Watch: Kyle, 18, talks about life at a Lifeways supported living service– and his hobbies!
Kyle, who’s 18 years old, this summer moved from a specialist school to Mulberry Lodge, a Lifeways supported living service for 14 adults in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
The move was a big change for Kyle, who lives with autism, ADHD and a physical condition.
“Before I got here, I struggled a lot with communication, due to PTSD, so communicating can be quite hard for me.”
Kyle’s settled in well at Mulberry Lodge.
“It feels a lot homelier, you can kind of do something and not have that severe anxiety that someone’s just going to walk in. You kind of feel comfortable and very at home.”
Kyle’s hobbies include creative writing, and making what he describes as ‘completely random’ Youtube videos.
Despite having grown up with a limited grasp of the English language, Kyle’s now a keen language learner.
“I can speak Japanese, Italian, and Latin mostly, and I know parts of French, too. With the struggle to communicate, I always felt the urge to be able to communicate with myself a lot better, and I always figured with more than one language, I could always talk to someone who nobody else can.”
Kyle is philosophical about his former life. “Anything can get better. Part of you has to want it, though, if you don’t want it bad enough to fight for it, then it won’t change, but if you do want to fight for it, then life can dramatically change.”
Watch our interview with Kyle:
Or, read Kyle’s full story.
About Lifeways:
Lifeways is the UK’s largest team of support professionals providing support for adults in the community.
We support adults with diverse and complex needs, including learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries, and mental health conditions.
As the supported living sector’s largest team of professionals, Lifeways’ extensive experience and national reach mean we deliver extraordinary support to adults, enabling them to live fulfilling and independent lives in the community.
Our 11,000 colleagues currently support almost 5,000 individuals who live in our 1,500 supported living and residential services across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Find out more about how we change people's lives at: www.lifeways.co.uk
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