Young people with special needs often struggle with sensory overload, which can lead to extreme anxiety and ultimately school refusal.
Marcus was referred by his school because he was not attending school regularly. He had been struggling with his mental health for quite some time and had been waiting for over twelve months for an appointment with Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
When I first spoke to Marcus’s mum she told me Marcus had not attended school for over a month. She said he was having difficulty controlling his emotions and would often have outbursts of anger and then become extremely upset. He refused to leave the home and was isolating himself from family and friends. She was at her wits end as Marcus had recently told her that he wanted to kill himself.
Marcus was reluctant to attend our sessions so we agreed mum would come along until he felt comfortable being on his own. As Marcus was not attending school, a venue within the community was used, and because Marcus had numerous sensory difficulties the room was adapted to ease his discomfort. With mum in attendance we discussed a safety plan to address Marcus’s suicide ideation and ease mum’s concerns. Mum attended two sessions and then Marcus said he felt okay to continue on his own.
Marcus told me about his struggles within the school environment, not being able to concentrate in lessons due to sensory overload. He explained how he felt every emotion deeply and wanted to escape because it was all too overwhelming for him. He also began to withdraw from his friendship groups because he didn’t feel understood. These factors had a huge impact on his self-esteem, self-worth, mood and confidence.
it was important to allow Marcus the time to talk through his lived experiences and daily struggles, care was taken to help him feel understood and validated. Mum informed me that Marcus was on the pathway for assessment for numerous neuro-divergent diagnoses. So for Marcus it was helpful for him to be able to understand how his way of processing things was different. Psycho-education helped Marcus to understand his stress triggers and the importance of self-care. Strategies were discussed and introduced to help with intrusive thought patterns, along with self-calming techniques.
With support from the school a reduced timetable was introduced and Marcus began attending lessons every afternoon. He developed a self-care routine, began eating healthily and exercising regularly. He met up with his friends, his mood had improved, all of which had a positive impact on his mental health. Just as Marcus was reluctant to begin our sessions he was also reluctant to end, telling me, “I enjoy coming to see you every week, I know I can talk about anything, if I’m having a good or a bad week. I don’t feel as angry or as anxious as I was.” I spoke to mum who said, “Marcus is not comfortable with many people, but he trusted you from the first session. His anxiety was so high and confidence so low that he found it difficult to go anywhere without me. He’s now meeting friends, gets on public transport and I no longer have to pick him up from school. He absolutely loved the sessions.” Mum went on to say that Marcus would soon be getting the support he needed for his neurodiversity. So, after 10 sessions we agreed to end and that Marcus could return for further support if needed in the future.
