Interconnections has initiated an international project looking at mental / psychological / emotional health in families who have a baby or pre-school child with disabilities.

We are concerned for the child, parents and close family members. Our concern embraces children with serious illness and children with short or uncertain life expectancy. Our fist outcome will be a Guide for use in any country to help parents talk about these issues with their professionals.

 

The questions we are asking include: 

          What are the implications for bonds of attachment?

          When does prolonged parental stress and fatigue tip over into mental ill-health?

          How far do our interventions get in the way of normal baby and child activity?

          How can we protect and nurture child and family’s quality of life?

 

The UK seminar series, facilitated by Peter Limbrick, aims to generate discussion of our concerns with professionals and parents. This Seminar can come to your team or group.

In January this year Interconnections published Early Childhood Intervention without Tears: Improved support for infants with disabilities and their families by Peter Limbrick. Discussion at the seminars is informed by this book and delegates each receive a complimentary copy in advance of the seminar. (The normal selling price is £22.)

ECI without Tears Seminars List

Let me know if you are interested in coming to one of the seminars and I will send you seminar notes and a booking form. These are afternoon events and lunch is not included.

Bristol: 5^th February 2018 at Armada House, BS1 4BQ. 1pm to 4pm.

£45 per delegate. £60 for a professional and parent coming together.

Delegates receive a complimentary copy of Early Childhood Intervention without Tears.

Wakefield: 13^th February 2018 at Cedar Court, WF4 3QZ.  1pm to 4pm

£45 per delegate. £60 for a professional and parent coming together.

Delegates receive a complimentary copy of Early Childhood Intervention without Tears.

Liverpool: 21^st February 2018 at Liverpool Quaker Meeting House, L1 3BT. 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm.

£45 per delegate. £60 for a professional and parent coming together.

Delegates receive a complimentary copy of Early Childhood Intervention without Tears.

Exeter: 28^th February 2018 at The X Centre (Headway Devon), EX2 4AD. 1pm to 4pm.

£45 per delegate. £60 for a professional and parent coming together.

Delegates receive a complimentary copy of Early Childhood Intervention without Tears.

Sheffield: 7^th March 2018 at Sheffield Quaker Meeting House, S1 2EW. 1pm to 4pm.

£45 per delegate. £60 for a professional and parent coming together.

Delegates receive a complimentary copy of Early Childhood Intervention without Tears.

Manchester: 20^th March 2018 at Friends Meeting House, M2 5NS. 1pm to 4pm.

£45 per delegate. £60 for a professional and parent coming together.

Delegates receive a complimentary copy of Early Childhood Intervention without Tears.

Further information about the Seminars

We will have in mind children with a multifaceted condition which can be any combination of intellectual, physical, sensory, communication disability, short or uncertain life expectancy, serious illness.

The seminar is facilitated by Peter Limbrick and will be an opportunity for short presentations, informal plenary discussions and small-group discussions sharing wisdom, knowledge, experience and aspirations. The focus will be on these issues:   

Babies and pre-school children with these complex conditions have very different lives from those typically developing. This might include stress, anxiety, impaired bonding, poor nutrition, poor sleep, pain, discomfort, close contact with many ‘non-family’ people, being uncelebrated and under-valued, kept busy with treatments and therapies, no time for normal baby things, etc. What can we do to help?

Families are often under severe stress and anxiety from the start. Daily life can be exhausting trying to keep the family going and meet the child’s needs. Guilt can be a major factor. There can be too little time to do the normal baby things and bonding might be difficult. Relationships, accommodation, money, sleep, work and money can all become problematic. The family might become excluded from their normal social activity. Parents can feel out of control of family life. Many parents describe their life as a continual battle. What can we do to help?

Attachment: There will be some emphasis on promoting and nurturing attachment between infant, parent and other family members.

There will be opportunities to discuss:

- 'collective competence'

- the 'multifaceted condition'

- how teams can provide a multifaceted intervention system

- how service providers can make the best use of practitioners' time.

Contact:

Peter Limbrick, Interconnections. Tel: 01497 831550. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[Also, there is a short article here about commitments professionals might make to parents of young children with disabilities -  Goals, commitments and promises for families who have a baby or young child with a multifaceted condition. Are mine the same as yours?]