Schoolboy once afraid to leave the house takes his first holiday

Spencer Goodwin, from Sheffield, was six years old when he refused to leave the house for three months and shocked his parents with extreme tantrums, forcing mother Suzanne Goodwin to seek doctors’ help.

But after two years attending a specialist centre for children with complex mental health difficulties, the nine-year-old has been on a caravanning trip, is back at school full-time and is conquering his fears.

“We couldn’t get him out of the house for three months,” said Mrs Goodwin, 40.

“He wouldn’t wear shoes or socks, he was bordering on agoraphobic and he wouldn’t walk to the front door. He was so uncomfortable in the world.

“One of us always had to be in the house. It put so much strain on us as a family and a relationship.

“If it wasn’t for the help we got I don’t know where the family would be.”

A doctor spotted Spencer’s problem at a routine appointment when he was just three years old, after his sensitivity to clothing grew worse.

His behaviour was so bad during the short appointment he was referred to the Ryegate Children’s Centre in Sheffield, to check for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it turned out to be an autistic spectrum disorder.

Spencer’s sensitivity to everything including brushing his teeth, washing, haircuts, getting dressed, fear of going up and down stairs, and many other touch-based senses made the family’s life a nightmare as they struggled to get him to go outside.

The family were referred to Amber Lodge at Sheffield’s Becton Centre for Children and Young People after their lives hit rock bottom.

Mrs Goodwin said: “We were all in quite a bad place as a family – they saved us.

“When you get a diagnosis you mourn this perfect child you were going to have.

“I always felt guilty for every time I raised my voice or everything that made him uncomfortable.

“I didn’t draw a line between where the child stopped and the autism started. I wouldn’t put any demands on him to ask him to do anything.

“We lost control of the house and he was in control of it with his major meltdown tantrums.”

Spencer started attending the Becton Centre, part of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, which sees children and young people with complex mental health problems

He had a graded introduction to the day programme at Amber Lodge, where staff learnt what helped him most.

Over two years the occupational therapist, psychologist, speech therapist, nurses, teachers 
and family case workers used a variety of special techniques encouraging him to explore the outside world.

The team helped Spencer wear shoes and socks, go outside each day and separately helped Mrs Goodwin and her husband Gary to regain control of their house.

Regular short trips to the door, then onto the drive and further each day helped Spencer conquer some of his fears.

Two years later, Spencer is going to school five days a week and has even been on holiday to Cleethorpes in a caravan.

Dr Gill Crow, a consultant psychologist at the Becton Centre, said: “Whenever we see a patient like Spencer it’s always really important we help the entire family cope and support the child.

“In Spencer’s case he was having a significant effect on his mum and dad and he was 
missing school, so we worked intensively with Spencer and 
the family at home and then 
at Amber Lodge to change 
things.

“The family have been a delight to work with and they have been able to take control, modify his environments, and support Spencer to manage his anxieties.

“Spencer now knows his boundaries and can cope better with the issues of sensitivity his autism brings.”

Mrs Goodwin added: “Now we’ve been to the park and we took him in a caravan to Cleethorpes, which was a big step.

“We try to make everything a positive experience and lots of fun.

“We control the house and we are the parents now.”