‘Positive’, ‘adventurous’ and ‘enthusiastic’ are just three words we would use to describe Ella Mitchell.
After nearly two years as part of the LSC community, we caught up with Ella to talk about her role and how an accidental encounter sparked her passion for teaching autistic students.
My own experiences. At school I really struggled. I was very average at everything, and I didn’t perform very well. But psychology inspired me, especially neuropsychology, and I was good at it. Then my passion for autism was a complete accident. I was studying for my masters, alongside working as an NHS personal assistant. The Trust’s medical director specialised in autism, and they helped me to get my first voluntary assistant psychology role. From there, I completed the initial training and developed a deep passion for the field. Having successfully passed the proposal stage, I’m now embarking on my PhD journey in this field.
The values LSC holds. Caring, inclusive, empowering, committed, diverse and supportive, very much aligned with the way I wanted to practice my psychology. Higher Education is not always a very accessible place. And I think a lot of people are incredibly clever and could do incredible things in this world, but they don’t always get the opportunity to do so because of barriers. My university experience was a struggle. So, I thought it would be nice to be a mentor and support the students in a way I wish I had been supported.
The best part about this job is watching the students grow, develop and increase their confidence. When I meet them, some are in bad places and there’s a reason I come into the picture. This role allows me to be a part of their story, but everything else is coming from them. All I’m doing is being a cheerleader and helping them over that barrier. I love it so much; it’s the best feeling.
Being positive. It’s very important and I do try to find the silver lining, especially if I’m in a session with someone that’s not doing so well. However, it’s important to listen and adjust your behaviour appropriately. I like to put the students first and not make sessions another demand in their life. We’re here to make their life easier, not harder. So, the best tips are to communicate, listen and to try not end a session without at least a smile.
I do appreciate the work that has been carried out by the National Autistic Society (NAS) and Mind. NSA and Reframing Autism provide good resources that are readily available and it’s a great place to start for anyone looking to find out more information about autism.
Words by Rosie Knapp
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