For children diagnosed with a brain tumour before the age of five, treatment comes at a critical time in their development. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy can affect developing skills including language, memory, attention and emotional regulation, with consequences that may only become fully apparent as a child grows. Without specialist support, these children can enter school already at a disadvantage, with children from lower-income families particularly at risk of poorer long-term outcomes. At Tom’s Trust, we provide specialist psychological and neuropsychological support to children with brain tumours and their families from diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.
This particular three-year project focuses specifically on under-fives, providing early assessment and intervention to support their cognitive, emotional and social development. Our psychologists also work with parents and carers, giving families the knowledge and practical tools they need to understand their child’s changing needs and support their rehabilitation at home and as they move into education. The project will support 125 young children over three years, alongside their families, through Tom’s Trust services across the UK. It will also develop practical resources specifically for families of young children, including guidance on issues such as separation anxiety following a brain tumour diagnosis. By intervening early, we aim to reduce the educational and social disadvantage these children can experience and give every child the strongest possible foundations for life beyond their diagnosis.