Dr Sigger’s Beyond School Avoidance – Understanding Autistic Burnout talk – 17/10/2024
Hi Dr Siggers and all of Starjumpz,
I just wanted to take a moment to email and say thank you for the recent talk on burnout.
I couldn’t attend because of the children or join online as they wouldn’t have coped but I paid for and have just managed to watch the recording, it was well worth getting up at 3am to watch with no children listening!
With three children at home in burnout what was discussed was obviously very much what we are living.
It was a wonderful talk. Very clear. Very non blaming on these wonderful children.
I think we have a huge amount of lived in experience of this but walked away feeling so validated.
So, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking the time to get the word out on this very important subject. The devastation that is burnout and how we must not just heal these children to put them back into a situation that will cause them to burnout all over again.
These children are so lucky to have had your support and so are we, as parents.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Mrs S
It was one of the most powerful and helpful courses I have done over the past 14 years of this journey. I wish every professional was made to do this course so they could understand burnout and how it impacts children, along with the pressure that puts on a family. My hope is that burnout becomes more recognised and that the children and families get the help they need.
We’ve been fighting to get an understanding of what was happening to our son for more than one and half years finding an absolute void of any support and any basic information.
At the end of your talk, you answered questions. When you described the most acute case of burnout you’d seen, you could have described our son. He’s now a year and a half from the start of his self-isolation and we’re seeing the green shoots of recovery. I can see now that he’s going to be ok in time, which is something I never thought I’d see in our darkest days.
Mrs H
Dear All
I feel compelled to email an extremely heartfelt thank you to Dr Georgie Siggers and all at Starjumpz for tonight’s presentation on Autistic Burnout.
Dr Siggers knowledge, research and passion on the ‘diagnosis’ is palpable and having had 2 out of 3 children suffer extreme burnout, it is a much-needed confidence boost for us as parents in our future advocation when they suffer. Not only during their years in education but also in teaching them to understand their limits as they become adults and be able to advocate for themselves.
So really, I wanted to say thank you for tonight but also gratitude in that your help isn’t limited to the young people and children we support every day. It is also extremely validating for parents and for our young people and children as they themselves become adults and parents.
L Bradbury
Jeannette Bidder, SEND Consultant & Advocate
“I just wanted to pass on my thanks to the doctor O saw today. She was incredibly kind and caring. She is the first person I have seen in years who truly understands O and what she has been through at school. She was so helpful and knowledgeable and gave my daughter great confidence. We really enjoyed our time with her today.
Thank you so much
Best wishes”
Emma
Multi-Disciplinary Paediatric Assessment
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise/reports as these have recently contributed to several successful EHCP appeals being settled well before the SEND Tribunal Appeal Hearing (so avoiding Hearings). Your reports provided invaluable, detailed evidence and meant that pupils were able to start their new specialist school settings at the start of the school year which was life-changing, for many.
“I wanted to let you know how important your kind and informed assessment has been. A’s diagnosis has allowed us to parent in a neuro-affirmative way and we are happy to report that after 3 months of low demands she started to come out of burnout and has even started to go back to school on a flexible timetable about 3 mornings a week for up to 3 hours where she is given a one to one/small group with trusted adults.
The EHCP has been accepted by the Local authority for assessment so we should be able to build on what has been happening around her education and structure more support for her learning both at school and in the community.
Most importantly we are all happier now we understand her needs and A is very positive about her diagnosis and is able to talk about how difficult the masking process was and how that contributed to burnout.
I feel that none of this would have been possible without the diagnosis and very full report and wise advice!”
I just wanted to say thank you again for a wonderful experience at Starjumpz. Dr Siggers was everything we hoped and more. You have an amazing team from the friendly welcome to the experience and understanding of your staff so thank you.”
Rachel F
I am always more than extremely happy with any involvement or assessment that Dr Siggers has ever been involved with for our family and would not hesitate in a heartbeat to recommend her expertise to anyone at all and indeed often have done. That applies to all your services offered at Starjumpz as I truly do think that you are exemplary in all you do -in this often fraught and confusing modern societal way of life we live, also think that Starjumpz is creative and innovative in its ideas and in how you reach out to people, always quite obviously with children’s well-being at that heart of everything you do and with consideration to in involve their families with informational talks and experiences, which ultimately hopefully also benefits their children too. And I know that Starjumpz will always continue to be that lighthouse in a storm or safe port in turbulent weather times for children in need and their families and that listening ear when sometimes it feels like the rest of the world is not listening or stopped listening and is not understanding or helping your child. So just keep on being that Starjumpz beacon of light, hope and help that you are.
I personally will always be forever grateful for all that your tight knit Starjumpz team did for my daughters and for the insight and care that Dr Siggers gave for them.
K Heritage and Family
Dr Siggers’ reports are thorough and detailed, her assessments looking across co-occurring conditions rather than at each in isolation, and address key challenges to schools so that they can understand why our children are struggling. This is so important, and is vital to helping others understand neurodevelopmental challenges are unique to each child. I am so eternally grateful that Dr Siggers operates in our area, as we are extremely lucky to have a specialist such as her to support our children. She spent a great deal of time with our family for both of my children’s assessments, and understood us all as a family. She has helped us immeasurably, and we are truly thankful to her and the team at Starjumpz.
Ms M Corbett
We visited Starjumpz for both a Paediatric Diagnostic Assessment, and then an Occupational Therapy Assessment for my son and I cannot express just how wonderful the centre is. The staff are all amazing… really put us all at ease. I do not hesitate to recommend Starjumpz to anyone and everyone! Our lives have been changed SO much for the better since coming to Starjumpz!
Mrs L
My son had a full assessment with Dr Siggers for diagnosis and full occupational therapy assessment with Anya Kennedy. Both reports were fantastic and so worth it. My son had his first OT session today and I was so impressed. The skills and knowledge of these professionals is outstanding. I look forward to building a well-established relationship with everyone at the centre. Thank you so much!
Mrs R Blackman
Visiting Starjumpz with both my children has literally helped change our lives to give us answers we needed to better understand them. Staff are friendly and supportive. Dr Siggers is absolutely amazing! Couldn’t recommend more highly!!! Thank you Starjumpz
Mrs S
We went to Starjumpz for an assessment with Dr Leclezio Paediatrician. She was excellent, very gentle and she communicated especially sensitively with my son making the assessment a very positive experience. We also saw Clare Lucas Speech Therapist who was lovely and made my son feel at ease.
Mrs E
Dr Siggers was everything a paediatrician should be, one of the best paediatric doctors we have ever met. Her passion and dedication shone through in the assessment. She had this calming air about her. She was very focused and attentive to both my son and I. She got us both through a hard day. The way in which she delivered Harrys official diagnosis will never leave me. She made it as positive and uplifting as she knew best. She never once used negative comments and her advocacy for autism shone through. I will always be so grateful for her kindness and support.
Mrs H
The service we received from Dr Georgie Siggers was life changing! The whole team at Starjumpz have a heart of gold. Thank you all x
Mrs B
Highly recommended. All staff so helpful and supportive through a rather emotional time.
Mrs E
Amazing place. Can’t thank them enough for seeing my son and properly assessing my son. We’ve now got a diagnosis and peace of mind. Highly recommend!
Mrs T
Occupational Therapy/ Sensory Integration Therapy
Many thanks for your time yesterday. You and Amelia do a lovely job of helping the kids settle in and work through the assessments without anxiety.
Tony
The sensory integration my son received at Starjumpz was brilliant. He thought he was having a play date with Jo as it was such fun for him but was actually getting the help he needed to organise his sensory overload and as a result we saw him able to deal much better with tantrums and frustration. The help we got for him at Starjumpz is still being used at school to this day. A great team of people who made you feel part of a special family.
Nikki Richards
We have started working with the dear Olivia Luke a few weeks ago, and we have been so delighted in the progress we’ve already been blessed to witness in our daughter. She took to Ms. Luke right away and was immediately looking so forward to her next session with her and all the games and play they would get to do. Ms. Luke brings great wisdom, care, and personability to her work, her depth of experience and passion for what she does is evident. While being clear and helpful, she also creates a space that is encouraging, safe, and a joy for the child to expand into and try new things. Starjumpz and Ms. Luke have our family’s fullest and heartfelt appreciation and recommendation.
Danielle R.
Functional Medicine
Dr. Liz and her functional medicine approach has been essential to my journey of figuring out exactly what is going on with my health! She’s patiently helped me try to untangle the myriad of related symptoms and encouraged me to rest as much as I can. When I’ve been overwhelmed with the need to overhaul my diet, she’s gently reminded me that some change is better than no change, and I don’t have to do everything overnight. When I’ve had trouble understanding the science of what’s going on in my body. Dr. Liz has explained clearly and simply – often with diagrams, which I find extremely helpful! – how different systems interact with one another. She’s full of interesting information about new studies, the effects of vitamins and supplements, and how lifestyle choices affect overall health. I’ve learned so much working with her and am grateful for her time, patience, expertise, and encouragement.
Mrs C
Dr Melissa Bujtor – Consultant, Registered Human Nutritionist (RNutr), Paediatric Feeding Specialist
We cannot thank Dr Bujtor enough for all her expert support and guidance in helping our son with his difficulties around food. These sessions have been extremely beneficial, positive, and not only greatly impacted our son’s confidence around food and his health but the whole family and daily home life in general. When the sessions started our son was very anxious around food, he had a very limited diet, and mealtimes were very stressful. As the sessions have progressed, things have now improved so much that he is beginning to eat wider range of foods, has developed a wide range of strategies to use when he finds eating a challenge and mealtimes are much calmer. These effective tools and strategies that have been provided and implemented; we will continue to use to develop our son’s eating habits further. Due to the improved intake of foods, our son is now beginning to look much healthier, has more energy for the things he loves and is finding mealtimes much less stressful. In addition to supporting our son, Dr Bujtor provided us with regular feedback, support, and encouragement. This has given us the confidence to keep going even throughout parts of the process that have been tough. Dr Bujtor made our son feel at ease within the sessions and made the sessions age appropriate and fun while having a very clear purpose, building on previous learning but also personalising the learning to address any issues as they arose.
We would not hesitate to recommend sessions with Dr Bujtor to others who are seeking support with regards to their child’s eating difficulties – we wish we had sought this support much earlier.
Mr and Mrs A
Play Therapy
My pictures have gone from dark to light, that is how I feel inside.
Testimony from a child.
Alpha Stim Device for Anxiety and Insomnia
My son has been using the Alpha Stim. Within 3 days we noticed a significant impact on his anxiety levels. As a result, we’ve been able to do things as a family that we’ve never been able to do before. And my son’s world has totally changed. He can now be around other children in environments like playgrounds. Such a breakthrough. A total life changer.
Mrs L
Dr Emily Durling’s Autism Assessment Service
I’d like to express my deepest gratitude for the time and attention you dedicated to my child’s paediatric autism assessment and report. Your expertise and compassionate approach have made a profound impact on our lives. You have provided a comprehensive diagnostic assessment, which has given us a greater understanding of who she is, along with her personal needs, allowing her the precious gift of being unapologetically herself. I believe that this diagnosis and your thorough report will serve as a crucial roadmap for her future. Not only might it help her access the support and understanding she may require but also empower her to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead with confidence. Your dedication to your work and your genuine care for your patients are truly commendable, Emily. We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with you during this critical time. Your guidance has not only benefited my child, but has also provided me, as her mother, with much-needed reassurance and direction.
Mrs B
Dr Emily, Lauren and the whole team at Starjumpz have provided our daughter and our whole family with the finest care throughout our daughter’s assessment; making her feel comfortable and supported at every step of the process. The report produced was incredible insightful, sensitive to and inclusive of every one of our daughter’s idiosyncrasies, and importantly, producing a set of recommendations that were genuinely helpful and practical to implement. Our daughter, the family and schools will be able to offer our daughter all the support she needs now. Thank you!
