Rhiannon

I self referred to the Dragonfly Project at a time when things felt very overwhelming for our family. It was during the summer holidays before our youngest started school. We had reached out to so many professionals but felt like we were getting nowhere and were beginning to feel as though we were in crisis. Both of our children were struggling, but our youngest in particular, and we felt quite isolated trying to manage everything on our own.

Our eldest is diagnosed autistic and awaiting an ADHD assessment, he also experiences high levels of anxiety. At the time, our youngest was awaiting an autism assessment and was having extreme, violent meltdowns that could last for hours. Despite my background in early years, SEN qualifications, and professional childcare experience, nothing I did to try and support him seemed to help. I felt completely at a loss.

The Dragonfly meeting made a huge difference for us. Hannah took the time beforehand to speak with us and other family members, helping to put everyone at ease and making sure we all understood the purpose of the meeting. This made what could have been a very daunting experience feel safe and supportive.

On the day, having all of the professionals involved in our children’s lives together in one place was incredibly helpful. It gave us the opportunity to openly discuss the challenges we were facing, how our children were struggling, and what support we needed as a family.

Together we were able to create clear and practical action plans that everyone could work towards. Just as importantly, it helped our wider family understand what life had really been like for us behind closed doors over the past few years.

Since the meeting, things have improved significantly for us as a family. Both of our children are really well supported at school, we have access to respite care when needed, and our youngest has since been diagnosed with autism. Being supported at school means when home his meltdowns are now much less explosive and far less frequent, and we feel much less alone in navigating everything.

We have another meeting booked for May, which gives me reassurance that if anything comes up before then, we have a space where everything can be openly discussed if it hasn’t already been resolved.

Having everyone working together has made a real difference to our day to day lives. We’re incredibly grateful for the support and coordination provided through the Dragonfly Project and the positive impact it has had on our family.

Rhiannon’s family self referred into the Dragonfly project in August 2025.