Steph's Story
Steph James has been working as a Child Carer (Grade 3) with the North East Autism Society since September 2008.
She is based in one of our residential houses and works with a small team dedicated to providing the best possible care and support for the four boys who live there.
“The boys are aged between 11 and 14 - so as you can imagine, it’s pretty boisterous in our house at times!” she laughs.
Steph and the team work shifts, so her duties vary from day to day. Here she describes the support she would offer to the boys at different times of the day.
“If I’m working in the mornings, we get the boys up at about 7a.m. We help them to get washed and dressed before they come downstairs for their breakfast.
“After we’ve cleared the breakfast dishes, we’ll help them to clean their teeth and then they have a little bit of free time before we take them to school in the people carrier.”
“While the boys are at school I have domestic duties, making sure the house is clean and tidy. Cleaning certainly isn’t my favourite part of the job, but it’s really important that the boys have a comfortable, welcoming home to live in. “
“I might also have some paperwork to complete, records of what the boys have been doing, mediation and so on.”
“It’s good fun working at the house in the afternoons. We collect the boys from school, then help them to take off their coats and shoes before they enjoy some free time.
“I really enjoy getting to know them a little better each day. It feels good to know that one of the boys enjoys being tickled and playing with me, whilst another is keen to help me plan the evening’s activities.
“Two of the boys have quite a lot of speech, one is less verbal and one boy uses pecs to communicate. I work hard to make sure I understand exactly what each young man wants to tell me.”
“Of course, at times each of the boys can present challenging behaviour. I was already quite experienced with young people who have autism, but the North East Autism Society have also offered plenty of training about distraction techniques, the C.A.L.M. theory and other methods for supporting and helping young people when they are agitated or upset.
“The boys help us to prepare their tea and then we head off to the evening’s activity.”
“As a newcomer to the organisation I have been really impressed by the range of opportunities which the North East Autism Society offers for young people who have autism.
“The boys enjoy all sorts of different activities. On Thursdays, for example, we go to a hydrotherapy pool where we all really enjoy the warm water, soothing lights and music. It’s great fun!”
“They also love their After School Club on Wednesdays where we’ve tried everything from creative arts to cookery to archery. We even built a bonfire one night. “
“The weekends are another great time to introduce the boys to new experiences. Sometimes we might go for a country walk and a picnic, or we might have a trip to the cinema. It all depends on what each boy chooses to do.
“Recently we tried horse riding. It was a great success. And it felt so good to see the boys smiling, happy and really enjoying themselves!”
“I am enjoying my job and I feel that the Society offers me opportunities for career progression. At the moment I’m studying psychology in my spare time, so I’m hoping there will be opportunities to use my academic studies to benefit young people within the North East Autism Society.”
“Watch this space!”
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