Nursery World - A Unique Child: Inclusion

A specialist nursery’s inclusive approach to supporting and enabling a three-year-old boy with a rare genetic mutation in the KCNQ2 gene

Three-year-old Zack has thrived since accessing the specialist facilities for children with physical disabilities at Treloar’s in Alton, Hampshire – first attending Treloar’s BELONG parent and child group, then moving to the nursery aged two.

Zack’s mum Amelia says, ‘I feel reassured to know he is in good hands with people who genuinely care and who he has become attached to. Zack is a sociable little boy, who has flourished at Treloar’s and we have watched a personality evolve over the few years that we have been going.’

Zack’s disabilities are due to KCNQ2 encephalopathy, a condition caused by a rare mutation in the KCNQ2 gene. A broad range of motor and cognitive disabilities are common in this recently discovered form of encephalopathy, as are seizures, and most children with the condition are unable to function independently. In Zack’s case, he is unable to walk, talk or feed independently, while his other disabilities include a visual impairment.

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