Published on: 10th October 2025
Junaid, 27, has a mild learning disability which affects how easily he can express his thoughts and feelings to others. He was referred for speech and language therapy by Bury adult learning disability team earlier this year.
Kerry Boardman, speech and language therapy assistant, helped Junaid learn and develop new communication skills, make meaningful connections, and improve his experience as student at Bury College.
Together they created a communication passport to help Junaid express his needs and emotions more clearly. They also created an emotions booklet, which Junaid now uses to explain his anxiety and frustrations to the team’s psychologist.
Kerry explained: “Our team use a person-centred approach, which means listening to Junaid’s wishes and agreeing shared goals. We adapt session plans to suit his needs and recognise that barriers are not failures.
“Junaid's self-esteem was low when we first met, so we worked on this and completed booklets to look at how others viewed him and what good things he saw in himself.
“We then used tools such as a visual checklist to help track his progress, which also helps him in moments of self-doubt.”
The team went on to support Junaid with practical tasks to boost his independence, including ordering food and drinks, asking questions, and buying cinema tickets.
When Junaid mentioned he didn’t have any friends at college, Kerry visited the campus to speak with staff and help Junaid meet new people. Since then, Junaid has made new friends who share his love of cinema.
Reflecting on his journey, Junaid said: “I worked with Kerry to build my conversation skills. We practised ordering things which I had never done before. I used to feel nervous and didn’t talk much, especially to people I didn’t know.
“Because of Kerry’s help, I now feel better and more confident. I have signed up to a drama course which I am really excited about joining. I truly feel like a new Junaid.”