Fin began travel training on buses around his local area and community.
He had already mastered the art of crossing roads and had some prior experience travelling with his family, but there were concerns about keeping him safe while he was making bus and train journeys independently.
Fin’s first journey
Fin’s first journey from his home to a social club in Brighton presented a perfect opportunity for lots of teaching around personal safety.
For the first few weeks of travel training, he had difficulty focusing on his journey, often becoming distracted by Pokémon Go. After some conversations about how limiting his usage of Pokémon Go could keep him safer, Fin began setting timers to ensure he would be able to keep an eye out for the bus.
After two weeks, Fin actually stopped using Pokémon Go altogether. He preferred to keep himself busy by reading and even checking the bus apps! This was a big moment for Fin. It showed both his Grace Eyre Travel Trainer and his parents that he can be responsible when out and about in the community.
Fin’s return journey from Brighton involved getting a train. Having less experience with train travel – and none as an independent traveller – caused anxiety for both Fin and his parents.
Brighton railway station is a very fast-paced, busy environment. The big departure boards with all the rapidly changing information were also overwhelming at first. Despite the challenges, however, Fin was able to make use of the newly installed green accessibility screens and easily found the right platform.
We have been in regular contact with the Govia Thameslink (GTR) Accessibility team to make the journeys much more accessible for those with additional needs.
Fin’s second journey
Fin’s second journey took place from his home to a voluntary placement in Haywards Heath.
He needed to take a bus early in the morning so that he would arrive by 9:00 am. Travelling during this rush hour time was often very busy with lots of noisy school children on board.
Fin was very apprehensive about coping in this situation, so his Travel Trainer worked through distraction techniques to help him focus and regulate his emotions. Fin used his headphones while travelling and became increasingly confident to the point where he would take a seat on the bus next to one of the school children.
As Fin was already confident with the route and crossing the roads, we were able to pass him for this journey after only three weeks!
Fin and his Travel Trainer continued to work together on his journey into Brighton, including a walk up a busy street. They discussed ways to keep himself safe and what to do if a stranger approached him.
Towards the end of Fin’s travel training, he was even able to use his own problem-solving skills to help a new Travel Buddy Worker find an alternative way to get home!
A couple of weeks after completing his training, Fin showed how he is able to use his newfound planning and problem-solving skills whilst travelling in to complete his final paperwork at our Telecom House site.
Fin said:
“I left home 20 minutes early so I could play Pokémon Go for a bit and still have enough time to watch out for my bus.”
Great planning, Fin!
We wish you the best of luck with your next challenge of job hunting.
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