BG's Story
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
BG has a diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome and suffers from acute anxiety. She also has a significant sensory processing disorder which affects her sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, as well as her proprioception (body sense) and vestibular (movement).
BG was attending college but had to withdraw from her course following a deterioration in her mental state, and increased difficulties in managing her sensory abilities.
She moved to Cascade and although BG was excited to live in a new environment, she was extremely anxious about meeting so many new people. The greatest source of anxiety for BG was a fear that 'new' people would not understand her complex communication needs.
The staff at Cascade worked closely with BG to gradually develop therapeutic and trusting relationships. She was encouraged to be actively involved in writing her own care plans with the support of staff. Although this was a daunting process, BG benefitted greatly from this sense of responsibility and ownership of her own care.
Her independent living skills were limited, having relied heavily on her family for support whilst at home. BG has developed these skills with the support and guidance of staff to a point where she is now contemplating doing many of them independently, including managing her own medication administration.
BG has many social and community-based interests. From Day One it has been a priority for Cascade to ensure she rebuilds her confidence so that she can attend these groups including Brownies and volunteering at a special needs school. Cascade is continually pushing and encouraging BG to develop her confidence in the hope that she will go back to college to continue her education so that she can fulfil her ambitions of achieving qualifications in I.T and British Sign Language.