Autism Neil’s journey to a healthy and fulfilled life!
Neil is a charismatic and friendly autistic person we support at Sheringham Avenue, our residential care home in London.
Neil moved into Sheringham Avenue in 2004 when he was in his early 20s. Now, 20 years later, he’ s thriving in adulthood and is the happiest he’s ever been!
Throughout his time at Sheringham Avenue, Neil’s been empowered with confidence by his expert support team. With all his needs met, including his mild obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), he’ s been supported to live his life to the fullest. With his team’s help, Neil’s made the most of life’s opportunities. His team have encouraged him to embrace his abilities, discover who he is, and explore a wealth of new hobbies and interests!
Finding the right support
Before joining us at Sheringham Avenue, Neil lived in supported living accommodation. Designed for those ready to embrace independence, he received low levels of support for his needs.
Although he liked his accommodation, Neil wanted more support as he didn’t feel like his needs were being met. He started independently researching residential care homes, and when he came across Sheringham Avenue, he instantly knew this was the place for him!
Situated in a convenient location and managed by a specialist team, Neil was confident his needs would be met, and his team would help him thrive! Shortly after, in November 2004, Neil moved into his new home and embarked on a new journey. When he arrived, he was warmly greeted by our friendly team. Carrying his luggage inside, they gave him a tour of his new home and got him settled in. With his team’s kindness and courtesy, Neil instantly felt at home and like part of a new, extended family.
Neil’s needs
From the moment he walked through the door, Neil’s been supported with things he previously struggled with at his supported living accommodation. Being autistic has an impact on many areas of Neil’s daily life, such as budgeting his finances, taking his medication, and structuring his days.
In addition, Neil experiences heightened anxiety in noisy or distracting environments This makes it difficult for him to concentrate or feel relaxed in places with a lot of background noise.
Neil’s OCD means he also notices small changes to his environment, which can lead to anxiety if his surroundings are altered unexpectedly. He also enjoys arranging things in his bedroom, feeling distressed when his order is disturbed.
Because Neil likes to have things in a certain order, he struggles to leave things if they’re not how he wants them. To avoid him becoming distressed, his support team at Sheringham Avenue work with him to ensure his environment is just how he likes it. Understanding the complexity of his conditions, they respect his choices and gently encourage him to let go of the things he finds distressing. With their support, Neil’s come a long way in releasing his desires to have things a certain way – and he’s feeling more relaxed!
Neil feels more comfortable surrounded by structure and predictability. However, he can face challenges with both verbal and non-verbal communication, interpreting social cues, and understanding others’ perspectives, which can affect his social interactions.
He often prefers structured social situations where expectations are clear, as he finds unstructured interactions can be overwhelming. To help with this, his support team accompanies him to new places and experiences, until he becomes familiar with these new places and routines. This helps him to feel calm and reduces his anxiety in these situations.
Navigating new hobbies and interests
Growing up, Neil always loved theatre and acting. He has always loved to watch the television and imitate actor’s voices – something he’s extremely good at it!
One day, Neil’s key worker Tanya noticed his entertaining impressions and asked if he would be interested in taking some acting lessons. He immediately said yes!
Together, they researched local theatres where Neil could pursue this passion. Soon enough, they found the ‘Chickenshed Theatre’, a local theatre offering performances and children’s shows.
Neil signed up for acting lessons, where he could study and practice his skills and meet like-minded people who share his passion for drama!
Each week, Neil looks forward to attending his classes, eager to learn something new.
Since attending these classes, Tanya has noticed a huge change in Neil. He is more confident, sociable, and smiles more. The impact of pursing his passions and doing something he loves has been extremely positive for Neil’s wellbeing and has had a positive impact on his support needs.
Communication can be challenging for autistic people. For Neil, acting provides a platform for him to express himself in a creative way. Pouring his emotions into his performances provides a sense of enjoyment and relief.
Since joining his theatre group in 2024, Neil’s also made significant progress in managing his OCD, allowing him to leave things in the wrong order, without so much anxiety. By worrying less, he’s rediscovering his personality and feels more confident than ever!
Gaining independence
In the last 20 years, Neil’s developed his independence even more. When he first moved to Sheringham Avenue, he received 1-1 support in the community. It wasn’t long until our team noticed he could do lots of tasks and activities without this level of support.
They asked Neil if he would like to work towards becoming more independent, which would allow him to go out into the community independently if he wished to.
Excited at the thought of this, immediately Neil agreed. To transition him from 1-1 to no support, his team assessed him while he was out, to see if he was ready. Shortly after, Neil’s support needs reduced, enabling him to go on his own adventures!
Fully exercising his newfound independence, Neil started to go shopping, go to the cinema and explore his community.
Making better choices
After gaining his independence and venturing into the community independently, Neil began enjoying taking trips to the local pub for a drink. His team would keep in touch with him while he was out, while still allowing him an opportunity to make his own decisions and enjoy time outside the home on his own.
However, concerns grew as Neil’s casual trips to the pub led to his drinking habits increasing. Neil’s support team and his mum began to worry about his welfare.
At Sheringham Avenue, our team believe in empowering the people we support to enhance their lives by making their own choices. So, they provided Neil with information booklets and guidance on the risks of drinking alcohol – promoting the benefits of not drinking.
In December 2007, Neil decided he wanted to take charge of his health, making the decision to stop drinking. Since then, he hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol.
Neil couldn’t be prouder of this achievement. He’s grateful to Tanya, his Key Worker, and the rest of his support team for providing helpful information and compassionate support, so he can have a healthy future.
After realising he could make better choices, the trips to the pub quickly reduced, being replaced by activities that made Neil feel good! Now, he loves to go on shopping trips to the local town, visit the library, go to the cinema, and lots more.
If he decides he would like to go somewhere new, a member of the team will support him to find his way and make sure he is comfortable in his new environment. Then, he can go alone any time he wishes!
Neil’s next goal is to stop smoking. He’s received the same guidance and support from his team on the risks of smoking so, once he’s ready, he can begin his journey to quitting!
Seizing new opportunities
Neil loves to give a helping hand where he can, whether that’s taking out the bins or cleaning up around the house.
Eager to give back to his community, Neil wanted to expand his horizons and secure a volunteering job. In 2015, he was browsing the internet when he came across a local charity shop that was hiring. Supported by the team, he travelled to the shop and filled out an application form. Neil and his team waited in eager anticipation to hear back.
Shortly after, Neil was hired as a volunteer in the shop! This new branch of his independence meant he would work there for a few hours each week, helping with cleaning duties, assisting customers, and putting out new stock.
Being the social butterfly he is, Neil loves to meet new people and looks forward to his shift every Monday.
Due to his newfound independence, Neil can attend his shifts independently, choosing whether he would like to walk or take public transport. Making his own choices and establishing his independence has really boosted Neil’s confidence.
Every week, he clocks off from his shift feeling fulfilled, knowing he’s helping others and is a valued member of a team.
Looking forward to the future
Since living at Sheringham Avenue, Neil has leaped from milestone to milestone, achieving things he never thought possible! His confidence and happiness radiate– a true reflection of living a fulfilling life! Looking forward to the future, Neil is excited to pursue his acting further, hoping to one day perform on stage in a production at his local theatre. Right now, he’s focusing on maintaining his independence, giving back to his community and living a heathy, happy lifestyle!
Find specialist support near you!
To find out more about our specialist autism support and how we can help you, a client, or a loved one, fill out our quick form and a member of the team will get back to you.
More success stories 
