism Hub spoke about the online support and groups on offer for 12 to 25 year olds in Essex, Southend and Thurrock, which aims to support young people and their families understand more about autism and the different ways autism can affect different people.
The session also looked at support for education. Jenny from Fast Progress Tuition joined to share information about their offer for alternative provision and reintegration for children with anxiety or SEND needs and are unable to attend mainstream school. Parents and carers were also introduced to the assistant educational psychologists team.
Hannah Van Der Puije, Assistant Director for Community Specialist Children’s Services at EPUT, said: “The team at the Lighthouse has been working hard to offer workshops on different topics for families of neurodivergent children, and we were pleased to hear the positive feedback from parents and carers who attended the five-week course.
“We work closely with different partner organisations, and it was great to have an opportunity to introduce parents and carers to some of the additional support available for families in Southend and Essex.”