Royal Central - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
The Princess of Wales’s campaign for the early years continued in Kent on Wednesday morning as the royal joined a portage session for families with special educational needs children.
The visit to The Orchards, billed by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood as a way to “highlight the importance of support for neurodiversity in early childhood,” saw Catherine joining in a play session with seven children.
The children all live with varying special needs, including autism, Down Syndrome, and social communication difficulties. Catherine played with the children and spoke with their parents and the portage practitioners who work with each family.
According to the Centre for Early Childhood, portage provides educational services to children living with special needs or disabilities from birth to preschool age. Catherine’s visit was meant to learn more about the National Portage Association and the work they do.
Charlotte Beer told reporters about the Princess’s support for special needs children in the first five years of life, saying: “You can really tell that she really cared about the children, she came and sat with some of them on the floor, talking to their parents. You can really see she cares and she wants to make a change.”
Stephen Ikebuwa, the father of one of the children Catherine met, told reporters from Hello! afterwards he and the royal had discussed his wife’s hyperemesis gravidarum, which Catherine experienced during all of her pregnancies as well.
Ikebuwa said: “You can see her expression change; she went through the same thing. I remember one of her visits in a hospital she said something about how she had hyperemesis gravidarum. You can see her connection to the fact that my wife went through all that, and that really resonated with me.”
After Catherine’s visit, the Centre posted on social media: “A fun-filled sensory session in Sittingbourne meeting incredible portage staff and the families they support. A truly wholesome afternoon!”