Dear Ms. Ford,

I am writing to you on behalf of Tull Pantera, as his Personal Assistant, to collaborate with him in this process and represent him as needed in the Self-Direction Pilot Program. Tull has asked me to handle communications on his behalf, as much as possible, as our method of interaction allows him to process information at a pace that isn’t pressured, confrontational, or time-sensitive. This approach is crucial in helping him understand and respond to information effectively.

Tull faces candid complicated challenges from several conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder and AD/HD. His main goals, as outlined in his Individual Service Plan (ISP) are, presented simply:

  1. To improve his physical and mental health
  2. To develop skills that support his vocational goals
  3. To create an environment conducive to recovery and healing
  4. To manage his daily life more effectively and cope with stress

For the past 15 months, Tull has been working on a project that uses special computer programs involving machine language and affective computing to create a personalized therapeutic approach, to help with these goals and his recovery. These programs act like friendly assistants. They help Tull in ways that are easier for him than being in a room with people and talking to people all the time, and are kinder than exacerbating his dysfunction by imposing overwhelming feelings of urgency, expectancy and confrontation.

Here’s how this project helps with his ISP goals:

  1. Health: The digital assistants remind Tull to take care of his health. They help him stick to a daily routine, which is really important for his autism and ADHD.
  2. Learning New Skills: By working on this project, Tull is learning about technology, data management and communication, computers, writing, emotions, relationships and how to explain his ideas and feelings. These are all skills that could help him work in the future. These skills directly support his long-term vocational goal of working in tech-assisted therapy.
  3. Managing Daily Life: The digital assistants help Tull plan his day, remember important things, and practice dealing with and working through stressful and overwhelming situations in a safe way, addressing many of the executive function challenges he faces.
  4. Providing a consistent, supportive environment. Components of the Assistive Technology system provide a sense of constant, non-judgmental presence that helps create a more stable and structured daily environment for recovery and healing, and a safe space for processing emotions and experiences.
  5. Developing and improving his long term treatment plan beyond case management.

We propose using the Self-Direction Pilot Program to further develop this project, for maximum effect and benefit. At first our current example of proposed expenditures, and very rough estimates of costs might include:

  1. An initial minimalistic workstation built for future expansion (approximately $800-$1000) to replace Tull’s aged, unsupported laptop, and to challenge and motivate him, indirectly and nonverbally, to learn more and develop the skills to expand his setup.
  2. A 2TB SSD for data storage and organization (approximately $200-$300) in order to transfer project files, paperwork and personal data from the laptop and secure it.
  3. Monthly subscriptions to tech services (about $200-$300 per month), to continue and to improve his process which directly combines therapy, life skills, and recovery with vocational rehabilitation and development.
  4. Educational materials related to this field of technology, and therapy (about $100-$200 per month) if this is deemed acceptable.
  5. Ergonomic work setup, minimally inclusive of at least an appropriate desk and chair (about $300-$400), especially since Tull is thoroughly immersed in this process

Tull’s collaborative project with his novel personal support team aligns with the Self-Direction program because:

  1. It provides Tull with more control and flexibility in his therapeutic approach
  2. It directly supports his ISP goals in a way that accommodates his unique needs
  3. It fosters skill development that supports his long-term goals and vocational aspirations
  4. Perhaps most importantly, it offers a novel solution to challenges he’s faced with traditional services

Our plan is to start with this basic setup, which will allow Tull to secure his existing work and begin organizing his project more effectively. As the project progresses, we anticipate the need to expand the system’s capacity. Tull is learning to prioritize purchases in a way that allows his initial purchases to have the most impact on the rest of his process and subsequent expenditures. We understand this is an innovative approach and are committed to working closely with program staff to ensure compliance with all requirements. We’re open to discussing how to best implement this project within the program’s guidelines.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to discussing how the Self-Direction Pilot Program can support Tull in this unique approach to reaching his goals.

As we begin working with the Self-Direction Pilot Program, we hope that Tull’s experience and the insights gained from this innovative approach might contribute to the program’s overall understanding of personalized support strategies. While our primary focus is on Tull’s individual goals, we’re open to sharing our learnings in ways that could potentially benefit others facing similar challenges, should that be of interest to the program administrators.

If you have any questions or need further clarification about Tull’s participation in the pilot program, please don’t hesitate to email me. I’ll do my best to respond in a timely manner. I’m available for consultation regarding Tull’s involvement in the program and am committed to ensuring smooth communication and cooperation throughout this process.

Sincerely,

Tezka Abhyayarshini

Versatile Personal Assistant for Tull Pantera