Families like Debbie’s desperately need your support
You may have had some trouble understanding what was written in the speech bubble. For mothers like Debbie, understanding and communicating with their children is a constant struggle.
Debbie* is a single mum on Centrelink benefits. Her four year old daughter Sam* has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and a developmental delay. This means she has problems with social and emotional interaction and struggles with basic everyday tasks such as feeding and dressing herself.
Sam needs constant supervision to ensure her safety.
Sam relies on screaming and hand gestures to communicate. She simply can’t tell Debbie what’s wrong if she’s distressed, which makes her cry. When Sam can’t understand something, she shakes her head and stamps her feet and says “I can’t do it, I can’t do it!”
Sam’s six year old sister Tessa* is often upset with Sam because when Tessa tries to play with her, all Sam knows is how to argue and yell. Tessa can’t understand why Sam can’t understand her simple questions.
Debbie is tired, and it hurts her to see Sam struggling so much. Debbie doesn’t have a licence or a car, and feels that there is no one she can turn to for support.
Sometimes Debbie wonders if Sam understands that Debbie loves her, because Sam has never been able to tell Debbie how she feels.
Sam needs her mum, but Debbie just doesn’t know how to help.
*Names and details changed to protect privacy.
The world of an Autistic child is not like ours, it’s a place of constant confusion and frustration.
For parents, watching their children struggle with basic communication and retreat from a world they don’t understand is heartbreaking.
There are currently 400 children like Sam with Autism, learning and/or developmental delays on a central Western metropolitan waiting list for an early childhood intervention service. Many of these families won’t receive any assistance at all - they are waiting up to 18 months for a service, and after a child turns six they are no longer eligible.
Families like Debbie’s experience many difficulties in managing their child’s disabilities including relationship breakdown, financial hardship, grief and loss, and an increase in mental health problems.
To fill the gap in services available to these families, Baptcare developed an early childhood intervention program called ‘Learn, Play, Talk’ specifically for children aged zero to five who are on the waiting list.
Run by an Early Childhood Educator and a qualified speech pathologist, the program is designed to empower parents by providing them with the skills and strategies to teach their child to communicate and express themselves.
Debbie and Sam are participating in the program, and for the first time Sam has started doing things on her own. She can now feed and dress herself, and play games with her sister. Most importantly, the program has given Debbie an insight into Sam’s world and has helped her to get to know her daughter.
Currently, the ‘Learn, Play, Talk’ program does not receive government funding. With a shortage in funds, the program will be forced to close unless further funding is received.
Please give generously this tax time. Your kindness will give children like Sam the opportunity to begin to understand and interact with the world around them, and to attend mainstream school.
The ‘Learn, Play, Talk’ program is working with families to reduce stress and build strong foundations for the development of their child’s language and communication skills, but we need your support for the program to continue.
By making a donation, you will be giving families like Debbie’s a fighting chance for a positive future, and will also be making a long lasting contribution to our community.
PS: Without your help, hundreds of children with Autism, language and/or developmental delays and their families will go without an intervention service. Please give generously – your support will give them a fighting chance to rise above their circumstances and help their spirits to grow.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
Matthew 11:28
Please donate today to help families like Debbie’s who are in desperate need. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
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