Focused on the future

Friday, September 21, 2012

Adrian Galvin is just one of the 156 peole benefitting from the work of the Cork Association for Autism. Colette Sheridan hears his story

MONICA Galvin, mother of Adrian, a 39-year-old man with autism, looks forward to seeing her son at weekends when he stays at the family home in Bishopstown in Cork. During the week, he lives in Greenville House in Carrigtwohill which is run by the Cork Association for Autism (CAA). This residential home, where Adrian has his own en suite bedroom, gives him independence, but Monica is fearful about its future due to HSE cutbacks. When she goes on walks with Adrian, around the Lough, she can reflect on her son’s progress.

Earlier in his life, it wasn’t possible to take him out. “He had a fear of being with people and of noise and unfamiliar things,” says Monica. Now, Adrian, whom Monica describes as “quite handsome with a lovely nature”, has blossomed. But Adrian will always need support. (Growing up, he attended Lota and the COPE Foundation.)

Around one in 100 people have autism, which is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. How people with autism make sense of the world is also affected.

Adrian, who has one sister, was gradually introduced to residential care, initially attending Greenville for its day service and then staying there at weekends. “He was a very fearful person. He used to stay in his bedroom a lot. Being out socially was difficult because Adrian couldn’t predict how others would react.”

When he was eighteen, Adrian suffered a great loss — the death of his father. “They were very close. Adrian found it difficult to work through the stages of grieving. He was stuck in the stage of depression which was heart-breaking for us to watch. He was given medication. That gave him the space to take stock of himself and his surroundings and to allow people to give him support. At this point, Joe McDonald (director of services at CAA), put a personal-centred plan for Adrian in place.”

Monica says that thanks to Joe and his colleagues being so understanding and patient, Adrian responded. “He achieved small tasks and was praised to the hilt, which led to bigger and better achievements. Adrian’s spoken language skills had grown as a result of being treated with age-appropriate respect. He has built long-term relationships with the staff at Greenville House and has learned to trust. He is now free of medication. Life is good and meaningful for him. He enjoys painting, pottery, woodwork and horticulture.”

Adrian is also keen on fitness and attends a gym. He takes part in 5km runs and recently completed one in aid of the CAA.

Rachel McGrath, who studied social care at CIT, is Adrian’s key worker. “Key workers are staff members of CAA who are partnered with a resident in Greenville House (or in the CAA’s six cottages close by). My role is to help Adrian with his personal goals. Regularly reviewed, the goals help Adrian to lead the best life he can. He and the other residents in Greenville House have had a positive impact on my life. They have opened my eyes to see past their autism. I see their wonderful determination and enthusiasm. I’m very privileged to be a part of their lives and I’m proud to see all that they’re achieving.”

Joe has been the CAA’s director of services since 2005. “When I started, there were six or seven individuals using the services and nineteen staff members. Now we have 100 staff and 156 individuals using the services. In the last seven years demand has risen. The residences are staffed around the clock. We also provide a day service to groups of individuals that live at home with their parents.

“They take part in a range of activities, including numeracy, literacy, speech and language, comprehension, arts and crafts, art therapy, yoga, riding and swimming.”

In 2005, the CAA bought Crobally House in Mogeely, where a respite service is provided to 32 people, aged 16 and over, with autism. There is also a day centre at the house. The CAA provides an outreach programme, the first of its kind. It caters for 85 individuals across Cork and Kerry who have Asperger’s Syndrome or high functioning autism. These people can access education, training and housing in their own communities.

But Joe is concerned about the ability of the CAA to carry out its work, given that its HSE funding has been cut by 14% since 2008.

“We’ve been told to expect similar cuts for the next three years. Eventually, we could see our budget cut by 25%. We don’t want to have to cut services. That’s why fundraising and raising awareness is so important. Our budget is €3.3m. It has been cut by about €440,000. A few years ago, we were funding for things like a mini bus. Now, we’re fundraising to keep the show on the road. Before, parents used to say the service was fantastic because when they’re gone, they know their sons and daughters are in a safe environment. Now, they’re worried again. They fear that effectively, the service will end up as a baby-sitting service. But we’re determined that won’t happen.”

LABOUR OF LOVE BY PARENTS

IN the 1970s in Cork, a group of about six parents of children with autism founded the CAA as a support facility.

As their children got older, the parents became aware of issues such as the impact an autistic child has on a family and the whole question of what happens to the child when the parents have gone.

The parents realised that in the long term they needed a place where these children could live. They approached the Southern Health Board (now the HSE) for funding but were turned down.

So the parents set themselves up as a registered charity and a limited company. They fund-raised and took out a mortgage to buy Greenville House in 1987. After being renovated, it was opened by the then President, Mary Robinson, in 1991.

The house was initially staffed by the parents on a part-time basis. Fás supplied staff and some funding was made available by the Southern Health Board. That increased over time, particularly since 2005, when demand for services rocketed.

Greenville House has two sitting rooms and a kitchen as well as the en suite bedrooms. T

he environment is homely and non-clinical.

The staff, who don’t wear uniforms, prepare meals with the help of the residents.

The cottages are not numbered but instead have names like ‘Willow Cottage’ and ‘Sycamore Cottage.’ None of the residents have to share bedrooms or bathrooms.

“Greenville House has beautiful gardens,” says Joe. “We do a lot of horticulture with the residents, producing our own organic vegetables. We have extensive green houses. What’s important is that the organisation and culture is not at all institutional.”

Inspirations 2012 is a musical extravaganza taking place this Saturday at the Everyman Theatre.

All funds raised will go towards services helping adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in Cork. Among those performing are Hank Wedel, Alan Kiely, Pat Horgan and The Delta Blues Club and The Lee Valley String Band.

* www.everymanpalace.com

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