15829/2Springboard pre-school has worked wonders with timid Matthew Cross. But his place is at risk from lack of funding, as ZOE MILLS reports

MATTHEW Cross is a little mouse. The four-year-old cutie is so shy he doesn't speak to anyone but his parents Alan and Christine.

Mr Cross explained that Matthew, who lives in Kingham Close, Chippenham, has a social communication disorder.

"He constantly babbles away at home, but he doesn't communicate with anyone else," said Mr Cross, 46.

"He is there and he's taking it all in but nothing's coming out."

Matthew, who has attended the Chippenham-based special needs pre-school Springboard since Christmas, is another child who stands to lose his place unless more money is found.

Running Springboard costs about £80,000 a year, but it only receives around £40,000 in funding. The rest of the money has to be found through fundraising and donations.

Mrs Cross, 38, said: "Matthew's really come out of himself since he's been going to Springboard. It would be a great shame if he lost that now."

Happy-go-lucky Matthew also attends Busy Bees and St Peter's pre-schools in Chippenham, and his parents only realised something was wrong when his teachers mentioned his timidity to them.

"They were concerned because obviously he should be talking with his friends," said Mr Cross. "He doesn't even respond to questions. It's a confidence thing.

"He is very, very quiet even at home. He does like being around other children but it's almost like he doesn't know how to interact."

Mr Cross said he was a late-developer too, and didn't walk or talk until he was two.

"I was terrible as a child and neither of us are the most outgoing people now," he said. "You wouldn't call us the life and soul of the party.

"Because of this we weren't unduly concerned, but we did begin to notice that he intonates in the wrong places and some people have trouble understanding him.

"We talk to him, read to him and sing to him at home, and we hadn't had any problems.

"For two years I sang the Wheels on the Bus every night when he went to bed. Thankfully I don't have to do that now."

The couple took Matthew, their only child, to see a speech therapist, who diagnosed social communication disorder. "As soon as they raised the issue we wanted to do all we could to help Matthew," said Mrs Cross.

"And when they told us about Springboard they said there were a lot of other Matthews. We are very fortunate to have a place there."

Mrs Cross said Matthew loved his time at Springboard, and was even beginning to interact with the other children.

"He calls it Sprinkles, and has a

really good time there," she said. "He loves the company and the toys. The staff are fantastic with him and they've really drawn him out of himself.

"It's much more intensive than a normal pre-school and he really benefits from the one-to-one. As one of 30 at other places he can be a bit isolated.

"It is such a positive place, and they concentrate on all the good things Matthew does. It's boosted his confidence and he's been talking a lot more."

The couple said without Springboard, their daily lives would be a lot more difficult.

"They are experts, but we just muddle along," said Mr Cross. "We could, unwittingly, be taking him in the wrong direction. But the structured feedback we get from Springboard means we base what we do with Matthew at home around it.

"He'll never be confident enough to be a leader, but he's a different boy now to when he started Springboard."