Face to Face Consultations

help my child jigsawHow we help you to help your child.

  • Individuals and families
  • Groups

Individuals and families

The BrainChild Developmental Program can be accessed by children and their parent(s) or carers. We explain the details of the program and how it works. We also listen to your story. After all, you know your child better than anyone!

Every child we meet is different. Most of them are able to take part easily in the playful approach of the assessment. If not, we have other observational methods.

The Neurodevelopmental Assessment at The Brainchild Centre.

This includes:

  • A physical, developmental assessment
  • Interpreting your child’s developmental history
  • A behavioural assessment
  • The explanation and interpretation of the results and their impact on your child.
  • Teaching you the first activities for practice at home.

We will develop an individual reflex profile and tailored program ready for your next visit.

Follow-up appointments

An important part of the sessions is training you, the parent(s) to play the home-games with your child. You and your child will have a group of activities to practice daily at home. You will visit monthly for a face to face consultation for progress to be evaluated and new activities taught.

This takes into account the way the brain works. Little and often is the key to change. Over a period of a month, daily practice can create positive change.

There are online options for  the monthly followup  sessions for families. If you live a distance away and would  prefer follow up sessions to be online or remotely that can be arranged. Most clients prefer a mix of the two if they have far to travel.

Contact us if you would like to know more.

Groups and organisations

We can provide a group program at an agreed suitable location,  organised by an organisation (for example, a National Autistic Society  local group or a Parent group) There are several options for the way in which this course is organised. Contact us to discuss the options.

Each group member is individually assessed at The BrainChild Centre

The Cost

Contact us for details when you have considered the options.

Lots of Fun

Both options are lots of fun. However there are more opportunities for the children to develop social skills in the group sessions. Parents also value the support they gain from each other. NAS groups have found group participation very valuable. Children make great gains in social communication and friendships. Read here.

In both cases the parental practice at home is an important aspect.

More Options:
Families who choose to use Zoom consultations for some or all of the sessions like the convenience and and time-saving and are happy with this process. We are so used to using digital methods since Covid! We match this with communication by WhatsApp to see short videos and discuss progress between sessions.

Our online animated EBO for Home will be available in 2024. It’s great fun! Contact us to find out more.

For information about our online EBO for Schools Program go to https://brainchild.org.uk/schools/

Read more…

Assessment and Program Development

  • Individual initial assessment & discussion with parent(s), consultation time: 4 hour appointment. A detailed case history is taken. Starter activities are provided at this session.
  • Written short report (optional) at additional cost – This explains your child’s developmental reflex integration profile and how this relates to his/her challenges. It makes recommendations for management at school and home.
  • Individualised program development.

Individual sessions

  • One- to- one sessions of I hour, approximately 3-4 weeks apart
  • Program of daily activities to follow at home.
  • Parent training.
  • The number of sessions required will vary with each client. For many, 5 sessions is sufficient.  We work with a wide range of children. Some may need more than 5 sessions.

Please contact us if you wish to register your child.

Re-assessment

  • Individual re-assessment, discussion and review, 60 minute appointment.

Multi-disciplinary Assessment

Multi-disciplinary assessment is available where indicated. This can involve all, or some of the following assessments: Speech and Language, Physiotherapy, Cranio-sacral Osteopathy and Behavioural Optometry.

Group Sessions

 

Organised groups can often apply for grant funding to subsidise the Brainchild Program.

Working with families in a group also adds a social dimension to the program.

The value of this is clearly obvious as families progress through the sessions. Children with diagnoses of ASD particularly benefit from this. The activities that can help them to improve social language and social interaction.

An additional benefit is that a group composed of parents whose children have a similar difficulty find the process a supportive and bonding experience. Four groups from an NAS local group in South Cumbria, UK are an example in the Impact Evaluation document

Group Program

The child and parent group sessions are :

  • provided for organizations and groups in the north of England and the Borders (Scotland)
  • often funded by grants gained by the organisation
  • over a five month period.

Dependent upon the needs of the children in the group, an online streamed program can be used. We will advise you on this. Contact us to discuss your needs.

Assessment and Program Development

  • Individual initial assessment & discussion with parent(s), consultation time: 4 hour appointment. A detailed case history is taken.
  • Program development relating directly to the assessment results of the individuals in the group.

Parents meeting

  • A 2 hour meeting in which you will be guided to complete an observed behaviours record about all aspects of your child and learn about the session procedures.

Course of group sessions of up to I hour 30 minutes including parent training and discussion

  • 8 sessions, initially weekly to bond the group, then 3  weeks apart (avoiding school holidays). In some cases this is monthly.
  • Program of daily activities to follow at home.

Re-assessment

  • Individual re-assessment, discussion and review, 2 hour appointment.

 

Combine it with a Holiday…

Often families prefer to combine a holiday with The BrainChild Program and enjoy the beauty of the scenery of The Lake District or The Yorkshire Dales each time they visit. We can provide details of local accommodation.

We are located in Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5JS. Please contact us for details.

A snowy view from the Brainchild Centre.