The sound of laughter and the buzz of early Tuesday morning activity filled St Mark’s Church Hall in Newtownards this week as parents and toddlers gathered for Little Blossoms Playgroup.
Part of the South Eastern Trust’s Early Foundations Programme, Little Blossoms is delivered in partnership with Surestart and Trust Learning Disability Nurses. The parent support programme is designed for pre-school children experiencing developmental delays in play and communication.
The sessions provide important stepping stones in a child’s development while equipping parents and carers with practical strategies to support early play, communication and social interaction, particularly when children are showing signs of learning difficulties or Autism.
Thomas Edgar, whose son Darragh attends Little Blossoms described the staff as, “A group of individuals who truly do care.”
Thomas explained, “Darragh has Global Development Delay (GDD). We started attending the group just before Halloween. When Darragh started in October he could only mutter a few sounds. He struggled to walk, to climb and he had no real social skills at all. When we came for the session today, as soon as we came in through the doors it was, ‘See you later Daddy’ and he just went straight to the staff.”
Thomas shared with pride the sight of his little boy taking part in a session of the classic children’s rhyme, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes as he looked on. “Darragh knew all the actions. That is the effort that the staff put in. Every child that comes has a specific need. What might work for Darragh might not work for somebody’s else child. It is a journey and they are very much part of it.”
South Eastern Trust, Family Support Co-ordinator for Surestart Ards, Julia Duffin explained that each session is carefully designed to support children across all areas of development. Julia said, “We provide a range of activities to support children across all areas of their development. We provide a range of activities to support physical, creative and social development, alongside table top activities that help build their concentration skills.
“It is wonderful to see the children’s progression. All of the parents are on a similar journey and they celebrate milestones together. Whether that is a child using a spoon for the first time, kicking a ball or sitting at the table for snack time along with their peers, all the parents celebrate those achievements.”
South Eastern Trust, Early Intervention Team Co-Ordinator, Nicola Doran highlighted the benefits of the Little Blossoms sessions, “Our aim is empower parents with the knowledge and skills they need to be able to support their child through these developmental stages.”
Nicola continued, “As part of the sessions, our Learning Disability Nurses will deliver workshops on areas such as toileting, sleep and behaviour. These have been developed in partnership with the Children’s Disability Team and Surestart Newtownards. We have had fantastic feedback from parents about the support they have received.”