Family Action Support Team
A child zips across the room at speed, with the cartoon action hero Dash emblazoned on his t-shirt. He's come to celebrate the fourth birthday of Family Action Support Team (FAST), which deals with over 500 families in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
FAST is appropriately named. Many of the children who attend find it difficult to sit still, listen to instructions and behave like their peers because of their attention deficit disorder (ADHD). Often perceived as 'naughty' - and certainly exhausting and challenging - their condition can also have a huge effect on siblings and parents. Conversely, children may also attend FAST with autistic spectrum disorders - some not speaking and avoiding being touched.
Led by nurses, FAST helps affected families to find ways to manage the situation of their children, and cope with their own feelings. Grimsby itself is a town with diffculties. Traditionally dominated by the fishing industry, work collapsed when quotas were introduced in the 1980s. Parts of the town are still severely deprived and desolate, with rows of closed shops carrying ’to let’ signs. As a result, parents may also be struggling with the effects of the local economic climate.
Children at Grimsby FASTI have learned not to get in trouble as much...I know what I am good at now
FAST helps families in several different ways. There are a number of behavioural techniques that parents can use to help their children understand and respond. There's an emphasis on healthy eating, and avoiding foods that are likely to make children hyper. The service offers a growing range of complementary therapies like Tai Chi and head massage. One staff member describes how the service teaches children relaxation techniques, disguised as a game. ‘They pretend to be acorns growing into a tree. They unfurl very, very slowly. They love this game and often ask to do it.’
There's also a group for siblings - a place where they can get space to themselves, and talk with other children in a similar position. Finally, the service also reaches out into the community. Sometimes children with ADHD will get into trouble with the police, who tended to regard their condition as an excuse. Now community police officers run some classes for the service.
Many parents say that they received no support at all for their child's condition before coming to FAST, and that it saved their families from the point of collapse. There's a strong case for using it as a blueprint to help children across the country.
