Last year MedEquip4Kids provided books, games, toys and other resources for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Sheffield.
Louise Piper, Senior Clinical Psychologist at the service tells us: “Families have used the resources to learn about the teenage brain and panic and anxiety in Asperger’s. The sensory equipment has been amazingly useful for children with autism and sensory processing difficulties.”
Fourteen-year-old Josh* was recently diagnosed with autism and sensory processing difficulties. He was having extreme anxiety and anger meltdowns at home. Josh also struggled to sleep on his own without his mum in the bed as he liked to be tucked in tight and have something next to him. Staff at CAMHS lent him a weighted blanket to see if this would calm him when upset and help him settle at night. The family reported this was amazing and that he had had his first whole week without mum in the bed. Josh was also finding the blanket very soothing if he became upset about something and would hide under it until he felt calm. His mum thought the blanket was so good, she decided to make her own for her son and was so grateful for the chance to try one out.
Louise says: “It is really useful to be able to show families resources, use them in sessions and lend them equipment to try at home. It’s been really helpful to offer some practical strategies and tools rather than just suggesting them.”
Since 2014 MedEquip4Kids has funded resources including games, toys, books, and communication aids for CAMHS across the UK.
At least one in six children and young people has a diagnosable mental health condition. Having these resources available can really enable CAMHS to support and care for young patients, helping them to express and understand their feelings, as well as learning more about their condition and ways to cope.
If you’d like to support our CAMHS project and help give children better mental health, you can donate here. Or for more information, please call us on 0161 798 1600 or email info@medequip4kids. Thank you.
*Josh’s name was changed to protect his identity.
