New group for parents of children with additional needs seeks venue for monthly meetings

Quirks and More, a new support group for parents and carers of children with additional needs in Sidmouth, is looking for a venue to hold its meetings.

The group, set up by Sidmouth mum Katie Turner, is intended to help parents talk about the highs and lows of parenting a child with additional needs.

Katie's son Freddie has additional needs and the challenges she faced helped her decide to start a support group for people in a similar situation.

Speaking to Nub News Katie said: "To be honest it's something I've been thinking about doing for a while, not only for other people but for me as well, there isn't enough support for parents with children with additional needs and just being able to speak to someone who gets it can take such a weight off your shoulders.

"As well as being able to speak openly with other parents without the judgement."

"There are amazing highs but there are also days when it's hard with a child or children with additional needs, trying to understand it all, the emotions parents go through and not knowing where to turn to for advice and support, feeling bad for venting about a child with additional needs, or being able to big up your child on a milestone that's easy for other children to reach but has taken a little longer for your child."

Quirks and More hosted its first session in December and according to Katie, 'it went really'.

The first session was focused on establishing if the group was something needed by local people.

The group is backed by Tracy Tipton a Parent Support Officer from Sidmouth Primary School.

"We're going to be starting up again this month and doing a group meeting monthly, we're currently looking for a venue for us to be able hold the sessions on a monthly basis," said Katie.

"Ideally somewhere in Sidmouth, so my aim this week is to hopefully find somewhere where we can do that and it be kept in the same location each month and then I can share times and dates with people and get the group going regularly.

"The group is for any parents locally or not locally, for parents on the pathway to getting their children diagnosed or already diagnosed."

Katie wants to create a bank of sensory equipment for parents so they can try out equipment without first having to pay for it

"One of the things I'm really keen to get in place for the group is a sensory bank, with a range of sensory equipment from weighted blankets, sensory socks, wobble seats, fidgets and tactile toys, so parents can book them out from the group to try with their children.

"If something doesn't work then they haven't lost money on it. Sensory equipment can be really expensive, my son's weighted blanket cost me £75. Luckily it works really well for him, but I have spent a lot of money on other equipment that doesn't work for him and lost that money.

"So the idea of the sensory bank is so people can try stuff and know when they spend their money on it it's not going to be a waste, they know it's going to work."

"My main aim for the group is for parents to feel like they have a support network around them.

"Somewhere they know that they have people to talk to all the time, whether that's through the group or through the Facebook page I'll be setting up purely for the group's parents.

"It isn't just about how hard days can be, you're thrown in the deep end with meetings and appointments saying words such as sensory needs and disorders or professionals wanting to organise a meeting and it's a whole different world.

"It's nice for parents to have other parents to talk to who can share their experiences and offer their own tips.

"At the end of the day the best tips will come from people who have been there and are in the same boat as you."

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