Bold steps beyond disability
LIVING with autism, some of William Cole’s biggest challenges are tackling unfamiliar situations and big crowds.
But when the Geelong Lutheran College student sets off for South Carolina in the US this June to represent his school at an international robotics competition, he’ll be calling on his new-found skills and tactics to ensure he performs at his best.
The 13-year-old has been part of his school robotics group for two years and has travelled around the state and country for championships.
Despite the challenges with new situations, his mum Candice Hansen said he was improving his confidence at each event.
“William gets quite nervous, he gets scared when he doesn’t have control,” Ms Hansen said.
“At the recent national championships he really struggled with getting there and getting started. Big crowds are not his favourite thing.
“He managed to pull himself together and get through it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen my child happier in his entire life.
“It’s a real accomplishment for William to ride that rollercoaster and get through the unknown, and for him to now be headed off to America is just amazing.”
After being diagnosed with autism at 10, William’s family put supports in place to help him manage his challenges, but they placed a financial strain on the family.
In April 2017, William started receiving funding from the National Disability Insurance Scheme for regular therapies, and support workers who help him to be more active in his community.
“We were paying for therapy privately, which was a struggle for our family financially,” Ms Hansen said.
“We had a few challenges transitioning to the NDIS in the beginning, but things are on track now and our local area co-ordinator, who assists us with our funding, has been a saviour. Now we have a really stable therapy team and we use them flexibly to suit William’s needs.
“It’s been really good to see his confidence grow, being out of the house and away from family.”
That confidence has allowed William to continue with his passion of robotics, working with his team on a concept that would support people with disabilities to access their community better.
The concept has been nominated for a global innovation award and if their submission is successful the team would return to the US for an event at the Disney Epcot Center in Florida, for the chance to take their concept to market.
“I just sit back and I’m in awe of the gains that he has been able to make,” Ms Hansen said. “The road’s not always smooth, it can be bumpy, but it’s really lovely to see his growth, to see there’s light at the end of the tunnel.” tamara.mcdonald@news.com.au