"A grant towards occupational therapy gave us the answers we needed for our autistic son"

When Laura and Matthew Osling’s two-year-old son, Nye, was experiencing unexplained behavioural issues at nursery, they didn’t know what to do. Thanks to the Fund’s support, the family were provided with a grant for occupational therapy, where Nye was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder.

The RAF has always been a huge part of the Osling family’s lives – former Chief Technician Matthew served for 26 years before leaving in July 2024, and his wife Laura works at Brize Norton, specialising in mechanical transport for a private company.

Despite being aware of the RAF Benevolent Fund from their time on station, Laura and Matthew never considered they would require support. However, that changed once their son, Anuerin (known as Nye), started nursery.

Laura said: "When Nye started nursery, he had a lot of violent outbursts, with no explanation of their causes. I’d get pulled into nursery every day, and would have to fill out at least ten incident forms every time I went.

"We didn’t know what was wrong, we couldn’t figure out the trigger. I couldn’t even reprimand him as he didn’t understand why he was reacting in such a way. It was difficult, we had no family nearby and both my husband and I worked full time, but I kept being called in. It affected our eldest son, Gethin, too. Parents would stop talking to me, and Nye had no friends. It went on from when he was two until around four years old."

Laura did some research and came across information on Sensory Processing Disorder – a condition in which multisensory input is not adequately processed in order to provide appropriate responses to the demands of the environment. She explained: "Nye didn’t like lots of sounds and high volumes, and he also didn’t like light touch from other people. When I read about Sensory Processing Disorders, the dots finally joined up, but I needed confirmation from a medical professional to diagnose Nye properly."

Laura spoke with a health visitor, who advised that Nye would require occupational therapy, however, occupational therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder was not available on the NHS.

"It was a minefield," said Laura, adding: "I didn’t know where to begin and it was all so expensive. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a Warrant Officer in the RAF and he suggested contacting the Fund for help, which I did, and was awarded a grant to cover the cost of an occupational therapist to do a full assessment"

After an in-depth assessment, Nye was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. Laura said: "It was such a relief having some answers. The occupational therapist provided us with a full report with explanations for Nye’s behaviour and tools to help us manage it together. The grant also funded additional sessions with Nye.

"It wasn’t a magic wand – Nye’s conditions aren’t curable but we know how to regulate his responses now. Having the occupational therapy report was so helpful when Nye started school, and we could refer the teachers to it so they understood how to manage his behaviour. Nye is now 11, and has more of a routine and structure since being in school, so things have got easier."

Laura added: "The support from the Fund has meant so much – having the money to do the occupational therapy without being financially restricted was so reassuring for us. The therapy provided a great insight into how we could help our son and give him what he needs and deserves.

"A lot of people in the RAF don’t realise the Fund is there to help with all sorts – I didn’t know they could help with our situation until I was recommended to get in touch. The Fund is a great starting point, and we shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for help, it’s what it’s there for. The support has been invaluable to my family and I."