Help where it’s NEEDED
AScottish-based charity is providing essential support for children experiencing development delays, discovers
PARENTS Gemma and Eric Adam were devastated when their little boy, Finlay, was diagnosed with autism last September, just before his third birthday. “Our world was just blown apart and we wondered what the future would hold,” said Gemma (32), from Tullibody. “In the beginning, he had been meeting all his milestones and had about 15 words. But overnight they all stopped so I arranged to have him assessed. We had suspected he had autism but getting it confirmed was terrible.”
As the family had waited months just for the diagnosis, Gemmadecided she could wait no longer for support and started looking for ways to help Finlay. By chance, she came across the charity Speur Ghlan – Gaelic for Blue Skies – online. After phoning and speaking to founder Ruth GlynneOwen, Finlay was given an assessment then started therapy last November at the charity’s base in Bridge of Allan.
Since then his communication skills have improved beyond recognition, according to Gemma, who is particularly thrilled at the relationship he has developed with his sevenyear-old sister, Emma.
“His eye contact is amazing now and he has started saying words like ‘car’ and ‘go’. He plays with other kids and his interaction with Emma is incredible. He plays with her really well and when he sees her after school, he gives her a big cuddle. Previously, he would give me a cuddle but no one else, not even his dad. Now he even kisses the therapists.
“I don’t know what I would have done without Speur Ghlan. They’ve been amazing and even helped me get on the parent training course so I can work with Finlay at home,
“If I hadn’t found them I think we would still be in limbo. Early intervention is definitely key. All the parents I knowwhogotherehaveseenimprovements in their kids. It’s been fantastic and I owe them a lot.”
Founded in 2010, Speur-Ghlan is Scotland’s first specialist early intervention therapy service for preschool children with autism and other developmental challenges and works with families from all over the country.
Their play and music-based therapy sessions have been developed using modern research.
The charity has signed up TV presenter, Tara Palmer Tomkinson, as its first patron and she paid her first official visit to Speur Ghlan a few weeks ago.
“I am so impressed with what they do,” she said afterwards. “It really puts years of my life into perspective. But here I am now as patron and I’m really excited about it. It’s a real honour to have been asked because the work they do is amazing and seems to be really effective.
“If I can be part of that progress in the children or help raise some money to keep the charity going that will be the best thing I have done.”
To find out more go t o: www.earlyinterventionscotland.org or t e l e phone 01786 834171 (mobile – 07918 136942); email speur.ghlan@gmail.com. n