
Why we started our Independent Living group
We recognised that there isn’t a great deal of active groups for older clients with ASD or ID within the community because COVID-19 has put a lot of programs on hold. As a result so many of our clients are isolated and have not got many people to talk to.
Given this gap in support, we are now running a group where our clients (21+yrs) can come together fortnightly and have a chat and play some games together. Currently our group has 4-5 members and we focus on talking about adult ‘independence’ of topics such as job interview skills, routine management, motivation; and sleep hygiene.
What are the benefits we have noticed thus far
- Participants appeared excited to meet other young adults and interact. Lots of reciprocal interaction was promoted. All participants contributed to group discussion.
- Appeared to have lots of fun (plenty of giggling) playing games (e.g pictionary) within the group.
- Demonstrated ability to understand and execute computer based tasks given the right instruction – issues were also troubleshooted with assistance (a skill required for independent living)
We have other groups running at the moment that are showing similar benefits. The goal for us when we are creating our tailored groups, is to review client suitability independently and in consideration of other clients, determine a small group number to ensure everyone has the opportunity to receive equal support (no more than 4-5 members) and learn whilst having fun! We assess each clients needs and make sure joining our group is a healthy and safe option to assist in reaching their chosen goals.
…Sheyan and Emily – PsychPhys®