AttitudeLive - Keeping up with Chris

When Chris Bunton was born with Down Syndrome his parents wondered if he’d ever achieve the independence they dreamed of… but he has exceeded all their expectations. At just 22 years old, Chris combines part-time work with university study as well as a demanding gymnastics training programme. Chris invites us into his busy life in Sydney, while his parents share insights they have gained from raising an independent son.

I feel happy.

I just feel happy and very excited.

Meet all these wonderful and great people.

Thanks for calling Special Olympics Australia,

Chris speaking.

I wasn't strong. I wasn't physical.

When I went to world games,

I won a Gold medal there.

Stretch... touch your toes.

That's it, that's a good one there.

So when I finished school I wanted to go to Uni.

It's a wonderful experience.

Uni is still pretty big.

I wanted to drive a car.

My dad is teaching me

and we have some issues driving.

Dad: Check the traffic!

I haven't merged into it yet dad.

Now I can go.

Director: Who believed in you and how did they help you?

So my parents, is the biggest one.

Because without them I wouldn't progress.

- Hello
- Hello, how are you?

- How was your day? How are you Chris?

That's a big hug.

So my mum was a maths teacher

she helped me lots with my maths

and my dad with science.

When a child is born you've got all these

dreams of what your child will be

and then the doctor comes in and says

'Your son has Down Syndrome'

and all these dreams suddenly collapse almost immediately.

And you go into the mode

How do I maximise what my son can do?

Well, I would suggest with myself and my wife

as the parents, he got a few bright genes.

He was lucky there.

If you said a child is 50/50 nature and nurture,

I would tend to say for a Down Syndrome child

that for Chris it might be 60% nurture, maybe 70%.

John: Do you know what these dishes are?

Chris: Ahhh is that your new telescope?

John: They form part of a radio telescope.

But when you have a child with a disability

it's like what do I have to so my child can speak?

With Chris we were teaching him sign language.

What do we do to develop his gross motor?

We tried little athletics and then eventually

found the gymnastics programme.

We put him into that.

Look what's happened because of that.

I was just a bit weak.

But during the years I was changing,

progressing, getting stronger.

And then during those years I built muscles,

the muscles came naturally.

But I need, I'd like to get more.

Coach: Bend the knees. Okay.

In the first place I was not quite sure

but gymnastics is a sport for everybody.

I was very surprised here what he could achieve.

Some skills we had been working on for

a very long time.

When he started I thought that would never happen

but, like you see today, he's completing

all his routines.

Coach: Hard work, hard work.

Mum: In 2011 he went to Athens Special Olympics.

He won Gold on the high bar, silver on the parallel bar

and bronze on another apparatus.

All the memories came to me

'Oh he will be nothing in life'

and then I watch Christopher there,

I was in Australia working here,

and I start crying. There he is.

Coach: Good... good.

Chris: If I'm happy with a skill and I can do it,

I am... I'm excitied.

But I also like challenges,

because some of the skills I learn on the high bar,

are complex skills that I couldn't grasp,

but now it's simple.

Chris: I've got some questions to ask.

When I was born, were you worried?

We were worried then,

we were worried, you know, will Christopher

actually be independent when he grows up?

- Chris?
- Yes?

Can you come here with the iPad please?

Yep.

We were determined that we would try our best

for you to be independent.

We didn't know how at the time.

Chris: The iPad needs a charge as well.

Halina: Oh, it was left uncharged?

Chris: It's 56%.

Halina: How many?

Chris: 56.

Halina: 56? Oh this will do.

Can you look at the train?

What time do you have to be at Uni, Chris?

Chris: Before 9.

Halina: You have to be before 9, this means how long

will it take you to walk?

Chris: Usually if I walk, I walk very fast.

Halina: Are you doing power walking?

Chris: I do power walk.

Halina: Yeah.

Chris: 7:43.

Halina: 7:43, yes what time will you get...

Chris: I'll be there at 8:26

Halina: 8:26 at?

Chris: At Redfern.

Halina: Redfern.

13 train, 7:58 from St Mary's

Halina: Yes

Chris: ... and at 8:41 I will be there at Redfern.

Halina: But if any hiccups, you could be late for your lecture.

Chris: Yeah I could be late.

Halina: This means what are we going to decide?

Chris: At 7:43

Halina: 7:43?

Chris: Yep

Halina: But yep you will give me a text?

Chris: I will

I wasn't included at primary school at all.

I had a teacher aide at the time.

I was dragged away from the classroom,

put in the backroom of the entire class.

I did typing lessons, I did English.

They said 'Chris, you reached your plateau,

your learning plateau'.

'You don't need to go to high school,

go to a special education classroom'.

'Don't go to mainstream, don't want to help you'.

That wasn't good.

Because when I went to high school,

I was lacking lots of information.

My mum used to be a maths teacher

and my mum was every time at home,

helping me with my maths homework.

How to count money, how to do basic maths.

Halina: Christopher was learning, he needed help.

His years at high school, but from the beginning

he needed more than others.

All his hard work paid off. He passed really well.

His other subject was English, he did really well in English.

He was really satisfied with his study

and he's still using it in his life now.

So when I finished school

I wanted to go to Uni,

but I didn't have the enough points to go to Uni at all.

And then I found out about the IEP,

the Inclusive Education Program,

and I said 'I would like to do Uni'.

So which subjects would you like to do?

I went to the open day.

Come to Uni, see what this program does,

and what subjects they have

and I decided on nutrition because

I could improve my nutrition ideas

and that's why I started Uni.

Welcome to Sydney University.

This is my university.

My dad went as a university student himself.

Whenever anyone asks me which Uni I was going to,

I say 'Same as my dad'.

So Tamara, why did you start this program?

This program gives people with an intellectual disability

the opportunity to go to Uni and

to do what every other young adult

has the opportunity to do.

How does it work?

In 2012 we did a research program

and we had 5 people with an intellectual disability

test out what it would be like to go to Uni.

What we found out was that people with an intellectual disability,

when they came to Uni, they got heaps more independence,

they were really good at being assertive,

which means making your own choices

about what you want to do.

We found that they learnt lots of stuff,

so the actual course content, they learnt a lot.

So from there, we went 'Hey, we should let more people do this.'

All of this wouldn't be possible without the right support,

so that's why you have things like

you have two mentors, you have your tutorials with Fran,

you have all these extra things to make it

so that you are completely supported.

I've got two types of mentors.

One with a Uni lecturer,

if you don't understand.

Mandy: Hey Chris, how are you going?

Chris: I'm good Mandy, how are you?

If the lecturer talks too fast,

you've got the mentor there to say

'Oh this is what the lecturer said...'

And one is a social mentor and they like to do

all the social stuff, like go out for lunch,

or get a cup of coffee,

walk around Uni together, go to the library,

and all those little things.

Did you bring your laptop?

Of course.

Interesting question.

I'm trying. Up and down.

Halina: We need to go to the shop

to buy some veges for tomorrow for the meal.

Do you remember what we need

for what you want to cook tomorrow?

Chris: One of the tools we need to use is a shopping list.

Halina: Okay, you will be writing down?

Do you remember what we need in this dish?

Chris: Eggs, we need potato

Halina: Yes. Next?

Chris: Eggs, potatos... that is the hot stuff...

Halina: What else is hot?

Chris: Beans

Halina: That's right.

Chris: Some beans, cooked beans.

Halina: It took us a long time to get it,

but I didn't give up, maybe you would give him a break

because I'm not forcing you, but didn't give up in the long term

and he progressed and he did it.

I think being consistent, consistent work.

You grab the basket. We have your list?

Chris: Yes I've got my list.

Green beans

Green beans, yes.

Beans are healthy aren't they?

Beans are healthy, yeah.

I'm going to use my hands.

No you can pick up some with your fingers, Chris.

I will hold here, that's a big handful.

That's lots of beans.

Do you think that's enough now?

Yeah

I will follow the leader.

They're on my bag.

Pardon? Oh your bag?

Those are big bananas, Chris.

I love bananas.

That's good.

Do you want a plastic bag?

Yes please.

That's $29.50.

Oh $29.50, what if I give you $50?

$20 and 50 cents change.

Thank you.

You're going to put your money away first.

I love working.

It gives me a structure.

Like being at school, you wake up, get ready,

go to school. It's a structure and you do stuff.

The same thing as work.

Morning!

Morning Mr Bunton, how are you?

I'm good.

Before I started working here I was volunteering

for one whole year.

Then I found out that they were wanting to

recruit a person to work in Special Olympics

and then I went through the process of getting a job.

I've got two roles with Special Olympics.

One as an athlete, one as an office worker.

So with the athlete I just work on my duties

with being an athlete

and also as an office administrator.

Thank you for calling Special Olympics Australia,
Chris speaking.

Yes, let me just check on our

Special Olympics Australia website.

I love to work because I do mail, post, messages,

greeting nice, beautiful people,

I do some data entry,

and this is my favourite desk.

This is my boss, CEO, and I'm here

to ask a few questions.

- Hi Chris
- Hi how are you?

I'm well, thank you. How can I help you?

Why did you hire me?

As our organisation is being able to show

what people with intellectual disabilities can do

rather than what they can't do, it felt like to me

that we should have people with and our athletes

actually working for us.

So we put the ad out, you were one of the applicants,

you did and excellent interview,

you were able to balance the skills that you actually have

outside of being an athlete and how you

being them to this organisation.

Halina: What do we need Chris?

First things first, we need parsley.

Parsley is for what? For the soup... oh before it gets dark.

Before it gets dark, I need to go outside and get some.

Do you know where the parsley is?

Yes I do.

You sure, you won't bring me something else?

No no, I won't get confused now.

I will remember what it looks like.

Yeah? Because you usually go there and go

which leaf is that?

Yes that's true.

Chris: How do you think it's worked out?

Whether you were going to be independent?

Chris: Yes

I think we are going to get there.

Keep pushing.

I think we only have one problem now.

Chris: What?

Mum has to let go (laughs)

John: You are a world away of what we thought you would be.

Halina: It's all worth it, all the work we put in, it's working.

Chris: Got my parsley now.

I think that's enough.

That's parsley, you've managed to bring the parsley.

Do you think that's enough for all of us?

I think so.

Once I actually chopped my skin off.

Yeah it's easy, I've done it too.

A little bit further Chris, there.

If you can... oh that's what I mean.

I cut my finger.

Look if you just chop them and remember

just a little bit faster,

so the dinner will be today not tomorrow.

This will take me hours to do mum.

No

John: Every year we would go and search,

what is the next thing we can do?

One of these steps took about two months,

but your mum had to sit with you two months

trying to get you this tiny bit extra skill and

you just didn't get it.

But when he got it, it was excitement,

oh he did it! He did it!

That's what kept me going because

I learnt that one day I hope Christopher will

this skill to move forward and I just thought

this one is taking longer.

I don't know which way is which.

Hey sis, how are you?

John: I think we have got to this point because

of all the work that, especially my wife, has put into Chris.

And the effort we put in has been

finding all the programs that can help him.

I wanted to drive a car when I was in high school.

So, but...

I didn't because I was focussed mainly focussed on study.

So I couldn't do my driving.

And a few years later on, one... two years

I started last year, driving.

John: Chris, are you ready yet?

Nearly!

Come on Chris, we're ready to go.

My dad is teaching me

and we have some some issues driving.

Got your log book?

Yes.

Ready for your driving lesson?

Yes I am.

How do you think you will go today?

I think it'll go well.

You think you will?

What do you think?

He's never been on this road,

what does he have to watch out?

He'll be okay. He just has to keep on learning

how to stay in lane and stay on speed.

Two things, he can do one good.

But both together.

Just stay positive and you can do it.

You're the driver, so you get the keys.

Thank you.

You go on and unlock the car, thank you.

Don't sit on your book.

And you can unlock your side.

Okay, fix yourself up, fix your mirrors.

Yep.

Do everything and we will see whether we're ready to go.

Okay, any traffic behind?

No traffic.

Off we go.

Change gear.

Which gear are we in at the moment?

Three.

Is that the right gear?

Nope

Left lane, left lane.

Look at that, I did it!

What's that?

That was a bit fast for you wasn't it?

The bumps were holes in the road,

see there's bits of the road missing,

you're too far to the right, accelerate, accelerate.

Director: Does he ever get upset with your driving?

Sometimes.

I'd say we have issues.

It could be driving too fast or checking the mirrors,

or checking where you are on the road.

Yeah.

And see ahead, you've got brake lights.

Take your foot off the accelerator.

It says off the accelerator.

The speed limit is 60, 60.

Brake, brake, brake.

Concentrate on your turn.

I'm keeping my foot on the clutch.

Yes

Just in case we have to stop.

No you put your foot on the brake for stopping.

Why are his brake lights on?

His brake lights are on because

he is now slowing down and

you are catching him aren't you?

Go left.

Yep.

Well, go left.

Not so close to the gutter please.

Accelerate, accelerate Christopher.

Accelerate.

I am accelerating.

Hardly.

You park over there.

Just right here.

Just right here.

Just right there.

Just right there, turn the wheel, that's enough, stop.

Okay Chris, that wasn't too bad was it?

Yeah

A little bit of room for improvement I think.

I applied for a job at my local gymnastics club.

Then they asked me would you like to work?

I became an accredited gymnastics coach.

My gymnastics coach over there,

he was helping me a lot

with how to teach the skills

to the kids if they don't understand it.

At that age they just want to have fun.

Okay, do you have your lesson plan?

Yes I do.

Okay, what are we doing today?

So we know which way we are going.

We go men's.

Alright, let's go find the class.

Alright, yeah.

They really like me as a coach.

Come and find a spot on the floor in front of Chris

ready for your stretching.

Chris: Okay, reach up.

Legs together.

Tippy toes

If you can, touch the backs of your feet.

Stretch some more.

And then the other leg.

Okay let's do another 10.

Alright, boys over here.

Every kid in that age group is always cheeky.

Boys, only boys that I coach.

Up here we're going to do our stretch on the spot

and we hold it for 30 seconds.

Some of the boys have potential.

When I see a boy who can do, for example,

a long swing on the high bar.

Some boys don't understand how to grip the high bar

and they have to focus.

That's gymnastics.

Hey Chris, are you here?

Yeah

Hey Halina, how are you?

I'm good, how are you?

Good to see you again.

Hey man.

Hey man.

How are ya?

I'm good.

Ready to go for a run?

Yeah, let's go.

So what's been happening man?

Nothing much.

Halina: When he got to the primary school,

he had friends who from the beginning

see him as Chris.

Kids at this age probably didn't see him being so different.

They just wanted to have fun.

Friend: I've known Chris since, before kindergarten.

Well over 15 years.

How are you going?

How am I going?

Yeah.

Busy at work, busy with the family.

Definitely, same.

In kindergarten we were mates,

to be honest from day one and

we just did what everybody else does.

Play games, play soccer at school,

everything and it just started from that really.

Why are you my friend?

You're my mate, I don't see anything different about you.

We've been to birthday parties, movies, been to the pub,

we've hung out at school, played soccer after school.

We should go bike riding when we get back.

Yeah we should, I bought a spare helmet you can use.

That'd be great.

My life is good.

John: The surprising thing about you Chris is

you don't have a limit.

You keep on learning.

Halina: You always want something else to do.

You find interests, you never stop.

John: And you are up for trying everything.

Are you proud of me?

Very proud of you.

Yes, we are very proud.