What do parents think of Toucan coffee mornings?
‘They are amazing as we get more information from you and all the parents have different experiences with thier children. I don’t feel so alone knowing there are other parents going through the same and I get to learn new tips and strategies that other parents have tried to.’
Does your child benefit from attending Toucan time?
‘Toucan is amazing, I’ve noticed so much change in him. He’s starting to use words, he said cup today for the first time and I can see how happy he is most of the time due to the photos and updates. He’s learning real life skills that will help him in real life situations. Also the experiences like swimming and McDonald’s have made huge difference, he’s always happy coming home and knowing what works for him like the dizzy whizzy and body sock, I was able to purchase them on advice from Mrs James has helped change things at home too for the better. The effort the staff put in is incredible.’
Does your child benefit from attending Toucan time?
‘Yes we enjoy seeing the photos of him enjoying himself and completing activities with his friends. It is beneficial for us to read the update and see what challenges he has faced and how he has coped. It helps to open up a dialogue with our child when we read what he has done as we are able to ask him about it and he is able to tell us or look at the pictures with us. Without the updates we may not know what he has been doing as he is not always able to tell us as he often ‘can’t remember’!’
Does your child benefit from the trips and experiences that Toucan offer?
‘It was lovely for him to experience seeing santa in a familiar environment without the need to queue in an unfamiliar overwhelming place with crowds and noise. We are not able to visit santa normally as it is too much for him and his brothers to cope with so it is an experience he would have missed out on if not for the toucan party. He loved the bouncy castle and it was reassuring for us as parents that he was supported by the staff and other parents as he can often become dysregulated and too boisterous on a bouncy castle which is difficult in public as it can lead to challenging behaviour which is hard to deal with