In this video we revisit the stories of NDIS participant Tyler and Disability Support Worker Nicole and their shared journey at Castle. Nicole has been there for Tyler at every step of his journey, from helping to build his social confidence to learning basic workplace skills, and then exploring his employment goals.
Tyler Ashard: My name is Tyler Ashard and I am 19 and I enjoy making new friendships and just enjoying life I guess.
I have ADHD, hyperactive stuff I have a couple others which I can't, I always forget to name. My social skills have not always been the best when it comes to talking to people and just general conversations not my front suit.
Nicole: Hi, I am Nicole Capper, I am a disability support worker for Castle Personnel.
I help a lot of my participants with social skills, trying to gain skills to gain employment. Each can be different, but a lot of mine are social or employment.
Tyler: My social skills have not always been the best when it comes to talking to people and just general conversations not my strong suit.
Nicole: I do social groups where I get the guys all together and they can have chats amongst themselves. We might even just do a simple go out to dinner just so we could all mingle.
Tyler: To start off with a lot of on the like kind of social side, try to get out in the community more. Slowly I started to work on like employment side too. Work-related stuff.
Nicole: So I have got one participant that I noticed the changes of when I first met him, he was very quiet, very closed in, didn't want to talk very much.
Tyler: Back then, I wasn't a really sociable person, didn't think I would find work or more friendships or getting on with people well.
Nicole: Just in the time that I've known him this year, he's just come leaps and bounds and he's reaching a lot of his goals in trying to find a job and get his license and doing all that stuff.
Tyler: I like working with them to build up on skills that can help me in the workplace. Along with doing work experience with me to help me out while I'm doing work experience.
Nicole: People seem to think it's a, can be an easy job at times, sometimes not because it is overcoming our own challenges and the participants' challenges. But I think some people think that, like, in my sense, that it might just be simple of, "Oh, going out to lunch for the day," not realizing that we are actually building up skills, but we are building up readiness for their future.
Tyler: Try and like sort out where I want to go on life. Having goals to work towards such as work, and my license, and just try to get out in the world, out in the community and just make more friendships and just live my life to the fullest.