An autistic young person participating in the Moving Forward+ project shares her experience.
Moving Forward+ with CashBack is delivered by the National Autistic Society (NAS). It is for autistic children and young people aged 10-15 who have stopped engaging with school or been excluded, or those aged 16-25 who are not in education, employment, or training.
Following on from World Autism Acceptance Week earlier this month, here’s a look at how transformative this project can be for the young people who take part.
E’s story
15-year-old E joined the project ‘because I wanted to get the necessary qualifications, build my confidence in meeting new people, and also be able to go into school without being anxious like I normally would be.’
E recalls that ‘when I first started out, I felt super nervous about the sudden change. But Victoria [NAS Engagement Support Manager], Ailbhe [NAS Engagement Support Coordinator], and my Pastoral Care Teacher made me feel welcomed.’
Through one-to-one coaching and group work, Moving Forward+ supports participants to build confidence and develop strategies to improve their resilience and mental health.
Ailbhe, E’s Engagement Support Coordinator, says that from ‘around May 2022, E was no longer able to attend high school, though her attendance had been inconsistent since primary school. Her Pastoral Care Teacher had referred autistic pupils who experienced barriers to their engagement in education to Moving Forward+ in the past, and decided to also refer E to our service.’
E says that ‘I don’t remember exactly when I started out, but it was a bit after when I returned to school for half an hour lessons. I now go to school every Monday at around 9:00 and stay for about 3 hours, leaving around 11:40. I also meet Ailbhe at school for an hour every week.’
Ailbhe shares that ‘we spent the first few sessions getting to know one another and I lost quite a few games of Jenga in the process.’
Moving Forward+ aims to develop young people’s understandings of autism using a person-centred approach. Ailbhe explains that ‘when E was ready, we began learning about autism and related topics like social communication and emotion management.’
The project also introduces participants to their peers, to reduce isolation and build a sense of belonging. E describes attending ‘a Christmas party at an arcade with other people my age where we played Super Mario and tonnes of other games. I’ve also been learning about autism with Ailbhe and the different ways being an autistic learner can impact my experiences to help me understand my life better.’
What about the goals E set for herself on joining the project?
‘I’ve passed my National 3 Maths, National 3 English and my National 4 Listening and English. I’ve also finished my first module learning about autism and I’m starting my second one right now. I’ve also built up more confidence and courage.’
I used to feel nervous about people looking at me but now I’d like to say that I’ve opened up more and I’m making decisions by myself.
Ailbhe agrees that E ‘now takes the initiative to independently set goals for herself and has decided to work on increasing her timetable in school, hoping to return full-time in August. We are currently focusing on identifying the steps she can take in order to achieve this goal. E takes great pride in the work she puts into her school lessons and our sessions, and she is evidently well on her way to achieving her aim to grow her self-confidence and develop her independence.’
Looking forward, E aims to continue to aspire and grow. ‘I want to have more confidence in myself. I’d also like to get all my qualifications and the courage to talk to people or even simple things like going into the shops by myself. I am always finding new goals to work towards.’
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