"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.

A really good day

It's only lunch time and we've already made:

• 3 cat masks
• 3 cat tails (old tights/stockings stuffed with newspaper - suprisingly effective, vary stuffing amount and style to make all sorts of animal tails)
• 24 mini banana muffins
• 6 large banana muffins (already eaten too)

Phew!
My little cats are now watching Aristocats for 'rest time', then onwards to tea time. I've got planned:

• Dangly witch mobiles
• Clothespeg witches on drinking straw brooms
• a trip to the shops for knicker elastic to finish the cat masks.
• maybe a trip to the beach, depending on afternoon storms, etc.

This is a slightly busier than average day for us, but now you know my 'magic formula' for weight loss!

The good and the bad

The Good:
Since leaving pre-school, One-son has become calmer, more predictable, sleeps better, eats better, yawns in the middle of the day!! All indicating his poor mind and body were stressed out to the max by 3 days/week at preschool.

The Bad:
I have no respite, so conversly, I am more anxious, loose my temper more often and more spectacularly, sleep worse, feel claustrophobic, can't bear to be touched and have people in may space. All indicating my poor mind and body are now stressed to the max.

The future:
One day a week, approx 9-3pm in a mainstream daycare centre and one day a week in-home care. We should be able to start in the centre soon, but I am still hunting for a suitable in-home carer.

Long term:
A governor/governess/home tutor for all 3 of my boys, each special in their own way and likely to be ill-served by state-provided education.

ASD Support Group Meeting

The OCTOBER EVENING MEETING

- ASD Support Group –

Informal Chat and Supper

will be held this coming

Wednesday 17^th October, 7pm – 9pm

Currumbin Community Special School

Exit 95 – Stewart Rd – off the M1

(Heading SOUTH: exit from right lane)

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

Follow the signs to the Meeting Room!

Gold coin donation appreciated. Please bring a small plate to share for supper.