Stories
The first Person Centred Planning Tool I was introduced to was the One Page Profile. As I looked at the One Page Profile I realised that when I introduced my son to other people who hadn’t met him before I had fallen into a habit. I always introduced him by name, age and disability. What did that really tell people about my son? One of his sister’s descriptions written when she and he were 9 years old was much more accurate: "My brother is autistic and cunning".
I started thinking about what I liked and admired about my son. His cheerful, sunny disposition, his amazing bounces on the trampoline, his cheeky and loving ways. The way he gets round the hardest heart with his friendly ways. The way he gives himself away when he has got something...
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My son Louis is 14, and has autism. Everything prior to using the person centred approach page was about what the professionals wanted, without asking or considering my Louis' sensitivities, preferences. For example, Louis has anxieties and worries about change, when the doctor wanted to change his meds, she started discussing it in front of Louis, even though I'd previously asked (and I'm sure it was written in notes) that any change be discussed privately. Louis had a bad reaction and panicked at the possibility of not having his meds, this caused an upset that needn't have happened.
I started using the person centred approach page with Louis early last year, and since then have shown/given this page to all people who have any dealings with Louis. Even though it has the same things I've already told doctors, it seems to make a real difference having it written down, and in such a...
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This is a sonnet written by a 13 year old Alex Hall about her brother, Matthew.
Should I compare you to a butterfly?
You dazzle better than any creature
Constant flapping will take you to the sky
You are an odyssey of all nature
Think of butterflies, their life is shorter
That’s why your life is so precious to me
Butterflies intricate patterns aren’t better
‘Cos...
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