Stuart’s new wheels give him the freedom of the road!

When Stuart recently got his first car, it transformed his quality of life, giving him the freedom to choose where he wants to go and when.

Stuart is autistic and can become frustrated and agitated if he has to wait around. Queueing and anticipating plans for later in the day are a particular struggle for him. When he was out, going back home also seemed to be particularly challenging for Stuart, and his support staff tried lots of ways to make this less stressful for Stuart. His staff got in touch with FitzRoy’s Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) team, to see if they could help. The PBS team’s focus is always on improving the quality of life of the people we support and they have been successfully supporting teams across FitzRoy to look at the changes we can make to how we support someone.

PBS Practitioner Will said: “I visited to get to know Stuart and went out with him and his support staff. The change in his behaviour as soon as he knew we were heading home was very obvious. He became increasingly agitated and rushed. We needed to find ways to support him so he wouldn’t feel so anxious, as well as making sure he has a place where he could be alone when he gets home.”

Lucy, who has supported Stuart for many years, explained: “In addition to his agitation on returning home, waiting around or queuing is really difficult for Stuart and he can get very frustrated. He might hit nearby objects or run out into the road. Stuart wouldn’t necessarily realise that someone was in his way and could knock people down. We realised that if Stuart had a car, he would no longer have to rely on public transport and taxis. We hoped that this would reduce his frustration and anxiety when travelling.”

Suffolk supported living deputy manager Bev said: “We supported Stuart to get a car through Motability. Once the car arrived, we looked at his routine and changed a few things for him, such as having him sit in a different place in his own car than he did when he took taxis. This helped to establish that this was a new routine that was different than the previous one, which he could find so frustrating as he had less control over timings and waiting around.

“Having the car not only means Stuart can go out when he wants, to wherever he wants, it also means on his return journeys, if he is feeling anxious about going home, he can take the long route. That extra bit of time in the car gives Stuart more time in a calming environment and reduces his anxiety and stress.”

We’re all so pleased at what a success his car has been – it’s absolutely fantastic.