Annabelle lives with Level 3 autism (severe autism) and is nonverbal. According to her mother, Carmen, she was one of the first NDIS participants in the Penrith area, and now receives valuable autism support.

“I was lucky to receive support to care for her,” Carmen says. “It’s good to have support from Afea.”

Annabelle is thriving with the help of her Afea support workers. She is coming into her own and making improvements with her communication skills.

Their assistance has also allowed Carmen to focus on her own wellbeing.

“With the carers, when I’m on my own, I can go to the shops, go to the gym, go to my own doctor’s appointments,” Carmen shares. “It’s good for me to look after myself as well.”

Keep reading to learn more about Carmen and Annabelle’s story.

Autism Diagnosis

Annabelle was diagnosed with autism and intellectual disability at 2 years and 10 months old.

“We thought she may have the condition because she was tippy-toe walking, she wasn’t responding to her name, all that sort of things,” Carmen says.

Toe walking is common among infants, especially since they’re just learning how to walk. However, doctors have noted that it occurs more frequently in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, possibly due to sensory sensitivities or issues with vision and balance.

“Back then we didn’t have NDIS. But we did get some form of funding, where they gave us money to pay for supports like speech therapy, occupational therapy, if we need carers.

“Annabelle was actually one of the first ones in the Penrith area to get the NDIS. We were pretty lucky. I was lucky to receive support to care for her.”

The NDIS offers various autism support services, such as support for daily personal activities, specialist allied health support and assistance with community participation.

Support from Afea

A social worker recommended Afea’s services to Carmen, and she was happy for the assistance. “Especially now, I’m getting older, you get tired sometimes.”

Annabelle receives regular support from her carers to help her carry out personal tasks at home, including toileting and taking a shower. “When she’s hungry, they help her so she can get what she wants to eat out of the cupboards. They just look after her, make sure she’s okay.”

When the weather’s nice, Afea support workers accompany Annabelle outside the home.

“Annabelle likes playing at the park, it’s a sensory thing, she loves to do that. In winter though, sometimes it’s too cold, I like her to stay in the house. But if it gets a bit warmer, with longer days, I don’t mind if the support workers take her out to the park area.”

In addition to her Afea carers, Annabelle also receives support from a speech therapist, an occupational therapist and a behaviour therapist.

Since her daughter is receiving assistance, Carmen can relax and take care of herself.

“With the carers, when I’m on my own, I can go to the shops, go to the gym, go to my own doctor’s appointments. It’s good for me to look after myself as well.”

Fun with mum

Annabelle has sensory issues, but there are plenty of activities that she enjoys with mum.

“Annabelle loves going for a drive, so I’ll take her for a drive to go some places. I take her to the park. She doesn’t like the shops too much because it’s too noisy, so I try to avoid the shops when I’ve got Annabelle. She loves swimming, she loves the water.”

One of Carmen’s plans this summer is to take Annabelle to the beach “so she can get used to it”.

“When she was little, she didn’t like the sound of the waves. I think it scared her a little bit. But I want to try and take her so she gets used to the beach. That way, I can take her with me with my other daughter. At least the three of us can go together!”

Future goals

Carmen wants to continue helping Annabelle improve her communication.

“Annabelle’s communication has improved a lot. I don’t know if she’ll ever speak, but she uses an app on the iPad to communicate. She’s getting there.”

Autism Support from Afea

If you or someone you love have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, we can help you in many ways:

• Our Carers can provide a variety of support, from daily personal care to assisting you 24/7 at our Supported Independent Living homes.
• Afea’s Support Coordination team can help you prepare for your NDIS planning meeting and connect you with providers who can give you support.
• With our Plan Management team, you can get the most out of your NDIS funding. They will take care of admin tasks so you can focus on doing the things you love.