Hi everyone, I’m a mum of a preschooler and I’m also doing my final uni project on access to paediatric behavioural and developmental support in the UK. I’d really appreciate hearing from parents who have been through this: real experiences are much more helpful than anything I can read in reports.
I’m trying to understand two things:
1. Is this a real and widespread problem?
Have you ever been in a situation where your child showed behaviours you were worried about, for example, not being able to sit still, intense anger or meltdowns that felt beyond typical tantrums, sensory issues with food or clothing, or difficulty managing emotions, and you found it hard to get proper support?
I’m especially interested in:
How long did you wait for NHS services like OT or CAMHS?
Did your GP take your concerns seriously or dismiss them?
Did you try private therapy? If so, was it affordable or sustainable?
What did you do while you were waiting for support?
2. Does this solution make sense?
I’m looking into a model used in the US that isn’t common in the UK yet. The idea is that parents are matched with a paediatric OT or behavioural specialist through an app.
The specialist would get to know your child properly first. After that, you could message them whenever something comes up, a difficult week, a new behaviour, or something you’re unsure how to handle. Because they already know your child, the advice would be specific rather than general. There would also be one video call a month. The cost would be around £50 per month.
The focus is on supporting parents at home rather than regular clinic sessions, as most day-to-day challenges happen at home.
My key question: does this idea make sense to you as a parent? Would something like this have helped you? And what would make you trust it, or not trust it?
There are no right or wrong answers. I’m genuinely trying to understand whether this would work in real life or if it just sounds good in theory.
Thank you so much in advance.