Raffy Raccoon in Epping Forest

 

Raffy is age 14 and growing!

I haven't updated this blog for over a year and it's amazing to see how much Raffy has grown up. He is now a teen and experimenting with taking selfies and becoming more independent.

 

All the photographs above were taken by Raffy himself. He is definitely getting in to the swing of finding his own identity :)

 

Sadly, Raffy's beloved Anderson School closed permanently in April 2020 and without a suitable replacement, he remains at home. 

He enjoyed lockdown even though his mum continues to have health and mobility issues. 

Raffy has been a star and become gradually more confident with helping around the house and having a go at cooking. He really is the sweetest person to have around!

See Puss in boots below!

Raffy wearing his beloved cat onesie and a pair of boots! 

These are relatively new and fantastic developments 😸😺😻. As we approached Halloween, Raffy suddenly declared that he wanted to dress up for the first time and go out! Poor Raffy, the only year we couldn't go out for trick and treat due to Covid 19 restrictions!

He'd decided spontaneously that he wanted to be a cat! We found him an adult sized outfit online (he's around 5'4.5 now..) and ordered. Meanwhile he asked to look at some boots to wear, GASP! Raffy has been increasingly managing to wear sandals when outside but socks and shoes have always been too far out of his comfort zone. He chose a pair of size 6UK boots (he let us measure his feet!), and we ordered...

This was the big night, he wore his new star socks and boots and went out with little sis to see the neighbourhood pumpkins!

Since that night he has consented to go to the park and for walks wearing his onesie and boots. He still won't wear a coat but is pretty excited to be out in winter and relatively wrapped up warm and cosy, bounding around energetically and doing a bit of feline climbing!

This is the first time in 8 years he has been able to be ouside in the cold of winter time. We are so proud and happy for him. We all still had a great Halloween with a film night and gluten free spooky treats of our own.. 👻

  

So Raffy continues to shine and grow. We love him so much! He's asked if I can post another update at Christmas time so please watch this space. He's made a wish list...

Update 2019

So much has happened in the last year. Raffy is now at high school in year 7!

He was accepted at the Anderson, the National Autistic Society's (NAS) flagship school https://www.autism.org.uk/andersonschool/
 We were amazed at Raffy's thoughtful and assertive answers at the interview.. "What do you do Raffy when something happens that you don't like?" R: "I discuss it with my mum and we try to make a deal!"
The staff are supportive and enthusiastic and run the mainstream academic timetable in a purpose built, sensitively designed building. Lots of light and wide airy corridors. Classrooms all have access to a grassy inner courtyard so the kids can easily be outside when they need a break.

The academic are mainstream. Raffy needs to catch up with his learning and has a brilliant teacher to help him up to key stage 3 level. The important thing is that he loves learning and is excited to go to school. He's even wearing sandals every day and a school uniform. It's been a massive (literal!) step up.

Raffy is growing up!

Raffy's 2016

It's been a great, multi faceted year :)

We had a very successful Son-Rise Outreach with Gerd Winkler  in April :) http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/

Raffy has continued to grow as a person and in September he hit his 10th birthday!
It's the first year he has been excited to get a year older and recently count down the days to Christmas. He has embraced anticipation and patience!

He is showing his feelings and is more comfortable with his emotions. He is increasingly empathetic. He is witty and funny. And getting even better looking!

Last 3 days to donate to Raffy's Outreach!

https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/ruth-breckell

Please click on the link and read our story.

I hope you can think about pledging any amount to help with Raffy's next stage of development.
He is chatty, funny, giggly, interested in nature and experiments. He is still barefoot and has difficulty with confidence and emotional overload. Such a unique boy!

Thank you to everyone who reads about Raffy and thinks of him with love in their hearts.

We believe our boy is able to do anything and everything  XXX

Just Giving!

We've already talked about booking another Son-Rise Outreach with Gerd Winkler for April 2016.
http://raffystrust.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/next-step-outreach-in-april-2016-help.html

The outreach will cost just over £3,000 and we need help raising £2,000!

I have set up a Just Giving page here: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/ruth-breckell

Any amount would be appreciated. It would be great if everyone who is interested and loves Raffy could pledge £5! It would make a huge difference!

I hope you can help us reach the target! Thank you for reading X

Beavers!

Raffy has joined the local Beavers Group! 

Beavers are the youngest in the scouting movement and now fortunately accept girls too. Raffy's little sister started in the spring. So Raffy has had ample chance to observe some of the other kids at drop off time.

We also went to a Sunday parade at the Church in the summer.
At first Raffy wouldn't come inside for the service. However the sermon for that week was about seeking/finding and the congregation were all given a chocolate coin.
Suddenly after an explanation Raffy, wanted to come in, sit down and listen...

We were all instructed to not eat the coin until the very end of the service after 3 hymns and some participatory learnings re patience... Meanwhile Raffy was answering some of the questions in the lesson and piping up from the back row with some nuggets of his own!
He hummed his way through all of the hymns and waited with everyone else to open his coin!
Afterwards he hunted for real coins in a bowl of cold baked beans, had his face painted with an orange octopus and made a clay octopus...

On the way home Raffy asked if he could join Beavers too. I DID explain that chocolate coins are not part of every session...

Raffy is slightly out of the age range but the district co ordinator and Linda the Beavers leader have kindly let him join the troupe! It's a great group and they do lots of fun activities.
We have camped,  Raffy has played some team games (he's in the Panthers) such as the egg and spoon race.. he's helped with all the activities and slotted in very well. They are a fun bunch of kids and a good mix of crazy and easy going ;) See Linda organising everyone in the next pic!

The leaders and volunteers are brilliant and Raffy has been made very welcome :) So chuffed! 

Many thanks to 16th Epping Forest group, leaders - Linda, Ian, 

Also to the volunteers - Ruth, Paul, Frank.