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Helping let talents and personality shine through...
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| Taste of independence - autistic adults at the Jigsaw Study Centre. Philip with Helen Cruickshank. Pictures: STEVE ARGENT (76542-2) |
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Essex Autistic Society has won awards in recognition of the support and care it gives people with autism. VICKY PASSINGHAM went to see what was being offered for adults with autism at the Jigsaw Study Centre in Colchester.
The giant grin which suddenly spread across Luke's face was enough to make anyone's day.
He had been showing me his impressive model boats and my comment on him being a "very clever guy" prompted the smile to beat all smiles.
It is difficult to determine what is more remarkable about 35-year-old Luke's boat-building skills. It is a close call between the fact he is nearly blind and that he is autistic.
"I am a boatbuilder and a virtuoso," he said, with that smile again, as he tells me he also plays the recorder.
People with autism may be reknowned for their "rigidity of thought", said Sylvia Senior, but that doesn't mean many don't have a sense of humour.
What is important is for them to be in an environment where they feel safe, valued and able to bring out their skills and personality.
This is where Essex Autistic Society's Jigsaw Study Centre, in Gosbecks Road, Colchester, comes in. It is a day centre for adults with autism. Currently 48 adults, aged 18 to 65, attend each week to enjoy activities such as woodwork, IT, art and PE, as well as learning vital skills such as basic household activities.
SENSE
As art instructor Sylvia explained, arts and crafts offer students that little bit of independence by giving them the chance to choose what they want to do.
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| Derek with life skills instructor Hayley Bell (76542-1) |
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With Luke's poor eyesight, the tactile boat modelling was an ideal, enjoyable activity for him.
One activity does not suit all. Autism is a lifelong condition which affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people and means they can find it hard to make sense of the world around them.
Paula Whiting, the manager at Jigsaw, said increased awareness about autism in recent years had meant there was greater understanding.
However, with autism affecting people in many different ways, each person had to be cared for differently.
All people with autism have difficulties with three areas - social interaction, communication and imagination - but to what degree varies from person to person.
Whilst the 1988 blockbuster movie Rain Man, where Dustin Hoffman plays a man with autism, brought awareness of the condition to the masses, it did lead to confusion.
"We used to have a giggle about it," said Paula, "because after the film, people thought everyone with autism were verbal (could talk) and were fantastic with numbers."
Structure and routine play a big role in the life of someone with autism.
"Our 48 students all have different needs and are not all here for the same reason," said Paula.
This soon became obvious while walking round the centre. Whereas some students were happy to talk, others were not so keen, possibly unhappy with the intrusion into their routine.
Derek, 48, who lives in a care home in Colchester, has been enjoying coming to Jigsaw for about five years.
"I like it to socialise with people," he said. "I like to talk about nice things."
Derek, who has Asperger Syndrome, likes woodwork and to go out for walks to a particular nearby field where he can enjoy the view. His real passion, though, is for old 78 records - Doris Day's Tea for Two is a particular favourite.
"I like 78s because the songs are more formal than modern records," he said.
Whilst people with Asperger's are able to talk, it sometimes means people think they can cope with more situations than they can.
Paula remembers teaching one student to be able to use the bus. After several months he got used to the set pattern - wait at bus stop, get on bus, buy ticket, sit down, get off bus at stop.
The problem came when the bus was late one day. "He just couldn't cope with the unpredictability of it," she said.
IT instructor Simon Beevers adapts his teaching techniques for each student. Explaining the workings of a mouse or screen would be lost on many students. But find something of interest on the computer and students will learn those skills anyway.
"It is like learning by proxy," he said, stressing that some students had "fantastic ability".
What was most important, stressed Simon, was that Jigsaw was a place where students could do activities they enjoyed in a place they felt valued, safe and content.
In an environment like this, their individual talents and personaility will shine through.
AUTISM FACTFILE
In the UK, autism, in all its forms, affects about one in 100 people.
The Essex Autistic Society offers a wide range of autism specific services including:
Doucecroft School, in Eight Ash Green, provides day and weekly boarding for children aged three to 19
The Further Education Department in Kelvedon for pupils aged 16-19 on a daily or weekly boarding basis. It teaches skills required for life
Adult Services: the society has a number of houses for adults with autism
Family Support: the family support team offers advice to families across Essex. They also work closely with schools, health professionals, businesses and the emergency services to raise awareness of autism.
10:36am Monday 31st March 2008
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