Autism Association Annual Report 2023

Mattie’s New Home

Over the past 2 years, Mattie has been waiting for a new home to be built for him, and this year he moved into his new home. To get this home ready, we worked alongside the Department of Communities to shape the home to Mattie’s needs. Detail is very important to Mattie and he likes things to be organised and planned. When the time came to move into his forever home, everyone came together to make the transition as smooth as possible. Mattie’s support team were carefully selected to best support his needs and goals, and they met with his family and therapists so they could get to know Mattie and his interests and support needs. Before moving day, Mattie and his support team went on regular outings so they could get to know one another and build relationships. Moving home is a big change, so time was spent preparing for the move using a Social Story and checklists throughout the day. This included saying goodbye to his old home, placing his belongings into the rooms of his new home and setting up a visual schedule. Each Sunday, Mattie builds his own weekly schedule with his support team, which includes photos of the staff who will be supporting him during the week, any visitors he is expecting, and the activities of the week. Mattie enjoys cooking and is working through an extensive collection of cookbooks. On Mondays, he makes muffins, Wednesdays are homemade pizza days and Sundays are Pancake Days! Mattie continues to adapt to his new home, staff, and surroundings. He has started to create a picture wall where photos from his outings with his support team are placed, to look back on and share the wonderful times they have together. Welcome to your new home Mattie!

Autism Association of Western Australia - Annual Report 2023

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