Helping A Teen With Autism Level 3 Enjoy The Outside World Again
From Sitting In The Car To Playing At The Park: A Story Of Real Progress
This family came to Jess with a big challenge and very little support. Their son, a 13-year-old boy with autism level 3 and behavioural needs, had funding for just two hours a day.
No providers would take him on for that short a shift. They’d all said no. Jess said yes.
“Mum found me in a Facebook group,” Jess explained. “She said, I just want him to go out. He hasn’t been out in years.”
When the family went to events, they took turns sitting with him in the car. He couldn’t be left at home. He wouldn’t go inside.
So one person stayed behind while the rest of the family visited the function. Then they’d
Staff Were Too Scared To Try, So Jess Sat With Him Herself
The first time Jess met him, she suggested the park. Another provider’s staff had taken him out before, but only to drive in circles for two hours and bring him home. He never got out of the car.
When Jess suggested they actually go to the park, the support worker visibly shook. “She was scared,” Jess said.
“And I don’t blame her. This kind of behaviour is intense. You can’t learn it from reading. You only learn by being in it.”
They got to the park. He refused to leave the car. “He cried so hard,” Jess said. “He covered his ears. I told Mum, this isn’t going to work yet. We need to start smaller.”
So Jess spent the first week just playing with him at home. No pressure. No outings. Just activities he enjoyed, mostly musical toys.
A Toy, A Safe Park, And A New Way To Get Him Moving
Jess used the musical toy as her hook. “I brought it with me to the park. I walked ahead, playing it, and he followed me out of the car. He didn’t want me playing with his toy,” she laughed. “So he came behind me.”
They found a quiet park, deep in the hills. No cars. No people. Jess ran ahead with the toy. He ran behind her.
Then he saw the slide. She climbed it first. He followed. She slid down. He slid down after her. “That day, he played on the slide for more than an hour,” Jess said. “It was the first time.”
Now, he loves parks. He plays. He slides. He climbs. “We’ve got videos now, he’s doing amazing.”
Gold Coast, Zoo Trips, And A Toilet Training Breakthrough
From there, the progress kept building. He joined the school holiday program. The team cut his day into two parts, indoor activities first, then the park.
“He even started toilet training,” Jess said. “He wore pull ups, but by the end of the program he was using the toilet and giving signs.”
The routines slipped a little when school started again, but the gains were still there.
He’s now visited the Gold Coast beach. He’s been to the Australia Zoo. “The camel trip didn’t go well,” Jess admitted. “But he gave it a try.”
They’ve also explored the Ipswich Free Zoo and Queen Street nature areas. Each time, he’s experienced something new. And each time, it’s a step forward.