Christian
Update: 11.02.2018
Christian is born in April 1991 at Moedling (near Vienna) under zodiac’s sign of the aries. And indeed, often he is it - stubborn and mulish. Christian is unfortunately starting with his (too early) birth mentally disabled and totally blind. Additional he has to take permanently medicines against his risk of epileptic Grand Mal seizures,which are thankfully most of the time effective. He shows also obsessive behaviours; in his first years was assumed the diagnosis “early childhood autism”, which is confirmed in the meantime, but additional he suffers from obsessional neurosis, especially on Tics, a physical manifestation of the so called Tourette syndrom. We don’t know how much of that all he active realizes himself, but nevertheless we have to endure his obsessions and Tics daily countless times ...
Beside of this handicaps seems Christian in the good “clearer moments” to be a happy and satisfied young man. In circa 2004 Christian reached his puberty - at least physically. Christian isn’t comparable with other people; from his point of view he will perhaps often be handicapped primary by other people and not by his own handicaps. That makes him occasionally very aggressive - but who wouldn’t react in the same manner? Christian has as each other person his special needs and preferences. In this way he doesn’t really differ from other people.
During his leisure time he likes car rides, smaller walks and until circa 2007 also smaller hikes (around Flatz and up to our local mountains). Until end of 2006 he enjoyed also very much his weekly exercise with the therapy horse “Santé” at riding stable Kanzelhof nearby Lanzendorf. There he became already a real “horse artist” ... (but until further notice riding is paused due to his heavy Tics).
Beside of this activities Christian loves all kinds of Music and to listen to stories. More attentive as any other person he can keen listen to for hours and he also remembers something ! For a long time he listened only to children stories (e.g. “Nino and the secret of peace”), in the meantime he likes stories for teens and adults too. The main point is that the stories have to be told vivid and exciting. If there are special sounds or any music between the story parts he likes it much more. Who tells the story (meaning Mam, Dad or a storyteller from CD) doesn’t matter then for him ... Therefore the current trend to audio books is a blessing for Christian because the offers are increasing ! Cinemas we visited with Christian respectively also a few times - for him it’s a combination of listening stories and Popcorn ... have I already pointed out that eating is a terrific activity from his point of view ?
A few years ago it was indeed possible with him for a time, to instruct him for smaller household activities which he executed willed and careful. It seemed he was obviously waiting for those orders ... so that he doesn’t get boring ...
Nevertheless is Christian physically underemployed. Bicycling in tandem we have repeatedly tried - but Christian didn’t pedal with me but rather enjoyed only the airflow in his face; that wasn’t working ... Swimming would also be an offer, but he couldn’t learn the technique or was not willed. Diving he likes much more. Then he dives down to the ground close to the the pool edge and tries to stay down as long as possible. That works for him and it seems to be dangerless for him. However, additional he likes at every bath visitation to move around the pool edge holding on the edge; but he edges simply away any bather at the pool edge, who is a barrier in proceeding his move - and that can’t be tolerated ... Disciplinary measures ended each time in fits of raving madness and general fatigue of Christian and us as parents - so we had to stop also our bath visitations with Christian. To train at least Christian’s muscles and tendons there are furthermore a few single branches of athletics. Running with partner, ball pitching and shot put seems to be the most promising disciplines. But running he likes only for maximal 30 metres (then he simply stops) and the pitching technique for ball pitching or shot put he doesn’t understand obviously ... therefore it’s nearly impossible to take care that Christian collapses into bed at evening physically exhausted ...
You like my “Christian” pages, you want to say hello or you want to send me some tips for Christian or constructive criticism:
“It is as it is - says the love.”
Erich Fried
Leisure activities and sport
Education and employment
Christian stores indeed so many he heard, but Christian’s learning is driven mostly by physical work. Christian attended until June 2007 the special school Landessonderschule Hinterbruehl and felt very comfortable there, because his teachers and caretakers recognized, followed and promoted his capabilities already from the beginning. Since Christian finished his school days in 2007 without the learned ability to read, write and calculate, the next logical step was in August 2007 the change to the sheltered workshop of Lebenshilfe Moedling. There he got a suitable workplace at their joinery/pottery where he was challenged and promoted, could good integrate within a group of handicapped people of different ages and felt comfortable too. The focus of his work was the manual grinding of several wood pieces, whereby that has not been boring for him. On occasion of our move to Flatz changed Christian in July 2012 without any problem (!) from Moedling to the sheltered workshop of Lebenshilfe Puchberg with a nearly unchanged field of activity, later extended with “threading pearls to chain”. To the small household tasks where Christian was instructed to do, belonged between 2007 and 2011 the wipe up of crockery and cutlery, and the stow away of crockery, cutlery, clothes and household items. Christian was glad about praise like any other person and was vexed about (rarely necessary) blame. At least he still clear up the crockery. Because he is as many blind people (acting from the necessity to search/find) very orderly (pedantic, actually) he understands very well that all things have to have their fixed right place. And because he likes a clean surrounding he is willed to help to wipe (he doesn’t like so much to come into touch with unexpected cremes, sauces or similar wet textures). With his well distinct fine motoric skills he is allured by tasks where plug or screw connections have to be fabricated.
Habitation
Christian lives at our home since 2 months after his birth. We had the plan for him since many years, that around his 25th birthday (+/- 1 year) he should himself also on habitation cut the cord from his parents like the most “normal” twenty-to-thirty-year-old too. His former caretakers meant until circa 2010 that he has reached the necessary social maturity and independence to be able to move into a so called supported living community of the social care organisations Lebenshilfe or Caritas. That would be for sure much more personal than a common asylum. (Whereby we don’t knew if a asylum situation would Christian stress in reality or not.) But since circa 2010 he was significant more difficult to caretake and for a long time we didn’t know, if and how that could work. How the caretaking for his case would have to be in detail, if there exist a possibility for “living on trial”, and if he can live there also for the weekend (permanent and/or occasionally), are topics we had to clarify for the future. Until January 2018 this basic situation remained nearly unchanged. At this point of time was only clear that Christian with his in the meantime manifested additional handicaps and disorders would need more caretaking than a supported living community can provide. Christian will be 27 years old in April 2018 and it seems he is relatively close to the end of his “puberty”. We have exceeded the former planned timeframe because we wanted to wait until the “best” point of time for this change in Christian’s live. We think that this point of time is reached now. Because I had to reckon with a waiting time up to 3 years, we decided in January 2018 to ask at the favoured residential home, to clarify the existing options and to sign up Christian’s needs.
And now happened the unexpected in the way that a suitable place for Christian will be available at the residential care home of the social care organisation Lebenshilfe at Puchberg in April 2018 (subject to the parallel requested cost permit by the state of Lower Austria) !
The “trial live” will happen in the form of a “slinking relocation”. His own room at the residential care home is already reserved. This room we will furnish for Christian until April.Then he starts in week 1 with 1 day/1 night and 2 days 7 2 nights at the residential care home; If this works follow 3 days/3 nights in week 2; and if this works too then follow 5 days / 5 nights in week 3 or 4. The for Christian remaining security cornerstones for theses very first days of his relocation are
- the sheltered workshop of Lebenshilfe in the same village, where he will continue his work the whole day as usual , and
- the hourly presence of us, his parents in his new room at the residential care home.
Christian will, beginning with April 2018, on weekends indeed stay at home with us, his parents (for the next time, later on in 14 day interval). But also for us parents will the relocation be a heavy administrative and emotional change, where we have to become adjusted to. After all the residential care home at Puchberg takeover nearly all support and care activities we’ve done until yet, like
- wake up / put down (incl. nappy affixing/removal/disposal),
- support on personal hygiene, toothbrushing, defecation,
- food preparation (breakfast, snacks, supper),
- medicinal supply (medical prescriptions, nappy prescriptions, errands at pharmacies and nappy suppliers, dosage, presentation and ingestion control ),
- delivery to and pickup from workshop shuttle bus,
- laundry and bedlinen washing, drying, ironing, loading, providing,
- daily changing and providing of toys and music,
- social attention and interaction (talk/care, information, answering Christian’s questions),
- help in case of physical or mental overload (minor repairs, battery change, ...),
- planning, registration and personal assistance on visits to the doctor (in case that we as parents don’t continue that),
- clothes shopping (in case that we as parents don’t continue that),
- walks, minor shopping, and excursions with Christian.
There come quite a few things down the pike now. A suspenseful first half year 2018 is therefor guaranteed for all involved people ...
Apart from that: Christian’s pages will remain under construction for a long time. Topics are:
- Chance handicap - for whom a handicap can be also a chance and why !
- Balancing act - the small ridge between joy/confidence and rage/deppression ...
- Adviser - how can / shall / will it proceed ?
- Aid agencies - who can what do for Christian an/or his parents ?
- Way of life - how far can complied Christian’s needs for a self-determined life as young man (e.g. tenderness/embracement, partner) and who can accompany him on this way except his parents ?
- Financials - who can / shall / will pay what for Christian can / shall / will be done ?
