Cara Autism Support Service

Cara Day Service

What is the Cara Day Service?

The Cara Day Service provides a safe, interactive, and supportive environment for Autistic adults to explore various hobbies, activities, and work placements within their community. Our focus is on each individual’s unique wants and needs, creating a truly person-centered experience.

Participants develop their own Person-Centered Plan and Support Plan, outlining their goals and aspirations. We work closely with each individual to help them achieve their desired outcomes, providing the support they need every step of the way. Our long-term goal is to empower Autistic individuals to become as independent as they wish, fostering growth, confidence, and community involvement.

How do I apply to the Cara Day Service?

Referrals for the Cara Day Service come directly from the HSE whether these are school leavers or clients in the community.  These individuals are profiled by the HSE to ensure that the Cara Day Service would meet the needs of the Autistic individual.  To be eligible for this process, the individual would have a diagnosis of Autism, be 18 or over, living in County Waterford and meet the profiling criteria with the HSE.

What would I be doing in the Cara Day Service?

During the Person-Centred Plan we would discover what each individual is interested in and arrange activities in their schedule to meet this need.  The schedule will also include opportunities to try new interests and activities, such as Horse Riding, Social Farming and Sensory Circuits. 

There will be Social Groups to encourage individuals of the same interest to meet in small groups – Yu-Gi-Oh Card Game, Dungeons & Dragons, Men’s Coffee Group, Chess Club, Modelling Group, Gym, Cookery, and Board Games Group.  There will be Social Events in order to practice social communication and independent living skills in the community – Cinema, Go-Karting, Virtual Reality, Bowling, Escape Rooms, Axe Throwing, Walks and Meals Out.

We provide flexible support for Autistic adults to pursue part-time courses during their day or explore various work environments through voluntary or part-time employment opportunities. Our goal is to help individuals gain valuable experience and skills that align with their interests and needs, empowering them to take meaningful steps toward independence and personal growth. 

Within our Centre we have a sensory room, sensory pods and a social space to try out our Lego, Board Games, Smart TV, Oculus Virtual Reality Headsets, PlayStation 5, Wacom Animation Tablet, iPad and Coding Laptop.

Cara Outreach Service

What is the Cara Outreach Service?

The Cara Outreach Service is an Autism service that supports the individuals in their community to enable them to live their life as independently as possible.

How do I apply to the Cara Outreach Service?

Any Autistic adult can self-refer to the Cara Outreach Service as long as you are 18 or over and have an Autism diagnosis or are seeking an Autism diagnosis and living within County Waterford.  Simply contact our team and we will arrange an initial meeting to introduce you to our service and we can explore whether the Cara Outreach supports would be appropriate for you.

What would I be doing in the Cara Outreach Service?

Cara Outreach Clients may be working or in a college course or figuring out what they would like to do.  Where appropriate we will schedule a weekly one to one session for Psychological Supports – Anxiety Management, Confidence Building, Assertiveness Skills, Relationships & Sexuality, Gender Identity and Sleep Management. 

We can carry out sensory assessments with the clients to make them aware of what in their environment stimulates or calms them so that we can suggest a Sensory Regulation Plan that they can use in their everyday to cope.

Support individuals to practice Independent Living Skills – travel, cooking, laundry, housework and finances. 

Support Autistic Adults in their place of work or College course by liaising with their Employer/Lecturers or use Career Psychometric Testing to advise and guide them on what they might like to do next.

The Outreach clients also have access to our Social Groups and Social Events.

Cara NLN

The Cara Team also support the Autistic Adults who are students on the Rehabilitative and Vocational Training Programmes in the National Learning Network.  The Autistic NLN students are offered all of the same supports as the Outreach Clients within the structured routine of a daily course. 

Contact our centre in Waterford for more details on this service.

Read about Cara service here https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/healthandwellbeing/arid-40337948.htm

Tramore man shines a light on an autism diagnosis as an adult | WLRFM.com