Benji lives with a variety of conditions that make his life more difficult than his peers. While he’s made big strides at school thanks to a much-needed tablet, at home it was a different story. To help take Benji to the next level, Satan’s Little Helper stepped in.
As his mum Rebecca puts it, 10-year-old Benji was “born unlucky”. On top of being diagnosed with ADHD at the age of nine, he’s extremely short-sighted and has a condition which results in bone growth where his teeth should be.
“His front teeth can’t grow properly without an operation to remove the growths, while the back ones are coming through on angles, which blocks the rest from developing” explains Rebecca. “He’s in constant pain and struggles to eat.”
Lack of dental support
It’s an extremely painful experience for Benji and a heart-wrenching one for Rebecca, especially as the surgery he desperately needs is expensive and there is no funding available from the government.
“I’ve applied for help to a couple of external places. Maybe one of those will come through,” says Rebecca.
Transformed at school
On a more positive note, Benji has come on leaps and bounds at school since his ADHD diagnosis.
“Once teachers knew that he wasn’t being difficult or naughty on purpose, it was a game changer,” says Rebecca. “Before his diagnosis, he was stood down from school twice because he struggled to control his emotions and his frustration got the better of things.”
Teachers have subsequently acquired funding for a tablet for Benji to use at school, which has been a revelation. Because of his poor eyesight, he struggles to read words off a page but now he can enlarge anything he likes, plus it has reduced his frustration levels in class.
As a result, he’s more engaged during lessons – and has even started to enjoy being there!
“Last year, it was such a struggle to get him to school but now he’s up and ready to go before me! There has been a complete turnaround in his outlook and it’s amazing to see,” says Rebecca.
Improved performance
Benji has gone from level 12 to 21 in reading and his maths is a lot better as well. Despite improvements at school, Benji has struggled to learn at home without access to a tablet. When Satan’s Little Helper heard his plight, we knew we had to provide him one!
Now, armed with a new device, Benji is ready to take his learning to a new level.
“For Benji to have home access to the same apps he uses at school means he can do extra schoolwork. Plus, he can read a book before bed to calm down.
“The best part is that he really wants to do it and that’s something I’ve really enjoyed seeing. It’s such a weight off my shoulders. There were times I was so upset because I could see how much his situation frustrated him. He’s come such a long way – and the tablet will help him go even further. It’s awesome to see.”
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