David’s* history

David was diagnosed with learning disabilities and autism when he was four years old. At such a young age he already presented with self-injurious, repetitive behaviours and difficulties interacting with his family.

As a teenager, his educational needs could not be met in mainstream or specialist schools and he was moved to a residential school. After a while it was clear that the residential school was also unable to manage his complex needs and he was admitted to hospital under the Mental Health Act.

David remained in hospital for a couple of years and then spent a number of years moving between different services who were unable to support him effectively.

When David came to us

When David arrived at Toller Road the team noticed that his interactions were largely centred around wants, needs and likes, with little social interaction to engage in more meaningful conversations.

David struggled with communication, often attempting to express himself through shouting, threats and other aggressive behaviours. He also needed lots of support to complete his personal care.

David’s care

The team completed a staged transition period with David to reduce his anxiety and build confidence with the staff team and new environment.

David continued to be preoccupied with certain topics and would repeat words and phrases when anxious. Any changes to his routine would make him feel nervous. There were times when he would shout and break things if he was unable to regulate his emotions.

During the first few months, David began to build trusting relationships with the staff which helped him to express himself. Slowly, he started to engage with psychology sessions, including mindfulness exercises that helped with his anxieties and obsessive thoughts.

David continued to have intrusive thoughts, however he felt able to talk to the staff about these, which made them easier to cope with. The team encouraged open conversations by helping him to acknowledge intrusive, negative self-talk and recognising his negative thought patterns.

David began to understand his obsessive patterns and accept them without feeling overwhelmed. The frequency and severity of his behaviours reduced which allowed the team to focus more on improving his independent living skills.

Slowly, David began to take pride in his personal hygiene and room cleanliness without staff prompts. He felt secure with simple tasks, such as using the washing machine and shared kitchen. The team encouraged and supported him to shop and cook. He was then able to plan and prepare meals confidently with minimal support.

The team encouraged David to explore his hobbies and passions, arranging day trips and activities based on his interests and goals.

The activity coordinator was particularly proud of how far he has come, and what he has managed to achieve, saying, “It was an honour to support David to do the things he loves, he has managed to enjoy activities that he has never done before, and absolutely loved them.”

David today

David was supported at Toller Road for 18 months, by which point he was ready to move into a supported living placement closer to home.

Although he did not like long journeys he was supported to visit his new home several times by the Toller Road team. His transition was a seamless process, the staff shared knowledge and care plans to support David’s routine with his new care provider.

Today David is happy in his new home, he is enjoying living more independently, managing his own medication, and picking up new hobbies.

A support worker said: “David left Toller Road with so many more skills. He was able to listen with more patience, his obsessional behaviours decreased and he was able to plan more healthy options. He left Toller Road healthy and happy and ready to take on new direction.”

*Name has been changed to protect his identity