Supporting Nick to make decisions: A personal exploration of choice

Nick likes to make decisions. To make decisions about his life puts him in control. They also provide him with opportunities to learn. Nick is an energetic young man, who has strong family connections and friendships, an adored long time girlfriend, and a desire for a life of his own, separate from his parents. He also has cerebral palsy, an intellectual disability and epilepsy. The impact of these conditions are that he is unable to speak, and needs a walking frame or wheelchair to get around. He is impulsive and his sense of danger is variable and dependent on his mood and focus at the time. This paper highlights the question “What do we need to do to support Nick’s choices?”