A DISABLED teenager has come on leaps and bounds in his communication skills since he started using a sensory room.

Andrew Fraser has the rare condition Angelmans Syndrome which limits his development and means he relies heavily on support from his parents Cat and Nicholas.

The family created a sensory room within their Parkhall home which has resulted in the 13-year-old making great progress in terms of communication.

Now, his determined mum Cat is spearheading a new fundraising drive to raise up to £10,000 for a sensory garden, so that her boy can play outside with his two younger brothers safely and calmly.

This began last month with a charity football match between Cat’s colleagues from Asda Clydebank and husband Nicholas’ workmates from Morrisons in Partick, which raised £337.

The sensory garden would see the installation of special textures, lights, sound and smells in various forms, including plants, water features and special devices, to aid the cognitive development of the 13-year-old.

It would help him keep relaxed and boost his communication skills when outside playing with his younger brothers Darren, 4, and Jack, 10.

Cat, 30, an Asda customer service assistant, said: “Andrew has come on so much since we got the sensory room. When he’s in it, there’s no distractions and he understands more of what you’re trying to say to him, the difference it has made has been amazing. I suppose, when he’s in it, he’s almost teaching himself to communicate.” Angelman Syndrome is a rare congenital disorder is characterized by mental disability and a tendency to jerky movement, caused by the absence of certain genes normally present on the copy of chromosome 15. It is the part that allows one to walk, talk, touch, do things independently and understand communications. Due to the condition, the young lad has to use a wheelchair.

Mum Cat continued: “Andrew requires 24/7 care and can’t be left alone. He has no sense of danger, and he even has to be strapped into his bed so he doesn’t fall out of it. He needs someone to wash him, brush his teeth, change his nappy and wash him and constant one on one support at Kilpatrick School.” Cat and husband Nicholas, 31, a baker at Morrisons, just want their son to live as normal a life as possible.

They have been left astonished at the progress Andrew has made since the sensory room was built two years ago.

By allowing Andrew to play in the garden independently with his two brothers they hope he can build on his communication skills even more.

Andrew’s additional needs puts a lot of pressure on the family, but they handle it well.

Cat added: “It’s just normal life for us, caring for Andrew. This is just Andrew’s way of being part of the family.

“Dealing with it can be hard because there are very few people near you that understand what Angelman Syndrome is like. There only three families in West Dunbartonshire affected with this condition. It’s hard, I get a lot of support.” More fundraisers are being planned, with a race night coming up on February 27.