Nick: Don’t at any point under estimate what – what is the best way of saying this?

Vikki: Well don’t under estimate the power of parents voice...

Nick: Yes.

Vikki: As I said, I think we as parents put in the initial referral to speech and language. We as parents put in the request for the statement, and whether we were lucky we don’t know, but everything that we have done has happened each time in under six months and that is without using any favouritism, any professionals that we knew. It just happened. And it is a case of if that is what you believe in to keep on going.

Nick: Yes. And don’t ever think that you are not deserving of help or assistance. And if you apply for something or try to get help for something, they can only say, but what they can do is they can say yes, and provide you with help. So don’t you know, always try, always ask the questions. Or else you won’t get the answers.

Vikki: I think it is never, never be prepared not to ask silly questions. For example we didn’t know that we could get a free concession card for the cinema and it was only because somebody said to me, “Oh did you not know you could get one? I thought you knew because that is your job.” And I said, “Well I didn’t know.” Or, “Did you not know that you could get a concession ticket to go to the local sports club?” And again we didn’t know. But it is not being embarrassed to ask these silly questions. Going into tourist attractions now, they have these signs up saying, disabled concessionary rates, it’s having the front to say, “Well my son is.” “Oh yes, well you can go to the front of the queue and have a concessionary rate.” It is not being taken advantage of but it is realising that if you only spend half an hour in a museum because the child has to leave then ultimately you want to spend £30 going into the museum.