Case Studies

As part of the Empowerment Project, STAND do “Case Studies” with participants who are parents or carers of neurodivergent children. The participants are chosen because they are facing barriers, or their children are facing barriers, when enforcing their rights and accessing services. 

The Case Study process is built on a "two-way street" of support, empowerment and learning, so they are a mutually beneficial partnership. Another example of the parents, carers and families of neurodivergent children standing together, and being stronger together for our neurodivergent children.

The Case Studies which we choose to take forward relate to one or more of our Empowerment Workstream Topics: 

ADHD Assessment and Medication

Education

Housing

Play

Transport

How STAND supports the Participant: 

STAND provides moral support and a "sounding board" that is often missing from formal processes. They offer the reassurance of "someone who gets it," helping people feel less alone while sharing the collective learning of peers who have faced similar challenges.

How the Participant supports STAND:

By sharing their journey, they help STAND identify where there are gaps in data, the way in which different professionals might interpret law, guidance and policies, and where public authorities, service-providers and society generally are failing to respect the rights of neurodivergent children. 

This informs decisions made by the Empowerment Project team at STAND, so they can focus their efforts on where change or support is most urgently needed.

Empowering Voices

It is important to note that STAND is not acting on the participant’s behalf or as their representative. Instead, they help build the knowledge and confidence that parents and carers need in order to understand and enforce the child’s rights themselves.

Collaboration and Engagement

As part of STAND’s involvement in the empowerment journey of the Case Study participants, we are happy to engage with anyone with whom the participant is corresponding in a constructive, solutions-focussed and mutually respectful way in order to work towards an aim that we all share: the wellbeing of neurodivergent children.