Spending quality time together through the Take a Break scheme
Laura lives in Edinburgh with her partner Jason and two children. Her son Oscar is eleven years old.
“Oscar was diagnosed with autism at the age of four. He also has a recent diagnosis of Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), previously known as dyspraxia.
Family life with Oscar
“As a result of Oscar’s conditions, he can feel stressed and overwhelmed at times. Oscar has hyperacusis which means he’s sensitive to loud noises. A sensory overload is often the cause for a lot of his meltdowns, so he uses ear defenders when we’re out and about, to help him cope with loud sounds. With Oscar’s DCD diagnosis, we also have to physically support him with brushing teeth, washing hair, and getting changed.
“Our home is quite calm and relaxed since that’s what Oscar needs after being at school. In order to manage meltdowns, we ensure we stick to a routine. A lot of preparation goes into getting Oscar ready to go somewhere. We have to tell him exactly what we’re doing and sometimes show him YouTube videos of where we’re going.”
“Jason and I don’t get much respite. If we’re lucky we get one night a year to ourselves.”
“With that being said, being a parent to a child with a disability has made us more patient and flexible. I’m someone who likes their own routine but since I’ve had to care for Oscar, a lot of that has gone out of the window as I have to look after his needs first. I’ve learnt to go with the flow. In recent years, I have been diagnosed with autism, and Jason with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I think that helps with looking after Oscar, as it feels more natural to us.”
The Take a Break scheme
Laura’s family has received support from the Take a Break scheme: “We were granted a break away. Oscar and I used the grant to visit York. We did consider going on a family trip somewhere, all four of us, but decided against it as we thought that Oscar could do with a break away from his little brother for a while. It was lovely to spend some time with Oscar one on one.
“We got the train down to York and stayed in a hotel, which Oscar and I absolutely loved! Oscar really likes history, so we took a tour of the city and had a pizza in the evening. It was a fun break away and nice that we could do it without saving up.
“Although Oscar was still with me, it did feel like a treat for myself and a break away from day-to-day life. It was a nice way to spend time together in a relaxed environment. Oscar is not normally a chatty person, so it was great to have lots of opportunities to engage with him. It felt like a treat that we don’t often get. The whole experience was really good!”