This case study is written by Jamie’s mum, Ann.
April 2023
Jamie is very gentle, caring and affectionate. He loves to make people smile and he has a beautiful personality.
Jamie has Down’s syndrome and was diagnosed with Autism aged 5.
Jamie uses ear defenders or headphones a lot, to help him.
He struggles in groups of people and in new or noisy places and prefers quieter, more predictable spaces.
Songs and cartoons on his ipad or TV are Jamie’s favourite things and he can often be found singing along or laughing out loud at something that’s tickled him!
Jamie has a severe developmental delay and because of this and his Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) he is still in pads. Although Jamie is classed as non-verbal, he does have some language now and when he’s relaxed, will use single words or some short phrases. He uses gesture a lot and understands simple sign. Hearing Jamie speak constantly amazes us, as for many years we thought he might never learn how to talk.
Jamie loves swimming, especially under water; maybe it’s quieter down there?
He loves bouncing on his trampoline and going to Rebound Therapy, but his favourite place to be is the beach. That’s his happy place, all year round, Jamie just loves the seaside!
Whatever Jamie is doing he will always find a way to stim, either by ‘pouring’ counters or balls, sand, pebbles, even toys. Stimming is important to Jamie, it helps him to self-regulate and after a long day at school it’s the first thing he wants to do when he gets home.
He loves watching the same cartoons again and again and often mimics the funny parts to try and make us laugh!
Jamie really is such a lovely young man, he makes us all smile every day and he gives the best hugs. We are all very proud of him!
The Down Syndrome Association has been a great support to us and I’ve been lucky to attend many of their courses over the years. Now you can find all this information and much more on their webpage which is such a brilliant resource that continues to grow. There’s also the DSA Complex Needs and Autism page on Facebook which is really useful for questions and advice.
Every month I look forward to joining the DSA’s online meetings for Parents of Children with Complex Needs and Autism. It’s lovely to learn new things and chat with people who understand completely the extra challenges life brings when your child has complex needs.