This Children’s Mental Health Week (7-13 February), we’re sharing T’s story. T is 13 and from north Warwickshire.
When we met in early 2021 through our Teenvine+ Covid 19 Next Steps intensive development programme, he was out of education, socially isolated and experiencing deep-rooted anxiety related to being at school.
T came to our scavenger hunt in April when Covid restrictions lifted. Even though Dad was there too, stress levels were at an all-time high.
Teenvine Plus project worker Paul stuck by him, keeping in touch, checking in, meeting up every other week and letting T decide what they do while they built up a picture of his ideal future together.
Slowly but surely his confidence and passions have grown… along with T’s collection of motorcycles, currently all in bits in his back garden!
T’s path wasn’t intended to be traditional or straight-forward and now he’s on course to return to education, this time in a more vocational direction.
Yesterday, the sausage batch he’d set his heart on (or bap, roll or cob for non-locals) wasn’t meant to be so he compromised with a Subway sandwich for lunch.
Having autism and sensory issues often means taking an alternative route. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever get there. And we’ll be there for the ride until you’re ready to take the Next Steps on your own.
Next Steps
Drop Paul a line at pkedwards@grapevinecovandwarks.org to find out more about the programme, including next start dates for new participants.
Please also contact us if you are Coventry or north Warwickshire based and could offer T some motorcycle-related connections!
This work is part of our #StrengtheningPeople action strand at Grapevine.