We believe that people with autism have many strengths while also facing many challenges. Pennyhooks provides a purposeful, safe and compassionate farm community to support young people with ASC to find their niche.
We ask our staff to understand that our young people wake up each morning facing a mountain and that it is our job to level that mountain for them.
Autism is a condition that affects an estimated 1 in 80 of the population. There is a wide spectrum of those living with autism. Many of the students at Pennyhooks are at the complex end of the spectrum. Some have little or no spoken language and also some significant movement difficulties, including repetitive actions. All display difficulties with social awareness and most are unable to interact or communicate with those around them in a conventional way. Others suffer from acute sensitivity to noise, light, smells and touch. Yet they are also perceptive and seem glad to have opportunity to use their strengths to contribute to the greater good, and they can learn and use practical skills if sympathetically supported.
Our core client group are school leavers aged 19+. Often they stay with us and some are now in their late 20’s and early 30’s. Their skills contribute to the learning and wellbeing of the whole group, as well as settling them into purposeful adult lives.
Many of our young people have little or no language and the farm provides them with an environment which helps them to make sense of life’s patterns and routines and reduces their anxieties brought on by sensory overload experienced in other environments. In this enabling environment they are able to demonstrate and make use of the skills and sensitives within them to the benefit of the farm.
We also currently have four school groups who visit regularly. We have also been glad to be joined by some individuals who are living away from home in supported living situations, who visit weekly to add a sense of belonging and purposefulness to their emerging lives as young adults.
Recently we have welcomed young people at the high functioning end of the spectrum, who bring a wealth of talents and skills and enhance the work of Pennyhooks. In November 2019, we started an exciting initiative called Mammal Monitoring, bringing together a group of young people who have a shared interest in the wildlife and ecology of the farm. Together they have meticulously monitored the activity of protected and wild animals present on the farm lands. This important project has now extended to monitoring insect life and wild flowers and grasses. And will soon feed into a national initiative to record ecologically important details of all farmland, known as ‘the Intrinsic Value of The Land.’
Our response is to work from success to success. We support students to join with the rhythms and routines of the Farm’s daily life, as well as taking part in accredited work based training. The result is that they gradually develop skills which contribute to them leading purposeful adult lives.
To understand more about our approach and the use of the interaction with the farm to support our students’ needs, see our documents ‘Pennyhooks’ Response to Autism’ and ‘Pennyhooks’ Colour Chart Autism Outcomes’.
Our emphasis at Pennyhooks is on creating the right environment for our young people to thrive; our farm jobs are adapted to suit them, and our three purpose designed buildings have lots of light and space. Our staff are experienced and our ethos is clear: always be kind; offer nurture and shelter; give as much support as needed; do not confront and try not to say no; and create opportunity for a working life in line with their peers; always have unconditional positive regard.
We will treat our young people with ASC with respect, kindness and patience.
We will provide practical support and training to our young people to develop their work skills and as much independence as possible, working together as supportive co-workers in all we do. This will, in turn, enable them to make a meaningful contribution to their local community.
We will always seek to enable the ‘inner person’ to emerge; we will nurture and support the development and growth of the individual in their new skills and aptitudes.
We will not confront our young people, but instead develop their potential and celebrate their achievements. We will work from success to success to help them ‘want to come back the next day’.
We put our students’ needs first. Their safety and wellbeing is paramount. This requires exceptional people to provide selfless commitment, empathy and dedication.
