Lived Experience
Kate’s Lived Experience – How She Shapes Support at Big Stepping Stones
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Kate’s Story of Support for Children with Complex Needs
At Big Stepping Stones, we believe meaningful support starts with real, lived experience. Kate Dixon, Children and Young Persons Specialist at Big Stepping Stones, brings professional knowledge which has been moulded by her everyday reality. As a mother to her son Leo, who has complex needs including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and other needs, Kate’s experience directly informs how we support families across schools, centres, and community settings.
Kate’s day-to-day work involves systems that many families find overwhelming. From getting specialist equipment and wheelchairs to arranging home adaptations that allow Leo to move safely and confidently, Kate understands the persistence required for support to work in real life. This allows us to help families push for solutions that genuinely improve comfort, safety, and independence.
Through her and Leo’s journey, Kate has also become a strong advocate for parents and siblings, not just the child with additional needs. Quality of life matters for the whole family, and this belief influences everything we do at Big Stepping Stones, helping families move beyond coping, toward thriving.
Turning Experience Into Practical Support
At Big Stepping Stones, our support and specialist knowledge aren’t just theoretical but practical and grounded in real-life problem-solving. As well as her professional training, Kate and the team bring tested, compassionate, and realistic strategies that families can actually use in everyday life.
Kate has spent years working with education, health, and social care systems, the same ones many families come to us feeling lost within, due to how time-consuming and bureaucratic they can feel. She knows what it’s like to fill out endless forms, attend difficult meetings, and chase answers that don’t come easily. This understanding shapes how we work, by helping families feel more confident, more informed, and less alone.
At BIG Stepping Stones, we focus on:
- Preparing families for important conversations and assessments
- Exploring routines, equipment, and day-to-day needs
- Supporting siblings and the wider family
- Offering advice without pressure, when families feel ready
This practical support is grounded in real insights and helps parents take clear, manageable next steps.
How do you support Children with Complex Needs?
One of the most important contributions Kate brings to our children’s special-needs support work is an understanding that behaviour is often linked to physical or sensory discomfort. It’s common for families to be told to manage their children’s behaviour without being given the chance to explore the reasons behind it. Kate helps parents and carers look beyond the surface and understand more in-depth reasons why their special needs child(ren) behave the way they do.
Through her experience with Leo, she has developed a detailed understanding of how pain, posture, communication difficulties, and sensory processing can influence a child’s behaviour. At Big Stepping Stones, we use this insight to guide our sessions with families, helping them identify patterns, ask the right questions, and respond in ways that are supportive and practical.
| Area | Why it Matters |
|---|---|
| Pain and discomfort | May be expressed through changes in mood or behaviour |
| Sensory sensitivities | Can affect sleep, transitions, and overall well-being |
| Postural needs | Influence comfort, interaction, and daily engagement |
| Communication | Affects how children express needs and frustration |
By helping families focus on the underlying causes, not just the behaviours, we support lasting change and improve quality of life.
Practical Strategies That Make a Difference
Kate’s experience shows that small adjustments can make a big difference, whether it’s the right piece of equipment, a more comfortable routine, or knowing which language to use in a meeting. We guide families through:
- Reviewing equipment and its impact on comfort
- Writing care plans that reflect daily needs
- Supporting children through sensory challenges
- Preparing parents for meetings with health or education professionals
We don’t offer one-size-fits-all advice. Instead, we listen and work with each family to identify realistic strategies suited to their specific situation.
Advocacy That Makes Systems Work for Families
| Area | Why it Matters |
|---|---|
| CHC or funding appeals | Understanding eligibility and preparing evidence |
| EHCP processes | Describing real-life needs in a way professionals can understand |
| Respite care | Exploring realistic and sustainable options |
| Equipment and adaptations | Accessing and following up on referrals |
These are often the areas that parents find most difficult to approach. Our role is to make them feel supported, not alone, as they go through each step.
Building Confidence in Families with Special Needs Children
Over time, our goal is to help families feel more confident and in control of their own journey. Kate understands how draining and uncertain the process can be. Through her work, we aim to give families the tools and reassurance they need to make informed decisions and move forward with clarity.
Big Stepping Stones works across schools, children’s centres, and community spaces to make support accessible and responsive. Whether families attend a drop-in or book a more focused session, we meet them with respect, honesty, and care.
We support:
- Parents gaining confidence in care and decision-making
- Children are being better understood and are more comfortable
- Siblings and carers feeling included
- Families building stronger connections to their own support networks
Kate’s story is just one example of how lived experience can shape support that makes a real impact.
Conclusion
Kate’s story is not just personal, it’s central to how we work at Big Stepping Stones. Her lived experience as a parent of a child with complex needs has shaped the support we offer: clear, practical, and grounded in a fundamental understanding of what families face.
We know many parents feel unsure, overwhelmed, or isolated when seeking help. That’s why our approach is delivered with honesty, care, and respect. From school drop-ins to structured sessions in family centres, our work is always focused on helping families feel more confident, more supported, and more able to make the their children future as bright as possible.
