Safeguarding the future conference - Canberra, 23-24 May 2024

The Essential Worker

How a strongly held vision for a typical life has led to an exciting and very typical life pathway.

Two primary school students doing a science experiment togetherAnnette’s son, Jacob, is now in his 20s and thriving in his local community. He graduated from year 12, works at Woolworths, and has many other valued roles.

Annette credits Jacob’s success to a decision the family made when he was a baby. They didn’t want him to witness life and observe the world through a window at home. They wanted him to engage in the community fully and have meaning and purpose. They didn’t want him just filling in time with activities.

Annette speaks of the overwhelm she felt when, as a baby, Jacob was offered many forms of intervention and therapy. While they recognised that some therapies could be helpful, they also valued the opportunities an ordinary life filled with everyday experiences would offer him.

This presentation explains how a strongly held vision for a typical life has set Jacob on an exciting and very typical life pathway.