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I have lots of experience working with people with autism in school and charity settings. I worked alongside speech and language therapists and occupational therapists in both of these settings, and realised it would be a good career choice for me.

I usually start work at one of our bases. We cover a wide area so I’ll drive to the one that is closest to the visits I have that morning. I usually have time to attend meetings with allied health professionals to discuss cases and to work on resources. After this, I might have some phone calls to make patients and then I’ll have a visit. If it’s a communication referral, I will generally be observing and gathering information about how a person communicates, interacts and makes choices.

Twice a week we provide hydrotherapy. During the sessions I might be in the water with the patient or assisting on pool side, which involves making sure that patients have the equipment they need to get in the pool (slings, tracking hoist, chair hoist), supporting the therapists in the water, and cleaning equipment down after it’s been used.

At the end of a typical day I drive home and write up my notes from visits or sessions that day.

At the moment our service is very busy and sometimes urgent work can come in meaning I need to reprioritise my workload. Despite this I love working with patients, families and carers as part of team with a range of knowledge and skills

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