Like most young men, Sadick wants independence and control over his life. SeeAbility’s support is enabling him to make his voice heard.

“Sadick always greets you with shining eyes,” says Norma, the manager of Kingston Support Service. “You know you’re meeting someone who is very content and happy.”

More than healthcare

When Sadick was 19 months old he developed meningitis, which led to cerebral palsy and scoliosis. Before we knew Sadick, he was in hospital frequently as he’d catch infections in his previous home, but since being supported by SeeAbility, he’s never been in hospital.

But SeeAbility’s support is about so much more than day-to-day healthcare. At the heart of our support is collaboration with the people we’re supporting, so we’re able to help them realise their ambitions. Sadick is unable to communicate verbally, so we’ve focused on using technology to give him a voice.

Innovative support

Our Speech and Language Therapy Team have supported Sadick to use eye-gaze technology. This is able to track eye movement, so Sadick is able to select options on a screen simply by looking at his preferred option.

Norma explains how it’s opened up his world:

"Sadick’s now able to make choices every day. It helps him to choose activities like football or the cinema. It’s made a huge difference, but we’re working to develop this further, so he can progress from either/or choices to making a sentence like ‘I want to go to the lounge’."

Through the eye-gaze technology, the team know what Sadick likes, and can plan his week around his choices. Each week balances standard weekly activities that Sadick enjoys, such as Danceability on Fridays, with more spontaneous activities chosen by him day-to-day, such as trips up to London. Every part of his support plan is built through incorporating goals based on his likes and interests. He likes pop music, particularly female artists, so he’s been to see Rihanna and Beyonce. As he’s expressed interest in visiting Disneyland, that is now a target.