Howard is 19 and has a mild intellectual disability. Howard and his family received support from Blossom Connect when Howard started at his adult training centre last year. As part of the service, Blossom Connect developed Howard’s one-page profile with him. This gives new people he is introduced to a snapshot of what people like about him, what is important to him, and how he likes to be supported.

Aisling is 20, she has a dual diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a mild intellectual disability (ID). She attended a mainstream school with a special needs class attached to it for students with various abilities. While Aisling was at school, her family availed of Blossom Connect. This was a collaboration between the Blossom Connect team, Aisling and her family and Aisling’s school.

Rory is 18 and has a moderate intellectual disability (ID). Like all young people, leaving school is a very important transition in life and can be a time of confusion and stress. However, for young people with ID this period can be particularly stressful because there is no clear pathway forward and very little choice. Blossom Connect provided Rory and his family with a process and a toolkit to help them navigate this transition in a supportive and measurable way.