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When Lauren Jones tucked her five year old son into bed, she never expected to hear “I want to die,” from him.

Jaxon, Lauren's son, was diagnosed with ADHD, a language and processing disorder at five and this year was diagnosed with autism, at eight years old.

Struggling to cope in a mainstream school, Jaxon was excluded at age six after an incident with a teacher.

Recounting their hardest days, Lauren says: “ A little frail five year old telling you they want to die is just absolutely soul destroying. He was breaking down and saying he hates his brain and nobody can help him.

“He thought he didn't want to be here anymore because he felt so rejected and like a problem. I'd spend time reassuring him that I love his brain and it's amazing.”

He would constantly try to escape school by climbing trees and fences during lunch hours to get away from the ‘loud, busy and hectic playground’.

Every few days Jaxon was getting suspended despite the provisions put in place such as a bespoke timetable and earlier classroom starts to avoid the rush.

Lauren says: “Jackson's mental health was at rock bottom, even before he was excluded. Despite all the provisions, he could not cope with that environment.

“And it's not because of him, it's because of an education system you are legally obliged to put them in.”

Jaxon keeping a keen eye on his best friend

Louie at home with Seb

Jaxon and Seb

Jaxon (left) and Louie (right) on Christmas Day with Seb

Amid the chaos the school contacted social services regarding Jaxon’s behaviour, an experience Lauren describes as ‘traumatising’

However, this only motivated Lauren to get the help her son needed, including his enrollment into a SEN school.

Throughout the chaos, she was also fighting to secure an ECHP (Education, Health and Care Plan) for children with special educational needs or disabilities.

Lauren says: “The whole journey is just a huge brick wall that you have to smash down. It sparked a massive determination that I'm not gonna let anything make my child feel like this.

“I'm always going to fight to the end to get him what he needs. You can’t get much help without a diagnosis, and having to wait years causes so much damage to the child that they’re not getting the correct support and care.”

After a lengthy process in both the legal and education system, Jaxon was placed in an inclusion center, a part attached to a mainstream school for excluded students.

He was later enrolled into a SEN school where he is now in a class of eight.

Lauren added: “He's thriving, and he's just a different child. I'm so proud of him.”

Jaxon sharing a quiet moment with Seb

A trio bound by love: Louie, Jaxon and Seb

Seb sitting beside Jaxon during an afternoon break

Jaxon sharing a gentle moment with Seb

But starting in a SEN school isn't the only reason for Jaxon's positive progress. Seb, the family cockapoo, brings Jaxon comfort in times of distress.

To start, Lauren tried to apply for an assistance dog through several charities, but the long wait lists meant she eventually decided to get a personal dog herself..

Lauren says: "Autism trained dogs weren't always easy to find or the applications were closed due to such a high demand. Maybe I shouldn't have given up so easily, but it was just disheartening.”

Jaxon will often lay with Seb on the floor or have Seb rest on his knee to offer tactile comfort.

When Jackson needs a movement break and wants to burn off some energy, he’ll grab Seb’s toys and play together, often running through the fields.

Fondly speaking about the special bond Lauren says: “It's just such an amazing way to give them confidence and help them understand themselves and feel regulated, because there are so many things that go on in life that are so triggering for autistic people.

“To have a source of comfort, even if it’s not a person who understands them I just think it’s an amazing way and strategy for them.”- change to quotes about the impact of family.

Despite the comfort seb brings, Lauren is keen to get professional training or an official support dog.

When hearing about the life-changing work Support Dogs does Lauren was keen to find out if the work they do could help Jaxon.

She says: “I just think it’s absolutely amazing and so needed. I really applaud them for offering that service and providing these dogs for people that really, really need them.

“They make such an amazing, positive impact on life. It can be life-changing.”

Support Dogs provides specially trained autism assistance dogs who can prevent a child from running into dangerous situations, such as bolting across roads into traffic, a behaviour that can be common among autistic children.

Their dogs are also trained to offer deep touch compression therapy by laying on the child offering a regulating and comforting effect on their nervous system.

However, the charity is also facing a waitlist crisis and is in urgent need of more puppy socialiser volunteers, resources and fundraising to increase the work they can do.

Increasing these will allow people like Lauren to have access to the training or an official dog without the wait.

The campaign aims to take a step towards decreasing it by raising £1000 for 10 autistic children to meet a support dog, get 10 new puppy socialiser sign up’s and increase Peggy, an autism assistance dog’s sponsors.

Aside from trying to get Seb training, Lauren is also a keen activist, campaigning for essential change for SEND children and recently held a peaceful demonstration to raise awareness of the children let down by the system.

Speaking about the protest with enthusiasm Lauren says: ' I've got such a burning passion inside me, even if it’s only little old me, if I can do anything at all to change the system, help another parent, raise awareness on how something really needs to be done then I’ve achieved something.’

Circles of children's shoes were silently placed outside the Sheffield Town hall during the demonstration.

Organised by the charity SEND Sanctuary and part of a national movement, each pair stood for a child with special educational needs or disabilities whose parents felt they had been failed by the system.

Lauren and Jaxon on another adventure

After everything Lauren has fought for to make sure Jaxon gets the help and support he needs, discovering Support Dogs has given her real hope that she may finally be able to get Seb the training or an official support dog.

Lauren says: “Anything that helps an autistic child's mental health, especially from early life, will help decrease the number of children that suffer, support dogs would be a huge part in that, helping them grow into happy, independent adults.

For jaxon he has started dreaming about what his future might look like, which has been largely influenced by his furry best friend.

Lauren says: “ He wants to look after and train animals when he's older, or he wants to go into the police and train police dogs.”

Life after Seb: Jaxon's journey to confidence

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