History

Out of the Box

Is our pilot transition housing project for young people with autism to learn independent living skills. Based on student style accommodation, ie term time and shared. 3/ 4 young people with ASD will move into a shared house. They will live independently with shared support for two hours a day. This support will teach independent living skills. With sessions on money management, menu planning, personal care skills, cooking, understanding autism, social skills etc.

The accommodation will start at the end of August to coincide with the start of term. Although they do not have to be students, we wanted young people to normalize it. By follow a pattern familiar to them from seeing peers/ siblings leaving home and going to university

Our first house will be located on the Crichton site. It will be close to the college and universities. It will also be near alternative education providers.

We will prioritise young people who are struggling to engage with the outside world. They are reluctant to come out of their rooms. Hence the name.

Kirkcudbright Mental Health Hub

This is in early development stage, we are looking to run a project in Kirkcudbright. We offer a safe lunch and after-school space for young people with additional support needs. They can simply come in and eat their lunch. They can find a quiet space to prepare for the afternoon. They can also relax and play on the console or PC or chat with staff. After school, it offers a place to meet other young people with similar needs. It can also be a place to finish homework. If home life is too busy and chaotic. Staff will be available for one-on-one chats. Young people can talk to them and be listened to. Informal counselling sessions will be available as well as group sessions exploring Autism or other spectrum disorders.

On site will be a room available for outside services to book out, if they have consultations.

Outside of opening times for young people, the room will be available to book for other groups. These include LGBT and disability groups, as there is wheelchair access. Even parent and toddler groups can book the room.

Game Design Group

We recently had a successful trip to the Games Design course at Abertay University with a group of young people. Most of our young people were anxious about the unknown. They were worried about going somewhere new and meeting new people. However, we had a fantastic experience.

You see, the lure of finding out more about the game design course was the ultimate carrot. WIIFM stands for What’s In It For Me. It involves weighing an option. This helps to determine if the effort, strain, and demands of the activity are worth it.

The young people were fascinated. It was so great to see how easily their love and fascination for games transcended their usual social anxiety. This allowed them to chat and engage with a group of fourth year students. They discussed their games and concepts and helped test them. To cap it all they looked relaxed and happy. 

In fact the young people fitted in straightaway, they didn’t stand out and blended in beautifully with the students. They were able to talk about the games’ concepts. They even found a few flaws when testing them. This was great.

The chat on the way home back to Dumfries and Galloway involved two main topics. They talked about what programming language they use. They also discussed their interest in joining a games club. We all loved the idea of a games jam, and the whole collaborative nature of designing a game. We believe that the social skills developed in a games design club can be transferred to everyday life. Also, team building skills gained can be beneficial in daily activities. These skills help bring young people together as part of a game club community.

ASD Community Housing Project

Talks are in the initial stages at the moment. However, it’s looking promising that we may be able to partner with a local organisation. This partnership would create a purpose-built ASD Housing Community.

History