Jo Tinkler - Senior Occupational Therapist
Jo Tinkler won the Occupational Therapist of the Year Award for 2005 - sponsored by Stannah Stairlifts - just four years after graduating from university. She works for a Primary Care Trust, helping adults with learning disabilities. Her role involves visiting people at their homes, in residential settings, day-services and respite units.
Jo was nominated for the award for her work with Michael, a young man who has profound learning disabilities and autism. At the age of 18, Michael had moved into a residential home to be cared for by professionals. However, he was clearly unhappy in his new environment, and started resorting to self-harm, losing weight and interest in the world around him. Michael's family was worried he wouldn't survive, until he was referred to Jo.
Jo developed an intensive interaction programme for Michael - a way of communicating with someone who doesn't speak by mimicking and responding to the noises and actions they make. To bring Michael out of his shell, Jo involved him in activities that he enjoyed and that he could understand, such as playing with sand and water, painting, swimming and horse riding. This all made a huge difference:
"He is now using his initiative more, indicating when he wants things, such as food," Jo said. "He's much happier and healthier, and has put on weight. He used to have sores on his hands, wrists and knees from self-harm, and these have gone now."
