Supporting Trans Children - the Think2Speak way
This case study has been anonymised to protect the identity of the child and their family.
Charlies’ family contacted Think2Speak (T2S) to say that their 9 year old child had just told them they no longer wanted to live in the gender they were assigned at birth, and they would like to transition.
Whilst the parents were very supportive of their child, they had many questions, worries and concerns and when looking for help and support a professional told them to contact T2S. Initially a Zoom meeting was set up with parents to offer them reassurance and to establish what help and support they were looking for.
Reassurance is needed most at this point as families are often unsure if they are doing the correct thing to support their child to socially transition. T2S provides a safe space for people to have the confidence to voice their thoughts, feelings, worries and concerns.
Following the initial support call, a follow up email was sent to the family detailing the support T2S can offer as well as links to a range of quality resources, group invitations and other reading.
The parents had several questions around school, and we were able to offer them the option of working alongside the school to get everything in place to support Charlie at the start of the new term. Charlies’ parents passed on the details of T2S to school and we were able to share with them resources and information on practical matters, policy, information to support all staff in the school to ensure Charlie sense of self was recognised and valued.
T2S approach LGBTQ+ inclusion support as a way of helping schools to see meeting Charlie's needs as an opportunity for the school to explore more widely around embracing difference, equality diversity and inclusion.
Charlie’s parents felt that he would really benefit from the opportunity to speak to someone away from themselves who could help him to explore their sense of self and to support any emotional wellbeing worries.
T2S were able to offer 6 therapeutic sessions to Charlie; offering therapy in this way enables many more children and young people to access a professional support at a time when it is most needed in a timely manner. There is always the option for Charlie to continue with further session either directly after the first 6 or later in their journey.
Charlie and his family then joined and attended the Hodgepodge group and you can visibly see the sense of joy and laughter that occurs amongst the children when they know they are in a safe environment where they can just be themselves. The adults and children who attend call it their 'Hodgepodge family' which really demonstrates that sense of community they all feel.
Over the first four months of being involved with Think2Speak, Charlie and their family have benefitted from and accessed:
Immediate support and advice
Direction to quality resources
School support
Weekly therapeutic support sessions
Hodgepodge Family peer support groups - monthly in person/online meeting for families (Covid dependant) and monthly online meeting for parents/carers
Private Facebook group for peer support for parent/carers
Residential places for Charlie and their family
Charlie and their family took part in a group session and were asked to what Think2Speak and the support we provide meant to them.
