February, 2018
February, 2018
Tuan is one of our valued Disability Support Workers in South Australia. Here, he shares his experiences supporting NDIS participants in reaching their goals. If you've ever wondered about the types of activities that HenderCare can support you with, this is definitely the story for you.
I decided to become a Disability Support Worker because my passion is for helping young people.
My favourite thing? The ability to make a positive change in young people's lives. To see them smile, laugh, and be genuinely happy is worth more than any weight in gold.
The greatest challenge is communicating clearly with young people who are non-verbal. Each young person I support expresses their needs differently, which is why it’s so important to pay attention to body language and other communications tools that can help.
As a Disability Support Worker, I support young participants in participating in a variety of activities that interest them. We spend time going out to social events, from going to the movies, shopping, going for a walk and interacting with the people we meet while we are out.
We also do a lot of outdoor activities, including swimming, hiking, sports, going to the gym, bike riding, running as far as my asthma can take me, playing handball, chasey and stuck-in-the-mud, hopscotch, and a real favourite is playing on the playground.
I provide young people with support in developing key life skills. These activities range from cooking basic meals, buying groceries on a budget, catching public transport, helping them with school work and building confidence and character.
The most important part of my job is finding out what young participants want, and making sure I am helping them meet their goals. Having fun along the way is very important!
I have three different hobbies to de-stress and continually better myself. The first is physical activities including hiking, walking by the beach with my husky and going to the gym. These activities give me time to think clearly, reflect, and plan for the coming days.
My second hobby is gaming. This helps sharpen my creativity and gives me a chance to socialise with friends around the world. Having a global network of gaming friends expands my perspective and lets me learn about their different lifestyles, jobs, hobbies and favourite foods.
Lastly, I enjoy reading non-fiction books and watching inspiring videos. I am passionate about learning. One person I follow is Anthony Robbins, an American author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and life coach, who I strive to be similar to in the future.
I completed my Cert IV in Youth Work in 2017. This year I was accepted into a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of South Australia, and I am very excited about this.
