Ben is 4 and has been coming to Child and Family sessions at Pace since April 2019. Ben lives at home with his Mum, Dad and older brother. He was born at term following an uneventful pregnancy. Ben was found to have a heart defect and required surgery when he was 4 months old.
Ivy is 11 and attends Pace School full-time. She has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and uses specialist switch access and a track system to get around in her motorised chair.
Isabelle has cerebral palsy and global developmental delay. She doesn’t get much support from her local NHS community team. But since she and her family came to Pace, Isabelle has been making great progress, through face-to-face sessions and teletherapy during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Joey is 7 years old has a diagnosis of Periventricular Cerebral Palsy which affects all areas and in particular his lower limbs, trunk and left arm and hand, but his difficulties extend beyond these physical challenges. Joey started Pace in September 2017 and during his first visit it was clear that he was a very self-conscious little boy who found his body very difficult to use resulting in him being withdrawn, lacking self-confidence and self esteem. Therefore, building Joey’s social and emotional mental health was as important as developing his physical skills.
Annie has a diagnosis of dystonic cerebral palsy, with associated involuntary movements which can be distressing and uncomfortable for her at times. Annie is a verbal communicator, although her tone and state of alertness can significantly impact her voice volume and how well she is heard and understood by others.
Sonny has cerebral palsy. The damage to his brain results from being born 10 weeks prematurely. As his mother Lou says, “I had heard of cerebral palsy, but I didn’t really know what it was or what it meant for my baby. The worst thing was, nobody did. We just had to wait and see what this disorder meant for my little boy. It was a matter of time.”
Maisie was born by emergency C-section. The blood flow between Maisie and her mother’s placenta had reversed and she was born with very little blood in her body. She needed to be resuscitated and had a number of seizures.
Bella-Skye’s increased tone makes it difficult for her to use her hands with accuracy and, without intervention, significantly limits how she can access and explore her environment. Bella-Skye is a highly motivated pupil and will always try her best, even when she finds tasks really hard.