What is your relationship to the person with autism?

My mom fosters children and we have had an autistic child in our care for the past six years. He as been living with us since he was 10

 

How old is the person or people with autism?

Soon to be 16

 

Does he attend a school for autism?

Yes, he attends a special needs school.

 

What school does he go to?

Queensbury School in Erdington. The pupils there are varied across the spectrum. Another child we know attends the school is also autistic, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that he has autism. All of the children who attend are so different and are at different levels. He will stay at the school until he is nineteen, they provide a special course for his as he will not be able to attend university

 

Where does he place on the autistic spectrum?

I’m not sure exactly where he places on the autistic spectrum, but he has the mental age of a three-year-old child. He does have the potential for learning, since he has been living with us, he has been developing and sometimes he says things that surprise me. He is a lot better than when he first came to live with us. He didn’t want to do his homework, he was always angry and always making a scene, but now he’s a lot better

 

Do you take them into public spaces?

Yes we do, he loves the shopping centre, especially riding the escalator, he likes swimming and going to the park. He likes going out and riding his scooter round the neighbourhood. He does like his own space and will be alone most of the time. He really enjoys open space. He loves being outdoors, especially on holiday, he especially liked the water park and having freedom and his own space.

 

If so, how do they react?

People are okay, they realise that he is autistic or that something is not quite right. He walks with a spring in his step, or he will hang his head as he walks, or he’ll talk and shout to himself and pull faces.

 

What triggers them when they are in a public space or at home?

Being shouted at, or not even that, just being told off being told he can’t do something and he is instantly annoyed. He won’t show it straight away, he will seethe for a while. He will sit on it and seethe and seethe and seethe. Then he’ll go to his room and shout about it and talk about everyone and call everyone else names. Sometimes going into school would annoy him, not so much anymore. He used to wake up and decide that he didn’t want to go to school that day. This would also happen when social workers came to visit and he wouldn’t want to speak to them. I don’t know what specifically triggers this thought, sometimes he is totally fine, and other times, he won’t want to speak to anyone.

 

He will also get annoyed at other young children who come to live with us because he can misinterpret things. Due to his autism he doesn’t understand people very well. People will say something innocently to him and he will react defensively and will take it as a personal thing.

 

What type of spaces calm them down?

Prefers to be in his room, that’s where you will find him most of the time, in his personal space. He will do in there and play on his Wii, shout out of the window or shout to himself. I think he likes it being the same and being able to control it and keep it how it wants. He likes his personal space and being away frim everyone else

 

Does he have any preferred colours?

Doesn’t have any preferred colours, but his room is a bright blue colour

 

Do they do any type of therapy to help with their autism?

I don’t think he does, but there is an organisation called MENCAP who hold activities events in the community for children on the spectrum or with disabilities. They hold clubs for the children during the summer which he enjoys going to. But not any sit down therapy or anything like that.