Laura & Alex's Feature in the Local Village Directory

We've had another lovely feature from Fostering Together family Laura & Alex in the Village Directory in Kent, talking about their choice to foster and supporting their inspirational young man to communicate with the world around him with AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication Methods)!

Laura and Alex live in Norfolk and look forward to welcoming more families into our community in the East of England. We're recruiting for more amazing families across the South East; Kent, Sussex, Surrey.... and beyond! So if you or someone you know think that fostering could be a fantastic new path for you, please get in touch! 📞👋

_{*Names have been change to protect identity.}

"Fostering hasn't just  enriched our family,  it's made our family"

Laura and Alex began fostering after deciding that their ‘9 to 5’ jobs weren’t fulfilling and didn’t give them enough quality family time. Laura’s background was in special educational needs, so it was logical that they decided to care for children with disabilities. One such child is Lenny, who over time, with their care and support, has shown his cheeky personality despite being non-verbal.

“We have a really good quality of life as foster carers. It’s the little things that help, like not have to travel to work. We eat all three meals together – you don’t get that when you work elsewhere or if you have a long commute.

When Lenny arrived in our care, he had very limited communication. The professionals working with him thought he functioned at a very low level, and questioned whether he was capable using his vision. 

With our support, Lenny can now communicate and make meaningful choices about things which directly affect him. He can contribute to conversations using auditory and visual scanning techniques. He can tell people his wants, wishes, interests and feelings. He has developed ways to tell people he would like them to go away or come closer. He can now identify the weather, numbers, days of the week, and enjoys learning about nature, history, and dinosaurs.

Lenny’s journey to communication has been hard but so rewarding. It began using objects of reference and sounds in anticipation of events and activities. Using intensive interaction, he learnt various vocal sounds enabling him to use his voice to engage and be heard. 

When it was recognised that he could manage these, we moved on to basic choices with objects, such as very bright sensory toys vs something boring like a wooden spoon! We soon established that Lenny could make meaningful choices using his eyes to point.

Lenny moved onto photos and when he could manage these, we swapped to symbols. During this time, he has also explored eye-gaze games, learning to say ‘yes/no’ with blinks, and developed an auditory scanning system, where he can answer questions and make choices. 

Without these systems Lenny could still be assumed to be low functioning. He could be a very frustrated little boy… imagine wanting to contribute and join in with conversations but not having your voice to speak, or the ability to write. Instead he has proven to the world that he is intelligent, cheeky and has a thirst for being involved. We are so proud to have such a fantastic non-verbal communicator. 

We recommend anyone who has the drive to help children who have difficulties accessing the world around them, to consider fostering as their vocation and career. Having the time to support Lenny to be himself and communicate has been one of the best things we’ve ever done.

Please ask to talk to us or other foster carers at Fostering Together. We can tell you how involved and supportive they are. We never feel on our own or isolated. There is a family feel at Fostering Together and you will feel part of a community and a supportive team.”