Page 62 - SEN113 SEN Magazine July-August 2021-V3

62 Petra’s Place Petra’s Place is an inclusive nursery and early-intervention therapy centre for mainstream children and children with special needs and autism aged 2 – 6 years. The first few years of a child’s life determines their ability to learn for the rest of their lives which is the reason why early- intervention is so vital. Our OFSTED registered nursery is open 48 weeks a year from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Friday with SEN experienced nursery practitioners offering a high ratio of care (1:3). Children have direct access to Speech and Language therapy, Sensory Integration Occupational therapy, Music and Art therapy sessions and intensive nursery and therapy packages for the children where a multi-disciplinary approach will achieve the best outcome. Our clinical approach is to learn from the best evidence-based interventions for children with developmental and autism, however, we have developed our own unique programme which draws on this ever-developing evidence base which combines early development, creativity, therapy and learning in one package. Our intensive nursery and therapy programme uniquely combine’s therapy, early learning and child development and specifically targets the areas that children with autism struggle with: social communication, joint attention, motor skills and sensory issues. Parents feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about all areas of the service from the many developments they are seeing in their children, to the calm and child friendly environment, to the skill of the nursery and therapy staff and the opportunity to mix with and learn from other parents. Parent 1 I started to look at private SEN nurseries that could help my daughter. I contacted Petra’s Place nursery, who have been absolutely amazing. They carried out an intensive hour-long assessment on my daughter a week later and were able to tell me what her needs were and what she needed more help in. They placed her at the nursery and have worked hard to apply for and get her EHCP finalised. A month after starting at the nursery, Mia’s understanding had improved drastically. I was shocked and extremely impressed as I was worried, she would never get there so quickly. She absolutely loves the nursery and her key worker, who has been fantastic with her. It’s truly a home from home and I love the fact that Petra’s Place really care about each child who attends, with the ultimate aim of helping them make sense of the world and providing and teaching them the life skills they need for mainstream. Parent 2 Sophia had difficulty relating to and socialising with others including with her twin sister. She would often lash out at family members when she became frustrated. Her fine motor skills and speech were also quite delayed. She is now interacting with other kids a lot more and she plays with her sister. Her speech has improved considerably as well since starting in the program and she is finally saying more than 2 or 3 words together at a time. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the staff. They are just amazing! They are some of the kindest, most caring people I have ever met and even when things have been tough for us as a family they have tried to find ways to help us - not just Sophia but all of us. The centre is a warm, inviting and secure environment where kids are made to feel instantly at home. They feel comfortable from day one and this helps them to adjust quickly and learn and develop. Petra’s Place is definitely the place that you want to be if you have a child with special needs. For more information about our services or to register your child, please contact reception@petrasplace.co.uk or visit our website petrasplace.co.uk. SEN113 senmagazine.co.uk Autism promotional content