On Cheating

Oneson (age 6): "You're Cheating!"
Twoson (age 4.5): "I'm not cheating. It's my creative ways of winning!!"

We have play dates!!!!

Never really thought play dates were going to be a big or regular part of life for Oneson, but his social calendar is getting so full I could use a PDA to keep track!

We have a regular after school play date with a much older boy with ASD and his older again sister with ADHD. This has been good for the grown ups because after the initial settling period where the boy and Oneson got to know each other, we've been able to sit back on park benches like 'normal' parents and chat while the kids play.

We now have a new friend, Oneson's age, newly diagnosed, who lives literally round the corner. We have already managed a couple of playdates and there's been no 'settling' period at all. These two beautiful boys have played well together since meeting in their Special Class. Once again, this is as good for the parents as the kids - we have chance to talk to other adults who understand and don't simply think we're the world's worst mothers with no discipline or structure at home!

And tonight, a message on my answering machine from the mum of another of Oneson's Special class mates asking for a play date!!

It is soooo good not to be complete social outcasts! And so good for Oneson to have chance to practise his social skills.

Autism Gold Coast : Coffee'n'Chat Meeting : 6 AUGUST

The AUGUST Coffee’n’Chat

ASD Support Group Morning Tea

will be held the following week

Wednesday 6^th August, 10am – 12 noon

Currumbin Community Special School

Exit 95 – Stewart Rd – off the M1

(exit from right lane)

Turn left into Currumbin Creek Road, then take the first left into Villiers Drive (new Traffic Lights) and then right into Hammersford Drive into the school carpark

Twoson on Two Wheels!

This week, while Dad's been away on business, we've been practising in secret.

I took 'em all bike riding, getting Twoson to use one of our run bikes and telling him he could have the 'pretty pink' bike back when he could use it without trainer wheels. Only took a couple of outings, and a huge puddle across a path at the bottom of a hill which was fantastic fun to ride through and thus provided the motivation to attempt to ride through AND keep feet off the floor!

Today, I took them all out on the road in front of our house (a quiet, almost dead end street), spanners in hand to make adjustments as necessary, and half an hour later, Twoson was off and running! He still needs help starting and has absolutely no control over direction, but he'll get there.

In the meantime, while my back was turned attending to the others, Oneson shrieks with delight "I did it! I did it! Mum! I can start and stop myself!!!".

Happy days.

No Autism Gold Coast support group meetings in July 2008

Neither the daytime nor evening support meeting will occur this month (July 2008). They should be back as normal in August.

If you need support anytime, use the link under 'Community Resources' in the right hand menu to contact Autism Gold Coast Inc. via email. You can also call Autism Queensland to speak to someone.

Minds and Hearts - Prof. Tony Attwood

Minds and Hearts is now here on the Gold Coast

Minds and Hearts is a unique clinic specialising in Asperger’s Syndrome and autism.
Minds & Hearts was conceived to meet the enormous need for specialist services for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Dr Michelle Garnett is the Founder and Clinic Director of Minds & Hearts...
Professor Tony Attwood, leading expert on autism spectrum disorders, is the Chairperson of Minds & Hearts. He is also a Senior Consultant, Principal Psychologist and Supervisor with the team.

Oneson on two wheels

Oneson has done it - he is riding a bike without trainer wheels!

I honestly doubted the day would come, but it has, and as usual, Oneson made it look like he'd been doing it for weeks. He can still only start without help if it's downhill and stopping is a complicated manouver that involves leaping clear in an athletic manner before the bike falls over.

He's been riding an in-line scooter for over two years and had recently got quite good at gliding on it. We also bought a run-bike (a peddle-less training bike popular in europe) for Threeson's second birthday which Oneson has made a fair bit of use of.

Then a few weeks ago a kind lady offered both a 30cm and 40cm bike on Freecycle (an email group where you can offer your unwanted goods to others for free) and after a bit of TLC and some new trainer wheels, we had two good bikes.

Within a couple of weeks of riding the big bike, Oneson was getting up the speed to get balanced and not need the trainer wheels. So, armed with chocolate bribes and a spanner, we set off for the park. He rode the runbike to the park (all of 500m), whizzing down a hill with his feet up all the way. So we removed the trainer wheels, steadied his balance as he got his feet on the peddles for the first time, and that was that!

Oma missed it. She was there, but didn't bring the camera because she didn't expect him to do it first time, just like that.

Grandfather builds Web browser for autistic boy

Is your ASD child having trouble browsing the web? Then this article may be of interest

Grandfather builds Web browser for autistic boy

Little triumphs

Threeson is finally first out of my boys to achieve something - he is now clean and dry at night (age 2.5yrs)! Naturally, he did it just days after I'd stocked up with nappies.

Tipatops - things you never knew you needed

Yep, here's another household gadget you never knew you needed.

http://www.tipatop.com.au/

I bought three at the local markets on Sunday - brilliant! Does what it says on the label. I can dispense milk from a newly opened 3l bottle literally one drop at a time with absolutely no mess! Completely dishwasher proof too.

The power of words

Anyone caring for a person with special needs will relate to this - you have to know the right words to say to the right people at the right time to get what you need!

Example 1:-
I called Commonwealth Carer's Respite and asked "Can I have someone to care for my son with Autism?". The reply was "No, we can't help".

I spoke to some fellow carers at a community support house and was told "They can and will. The words you need are "I'm a full time carer and I need respite".

I rang Commonwealth Carer's Respite again and used the suggested words and lo! we are now registered and eligible to use their services should we need them!

Example 2:-
I rang my son's Paediatrician "Can I have an appointment please? My son needs re-verification for school". "Sure, but the earliest appointment is 4 months away".

A month goes by and I mention it to Oneson's case manager at school "Sod that!" she says "I need that verification done sooner and you guys need a medication and behavioural management review before your family falls appart". So she rang and said the necessary words. Within an hour I had a call from the Paediatrician's office "I've moved a few things around and found you an hour slot, can you cope until next Wednesday? Is that soon enough?".

The moral of the story:-
If you're asking for help and it feels like you're banging your head on the brick wall, try asking other people in similar situations what they did and said to get the help they needed. Remember, you're often dealing with government agencies and beaurocracies; maybe you just aren't using the right words.

Autism Gold Coast Annual Fund Raiser

THIS COMING Saturday 5 April

Autism Gold Coast is holding its annual fundraiser

~ a Sausage Sizzle at Harvey Norman Bundall ~

from 9am until 2pm.

We need some volunteers to do the cooking & customer service.

We need 3-4 people for each session.

9am-12noon or 12noon-2pm

Can you spare us 2-3 hours of your time?

Dads? – Mums? – Teenagers? – Helpful People?

The money raised on this day goes towards paying

the annual Public Liability Insurance fee of $900pa.

RSVP asap by Email or Phone: 07 5559 1747

(Please leave a message if the phone is unattended.)

Any assistance from families and community supporters is welcomed

and most appreciated by the Management Committee!

ASD Support Group Meeting

The APRIL Coffee’n’Chat

ASD Support Group Morning Tea

will be held this coming

Wednesday 2^nd April, 10am – 12 noon

Currumbin Community Special School

GUEST SPEAKER: Earl from Job Jogga’s

will give us a demonstration of the very successful Job Jogga's parenting tools.

These picture based fridge magnets are proving popular for children with aspergers and developmental disorders. No nagging, no ticking, stamping or complicated charts ... perhaps Job Jogga's magnets can provide an answer to keep the home running smoothly. Find out at the next coffee n' chat.

Exit 95 – Stewart Rd – off the M1

(exit from right lane)

Turn left into Currumbin Creek Road, then take the first left into Villiers Drive (new Traffic Lights) and

Then right into Hammersford Drive into the school carpark

The things they say...

Oneson was charging through school when he tripped and landed on the concrete path on all fours.

"Huh! Good job the concrete was there to catch me!"

Threeson (age 2) was standing right behind a family friend's racing motorbike when he started it up to park it in the garage.

"Wow! Cooool!"

Solutions for Life Social Skills Group, Ages 4-6

Social Skills Training (SST) for children aged 4-6 is being conducted by Solutions for Life during Term Two. The program will be run for 8 weeks in total. The group will be tailored to the individual needs of each student, however, possible skills to be taught in the program include making friends, initiating and maintaining conversations, group entry skills, friendship skills, and social problem-solving. The theme for the 4-6 years group is a circus theme with all activities based around the circus. Parents will receive important information on how to maintain and facilitate further gains through out the schooling year. Please book early as places are limited (contact details below).

Proposed Group Schedule

Week 1— Roll up! Roll up!
Getting to know you

Week 2—Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Listening Skills

Week 3— Hanging Around
Turn Taking and Cooperation

Week 4— Balancing Act
Recognising You Own Feelings

Week 5— Clowning Around
Expressing Feelings

Week 6— Snake Charmer
Problem Solving

Week 7— Lions Den
Social Entry

Week 8—Grande Finale
Recap

Cost: $50.00 per week for 8 weeks OR $360.00 paid upfront in full

More Info:-

Solutions for Life, Suite 3B Cottonwood Plaza, 5 Cottonwood Place, Oxenford
Phone: 5580 4999

Photography Club for people with a Disability

FSG (Family Support Group) Photography Club

Their will be 2 groups that will run once a month. The first group would be from the ages of 12 till 16yrs of age and the second from 16yrs and on wards.

They will be on a Sunday from 10am till 2pm, starting in May 2008 at Coomera Family Central, 3 Jowett St, Coomera QLD

If you are or know someone with a Disability that maybe interested in participating or a person who would like to volunteer within the program. Please contact Kylee Stenos. ph: 0405386848 or email: kyleeb@fsg.org.au

Info evening - Biomedical Intervention for ASD

DSQ are hosting an information evening:

“Biomedical Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder”

Please join us for a wine and cheese evening with a guest speaker Dr David Paterson. David worked as a GP for 30 years and became interested and involved in the management of Autism. He then returned to study and qualified as a Naturopath. David now uses natural therapy in the management of the bio-medical issues that people with Autism have.

David will present information about the bio-medical intervention available to people with Autism and will then be available for questions.

Past parent evenings have been well attended and this is a great opportunity to meet with other families who have children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

When: Monday 17^th March 6.30-8.30pm

Where: Meeting room, Ground floor, Zurich House. 8 Karp Court, Bundall.

Cost: Gold coin donation
(to cover wine & cheese)

RSVP: Shannon Downey on 55 318 055

Alison Ouellette 2 half-day workshops - 19 March 2008

Part 1: Everybody wants a place to call home

This event will be most helpful for people with a disability who are considering or have just made the decision to move into a home of their own and for family members, friends, support workers and others who are assisting the person to achieve this.

Part 2: How to help you son or daughter start a small business

This event will be most helpful for people with a disability who are considering or have just made the decision to set up a small business and for family members, friends, support workers and others who are assisting the person to achieve this.

Cost for either workshop $20 for people with disabilities or their family members.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Adriana Taufik on 3211 5700 or admin@cru.org.au.

PECS rocks; now I need Boardmaker software

My son's advancement teacher suggested we start using PECS symbols to create visual schedules for Oneson. I really didn't think he needed them, in much the same way as I resisted using a PECS book 3 years ago - he's fully verbal, so why do I need to use symbol/picture communication systems?

Thankfully, his teacher's very cluey and simply left me in the company of her textbook (''Visual Strategies For Improving Communication, Vol1" by Linda A. Hodgdon) on the subject for an hour or so. I quickly did a 180 on my opinion and was keen to get started.

The teacher armed me with some symbols, which I cut out and laminated and I used for the first time last night. Within 24hrs of having these symbols, they have already completely averted one melt down, curtailed a second in a matter of seconds and dramatically reduced my frustration and stress from the amount of time spent on constant direction and re-direction of Oneson. Even his siblings are benefiting - less time and attention spent on direction of Oneson means more time and attention for them and their needs.

The problem:-
I need to be able to create and print different sized PECS symbols for myself quickly and easily and clipart just doesn't do it because there are insufficient symbols available in the same style. The best software for the job is Boardmaker by Mayer-Johnson. It costs a whopping AUD$700 for the one I feel I need. I just don't have that money.

All donations greatfully received!

I've contacted Meyer-Johnson to ask if there's any chance of a special price or if they can offer any kind of solution.

I'm applying to Disability Services Queensland for a funding and support package, but the next round of those doesn't come out for some months.

I will be speaking to other community groups suggested by DSQ to see if they would be willing to help fund the purchase of this software for our family.

Movie: The Black Balloon - opening Thurs, March 6, 2008

MOVIE: The Black Balloon – opening Thursday, 6 March 2008

At Birch Carroll & Coyle, Pacific Fair
Also, Reading Cinemas, Harbour Town.

The film depicts a teenage boy (Rhys Wakefield) falling for a girl (model-turned-actor Gemma Ward) while struggling to deal with his severely autistic brother (Luke Ford). Toni Collette plays the boys' pregnant mother.

Senior staff of the country's largest autism organisation, Autism Spectrum Australia, are already convinced of the film's educational worth - having seen an advanced screening of the movie earlier this year - and plan to include it as part of the company's induction program for new staff.

ASA spokesman Anthony Perl said that given the "broad spectrum" of the condition, it was impossible to portray a one-size-fits-all example of the life of an autistic person. "But the film's great strength is that it demonstrates how autism affects the lives of others."

The 1988 film Rainman brought autism to public attention but dealt with a character - portrayed by Dustin Hoffman - who was an autistic savant, an extremely rare condition.

Autism experts believe that the portrayal of an autistic character in The Black Balloon is a far more authentic representation of the wider autistic experience.

Coffee'n'Chat Meeting : 5th March

The March Coffee’n’Chat

ASD Support Group Morning Tea

will be held this coming

Wednesday 5^th March, 10am – 12 noon

Currumbin Community Special School

Exit 95 – Stewart Rd – off the M1

(exit from right lane)

Turn left into Currumbin Creek Road, then take the first left into Villiers Drive (new Traffic Lights) and

Then right into Hammersford Drive into the school carpark

Speaking "Autistic"

I read a book a while ago which was a refreshing change on the subject of Autism and validated my 'gut feeling' and 'instinct' approach to my son's behaviour. I've always taken the approach that if he displays an autistic behaviour that isn't dangerous and doesn't do anyone or anything any harm, I leave it alone. It will either disappear in time, or it won't. I figured there was a reason for the behaviour, even if I as a neurotypical didn't understand what that might be.

The book is called "Autism, The Eighth Colour of the Rainbow" and it takes a gentle look at autistic behaviour and flies in the face of most doctor and therapist advise by encouraging us to view each behaviour as an attempt to communicate or to get a need met and encourages us to try to understand what's behind it, rather than just jumping on the behaviour and going straight into behaviour modification techniques.

Here's my latest 'real life' experience.

For years, my son has patted people, particularly in the face. Often he approaches at some speed and he can be aggressive, so people's response to his approach was to be defensive and prepare to be hurt. Also, the pats were often just too hard. They hurt! So I have for at least a couple of years tried to prevent this behaviour and reduce it's frequency, without a whole lot of success. I would physically grab my son's hands and tell him "No! we don't pat or hit! Especially not the face! Stroke instead!". The behaviour continued unchanged....

Then one night, I sat beside my son at the dining table and after a few minutes it was as if he'd suddenly realised I was there and he dropped his spoon, span in his seat and patted me hard on the arm. Instead of my usual reactions which closed him down and shut him off, something inspired me to put my hand gently on his and say "Hello! I love you to!". Instead of the usual frustrated growl after being shut down, I was rewarded with a big grin and a giggle! Instead of the behaviour being repeated more forcefully, he went peacefully back to eating his dinner!

Over the next few days I observed the patting behaviour more closely. When I saw it, I would respond with phrases like "I love you too!" "I see you too!" "Hello to you too!" and each time I validated that he had made an attempt to communicate with such responses, he grinned and moved on.

Then I started saying "I love you too! but I'd rather you said it with a stroke or words" (my autistic is fully verbal, he just has to remember to use it). When he rushed up to friends of siblings to pat, I'd say "use your words to say it!".

After just a couple of days, I got such a shock when he came running towards me, hands drawn back to pat, stopped dead and declared "I love you!"!

Now his wonderful teachers at his school tell me that the autistic patting is often their way of saying "hello" and just as we have many ways of saying "hello" sometimes the pat means "Hello, I see you", sometimes "hello, I hate you", sometimes "hello, who are you?" etc. It is always an acknowledgement of your physical presence in their world.

How I wish someone had told me this years ago!! How I wish I had a dictionary for 'Autistic-English' translation, just like you can get French-English dictionaries!

The plot shop

Whilst out shopping with Oneson I was racing through the isles of a variety store in a mad rush as usual. All of a sudden I stopped dead, completely at a loss as to what I was looking for.

Oneson: "What's the matter?"
Mum: "Mummy's lost the plot"
Oneson: "That's ok mummy, we can go to the plot shop and buy a new one"

What a wonderful, simple and not completely inaccurate view of the world my son has! No matter what your problem, somewhere there's a shop selling what you need to fix it.

Now the trick is to FIND the plot shop!

First visit from the tooth fairy

Oneson finally lost his first wobbly tooth yesterday.

It's been hanging by a thread for a whole week now. He slid down a slide at kindy and had a bumpy landing and out it popped! He was so pleased!

Naturally, the tooth fairy visited last night. Now he wants to go to the shops to buy red nail polish for himself.

ASD groups on sexuality and relationships

REMINDER:

Autism Gold Coast believes that Sexuality and Relationships is an area of need in our ASD community on the Gold Coast and hopes that you will share this information with families, and where there is interest, register with Judy Graham from Family Panning Qld.

She has 2 groups on offer to our teenagers with ASD. Information is available via email. She is more than happy to hear from parents to discuss this further in relation to the needs of their child.

Please send in your registrations as soon as possible as the starting date is Thursday March 6 2008.

Judy Graham
Family Planning Queensland Education & Training - Disability Team
Professional Training Projects Officer
Ph: 07-5531 2636 Fax: 07-5591 7585
www.fpq.com.au

Evidence of health risks to carers

Carers are more than 40 per cent more likely to suffer from at least one chronic health condition when compared to the rest of the community, according to new research released today.

The report, titled The Health and Wellbeing of Adult Family Carers in South Australia, found that 70 per cent of carers reported conditions such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

Carers Australia CEO Joan Hughes said she was concerned about the findings.

"We now have solid evidence going back more than a decade that clearly illustrates the urgent need to address carer health and wellbeing," she said. "Yet there is still no national plan in effect to address the problem."

Carers Australia made recommendations in its 2008-2009 budget submission in relation to carer health and wellbeing, including an annual health check for carers.

The Health and Wellbeing of Adult Family Carers in South Australia report is available from http://www.health.sa.gov.au/PROS

The Wellbeing of Australians: Carer Health and Wellbeing is available from http://carersaustralia.com.au

For more information contact Anthony Watkins on (02) 6122 9911 or Alison Kemmis on (02) 6122 9917 or email caa@carersaustralia.com.au

Social Skills Group, 16-18 year old's, Gold Coast

This was circulated via the Autism Gold Coast email news list:-

... psychologist John Brownhill of Impact Health at Southport...., in conjunction with the Psychology dept at Griffith University, is looking for young people (approx. 16 -17 -18 age group) male or female to participate in a social skills course to be held at the uni.

To date he has a couple of people interested and is looking for a minimum of 6 to enable the course to commence. There would be a small cost involved.

...Anyone that is interested can phone John at Impact Health on 07 5539 7880 and leave their details.

ASD in the news

A is for autism

Denise Ryan

February 11, 2008

After years of neglect, services are being boosted to help children diagnosed with the mystifying condition -but there's more to be done.

Read the full article

Barriers fall as Jack finds a voice

Denise Ryan

February 11, 2008

JACK BORLAND didn't speak until he was six. The 16-year-old can remember using sign language to communicate his needs until one day at primary school - and he is not sure why - he began to talk.

Read the full article

We have a loose tooth!

Yep, Oneson has his first loose tooth, much to everyone's suprise. It is the bottom left of the middle front incisors.

It came loose last Thursday whilst he was using his teeth to attempt to prize apart parts of a plastic construction toy (no, NOT Lego). It happened at afterschool care. I heard the scream from the next room where I was gathering his belongings and I raced in to his room to find him screaming, blood pouring from his mouth, and everyone looking shocked. His carer couldn't get near him and was rather ineffectually offering tissues. The other kids didn't know what had happened and Oneson was too distressed to communicate at all.

I asked the carer for an ice cube of icey pole for Oneson to suck on to stop the bleeding and set about consoling and comforting. Once calm, it turned out in typical Autistic style, he wasn't bothered by the obvious things like pain and blood. He was TERRIFIED of loosing a tooth!

After I'd explained this is all perfectly normal and a good thing on account of the appearance of the tooth fairy, Oneson then remembered an episode of Charlie and Lola he'd seen on ABC Kids that explained all about loosing baby teeth and the tooth fairy.

Now of course, he is running up to strangers in the street and declaring proudly "I've got a loose tooth!".

Volunteers needed for studies - ASD & NT's

Volunteers sought for food preference study

A School of Land and Food Sciences research team seeks caregivers who have a child (aged five to 12) with a diagnosis of Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or Asperger’s Syndrome, as well as caregivers of typically-developing children (aged five to 12). The team is interested in the food preferences of Australian children with and without Asperger’s Syndrome. A three part food preference questionnaire will be delivered to interested participants and a follow-up interview may be required. Details, email Dr Bruce D’Arcy or phone ext. 69190.

Volunteers sought for vitamin and mineral study

Healthy child volunteers aged four to 12 are sought to attend three, two-hour sessions, approximately six weeks apart, at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Herston. Testing will include a blood test, body composition measurements and a variety of questionnaires, with results available at the conclusion of the study. These types of tests are not typically available and may provide detailed information about the child’s vitamin and mineral levels. Details, email: n.schoendorfer@uq.edu.au.

twoson discovers threeson

Twoson has recently taken to being expressing his affection for family members verbally frequently. He has also discovered playing with his little brother.

Yesterday, I overheard Twoson in the garden with Threeson:-
"That little guy! He's my favorite little guy!"

And this morning, Twoson said:
"Threeson, you're my favorite little buddy! You're the best little buddy in the whole wide world!"

It is really lovely to see them discovering each other and getting some totally normal sibling interaction, with normal give and take, ebb and flow of games and ideas. Yes, also the normal squabbling over toys, but it happens without the 'edge' (intensity?) that such squabbles involving Oneson have.

Feeling good about my body - weight, shape, etc

My darling hubby has been complimenting me for weeks and claiming I am smaller now than he's ever known me. I found it hard to believe - he knew me when I did a brief stint as full time groom to about a dozen horses and I had a six-pack as a result!

So last night to prove him wrong, I pulled my all time favourite dress out that I bought around the time of my employment as a groom. It is a beautiful full length oriental style bottle green silk dress. I never imagined I would be able to wear it again - it was a snug fit at the time of purchase.

It FITS!!

Approximately 11 years and 3 kids later - IT FITS!!!

I know looks ain't everything, but I feel sooooo good about myself right now!! How many women do you know that can still get in to clothes they bought so long ago, having had kids since?

I am not fitter than I was then, but I am healthier overall. :-)

Days 2 & 3 of school

For Oneson, day 2 of school was awful. 2 biting incident and 1 pushing. The boy he pushed over went down like a felled tree! He was three times Oneson's size!

Oneson caught sight of me as he was returning from his advancement center to his home room. He began to scream and the accompanying teacher had to bodily pick him up to get him back in to his home room. When he re-appeared with his home room teacher, I noted the very firm grip she had on his wrist!

On the positive side, it left his teachers in no doubt that he needs support in the classroom. The teachers have all dealt with it magnificently and see it as a minor set back on the road to settling and integration. Both advancement and class teachers are so switched on. They are reading his behaviour exactly as I would and are modifying routines exactly the way I would suggest and I don't have to say a word! It's such a relief to me to see he is in such great hands.

Day 3 (today) was a great day for both Oneson and his teachers. All went well. I stayed a little this morning at the request of his home room teacher because his advancement teacher was held up and it was PE with another teacher who hadn't met him yet. I enjoyed the chance to meet some of Oneson's classmates and just got stuck in as a general 'helper' where I could see the need.

We have decided I shall collect him directly from the advancement center and this worked well tonight. Much better day. Less squeeling - they are redirecting this to 'shhh, shhh' instead. No aggression or violence today. His advancement teacher mentioned she's considering a weight vest because he becomes instantly calmer when you dump his enormous school bag on him. He is also seeking a lot of tight hugs and pressure. I replied "you must be psychic! I was going to speak to you about that for the same reasons!".

First day at school

Oneson had his first ever day at big school on Thursday. My hubby asked "So, how'd he go?" I told him as far as I knew, Oneson had done just fine and I felt sure the school would soon inform me if there were any problems they couldn't manage. My husband responded "Welcome to the next 16 years of parenthood - Largely clueless as to what your kids do by day".

I have to agree that this is so. THEN the next phase will be being clueless about where they are, who there with and what they're doing 24/7!

So now I have the opportunity to let go and let god, and to take it just one day at a time :-)

Oneson is Ritalin Free!!!

We have used Ritalin for Oneson for about 2 years. Putting a mere 3.5yr old on such medication was not an easy decision, but once we tried it we were glad we had - it brought such relief for ALL the family and we've used it nearly every day since. However, we were also keen not to use it more than we had too or for longer than necessary.

In early December I decided to take Oneson and Twoson for Chiropractic treatment to try to help the bladder control develop in both of them, especially at night. The Chiropractor we saw is also a Kinesiologist. Well, we didn't fix the bladder control, but Oneson became calmer in himself. So I decided to take him to my naturopath who practises many different treatments. She gave him a couple of dedicated kinesiology sessions. She also showed me some adjustments to do on a daily basis at home.

The first observable objective change was that the cleft that has always run over his head from ear to ear disappeared (the cleft was where a suture between the skull bones had healed, as per normal infant development - it usually heals flat and smooth, but in Oneson there was an easily observed cleft). The ridges around the base of his skull (e.g. around the Occipital bone) also disappeared!

The second change that could be observed relatively objectively was the very sudden virtually complete loss of appetite when given Ritalin. Ritalin has always suppressed Oneson's appetite a bit, but not so completely. He was going through an entire day packed with physical activity on about half a small packet of chips/crisps! I also realised how relatively skinny he was getting around his long bones so had a weight and height check - he had not gained weight in 9-12m! So the lack of appetite and lack of weight gain created pressure to stop the Ritalin.

This was when the third change became apparent, but it is highly subjective - we felt he has been far calmer and more responsive off the Ritalin than he's ever been before. Yes, he's still more 'hyper' with less impulse control than when he's on it, but he is now manageable. Although easily distracted, he remains open to redirection without withdrawing or becoming aggressive.

He last had Ritalin 10 days ago! He has participated in vaccation care and kindy without incident. You should have seen the size of the grin when I expressed to him how proud I was of him for managing his behaviour without drugs!!

Aspergers Syndrome Seminar - for school staff

ASPERGERS SYNDROME
Boutique Seminars 2008

Presented by Dr Margaret Carter & Josie Santomauro
ABN: 36657707966

FOR SCHOOL STAFF DIFFERENT ‘SPEAKERS’ TO THE PUZZLE
Seminar Date: 20th February 2008 10am – 2pm

Succeeding at School – 18 year old with Asperger's Syndrome shares what worked/what didn’t work for him in school
Organizational Strategies for School - Josie Santomauro
Emotion Fitness for Kids - Dr Margaret Carter
Sensory Friendly Classrooms – Occupational Therapist

Registration fee includes complimentary first five to the set of resources ‘Cool Comics’ worth $55
Seminar is relevant for - teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff and classroom volunteers of students with Asperger Syndrome. You will have the opportunity to spend a day focusing on ASD, gathering key information, learning valuable skills and networking with like-minded delegates. Cost: $220 per person (including GST)

for more info phone 07 33001543 / 07 32521655

Aspergers Syndrome Seminar - for families

ASPERGER SYNDROME

Boutique Seminars 2008 Presented by Dr Margaret Carter & Josie Santomauro ABN: 36657707966

FOR FAMILIES DIFFERENT ‘SPEAKERS’ TO THE PUZZLE
Seminar Date: 12th February 2008 10am – 2pm

Succeeding at School – 18 year old with Asperger's Syndrome shares what worked/what didn’t for him in school
Organizational Strategies for Home - Josie Santomauro
Making & Keeping Friends - Dr Margaret Carter
Diet & Leaky Gut – Naturopath

Registration fee includes complimentary copies of books, ‘Me Time’ and ‘After the Diagnosis’ worth $50

Seminar is relevant for - parents, guardians, carers and grandparents of children/teens with Asperger Syndrome.

You will have the opportunity to spend a day focusing on ASD, gathering key information, learning valuable skills and networking with like-minded delegates. Cost: $144 per person (including GST)

for more info phone 07 33001543 / 07 32521655

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for Children with Autism

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for Children with Autism

presented by

Ren Sculthorpe, Clinical and Developmental Psychologist, Spetrum Psychology

Dates: Each Thursday, 7th Feb - 27th Mar 2008
Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Venue: Disability Services Support Unit
(Education Qld), 141 Merton Rd, Woolloongabba
Cost: ABIQ Members: $132 pp
Non-Members: $176 pp [Price includes GST]

This course would be useful for university students who are interested in working with children with autism in early Intervention programs and also parents wanting to gain a better understanding of how ABA may help their child.

For registration details, please contact ABIQ.

Upcoming events in 2008

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Free Information Seminar - Sun 17th Feb, Gold Coast

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Free Information Seminar - Sun 13th Apr, Brisbane

ABA 8 Week Training Course – Wednesday evenings15 Apr - 4 Jun, Brisbane (Northside)

ABA 8 Week Training Course - Thursday evenings 16 Apr - 5 Jun, Gold Coast

The ARMS Global Autism Conference 2008 - Aug 29 & 30, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

Kellie Postle

ABIQ Committee Member

Ph: 3881 1868

enquiries@abiq.org

Job Joggas - handy parenting tool

These things look like a fabulous idea
http://www.jobjoggas.com.au/

The concept is simply - use a magnetic photo frame to hold a photo of the person, then under the 'to do' magnet you place the magnets of the jobs that person has to do. When they've done them they get to move the magnet under the 'done' magnet.

The concept is brilliant for anyone, but especially applicable to folks on the autistic spectrum who respond better to visual cues than auditory instructions.

Now, I wonder if they have a magnet for 'look at my job jogga to do list'??

"Time Out"

These past 2 weeks I've been blessed to have THREE whole days/ week to try to catch my own tail!! This is thanks to those wonderful people at Family Support Group Australia, who accepted Oneson for vacation care. Today is my last day. Some of the things I have done with my 6 whole days to myself:-

• Rested
• Eaten
• Caught up on Doctor's and Naturopath's appointments
• Caught up on housework and washing
• Got up to date with bills and household finances
• Begun to look at the budget for the new year
• Managed to post to this blog and my business blog (http://investworksoz.com) a couple of times
  
• Cleared some stuff out and sold it on ebay
  
• Bought some new clothes THAT ACTUALLY FIT!!!
• Grocery shopping
  

Still to do:-

• Hair cut, leg wax (though the forestry commission may be necessary)
• Put more effort in to my business and actually get it going somewhere
• Yet more housework, cleaning, clearing out and tidying up
• Sell more stuff on ebay that's no longer useful
• loads, loads more

The time I have to do it all in drops again to about 1.5 days/week. It should gradually increase though. I'll tell you more in another post. Right now, I have to nip to the shops and go get Oneson from vacation care.

Teacher's Aide Workshops on Gold Coast by Autism Qld

GOLD COAST Workshops (2) run by Autism Queensland –

Wednesday 12 March at Twin Towns Services Club

Parents are welcome to register for these workshops. Please note a discount of $20 per session applies to parents of children with ASD who register for these local workshops.

Early Bird Registration closes 27 February.

http://www.autismqld.com.au/resources/workshops.php

Registration Forms for Workshops are located at:

http://www.autismqld.com.au/resources/2005_Traning_Workshop_RegistrationFormInvoice.pdf

1. Teacher Aide - Understanding ASD and general strategies

Working effectively with a student with ASD is dependent upon a thorough understanding of ASD and how the disorder may impact on the individual. The varied presentation of these students will be highlighted through examples of children in mainstream settings and more specialised settings. We will provide practical strategies to facilitate successful interactions and inclusion in the school environment.

Target Audience: These seminars are designed specifically for teacher aides and take into account the wide variety of educational settings they work in and duties they perform. A good general understanding of ASD is assumed in the advanced seminars.

Date: 12/03/2008

Time: 9.30am-12.30pm

Address: Twin Towns Services Club, Wharf Street

Location: Tweed Heads

Course Code: GCTAI

Early Bird Cost: $75.00 (Cutoff Date: 27/02/2008)

Standard Cost: $85.00

2. Teacher Aide - Communicating effectively with a student with ASD

Although not always immediately apparent, students with ASD experience significant challenges with communication. This can have implications for their ability to follow instructions, to respond appropriately to questions, to understand information and to participate in interactions with staff and peers. Students attempts to communicate are very often missed or misinterpreted leading to further confusion and frustration for all involved. This seminar aims to assist participants to recognise communication problems and to understand why they occur. Following on from this, we will discuss strategies to assist with communication breakdowns and promote effective communication.

Target Audience: These seminars are designed specifically for teacher aides and take into account the wide variety of educational settings they work in and duties they perform. A good general understanding of ASD is assumed in the advanced seminars

Date: 12/03/2008

Time: 10.30pm-4.30pm

Address: Twin Towns Services Club, Wharf Street

Location: Tweed Heads

Course Code: GCTAA

Early Bird Cost: $75.00 (Cutoff Date: 27/02/2008)

Standard Cost: $85.00

Autism Gold Coast Support Meetings back on

~ ~ MONTHLY MEETINGS - 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month ~ ~

Venue: Currumbin Community Special School

A small plate of food to share or a gold coin donation is appreciated.
Children are welcome to attend daytime meetings, as there is a small play area.

First ones for the year are:
Wednesday 6 February Coffee’n’Chat Support Group Meeting, 10 am - noon
Wednesday 20 February Evening Support Group Meeting, 7-9pm.

Arghhhhh it's 2008!!!

How did that happen??? I think I must've blinked. Well, hold on tight, I'm gonna post some updates.

I find blogging just as bad as keeping a journal when I was a kid - I just get too far behind and give up.