David invited his friends and family as well as people from other houses for a party in his garden. We were hoping the party would help people to build new friendships.
David can find busy environments with lots of people a bit difficult to cope with, so we had to plan carefully to try and ensure that the day was a success and that David really enjoyed himself.
Pictures work well for David, so we supported him to make a picture list of all the things we needed to buy for the party. David thoroughly enjoyed taking charge on the shopping trip and checking everything off on the list. This was a good start to him gearing up for the party.
We needed to take our time to ensure David could make informed choices. We offered lots of colour choices, but not all at once, and David decided on a yellow and green theme for the party with lots of colourful balloons and banners as he loves bright cheerful colours.
David was particularly excited to buy his new outfit for the day. He chose a dicky bow and a colourful purple shirt.
The smile on David’s face as he greeted family and friends with a hug was lovely to see, especially for his Mum who was delighted to see him so confident and happy. She can’t believe how well David is getting on: David used to spend a lot of time in his bedroom at home and over the two years he has lived here his confidence has really grown.
The careful preparation of the staff team paid off - David was the star at his party, his infectious smile ensuring everyone else was happy and smiley too.
This is why I love my role as a practitioner.
Margaret Edmondson
Practitioner
Ellesmere Port