When John* first came to MacIntyre No Limits™ he was in a state of high anxiety, and for the first few weeks almost all his staff team heard was ‘no’ as John declined every experience and activity offered to him.
With a combined approach of psychiatric input and hard work from No Limits staff, things began to turn around. Christmas songs, a favourite of his, began to bring John out of his shell and we discovered that he had a fantastic memory for both lyrics and tune. Staff used this interest to begin Intensive Interaction to help John feel he could work with us.
Over the subsequent two years, John’s communication skills blossomed; he began to spontaneously use full sentences, jokes and banter, and clear statements of what he wanted and needed.
Instead of “no”, John’s key phrase by the time he left MacIntyre No Limits was “Can I come in?” He became eager to explore, and comfortable to engage with activities, make choices and take steps towards independence such as making his own hot drinks and participating in cooking.
John’s progress from a disengaged and unhappy young man to a lively and active participant in his programme was wonderful to watch.
*Name changed
