Traumatic hospital admission

In March 2023, Jade* was admitted to hospital after a traumatic self-harming episode. She was also suffering from severe Anorexia and had an extremely low BMI of just 15. To receive any form of nutrition, she was fed via a PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) tube inserted directly into her stomach.

Jade was also diagnosed with PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and Extreme Sensory Processing disorder, which caused her to be overly sensitive to sound.

Before she was admitted to the hospital, Jade wasn’t attending school and refused to engage in any form of education while she was being treated as an in-patient.

Turning the Curve™ referral

Our journey with Jade began when the NHS, in collaboration with her SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) caseworker, referred her to us. They recognised the potential of our Turning the Curve™ education model and were eager to see how we could help Jade re-engage with learning.

Once Jade was well enough to return home from the hospital to her family, she joined the programme at Esland Daven School. We assessed Jade’s needs and ensured all our interactions with her were sensory-friendly.

Jade struggled to process different tones of voice and loud noises, so whenever we engaged with her, we kept noise to an absolute minimum and kept our voices flat and monotone.

Initially, we started working with Jade out in the community. We secured her a National Trust pass and organised lots of trips to various locations so that she could enjoy the quiet surroundings and peaceful scenery. We introduced her to cafes and slowly started ordering small portions of food and drinks like green tea and slices of cake.

Bespoke curriculum

Jade received one-on-one support with the academic side of her education. We worked with her to establish a curriculum and timetable that worked for her individual needs, and slowly, she started to engage more with the lessons at school.

As she built up her confidence, she began to explore her extracurricular passions and joined several clubs, including ice skating, football, climbing, and cricket.

When it came to deciding her options for her GCSEs, Jade was adamant that she wanted to study Food and Nutrition because of the experience she’d had with her Anorexia diagnosis. Despite being out of education for an extended period and through the support of Turning the Curve™, Jade also obtained a 5 in French, a 6 in PE, and a 7 in Maths at GCSE, and she passed her Functional Skills Level 2 in English.

New opportunities. New challenges.

In the space of eighteen months, with the support of her tutors at Esland Daven School and the flexibility of the Turning the Curve* programme, Jade turned her whole life around. With qualifications under her belt, she applied and successfully earned a place in college to study Adventure Sports at Level 3.

The Turning the Curve* programme transformed her education and academic opportunities and helped her become more independent. She now embraces new challenges and recently climbed Scafell Pike with a group of other young people.

Jade was the only person in the group who took a map. When everyone else’s GPS devices stopped working, she took the lead and ensured they all reached the summit and returned safely.

Jade is a bright and brave young woman who inspires everyone she meets. Her positivity and strength shine through, and we are incredibly proud of everything she’s achieved during her time with us.

 

*We have changed the name to protect the young person’s identity.