#support work

im still loving my job a lot. today was a particularly awesome day which i really didnt expect, because i was working with someone i havent worked with in over a year who is super energetic and boisterous, and i was really tired this morning

but literally it was like the perfect day. we went to a massive park, had lunch at a picnic bench and frolicked in a huge field in the sun for hours. the boy i was supporting made friends with a girl who has recently come back after not being in the service for a year, and the two of them were hilarious and adorable together, it was killlllling me

highlights:

*he’s amazing at yoga but loves to go into downward facing dog, prompt you to do it too, then launch himself at you so you both land in a giggling heap

*piggybacks, lift and spins, human horsey rides...he is a young teen and not a whole lot smaller or lighter than i am!!! i felt powerful and yet, also like i was taking my life in my hands

*the girl was sitting cross-legged on a picnic blanket and if i was in reach she tickled my ankles, so the boy would push me forward as bait and then yank me back when she went in for the tickle, and this happened over and over and over while they both laughed fit to burst

*they grabbed one of my hands each and ran a few metres then flung themselves to the floor and dragged me down with them, over and over, to the point where my knees are all bumpy and sore from the impacts, all of us laughing fit to burst

*seriously just so much laughing and so much playfully bullying me and flinging me about!

*a staff member was reading to the girl but the girl was being mischievous so instead of listening she was doing her version of ‘boo!’ which is essentially ‘eep!’ and as she does the sound, she jumps as if she has startled herself and i cant adequately describe how cute and funny this is but...VERY

hey guys! some of you may have seen my posts about the amazing young people i support at work. i work at a day support center for a national disability organisation, and my department is having a little fundraiser - wear a onesie to work day. the theme of the month is old mcdonald had a farm, so i have a bright pink fluffy pig onesie. i’ll be wearing it on my commute and out and about all day, and on this particular day i’ll also have a very heavy rucksack on my back all day for one of the young people’s medical needs, so it’s more of a task than it might seem at first! 

the money goes straight into my department and will be used for things like sensory toys, accessible garden equipment that some of the young people with lower mobility can get their energy out on, musical instruments for the guys to stim and jam with, baking materials for that one little girl to eat the cake mix right out of, arts and crafts materials for all the amazing creativity, paddling pools and water toys for water-play and messy play, as well as transport, trips and outings - basically it will all go straight into fun and interesting things for the kids to have the option to do

the organisation has good core values. if my department has broad aims for what we do to support the kids, it’s just for them to be able to do as much of what they enjoy and as many different things that they enjoy as they can while they are with us. that looks different for each young person. we also have a huge focus on sensory needs, and communication of all forms. if you dont want to take my word for it you can pm me for the name

so if you want to sponsor me any amount whatsoever for making a damn fool of myself dressed as a fluffy pink pig all day on saturday, my paypal is [email protected]. just leave a name (any name) for the sponsor form 

@autismserenity @stimmyabby @neurowonderful @autisticliving if any of you see fit to boost (no worries if not)

And to an extent that's true. That being said, working in a support role with students, I frequently end up seeing teens doing something embarrassing on their laptop and watch them panic as they realise I'm behind them. So the ability to say "I cannot judge, search up Friendship Zubat on YouTube" and have them realise that there is zero universe in which I can hold anything against them for fandom content is something I will forever thank teenage me for uploading.

I'm finally using my NDIS (Australian disability scheme) plan to get a support worker to come and help me for 5 hours on a Monday and holy shit it is life changing. We got so much done today and I feel like I actually have spoons enough to shower tonight?? Fucking amazing.

The best part is it takes her literally no time to get everything on my list done so I get so much done. Let's put this into perspective, with my physical limitations / pacing needs (physical and neurological disabilities), on top of adhd executive dysfunction and autistic Inertia problems, to vacuum / mop my house, clean the kitchen, do a load of laundry (including folding it) and clean the bathroom normally takes me 6 hours. My support worker starts at 8.30 and by 10.30 / 11 the house is clean, the first load of laundry is hung out and the second load is about ready to go out and she is asking what else I have for her to do. And she cleans as good if not better than I do. She deep cleaned my bathroom last week and I cried.

I hate that it took me so long to admit that I needed this level of help. I've been funded for support for a year but it still took me to be completely hitting rock bottom I'm so burntout and literally can't even attempt to mask right now and its worrying people, to actually ask for the support funded for me.

But! I've learnt my lesson, and actually starting to feel like less of a failure by simply having a clean house. We also went to the shops today and I didn't have a full blow panic attack the second we got back to the car - which has been the normal for the past 8-12 weeks.

So I guess, life update??