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.