Using coloured cards, Joanne Hammond devised a care plan to help a boy with autism increase his ability to wait without becoming agitated

Joanne Hammond describes how, on a student nurse placement in a special school, she helped plan and deliver care for Ben, a boy with autism. The care plan she devised addressed a specific aspect of Ben’s behaviour: his inability to wait without becoming agitated. With support from colleagues, the care plan proved helpful in encouraging Ben to modify his behaviour. This article details the care plan and how it developed, and includes reflections on lessons learned from the process and on nurses and education staff working together to the benefit of young people with autism.