19-year-old Aimen is one of our minimally verbal members with autism. Discover how our team at Elite Smart is helping him become more communicative and socially active within the community.
From Minimally Verbal to Fully Engaged: Aimen’s Story
For 19-year-old Aimen, finding a sense of joy and purpose has been an ongoing struggle. Aimen has autism and is minimally verbal. This makes it harder for him to express himself and build new relationships. Understandably, he grew frustrated. Without friends to socialise with or activities to do, Aimen spent a lot of time at home. Over time, he grew more aggressive and unhappy. At times, he would break down from all the emotion. His family grew more heartbroken and worried. They knew something had to change.
That’s when they came to Elite Smart.
As a nationally recognised NDIS provider, we knew exactly what Aimen needed to thrive. We worked with Aimen and his mother to set goals for his future. Then, we helped them figure out which of our services would best help him meet these goals. Together, we decided on our daily support, community participation, and day programs. In no time, we were seeing amazing results.
According to his mother, the change in Aimen “has been phenomenal.”
Once withdrawn, Aimen is now verbally and physically engaged. He chats with his support workers and peers, building relationships with them. He’s also grown more affectionate with his parents, hugging them more often than he ever has.
Aimen’s mum credits his transformation to Elite Smart’s inclusive day programs. Cooking classes, swimming, fitness classes – Aimen has done it all. These activities were designed to meet his needs and grow his skills.
“Before Elite Smart, we were really struggling to find appropriate activities. We needed something inclusive that we could tailor to suit Aimen’s needs,” she explains.
But with the help of Elite Smart’s customised care service, Aiden has transformed into a new person: “He has been talking more, interacting with other people and, best of all, he has made friends!”
As they look towards Aimen’s bright future, he and his mum feel nothing but gratitude: “A big thank you to the amazing team at Elite Smart.”
Learn more about our NDIS services here.
The quotes included in this piece have been edited for clarity.
