Melissa helps address needs of neurodivergent people
Kate Pendred
It has been a whirlwind year for 17-year-old Melissa Keogh from Rochfortbridge who, in addition to studying for her Leaving Cert at Coláiste Columba, Killucan, is working as a consultant with the Muíriosa Foundation and won this year’s Mullingar Soroptimist Girls Public Speaking competition.
For the competition, Melissa chose to speak about autistic burnout and how it affects one’s chances of living a healthy and prosperous life. She spoke of the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion experienced by autistic people and how it differs from burnout experienced by neurotypicals because it can cause their skills to regress and challenges their executive functioning.
Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, Melissa explained: “I chose this topic because it is important for the public to understand the experiences of the autistic community. I want to spread awareness because I am autistic and I have personal experience to go off.”
She now goes forward to the regional rounds of the competition.
Melissa had competed in last year’s public speaking competition but was better prepared this year as she had done a musical in the meantime, and her work with the Muíriosa Foundation involves public speaking.
She explained that she works part-time as a consultant with the Muíriosa Foundation in Mullingar. She initially accepted the position to review policy documents and ensure they more effectively address the requirements of autistic and other neurodivergent individuals, both with and without intellectual disabilities. The Muíriosa team offered Melissa the opportunity to get involved in the Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) initiative.
Melissa researched the CPS model and then made a video about why she felt that schools and autism and disability services should learn about and implement the model. She had the opportunity to show her video at the first Irish CPS conference in Naas.
Her presentation went down well with those attending the conference – policymakers, people working on positive autism and disability services, schoolteachers and others in attendance.
Melissa had done a lot of research into what happens when the CPS model is not used in schools: “Essentially, the model is a way to show a kinder and more proactive listening approach to helping students and people in autism and disability services. It’s targeted at schools, but it can be used anywhere,” she explained.
In her speech, Melissa outlined some distressing examples from the ‘Lives in the Balance’ website about how the human rights of autistic young people are infringed. She spoke of cases such as that of “an eight-year-old autistic boy who literally got dragged by his legs in a school hallway by a school worker”. “There have been a lot of violent cases and approaches to dealing with children who have “challenging’ behaviour”, she said, pointing out that she used the word ‘challenging’ sarcastically “because essentially they’re just frustrated and trying to let people know that they’re in need of help”.
She talked about “how a lot of neurodivergent disabled kids are being let down” because the CPS model is not being used. “The model explains how to deal with things like sensory overload, academic burnout, unrealistic academic expectations, social isolation, disconnect from peers, bullying, stigma, discrimination, all those sorts of things,” she said.
The CPS model could ensure that neurodivergent and disabled students are heard, she feels. She suggests that anyone who wants to know more about the CPS model should visit the livesinthebalance.org/ireland website.
Melissa now works with the Muíriosa Foundation and is part of an exciting new Neuro Affirmative training programme – Project Penguin. She explained how her work with the foundation came about as a direct result of her doing work experience in the Westmeath Examiner. While on work experience last year, Melissa accompanied the editor, Brian O’Loughlin, to a coffee morning in the Muíriosa Foundation’s Millennium House.
There is an area in Millennium House “where the people supported can go to hang out or socialise”. “I absolutely loved the atmosphere there. People were all dressed up in Halloween costumes, and you could just see the lovely atmosphere. I was dealing with quite a lot of social anxiety at the time, and I was looking for a community outside of school and somewhere where I could talk to other people who got my experiences, so when I found the Muíriosa Foundation I just fell in love with it,” she recalled.
A few months later a representative from the Muíriosa Foundation visited Coláiste Columba to give careers talk. “I remember just sitting in that room asking a lot of questions and making a lot of comments on the videos that they were showing. I was happy because I’m passionate about autism and disability, it’s something that I do hold close to my heart,” Melissa said.
After the talk, she approached the speaker and was offered a work placement. Melissa was only two days into her work placement when she was invited to meet the clinical psychology manager and psychology team.
“I had jotted down a lot of ideas that I had for the Muíriosa Foundation and what I felt they could do. The clinical psychologist is a brilliant lady; she’s creative, she’s imaginative, she’s really kind, and she was just so lovely. She listened to my ideas, made comments on them and offered me a part-time job as a consultant, which I still find shocking to this day,” Melissa said.
The Muíriosa Foundation is committed to listening to autistic voices through co-production of initiatives with autistic consultants.
During the summer, Melissa worked two hours a day five days a week and now that she is back at school, she works three hours each weekend. “I absolutely love it because the work is creative. I get to write down so many ideas, so many speeches, make so many video scripts.”
Melissa is now part of the Project Penguin team who are creating a three-day training programme focused on neurodiversity, autistic perception, communication and NeuroAffirmative practice. The aim is to equip staff at the Muíriosa Foundation with a deeper understanding and improved ability to support those they work with.
“What’s great about it is that it is being developed by autistic consultants, not just people who think they know all about autism or disability from looking at Google or websites. We’re developing a lot of different resources for it – activities, discussions, videos, workbooks…”
Melissa still cannot believe that she has “landed a big job like this” while still in school. “It has been really good for me because it has taught me a lot about how to communicate better, how to organise things better, and it’s nice being able to help out people and give advice based on my lived experience,” she concluded.