Devon began support with Inclusion WA in her final year of high school. She worked alongside Mentors to navigate the huge life change of transitioning from school to work.
When Devon first began her support sessions, she came across as very shy and reserved. It took a few months for Devon to engage in conversation and build rapport with new Mentors, but it became clear quite quickly that Devon has a passion (and talent!) for singing and dancing. This was identified by her Mentors who promptly researched activities and supported Devon to enrol in music, singing, and theatre classes where she has thrived, participating in (and sometimes leading) classes independently.
In her day-to-day, Devon could become overwhelmed and panic in situations where she didn’t feel comfortable. She often found it difficult to anticipate these feelings and struggled to self-regulate when crises did arise. Mentors worked alongside Devon to support her through these moments, holding space for her to experience things deeply at her own pace, but also providing gentle encouragement, guidance, and insight. Over the last few years, Devon has learned to be assertive and advocate for herself in sessions. She identifies feelings, anticipates discomfort, and effectively communicates her needs to the point where becoming overwhelmed and panicked are usually averted. When these situations do arise, Devon recovers quickly and has developed an impressive capacity for compassionate self-reflection.
This change was noted by her family and also employers at Workpower who recognised her personal progress with a promotion and permanent position. This strength of self-regulation and comfort also increased Devon’s confidence in social situations and Angela (Devon’s mum) has mentioned that she is now beginning to make friends at work.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside Devon and watch as she gains confidence in everything that she does. Devon is so open and accepting of herself now and I have learned so much in supporting her to find value in the times when things don’t go to plan. We try to frame everything in terms of a win – whether it’s getting overwhelmed and recovering, communicating or asserting needs, or knowing your limits and wanting to end the session early – it’s all really important experience for navigating independence.” – Devon’s Mentor
Devon’s support sessions with Inclusion WA have increased too. In the early stages of support, Devon was only comfortable with one Mentor and tended to engage for less than one hour. Currently, Devon sees three Mentors throughout the week and her sessions can run for up to three hours. She accesses community activities, navigates crowded shopping centres, catches public transport with minimal assistance, and is learning to manage her finances more sustainably. Devon is also becoming more independent with activity planning. Previously, all planning was communicated by Mentors and Angela (Devon’s mum) but Devon has started to communicate directly with her Mentors to plan sessions.
Employment Discovery
We work with NDIS participants to discover their skills, talents and interests so that they can explore employment opportunities suited to their needs and strengths.