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There are over 1,000,000 people living with a learning disability in the UK*. At Family Fund, we want their voices to be heard. To mark Learning Disability Awareness Week, we’re sharing the experiences of families raising children and young people with a learning disability.
Advocating for your child
Thirteen-year-old Lennon has global developmental delay and autism. His mum, Emma, shares her family’s experience with us:
“When Lennon was a toddler, professionals told us he’d never walk or talk. But after a lot of physiotherapy, he started to walk when he was around eight years old. Now, he can walk short distances and speak seven words.
“When a professional says one thing, question it. If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here today. Sometimes, you have to advocate for your child, challenge and put up a fight. But you have to want more out of life, for your family and for your children.
“In our case, Lennon makes his own rules. And he continues to prove the experts wrong, constantly. Lennon is an inspiration to all of us: he has taught our family not to give up.”
Facing additional costs
Raising a child with a learning disability often comes with additional costs. This is why we’re dedicated to supporting families raising disabled or seriously ill children- providing grants for items or breaks they couldn’t otherwise afford.
Marion and her husband, Iain, are parents of 17-year-old Kirsten. It was when they were filling out a financial assessment they realised how much they spend on Kirsten’s additional needs:
“To keep Kirsten safe, we have to be quite specific about our needs for a holiday home. It needs to be child-proof, with an enclosed garden, which is more expensive. Family Fund gifted us a family break, and it really helps. The breaks keep our sanity. It takes a lot of energy to fight for Kirsten’s future. The breaks give us chance to recharge, so when we return home, we can continue fighting for the best for Kirsten.”
Every family raising a disabled or seriously ill child should have the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations as any other family.