“I jumped for joy when I heard that there was more support when my daughter turned 18.”

Tania is 21 years old and lives in London with her mum Ayesha, dad Mohammed, and her younger brother and sister.

More about Tania

“When Tania was four years old, she was diagnosed with global developmental delay and speech and language delay. When Tania was 12, she was diagnosed as autistic. I thought that things would get easier as she became an adult, but it hasn’t.

“When she was younger, Tania attended a mainstream school with limited support. She wasn’t happy going to school. When Tania attended college, she developed an eating disorder. The teacher discussed the dangers of anorexia, but in Tania’s head all she took from that was that if she doesn’t eat then she will become slimmer. As a family we’ve learned that we have to be very careful with the words that we use around Tania so that she doesn’t get confused or take it to heart.

“Now that Tania is older, she has a care package and a care worker to support her. I find things for her to do but we always have to encourage her, otherwise she won’t leave the house.”

“We always have to explain everything to Tania beforehand, so she knows what to expect. Therefore, we can’t spontaneously go somewhere and we’re quite restricted in what we can do.”

Support through Family Fund’s Your Opportunity programme:

Tania was awarded a clothing grant and an outdoor play equipment grant through the Your Opportunity programme.

“The clothing grant was helpful for Tania because her weight has been going up and down, so we’ve been able to buy her new clothing that fits her at the right time. Also, her clothes tend to wear and tear quicker because she often wears the same clothing throughout the day and night.

“We used the outdoor play equipment grant to purchase a swing. It encourages Tania to go outside in the garden rather than staying in the house. The sensation of the swinging helps her sensory needs.”

“The Your Opportunity programme is a great help! I was jumping with joy when I heard that there’s more support for my daughter after she turns 18. From my experience, looking after a young adult isn’t any less demanding than when they’re younger.”