THE Gazette’s Give Us A Chance appeal will help not just children who attend the main opportunity centre in Devizes, but also the satellite nursery in Tidworth.

Out in Tidworth there is never a dull moment as four specialist members of staff spend every moment encouraging their young charges, who have a range of specialist educational needs, to learn and thrive.

The seven young boys who attend on a Tuesday and Thursday morning are mainly a boisterous and noisy bunch, but supervisor Ginette Peach said not long ago several of them had little or no speech and some hid under tables rather than joining in.

She said: “Every child has their own individual plan and key worker, but we all work with them all so they don’t just get attached to one person. We need to be preparing them for when they leave here and go to school.

“Some will go into a mainstream school, others into a special unit at a school and some to a special school but we try and help them all to improve their communication and concentration skills.

“All of the children we have at the moment are boys aged from two to four and most of them have been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum.

“When some of them first came they did not interact at all with others and had little or no speech. It is impossible to tell how quickly children will respond as they are all different.

“A number of our children come from military families and we also do everything we can to support them as often they do not have relatives nearby so can feel very isolated.”

Erryn Goodyear, three, did not speak when he first joined the nursery, but the staff use his own special book full of pictures to help him tell them what he wants. He put a picture of a drum on the front cover and then confidently said: “I want a drum.” This was immediately found for him to reinforce his good work.

Mrs Peach said: “Erryn wouldn’t come up to you and ask for a drum but once the pictures are in place he will read out what he sees. This gives him confidence to speak.”

Soldier’s son Jayden Stapleton, four, is now full of confidence and happy to join in but when he first came to the nursery found it difficult to concentrate.

Flash cards and Makaton sign language are used to re-enforce words when children are needed to do something they are reluctant to take part in.

Mrs Peach said: “It can be exhausting, but it is also very rewarding.”