Hello people who care about Autism

I work as a volunteer in a Residential Home that is permanent or semi permanent residence to 6 people who have fairly severe Autism problems.

I have a lovely wife Tricia and a son and daughter, a dog called Poppy who is a nightmare and now live in East Yorkshire [Humberside]

I am 64 years old and really enjoy working with all the residents at the home. My title is 'Befriender' so my 'job' is t take them out from the home in my car and visit places that they have a particular interest in. I really love my job.

In the past, I was an engineer for BT working on Telephone Exchanges so a bit of a 'techie', made redundant I then worked for Thames Water in their Water Quality Laboratory but unfortunately the IRA blew the lab up and I left to join an Internet Company where I got heavily involved in training. When Demon Internet was sold on I became a Tutor in an FE college training school leavers in Electrical and Electronic work, when my health failed a bit I joined LightSpeed IT solutions in Maldon Essex as a training coordinator as a very part time employee. In 2012 I retired as could not cope with the work situation at all.

So, apart from being on the receiving end of the care system, I did not have any qualification for my volunteer job that I do now.

BUT I am working on it. I have now completed a level2 course in Counselling and working on a level 2 Understanding Autism as well as doing a Continual Professional Development course on Alzheimer's disease.

I should have L plates fitted on my front and back :-)

Anyway, for what it is worth, that is me.