Rising above the problems of autism

Dec 15 2010 Buckinghamshire Examiner

Adults who have learning disabilities are often overlooked in the employment world. Yet when an employer is willing to show faith, the results can be remarkable. LAWRENCE POOLE met one young man who has transformed his life by fulfilling his working dreams.

YOU will not find Robert Swann idly wasting hours in front of the television of an evening like many of us. This 26-year-old man from Holmer Green is someone who likes to keep himself busy.

Despite having autism and Asperger's syndrome, Robert holds down a job four days a week as a classroom assistant, studies for a course in supporting children and learning in schools on Fridays, helps out at cubs and an autism group in the evenings and plays music in church at weekends.

Phew. But he would not have it any other way.

"I've always liked to keep busy. I'm not one of those people who can sit around doing nothing. I like to be occupied and help people when I can," he said.

Like so many in the current climate, he found himself on the job scrapheap after being made redundant from his IT role. But instead of getting down about it, Robert decided to re-evaluate his future.

"I'd always been involved in IT and design as I was quite good at it, but it wasn't something I was really passionate about.

"I went to see a careers adviser in Wycombe, who was incredible. I then decided to try a different career path as I'd always really enjoyed working with children."

Cue Back2Base. The Bucks County Council scheme was established in 1999 to help adults with learning and mental health difficulties find work and, after being referred in February 2009, by August of that year Robert was taking the first steps on a new career ladder and he has not looked back.

"It's been great working in Chesham at Heritage House. It's hard work and has its good days and bad days, but it's extremely rewarding."

Robert gets the most pleasure from his work at the special community school for pupils aged two to 19, where he helps transform young lives.

"I help three- to six-year-olds. Some have physical difficulties and most have speech and language problems.

"It's about keeping them on track and when you have a good day with a child who didn't warm to you at first, it's fantastic when you get that breakthrough."

B2B currently supports 215 people across the county, with 121 in paid employment. If Robert is anything to go by, it is a wholly worthwhile scheme.

His employment support officer, Wendy Dunn, is in no doubt how much the job has changed Robert's life.

She said: "The self-confidence Robert and others like him get from being in work is fantastic.

"When you see that person go from being at home with no real social life to getting out and meeting people and enjoying the responsibility, it's fantastic to watch them grow."

It is a point of view the teacher he works with in Chesham, Nick Hobbs, readily affirms: "Robert's doing really well. He's very good at interacting with the children and helping them with their lessons.

"He's very valuable to us and the children absolutely love him."

Away from work, Robert, who lives in a self-contained apartment in his parents' house, divides his free evenings working as a cub leader in his village and helping out at the Rainbow Club in Bourne End.

It is another exciting role, as Robert confirms: "Working at the club can be quite challenging. It is run by the National Autistic

Society for parents and siblings from all over South Bucks and it's great to be able to help out."

One of the main symptoms of autism and Asperger's syndrome is an inability to deal with social situations, which causes anxiety. Despite still having his bad days, Robert believes this is improving: "I go into work every day and I feel most of the time, 'yes I can do this, this is going well'.

"And although, socially, I do still struggle, once I get used to an environment I get more confident."

He now has his heart set on building a long-term career in education.

"Ideally, I'd like to get the qualifications to work up to becoming a teacher, that is probably my ultimate goal."

And when the stress of work is getting too much for him, music is his escape.

"I play at Holmer Green Baptist Church. I really like folk music too and play lots of musical instruments including the violin, piano accordion, trombone and tin whistle, plus a few others - I'd like to get better at the ukulele though."

If he shows the same steely determination displayed in his professional life, you would not bet against him regaling the pupils at Heritage House with a rendition of a George Formby classic before too long. * For more information about

Back2Base, see www.buckscc.gov.uk/ bcc/adult_social_care/ back2base.page.