National Child Development Centre Funding Brochure

WHAT IS SENSATIONAL KIDS?

Sensational Kids is a social enterprise providing affordable and accessible developmental assessments and therapies to children and adolescents. Sensational Kids bridges the gap between public services with long waiting lists and expensive private services Sensational Kids was founded in 2008 by Karen Leigh, following her frustration at the lack of services for her son Conor

To date Sensational Kids has supported over 10,000 children and adolescents across our Child Development Centres in Kildare, Cork, Mayo and Monaghan With over 86,000 children on long public waiting lists for assessments, diagnosis and development therapies – the demand for Sensational Kids services has never been greater

Our ambition

Access to affordable, timely and impactful therapeutic services for every child and adolescent in Ireland. No child left waiting

The Children and Adolescents we support

One in four children in Ireland has a special educational need We support children and adolescents including those with developmental delays and diagnosis including:

Autism Spectrum Disorders

ADD/ ADHD

Dyslexia

Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia)

Down Syndrome

Fragile X Syndrome

Intellectual Disability

Sensory Processing Difficulties

Speech and Language Delays and Disorders

Mental Health Issues

At Sensational Kids, we do not require a diagnosis or referral to begin therapy. We work with children of all ages and abilities to support their journeys in education and life

THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE

Sensational Kids provides diagnostic and therapeutic services for children adolescents

Educational Psychological Assessment and Diagnosis

An educational psychological assessment is required to access support services in schools and colleges such as resource hours, special needs assistants, assistive technologies and exam accommodations Our Educational Psychologists can provide CBT and can diagnose dyslexia, intellectual disability and other developmental delays and specific learning disabilities

Occupational Therapy Assessment and Intervention

Our Occupational Therapists help children to develop the skills they need to perform their everyday ‘occupations’ of playing, learning, and engaging socially We work on areas such as sensory processing, motor skills (fine and gross), cognition and social skills to ensure that children achieve their maximum functional independence in everyday activities such as:

At home - eating, dressing, toileting

At preschool - drawing, cutting, colouring, playing

At school - handwriting, sustained posture at the desk, focus and concentration, task organisation

In social situations - playing, cooperating, adapting to change, regulating emotions

Speech and Language Therapy

Our Speech & Language Therapists help children to develop their speech, language, communication and verbal skills These are critical skills that support effective communication and children’s abilities to understand, be understood and engage effectively in their home and school environments

Play Therapy - Psychotherapy, delivered through play for children

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy for children aged 3 and over to help support their mental health needs in cases of anxiety, trauma, bereavement, and issues of self-esteem Play therapy uses play as a natural way for children to express their feelings

THE NEW NATIONAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

The demand for Sensational Kids services has never been greater Timely intervention is critical for children to reach their potential in education and life We are building a new National Child Development Centre to enable Sensational Kids to significantly grow our capacity to help more children,

Your valued gift will make it possible to:

• Support 300+ children per week.

• Provide 13,000 therapy sessions per year for children in need.

• Provide thousands of parents, teachers, SNAs and clinicians with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to better support the children in their care.

The 17,000 sq ft Centre of Excellence will be located on a 2.4 acre greenfield site in Kildare Town, strategically positioned just off the M7 motorway The centre has been expertly designed to meet the growing needs of the children and young people we support

This new flagship facility will support children and families with:

• 11 Therapy Rooms

• 4 Sensory Motor Therapy Gyms

• Sensory Room

• Therapeutic Kitchen

• Family and Training Rooms

• Play, Develop & Learn Store

• Therapeutic Playground

• Sensory Gardens

Construction starts January 2024

YOUR KIND GIFT WILL HELP

Aisling

Matthew

My little girl in her autism spectrum disorder report at the age of four, had 3 or 4 words, no grammar structure and was unable to construct a sentence She had no reciprocal speech, poor intonation, and her speech patterns were distorted My little girl could not talk, gave no eye contact and could not communicate properly; as I drove her in our car, I would adjust my rear view mirror so she could not see the tears streaming down my face Heartbroken does not come close to describing those difficult years

Our little girl is a permanent resident of Sensational Kids; she has gone to speech therapy, occupational therapy and hippotherapy And now? Our little girl is reading, writing, she has formed relationships with school friends and is loving life She does not only speak now, but does monologues in why ice-cream is very important to her!

Her personality has unleashed. She is a bouncy, energetic 6 year old that is happy, confi dent and connected with her world. Aisling is living a full and happy life – because of Sensational Kids.

Our little Matthew arrived to Sensational Kids in September 2021 At that time he was nonverbal, distracted and a very unregulated little boy Our hearts were broken with worry However, over the last two years due to the dedicated team of experts in Sensational Kids, Matthew is now focused, regulated and semi verbal He is enjoying mainstream school with his SNA and making new little friends every day Only last week Matthew won 'Pupil of the week' for his participation in class, especially his singing, and tonight Matthew wrote down letters from the alphabet for his parents. We are beyond joyful.

We know that Matthew has made this significant progress due to the expertise, patience and consistent dedication of Dana and her team in Sensational Kids. We feel confident now that Matthew's future is bright and sensational Kids have been a significant contributor in his success

We are extremely fortunate we found Sensational Kids for our son and we will be eternally grateful to them

You can make it possible to change the lives of 30,000 children over the next 10 years.

The New National Child Development Centre is currently 70% funded. We are nearly there. We really need your help to make this a reality. Your support will ensure that the final funds are raised to complete this Child Development Centre for vulnerable children in need.

If you, like us, want to ensure children receive the care and support they need, please get in touch today:

Karen Leigh

Founder & CEO Sensational Kids

087 283 3594

karen@sensationalkids.ie

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www.sensationalkids.ie