Arthur’s story

Arthur is a young person with a Coordination Disorder and ADHD. He had not seen an Occupational Therapist until he started secondary school, but the school’s SENCO (who had worked with Now, Next & Then for years) immediately knew that an assessment was needed so she would know how to help him in school.  An initial assessment quickly identified the reasons for and extent of his difficulties and confirmed the Coordination Disorder (the ADHD diagnosis came a couple of years later). The skills that make up the broad understanding of coordination indicated very significant challenges (scores were below the 1st percentile).  On the Occupational Therapist’s recommendation, Arthur also met with an Educational Psychologist who found out that he had a significant difficulty with his working memory. His combined challenges meant that everyday school life was incredibly tough.

Arthur struggled to access learning, to record any school work and to participate successfully.  He hated school but was such an endearing and gentle young man.  The Occupational Therapist’s role was to advise school on the best ways to support Arthur, while doing as much as possible to boost and maintain his emotional resilience and self-esteem. Through a collaborative endeavour, Arthur was awarded an EHCP in recognition of the impact his challenges were having on his daily life. As he progressed through adolescence, Key Stage 3 and then Key Stage 4, his lack of confidence became an understandably increasing difficulty. As part of his EHCP Arthur’s Occupational Therapy provision meant he was visited in school three times a year and each session evolved into being an emotional outlet for him, where he could ‘let go’, talk about school challenges, specific problem areas and things he would like help with. The Occupational Therapist 'problem solved’ as much as possible and Arthur always said how much he valued this support. He would ask the SENCO if his Occupational Therapist could visit him if there were challenges between visits.

By the time Arthur finished Year 11 and left school he had grown to 6’4”! He moved to college and his parents and he insisted that his Occupational Therapist support continued. College were not familiar with working alongside Occupational Therapists and had not appreciated the value that this support could bring.

Arthur and his parents worked with college to ensure continuity of this support but C felt misunderstood. He adopted a persona of being a ‘tough lad’ but each time he was visited by the Occupational Therapist he dropped his guard and immediately felt safe enough to be, as he was told, ‘as soft as butter’. Arthur continued to use the time together to talk about his physical challenges, how accident prone he was, his fatigue management, organisational tricks and tools, and strategies and keeping safe. He relished being ‘heard’ and valued, and shared that what he most valued was “You just get it.”

Arthur went on to complete an apprenticeship in the roofing trade. He loved what he was doing and despite some ‘near-miss’ accidents, his needs were understood and accommodated and he was able to succeed.