Making Memories at The Yard

The Gladstone family share 3 year old Miles’ first successful Christmas party at The Yard.

Meet Miles

Christmas – an opportunity to relax with family and friends, a time for welcoming visitors and visiting loved ones. But for families with a child or children with additional needs, Christmas can be a time for further stress.

What makes Christmas joyous for some can create apprehension and angst for others, especially parents whose children might be misunderstood and whose needs might not be considered.

For Vicky and Martin Gladstone, who live in Edinburgh with their three-and-a-half-year-old son Miles, many typical Christmas kids’ activities are out of bounds.

Miles is currently undergoing assessment for ASD / ADHD and attending Speech and Language Therapy. Easily overwhelmed in busy, noisy places and with limited speech, the family have often struggled to find somewhere suitable for Miles to play. And when it came to Christmas, parties and Santa’s grottoes were simply out of the question.

Miles with his mum and dad, Vicky and Martin: image supplied by the Gladstone family.

Vicky explained, “For us, parties and playdates were sometimes more trouble than they were worth. As a result, Miles has missed out on a few and been excluded from others. Some parents maybe viewed him as too disruptive or unpredictable. Miles struggles with too much noise, crowds and loud music so festive markets, Santa’s grottoes and Christmas parties generally never work and can actually be pretty intimidating for Miles.

“He’s also a selective eater and finds it hard to queue and wait his turn. He can also be more physical than other children. Generally, other children don’t seem to mind but the reaction of other parents can be really hard. Some of them also hold grudges – it’s tough to be on the receiving end, so we’ve often just avoided certain events.”

However, after Miles’ first successful Christmas party at The Yard last year, the family are gearing up for this year’s celebration!

With The Yard supporting children from birth to the age of 25, Miles and his parents are at the very start of their journey with endless opportunities ahead, many friends to make and activities to enjoy.

Summing up, Vicky said, “We’re so pleased and relieved that we’ve found The Yard and that really hits home at Christmas time we can enjoy the things we might have missed out on. Since discovering The Yard in 2021, we’ve found a place where Miles can be himself and relax. That’s just the best feeling for him and for us – coming to The Yard is the highlight of Miles’ week.”