Mike - Interview 22

More about me...
Mike and his wife have four children. When their youngest son, Andrew, was three years old he stopped talking. After getting his hearing checked, Andrew was seen by a psychiatrist who diagnosed autism. At the age of 4½ Andrew went to a special needs school for two years and then the local special needs school until two years ago when he began to develop challenging behaviour and was excluded from school. After nearly a year at home, Mike found a new residential school for children with autism and Andrew started there. He has been there for the past year and has made tremendous progress .
The family's life has changed over the years. They did not go out as much as they might have done because of the difficulties associated with the lack of visibility of autism as a condition or disorder. Mike thinks impact of autism on families is poorly understood, particularly because it is a lifetime condition. He is strongly in favour of person centre planning and would like to see joined up services. Mike is heavily involved in local support group and acts as an advocate on behalf of other parents. He views this involvement with the group as a positive development in his life and one he thoroughly enjoys.
Andrew is a cheerful boy who is happy with his own company. He enjoys stacking things like poker chips and playing with paint, playdough and water.
Andrew
Andrew
Mikes family has tried to go out and do normal family things but they have had to adapt...
Mikes family has tried to go out and do normal family things but they have had to adapt...
Mike thinks that having a child with autism is a good birth control method.
Mike thinks that having a child with autism is a good birth control method.
Mike talks about what his son enjoys doing and how he prefers to play on his own.
Mike talks about what his son enjoys doing and how he prefers to play on his own.
Mike describes how you cant relax in your own home because his son is on the go all the time.
Mike describes how you cant relax in your own home because his son is on the go all the time.
Mikes daughter used to go to a friends house to do her homework and couldnt bring friends home...
Mikes daughter used to go to a friends house to do her homework and couldnt bring friends home...
Mike describes his son's residential school.

Mike describes his son's residential school.
Mikes son has made astounding progress at a residential school for children on the autism...
Mikes son has made astounding progress at a residential school for children on the autism...
Mikes support group organises a week in Pontins each year for over 100 people.
Mikes support group organises a week in Pontins each year for over 100 people.
Within 15 months we became a charity which is virtually unheard of from a little support group. We actually got charitable status. But I think we just immersed ourselves in everything. Went to every meeting, you know, of anything, to see well what is there out there and we have evolved now and we are now a company limited by guarantee. We have changed our status you know and so we have got lots of project, we have got lots of … we have had lots of grants, money, to support the group because our group does a lot of, we do a lot of things. We are not just... Do you want to talk about that?