For families like the Brocks, Camphill School Aberdeen provides a place for their 18-year-old son with Down’s Syndrome, Adam, to “thrive”.
Children and young people with complex additional needs like Adam’s can have difficulties accessing the right support.
But with Camphill School Aberdeen, he has been offered a sense of community through activities like swimming, arts and crafts and even working on a farm.
And he is just one of many youngsters that Camphill has supported over its 80 year history.
Adam was made to feel welcome from his first tour of Camphill School Aberdeen.
His mum, Stephanie, said: “Adam is non-verbal but you can tell when he is happy or when he is stressed, I really had to convince him to come home as he loved it so much.
I really had to convince him to come home as he loved it so much.”
“That evening after Adam was in bed, I felt such a relief, I knew he would receive the best care and really thrive at the school.”
When Adam was born in Germany back in 2003, his parents assumed that their baby would be happy and healthy.
But just two days after he was born, he was rushed to hospital.
Adam diagnosed with sepsis and heart defects
During the two weeks that Adam spent in neonatal intensive care, doctors discovered he had two holes in his heart and would need surgery.
During this time his parents, Stephanie and Brian, asked for him to be tested for Down’s Syndrome and the results came back positive.
The family moved to Aberdeen a year later and Adam was able to access support from various SEN (special educational needs) schools in the city.
After graduating from Orchard Brae in Aberdeen last year, Adam’s mum said he felt “bored” at home all day.
His family are delighted that he now has access to Camphill’s facilities – which include the likes of weaving, candle-making, woodwork and even growing their own vegetables.
Camphill’s movement began back in 1940 with a small group based in Camphill House.
Today, they have communities across the UK.
The charity supports 95 children and young people across three sites around the city. It recently launched an ambitious campaign to raise £10 million over the next ten years.
Reaching this target will allow them to expand these vital services to more young people like Adam.
Stephanie believes the effect the school has had on her son is incredible.
She added: “Camphill School Aberdeen has given him a sense of purpose and it means the absolute world to us as a family.
“Adam goes to ‘work’ on a Wednesday and a Friday and CSA has made him truly fulfilled and we are so grateful.”
