Dingley’s Promise delivers life changing support to children under five with additional needs and disabilities and their families by providing specialist learning through play, family support and training, and advice to mainstream settings.
The Foundation has supported Dingley’s Promise since 2010. Most recently we awarded Dingley’s Promise £10,000 to support the remodelling of their garden, by replacing fencing to improve privacy and existing storage facilities, and creating a wheelchair accessible area.
Meet Issabella
With confidence growing, four year old Issabella has come on in leaps and bounds (quite literally) since starting at Dingley’s Promise in Reading.
Developing from an unsure, immobile child who was quite poorly when joining Dingley’s Promise, Issabella has flourished into a confident little girl who uses between 10 and 15 signs to help her communicate her needs, plays well alongside others and exudes a natural curiosity about her environment. Her enjoyment of the ride along car is evident and her own unique personality shines through for all to appreciate.
However, things haven’t always been so easy for Issabella. Born with an as yet undiagnosed condition, but thought to be genetic, Issabella has a significant global delay, dysmorphic features and still has invasive genetic testing to undergo. Issabella can experience strong allergic reactions, both to food and via her sensitive skin. Careful consideration needs to be given to her diet and each activity must be thought through fully beforehand. Staff at Dingley’s Promise have provided plenty of time, patience, trust and reassurance to Issabella. Learning more about her has helped to pave the way for her development.
Issabella proved an inspiration, when one day, she took her first tentative steps without a walker, right here at Dingley’s Promise. The moment was deeply touching for those who work closely with her and for her family. As a result, her development has rapidly increased, not least her confidence. Initiating play with others, whilst expressing a sense of comfort, there is no better sight to behold.
We will support Issabella to move on to school next year, with opportunities to access mainstream provision. Knowing Issabella’s incredible potential, we are confident that Issabella is ABLE to take her next bold steps in the world.
