Case Study- help at home

Gregor is a 6 year old boy, who displayed signs of anxiety heightened by the pandemic. He started school in the middle of the pandemic and initially seemed to accept the ‘new norm’ without any problems. However, following the post-Christmas lockdown his parents noticed that he was becoming increasingly concerned with washing his hands. He was also worried about whether he was touching various parts of his body without then washing his hands.

When he returned to school, he began sneaking out of his class to wash his hands. He also began asking his parents questions regularly (up to 90 a day) and was increasingly anxious about needing to wash his hands if he had accidentally touched a part of his body. His parents said that it was the first thing he thought of in the morning and the last thing at night. At one stage, he woke them in the middle of the night, as he was worried that he had accidently touched his tummy.

After looking for help in various places, Aurelie was recommended to his parents, who listened carefully and suggested simple and practical strategies to help with his anxiety. She recommended using ‘Big Deal, Little Deal’, as well as ‘OK/Not OK’ resources. His parents used the supports consistently and calmly. Within two weeks, they noticed a significant reduction in Gregor’s anxiety levels and questioning. His parents were told that his anxiety had also subsided at school and they were delighted that their son was feeling more relaxed and less anxious.

Case Study - Church organisational help

As the nation comes out of the latest COVID-19 restrictions, it is important to reflect on how to best understand and support children in this period. For some, it is an exciting time to return to connect with friends and attend groups, whilst for others, socialising and joining in activities can be a cause of uncertainty and anxiety. The children’s ministry team at Ps and Gs church has considered these needs and have been eager to support children and young people through this. They asked me to help them to create a safe, welcoming and predictable environment by introducing various new visual supports and training.

I created a range of visual resources for all of the children’s groups that run throughout the week. These are to support all children and are particularly helpful for children who have English as an additional language, organisational difficulties or have Additional Support Needs, such as autism or ADHD. The resources created include: visual timetables, event posters, visuals for resources (e.g. stationary, toy boxes, as well as posters to signpost children to different areas around their groups and the church). As well as this, I have produced social stories (visual guides which help prepare children for what to expect in groups and what to do if they are anxious in these settings) which will be given to new visitors and tailored to individuals. These personalised support resources were made after consultation with Rachel Cooney, Director of Children’s Ministry, to meet the needs of Ps and Gs’ children’s work. AI am also providing training that will enable volunteers to better understand how to use visual supports, as well as give advice on effective strategies to build relationships and improve communication.

If your organisation is looking for similar supports contact info@agnadvisory.com