‘Independence’: what that word means to me by Nolan Barratt

Independence means being able to do things on my own. I enjoy being independent at home, at work, and when I’m travelling or out in town.

Travel training

When I started I didn’t know how to get anywhere and didn’t know how to use the buses and trams. I would often panic when I got lost, which happened quite a lot. Danielle from Trafford Council has helped me a lot with my independence by organising the travel training. This has really helped me with being independent because I went from not knowing how to get around at all, to getting to and from school on my own, and then I could travel to other places such as Manchester City Centre and Sale.

I enjoy using public transport to get to places on my own now. I often go out with Sally. We like going shopping at the Manchester Arndale and Urmston and going to restaurants and cafes.

Work and leisure activities

Another way that I gained a lot of independence was through my supported internship placements. I worked in various jobs around the university, town hall, and hospital. I feel a lot more independent after passing my Level 2 English, Maths and IT. It has helped me get a lot more job offers – I even got 2 job offers at the same time!

I have also learned how to cook with my girlfriend Sally. We use a meal box that has easy-to-follow instructions. In the future, I would love to live with Sally so we can be even more independent.

My advice to other autistic people wanting to be more independent is to try supported internships and speak to charities and support providers like United Response to help them find employment. You could also try going to youth groups like I Am Manchester or take part in activities such as horse riding and basketball to make friends.