As Zia Rehman sits on the bus he carefully counts off landmarks on his fingers. Once he's seen the swimming baths, office supplies retailer Staples and the police station he knows he's near his stop.
The 16-year-old, who has autism, severe learning difficulties, speech problems and a mild physical disability, is in the middle of a training session on using public transport to get from home to school. Taking him through the journey is Javaid Iqbal, who is in the process of becoming a "travel trainer".
Iqbal, a teaching assistant at Zia's school, patiently guides the teenager through everything he needs to know: showing his travel pass to the driver, pressing the bell when it is time to get off and choosing a good seat so he can see where he's going. "What do you say to someone sitting next to you when you want to get off the bus?" he asks. "Excuse me," says Zia, promptly.
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