The Journey

"I saw a child who could not walk, sit on a horse, laugh and talk. Then ride it through a field of daisies and yet he could not walk unaided. I saw a child, no legs below, sit on a horse, and make it go through woods of green and places he had never been to sit and stare, except from a chair. I saw a child who could only crawl mount a horse and sit up tall. Put it through degrees of paces and laugh at the wonder in our faces. I saw a child born ito strife, take up and hold the reins of life and that same child, I heard him say, Thank G-d for showing me the way ....." 

The journey started when Josh was about twenty one months of age and we recognised the need to understand the changes which were happening in Joshua's Planet in order to know how best to help him. 

When he was four years of age we took him, and his two siblings, to the Options Institute, Massachusetts, USA, to learn how to set up and run a Sonrise Programme. We continued in this venture intensively for some three years with supervision via video review and annual outreach. Josh typed "I remember this programme. I found it a very boring experience. The community support that came with this was a gain."

We retrained our team to adopt an ABA, (Lovaas) approach when Joshua was nine years old which we continued for some eighteen months before seeking a residential placement in a Specialist School. His educational psychologist report at the time can be viewed by clicking here.

After taking our Local Authority to tribunal we were able to secure funding to send Josh overseas to the best placement we could find and there he stayed for five and a half years. He came home for three vacations a year and we spoke daily. His mother visited at six weekly intervals. "My residential school overseas was interesting and sometimes good fun. I was also very busy and active. The separation was horrible. Intellectually it was pretty laughable. Spiritually it was empty."
 

 When Josh was thirteen he was introduced to Facilitated Communication which revolutionised his life, and that of all his family. " It is good for you that I am in school so you can important places be with the rest of the family and not need to be with me but I want to come home" ....and so he did, but now he was recognised to be an intelligent, thinking person with his own views, hopes and aspirations.

Josh came back to live at home, aged fifteen. Provision was negotiated for him to study an  intellectually appropriate curriculum, on a individual basis, with a  teacher trained to use Facilitated Communication. This was to take place in the setting of  a Special School because it was felt that this would be the most gentle introduction to education in the UK. How wrong we were! This was an unmitigated disaster which culminated in Joshua leaving the school by mutual agreement. "I would like to include a section on Special Schools. I believe great things will and do happen but never in an environment like this. Terrible boredom grabs hold of you and you will forget the person you are. The best places are where everyone is treated equally and can learn."

We were fortunate at this point to enlist the support of the headmaster of a local school in the heart of our Jewish community who was prepared to accept Josh into his mainstream environment and subsequently Joshua spent "three happy years" in this environment before moving on to the Yeshiva where he now attends.

Joshua's life is enriched by the friendship, understanding and expertise of his Personal Assistants who’s involvement shines through the photographs which chronicle Josh's life to date.

The journey continues with many ups and downs as Josh copes with the physical and emotional challenges he faces. However, his achievements are evident ... his website, DVDs, presentations and publications have already had far reaching consequences....and we trust this is just the beginning!!!!!!!