At The Scottish Centre for Children with Motor Impairments, we believe that children with neurological conditions which affect their motor functions can achieve their potential and fulfil their ambitions with the right support.
On 19th March 2022, we launched our re-modelled Early Intervention Programme (EIP). The Centre was bustling with babies, toddlers, parents, siblings, and grandparents, who had travelled from all over Scotland and were eager to take part in our sessions.
COVID-19 offered us an opportunity to evaluate our EIP service. We found that previously, the majority of attendees were local to the Centre (within a one hour drive). We also found that weekly sessions over an extended period fostered dependence on the therapists and often de-skilled parents. We wanted to change this!
Now, our re-modelled programme enables parents and family members of children aged 0-3 years with neurological conditions, to bring therapeutic activities into day-to-day family life. This means improving outcomes for children in all areas of development including communication, movement, inquisitiveness, and handling and exploring objects.
“I really like the support you are given but the fact it is parent led. I find a lot of therapies the therapist tends to overtake and it looks easy then when you try your totally lost but here parents do the actual work.” (parent)
Our team of Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, and Early Years Practitioners have developed a day of fun activities, including teaching for parents, play activities, music, and swimming sessions along with a dedicated sibling’s group.
“The hands on one-to-one advice from physio, how they make it so fun for the children, use of the pool and the siblings hub is outstanding, we all look forward to our days at Craighalbert.” (parent)
The programme runs on a Saturday to allow as many family members as possible to attend, and accommodation is provided to families who require this. We have families attending from as far as Aberdeen and we have seen a significant increase in the number of fathers and grandparents attending.
As we approach the sixth session of our new programme, we are confident that the changes are making a huge impact and we continue to gather feedback from parents, stakeholders, and staff to ensure that we adapt to the needs of the children.
“We have really struggled to find a group which is suitable to my child and his needs, so it was wonderful to be a part of one, especially one which was also focused on every aspect of his development.” (parent)
If you wish to find out more about our EIP Programme, or our other services, please visit our website here.
