TESTIMONIALS
Read what the parents of our children and young people have to say about working with Lucy and her collective…
"The service from Lucy has made a phenomenal difference to our children in school. Lucy's wonderful neuro-affirming approach has helped our children to regulate their sensory processing differences, so that they are ready to learn and develop their own independence. The high quality staff training from Lucy has ensured our staff have the skills and confidence to support all children in a mainstream setting."
Catherine Medhurst, Assistant Head Teacher
Devonshire Infant and Junior Academies
“We have been successfully working with Lucy for around 3 years now with our son, Thomas. We were initially recommended to her when he was 3. Thomas was having increasingly challenging struggles at both home and nursery. Lucy was able to help us all to understand and identify that he had sensory processing disorder… it was honestly like a lightbulb moment!
We have worked with Lucy in her clinic, at home and she regularly visits Thomas in nursery/school too. She has given everyone involved with Thomas techniques to use to ensure he gets all of the sensory input needed to stay as regulated as possible. She has recommend equipment to utilise and has lent us various pieces to try over the years and she has created sensory diets for different situations. At age 4 Thomas received a full ASD diagnosis and Lucy ensured his sensory processing challenges were acknowledged as part of this.
We then went through the EHCP process for school and Lucy was an invaluable support. She contributed to the report and also joined us when we inevitably had to go to mediation before it was granted.
Lucy has continued to work with Thomas now he is at mainstream school, offering training to his teachers and TA team and helping school make the best use of their limited space and resources to ensure he gets all of the sensory input he requires.
We honestly cannot recommend Lucy more highly and I often do! She helped us to truly understand our lovely little boy! She has also been a huge emotional support and source of knowledge as we have meandered through the various stages of neurodiverse parenting, the diagnosis and EHCP application and all of the decisions we had to make / continue to make over schooling.”
Katie, Parent of child seen by Lucy
We first met Lucy four years ago when our daughter was almost 8 years old. For some time, she had been struggling with regulating her emotions, and having frequent outbursts of intense anger, distress and dysregulation. She has a complex background including neurodiversity, adoption and early trauma. Lucy’s assessment immediately identified complex sensory issues that were having an impact on almost every area of her life.
Following her assessment, Lucy began working directly with our daughter. Initially, this involved helping her to recognise the emotions she was experiencing from the way they made her body feel, and then learning how to name and describe her feelings. Lucy then helped her to understand what made her feel better (or worse), to identify ways to manage her feelings, and, most importantly, to communicate how she was feeling to adults around her. This made a world of difference.
Lucy has lots of different child-friendly activities that engage a child’s interest which means that therapeutic work can be carried out while a child is involved in doing something they enjoy. In our case this usually means using the swing, doing arts and crafts, hanging upside down or sitting in the spinning seat. Everything is geared up to make sure a child is relaxed and receptive, and sessions never feel like ‘therapy’.
Lucy has an amazing talent for working with children. She is calm, confident, gentle and perceptive, and quickly hones in on their difficulties. She never rushes a session, but always works at the child’s pace, ensuring that they feel listened to and confident that they have some control over the proceedings.
Lucy is a very skilful practitioner. A testament to this is the trust that my daughter has in her. As a child with very complex needs, who does not readily tell her story to anyone, she often asks when her next appointment will be, particularly if she has been having a tricky time at home or at school. Working with Lucy has played a vital role in helping her to learn to trust an adult, and to be able to talk about difficult thoughts and experiences.
Lucy has also been incredibly helpful working with school staff to teach them about our daughter’s needs and how they can be met in the school environment. This has been particularly helpful over the last year with the transition to secondary school. Lucy is a real advocate and professional voice for our daughter.
From a parent’s perspective, it is invaluable to work with someone that we know and trust, who understands our child, and who we can talk to. I know I can always contact Lucy, and whenever I have asked for help, she has unfailingly given it.
Words can’t express how grateful we are to Lucy for everything she does, and for the difference she has made to our daughter’s life and to our family life.
Tracey, Parent of child seen by Lucy
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
Children’s OT’s focus on helping their young clients develop skills they need to thrive in life including; self care, play, social interaction and school tasks. They use a variety of techniques and interventions tailored to each child’s needs.
