An 12 year old that I have the privilege of working with was asked what he would like in a support person. Below is his list of what he felt he needs. I was truly inspired with the level of insight he has into his needs and how he is best supported, hopefully we can all take something from what he has to share…

• They must be comfortable with 100’s of pups (stuffed teddy’s)
• They must like the colour red, it does not necessarily have to be their favourite colour
• They MUST know how to say my name correctly after the first try
• They must understand my autism and my needs, specifically :

1. Be patient because at times I’m indecisive,
2. Understand that I can be different sometimes.
3. My Asd and ADHD make me;

– not listen
– stress out when things aren’t the same
– not understand things that normal people understand naturally
– get distracted easily
– find it hard to hold my attention for a long time unless… it’s important, fun or exciting
– have trouble finding the right words to use

4. Don’t listen to my body language, I may look like I’m not listening but i actually am
5. I don’t take things seriously, I try to make jokes out of everything
6. I can’t cope with being put on the spot easily (I need processing time and response time)
7. I need prompts, prompts to make decisions, prompts to answer questions, prompts for what to do, prompts for the routine
8. I’m like a dog, I need positive reinforcement when I do something good, not negative reinforcement

9. I don’t want to be told if I’m doing something wrong, if I am doing something wrong, gently tell me
10. I will only share personal information with someone if I am comfortable enough
11. THEY MUST NOT have a personality like a drill sergeant, I cannot be serious all the time
12. THEY MUST NOT think I am naughty or rude

truly inspiring