Mike

White Gold was asked to work with a young person who had not been attending school for some time.  He is on the autistic spectrum, and at the time was having real issues engaging with any support that was offered to him.  The objectives were to initially get him to engage.  From that to build up his self-confidence, and that having been achieved to assist getting him back into an educational environment that best suited his very individual needs.  In this work the White Gold worker liaised directly with the educational establishment where the lad was enrolled.

For the first five or six sessions the lad didn’t even acknowledge the White Gold worker. On one occasion the worker stood outside his mums closed car window in the rain, with the lad inside, and talked to him.  It was vital to establish trust, and that White Gold was not going to let him down.  The lad had a deeply seated mistrust of support workers.  This was because in the past, as soon as he got to know someone, and trusted them, they had finished working with him.

Gradually, over a period of 12 months or so, a positive working relationship developed and the lad’s self-confidence improved. True, there were ups and downs.  Eventually he engaged and benefitted from the White Gold worker introducing him to aspects of local history, and Cornish culture and heritage. As a result, the lad engaged more, made partial eye contact, and started to initiate conversations about topics that interested him.

During this time, it was identified that the lad was a “discovery learner”. He liked to gain knowledge by finding things out for himself.  He was also interested in computer related equipment, particularly taking items apart and repairing them.  This may be a possible route for him to work towards for a training course, a placement, or perhaps a job in the future?

Finally, the White Gold worker facilitated the lad being introduced to another support worker from a different organisation.  This person was younger and able to offer a different input with a more educational focus.  The lad took to this new stimulus in a very positive manner.  The end result was that gradually the White Gold worker phased out seeing the lad.  It was important that this was managed carefully via a planned exit strategy which it was.  The initial objectives were met, and the lad moved on with his young life.  That said White Gold made it clear to him that they were always at the end of a phone for him if needed.