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About Me

I am a person living with severe cerebral palsy since birth.

 (Athetoid quadrepligia, with Dystonia and Autistic traits)

 

Thank you for visiting my website, learn more about what people like about me, things i can do independently, like to do, talk about, what i don"t like, and whats important to me. 

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Matthew James Ogden shares his experiences living with cerebral palsy to motivate and inspire others to think about how they perceive their own situation and their own world around them. 

What people like and admire about me

  • I am the easy going kind of dude 

  • My smile

  • My loud giggles

  • My outgoing nature

  • I am very social

  • Love people

  • Worship my friendships

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  Independently I can

  • Drive my motorised wheelchair

  • Communicate through my AAC Devices

  • I can listen

  • Can sit straight up in bed

  • I can swim

  • Play some sports from my wheelchair

  • I can correct my sitting, by lifting myself up in my wheelchair

  • I can be a good friend

  • Can drink my own drink if set up on my wheelchair tray

I like to talk about

  • Organising my weekly schedule

  • People to visit

  • People who can visit me

  • Swimming and having a spa

  • Holidays

  • What I am doing for the day

  • Sharing my news from my SCOSA diary book

  • I like people talking to me about anything

  • What’s in the news

  • What is going on in the world

  • I like to hear peoples stories on what they have been up to

 I like to do

  • Listen to the radio (I have a radio that hangs off the back of my chair)

  • Swimming-Thebarton swimming centre, prefer hydrotherapy pools

  • Visiting friends

  • Day Options (SCOSA)

  • Coffee shop (prefer: San churros or Gloria genes) Iced chocolate or Iced coffee

  • Caravanning with My Nan and Pop Morrish

  • Staying at new places over weekends with family.

  • Friends party’s

  • Visit my girlfriend (Felicity Hunt)

  • Eating out at favourite hotels & restaurants

  • Annoying my dad (LOL)

  • Walks down bike track

  • Ten Pin Bowling

  • Short holidays

  • Having a dip in the spa

  • Staying in the city at the intercontinental or crown plaza

  • Going into the city and looking at different things

  • Going to shopping centres having a look around

  • Going to different community places, parks, events etc.

  • Going for a drive in the car/van

  • Doing things with my Cressy house mates

  • Checking out what my friends are up to on Facebook

  • Watching the football with friends or family

  • Going to theatre events

  • Experimenting with my go pro, taking video footage

  • Practising my flying skills with my parrot drone

  • Occasionally: movies at the cinemas (prefer musicals), going to drive in , help in the kitchen cooking a meal, going to the football

Whats important to me

  • My family

  • Parties

  • I enjoy holidays like Christmas and Easter

  • My girlfriend (F!ick) and friends

  • I enjoy going out to swimming/Spa.

  • I love music a lot and please play it loud.

  • My day options friends at Scosa.

  • My girls and food,

  • "Oh yes my Coca Cola anytime

  • Friendships with careers whom see to my daily care

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Things I do Not Like
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  • yelling

  • people yelling or being aggressive

  • people ignoring me

  • people not talking to me because I do not have a verbal voice

  • having to do what everyone else wants me to do all the time

  • ignoring me when I have something to say

  • I do not like conflict

  • I do not like causing any trouble, I a more a people pleaser

  • Being stuck at home bored with nothing to do

  • Being sick because it stops me from living my life

  • Sitting around doing nothing

  • Missing out on opportunities to go out to community events

  • Not being invited or involved in house activities that everyone else gets to go to

  • Don’t like horror movies

  • When people make plans with me, and then cancel or change plans

  • Give me choices and then change their mind, we end up doing what they want

  • Not following through on promises

  • When my AAC device is not working

  • When no one helps me with my AAC device issues, such as turning it on, malfunctions etc.

  • When my AAC device or wheelchair is not charged

Food Glorious Food

  • One of my favorite things to do is try different foods. Unfortunately, due to living with a disability, it comes with a lot of challenges and one of those challenges is swallowing. So the consistency of the food is very important for my health. 

  • Please find listed in my forum and blog, a list of food that I enjoy, and then the modification of consistency for me to enjoy. I hope this might help others that have swallowing issues, or help with caring for someone with swallowing issues.

Blueberry Muffins
Chicken Breast
Tips on foods for swollowing issues >
San Churro
Food Glorious Food, My cooking trials >
My Independence

In the year 2007.....I had the opportunity to move out of the family home, into specialised disability accomodation.

From 2007 - 2021  I lived at Windsor Gardens with Disability Living.

From 2021 I have been residing with SA Care in Adelaide City.  

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Specialised disability accommodation offers supported accommodation for adults and young people living with disability, in a fun and inclusive community setting. The focus is to provide a genuine home environment and real life experiences.

 

Staff work closely with each individual to develop a Life Style Plan covering needs, goals and desires. The support team provides the tools, resources and referrals, which enable the residents to achieve everything possible.

Day Options
2010 - 2021

Since completing school in the year 2010,  I had been a 5 day participant within Scosa day options.

Scosa provides fun and engaging activities, leading to enhanced life skills and greater independence. 

2021 onwards

I transferred services to SA Care in 2021, where i now receive accomodation, personal care and a client of SA Care Thrive program. Where i am fortunate enough to have community participation mentors 6 days a week.

Love the freedom of choice, to explore, and enjoy various activities. 

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My Family and Carers 
Are my biggest supporters

Family, carers and other informal supporters play a central role in caring for, and supporting, me with living with my disability. Their involvement helps me to access and engage with a range of systems and services, as well as ability to exercise legal capacity.

Family members, carers and other supporters are involved across a range of aspects of my daily life, living with disability. Their involvement in the context of decision-making varies depending on the nature of the issue and the decision, and may range from informal support, to appointment as a nominee for the purposes of Centrelink or the NDIS, or formal appointment as a guardian or administrator. 

Family and Carers help me in reaching goals including, but not limited to:

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  • Living Skills Development - Covering such things as maintaining good personal hygiene, sleep routines, housekeeping, grocery shopping, and household budgeting.

  • Community Social Support - Assisting me to access and participate in  community through peer groups, clubs, activities, open days and volunteering.

  • Financial Skills Development - Teaching me to develop and manage a budget, plus learn new ideas to save money shopping, saving and spending safely.

  • Healthy Lifestyle Planning - Reach goals around healthy eating, exercise and cooking skills and strategies.

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