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Information for families who have the DSS funding
under the Helping Children with Autism Package
The following services are located in the Darwin region with some
services travelling to other locations in the NT. You do have the
ability to access HCWA services Australia wide.
OT for Kids NT –
Shannon Hallatt, Occupational Therapist
Contact: [email protected],.au
08 8932 8852
Stepping Stones in Life Therapy Services –
Barbara Kapser, Psychologist
Contact: [email protected]
08 8985 6067 or 0458431030
MD Consulting Speech Pathology and Behaviour ser-
vices – Merryn Dearsden, Speech Therapist
Contact: [email protected]
08 8932 8852
Top End Speech Pathology –
Franceska Edis, Speech Pathologist
Contact : [email protected]
0413 492 911
Autism North Speech Pathology –
Caroline Weeks, Speech Pathologist
Contact: [email protected]
0432 361 200
Building Bridges Autism Spectrum Service—Claire
Mitchell, ABA Therapy
Contact: [email protected], 0402 438 498
Carpentaria Disability Early Intervention Services—
Contact: [email protected] or 08 8945 4977
Life Journey Psychology—Vicki Ciccarone
(Psychologist)
Contact: [email protected], 08 8919 8919
Katherine Psychology and Wellbeing - Tanya Hollier,
Psychologist (Katherine Based)
Contact: [email protected], 0408 118 654
Contact your Autism Advisors, Trish Wachtel or Kristy Zimmer, if
you have any queries or would like further information on 08
8947 4800. We are happy to help!
“This information has been distributed in the interest of informing you about
available products and services related to ASD. This information does not necessarily imply endorsement by AutismSA. We encourage you to research all products and services prior to deciding if they are relevant or suitable to your
individual circumstances”
HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE
AUGUST EDITION OF OUR
NEWSLETTER
We hope that all of our
families had a good break
from school and are settling
into the new term well. In
July we said goodbye to Nina
and welcomed two new staff
on board. Samantha is based
in the Darwin office and
Kristy in Alice Springs both
working on a part time basis. We both really look forward to getting to know you all.
You will be able to learn more about us in the
September newsletter.
This months edition has a “back to school focus” as we
enter the 2nd half of the schooling year. Make sure you
check out this month:
Our next Early Days– Introduction to Autism
Workshop is on the 25th of August. Please see
flyer included
The Independent Living Centre and the Telstra
Foundation are holding a free workshop for
people with complex communication needs
Please note that the Play Connect playgroup has
changed to Fridays. This will be at 9:00am-11:00am each
week during the school term. There is more
information inside the newsletter.
We hope that you all have a wonderful month and
enjoy what's left of the dry season.
Enjoy the Read,
Trish, Samantha & Kristy
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
App Review—Choiceworks
The Choiceworks app is an essential learning tool for helping children complete daily routines (morning, day, & night), understand & control their feelings and improve their waiting skills (taking turns and not interrupting).
Created with the support of leading hospitals and child development specialists, this app is designed for caregivers to provide clear and consistent support to foster a child’s independence, positive behavior, and emotional regulation at home and in the community. It can also be customized for teachers in a school setting.
Retails for $6.99 in the App Store, designed by Bee Visual, LLC.
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
https://www.facebook.com/pages/
Autism-Advisor-Program-
NT/228263063997798
Like the ‘Autism Advisor Program NT’ on
Facebook to keep up to date with the
latest and greatest in the Autism commu-
nity, as well as any information we have
on upcoming events.
Social Story– That’s Great! From The New Social Story Book by Carol Gray
Telling my teacher about a problem
Teachers and students talk about many things. They often talk about good news. They can also solve problems together.
Sometimes, a student may have a problem, or feel frustrated or angry. Telling the teacher can help. That way the teacher will know there is a problem. Teachers want to help/ they have a lot of ideas. Teachers can help to solve problems.
If I have a problem at school, telling the teacher may help. If I feel frustrated or angry, telling the teacher may help too. My teacher has a lot of ideas. She can help to solve problems.
Teachers can help students solve problems and feel more comfortable again.
What is practice?
Students learn many important skills. Reading is an important skill. Math, writing and spelling are skills, too. Practice is one way that students learn.
Sometimes, teachers ask students to practice skills. Practice is carefully doing a skill over and over.
When students learn to add, they practice by solving many math problems.
When students learn to write, they practice making many letters by writing each letter many times.
When students learn to spell a word, they practice by spelling it correctly.
Practice helps students learn many important skills.
Helping Children with Autism There are many things parents can do to help children with autism overcome their chal-lenges. But it's also important to make sure you get the support you need. When you're looking after a child with autism, taking care of yourself is not an act of selfishness—it's a necessity. Being emotionally strong allows you to be the best parent you can be to your child in need. These parenting tips can help by making life with an autistic child easier.
If you've recently learned that your child has or might have an autism spectrum disorder, you're probably wondering and worrying about what comes next. No parent is ever pre-pared to hear that a child is anything other than happy and healthy, and a diagnosis of autism can be particularly frightening. You may be unsure about how to best help your child or confused by conflicting treatment advice. Or you may have been told that autism is an incurable, lifelong condition, leaving you concerned that nothing you do will make a difference.
While it is true that autism is not something a person simply "grows out of," there are many treatments that can help children learn new skills and overcome a wide variety of developmental challenges. From free government services to in-home behavioural therapy and school-based programs, assistance is available to meet your child's special needs. With the right treatment plan, and a lot of love and sup-port, your child can learn, grow, and thrive.
Helping children with autism tip 1: Provide structure and safety
Be consistent. Children with autism have a hard time adapting what they’ve learned in one setting (such as the therapist’s office or school) to others, including the home. For example, your child may use sign language at school to communicate, but never think to do so at home. Creating consistency in your child’s environment is the best way to reinforce learning. Find out what your child’s thera-pists are doing and continue their techniques at home. Explore the possibility of having therapy take place in more than one place in order to encourage your child to transfer what he or she has learned from one environment to another. It’s also important to be con-sistent in the way you interact with your child and deal with challenging behaviors.
Stick to a schedule. Children with autism tend to do best when they have a highly-structured schedule or routine. Again, this goes back to the consistency they both need and crave. Set up a schedule for your child, with regular times for meals, therapy, school, and bedtime. Try to keep disruptions to this routine to a minimum. If there is an unavoidable schedule change, prepare your child for it in advance.
Create a home safety zone. Carve out a private space in your home where your child can relax, feel secure, and be safe. This will in-volve organizing and setting boundaries in ways your child can understand. Visual cues can be helpful (colored tape marking areas that are off limits, labeling items in the house with pictures). You may also need to safety proof the house, particularly if your child is prone to tantrums or other self-injurious behaviors.
Helping children with autism tip 2: Find nonverbal ways to connect
Look for nonverbal cues. If you are observant and aware, you can learn to pick up on the nonverbal cues that children with autism use to communicate. Pay attention to the kinds of sounds they make, their facial expressions, and the gestures they use when they’re tired, hungry, or want something.
Figure out the need behind the tantrum. It’s only natural to feel upset when you are misunderstood or ignored, and it’s no different for children with autism. When children with autism act out, it’s often because you’re not picking up on their nonverbal cues. Throw-ing a tantrum is their way communicating their frustration and getting your attention.
Make time for fun. A child coping with autism is still a kid. For both children with autism and their parents, there needs to be more to life than therapy. Schedule playtime when your child is most alert and awake. Figure out ways to have fun together by thinking about the things that make your child smile, laugh, and come out of their shell. Your child is likely to enjoy these activities most if they don’t seem therapeutic or educational. There are tremendous benefits that result from your enjoyment of your child’s company and from your child’s enjoyment of spending unpressured time with you. Play is an essential part of learning and shouldn’t feel like work.
Pay attention to your child’s sensory sensitivities. Many children with autism are hypersensitive to light, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Other children with autism are “under-sensitive” to sensory stimuli. Figure out what sights, sounds, smells, movements, and tactile sensations trigger your kid’s “bad” or disruptive behaviors and what elicits a positive response. What does your autistic child find stressful? Calming? Uncomfortable? Enjoyable? If you understand what affects your child, you’ll be better at troubleshooting problems, preventing situations that cause difficulties, and creating successful experiences.
See Full Article at http://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism/helping-children-with-autism.htm
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
Printables—Common School Visuals Social Story- My day at school
I had a
We
practiced
We did
I ate
(draw your own
pictures or get
someone to help)
day today.
Book Review
Do Lemons have Feathers?—One mans
approach to his gift off Autism
By David Burns
“I just have to say I am a little bit sad that reading this book is over so soon, it arrived yesterday morning and I picked it up around dinner time to just have a brief flick through... I just didn't put it down again! I literally cried with laughter at some parts, especially the train, lady and son conversation! I also felt a pull on my heart and relation to some very real, honest truth in this book. I loved this book! I have a house that hasn't been cleaned and an ironing pile stacking but this book gripped me and pulled me in for a beautiful read. I would
recommend this to anyone who is touched in some way, shape or form by autism and even if you are not, it is enlightening, honest, encouraging, very funny and very well written." Have you ever wondered if autism is a gift? Do Lemons Have Feathers? is written for parents, teachers and people with high functioning type autism, such as Asperger's syndrome, who want to understand how to take advantage of the disadvantage. Written by a parent on the spectrum, it's both practical and insightful and contains strategies that actually work. Although autism may be a serious subject, that hasn't deterred the author from applying his very funny outlook and humour to produce a book that's refreshing, up to date and easy to read. Full of comedic situations and anecdotes, the book is designed to be picked up and dipped into when a bit of encouragement is needed through those tough days when no one else is around to lift the spirit. About the Author
David Burns hopes to encourage those with autism and also their parents and families with this book. He is a parent with autism so has an insider's view as well as experience parenting children on the spectrum.
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
New Support Group in Katherine and Resource Library for Families!
Do you need help making visuals?
Most children with ASD are visual learners, that is, they more easily understand what they see than what they hear. Supplementing ver-bal communication with visual tools can help with learning new skills, sequencing, organisa-tion and change. We can help you make visu-als appropriate for your child, including 5 Point Scales, Way to A and social stories. Contact the Autism Advisor Program on 08 8947 4800 or [email protected]
ASD Around the Internet: Friends and peers for children with autism spectrum disorder
Friendships help your child to develop socially and emotionally.
They can boost your child’s self-esteem and confidence. Having
friends also gives your child experience in managing emotions,
responding to the feelings of others, negotiating, cooperating and
problem-solving. Although you can’t make friends for your child,
you can give your child opportunities to meet new people and
make friends of his own.
Find out what activities your child enjoys
Identify your child’s interests and strengths, and help your child
connect with children who enjoy similar things, perhaps through a
playgroup. Doing activities that your child enjoys will also help to
keep her attention when there are other people around.
Invite children home to play
You can encourage friendships by inviting children home or out to
play. If your child goes to school, you could try asking his teacher
which children are showing particular interest in him. It can also
help to plan with your child the things that he might like to do with
other children. Try to set up activities and games that are fun and
encourage cooperative play.
You could also organise a specific activity for your child’s ‘play date’
that encourages a positive shared experience, such as a trip to the
playground, museum or aquarium.
Use resources in your community Enrolling your child in playgroups and after-school activities can also help to promote friendships. You could try swimming, dance or art classes. For full article see: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/autism_spectrum_disorder_friends.html/context/1234
Craft Corner—Edible Playdough
Items Needed
* 1 cup of baby rice cereal
* 1 cup of corn starch
* 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
* 1 tablespoons of vegetable oil
* food colouring if desired
Method
* In a bowl mix the baby rice cereal and corn starch well.
*Add the applesauce, vegetable oil and food colouring
* Knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable (you could use a kitchen aid too)
* If the dough is too sticky add more baby rice cereal, if it is
dry and cracking knead again with wet hands.
* Store the dough in a sealed bag or container in the fridge and discard after 3 days.
NOTE: the recipe has been doubled in the photographs
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS
Wednesday 12th August (none in July)
7:30pm –8:30pm – ASD Support
TEACHER SUPPORT GROUPS
Tuesday 4th August (none in July)
7:30-8:30pm
All meetings held at MLA Ken Vowles Office
at Rapid Creek
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
Early Days workshops are a series that support the Helping Chil-
dren with Autism package.
In this workshop you will learn:
About ASD and what it means for children and families
Practical strategies that can make a difference to all children’s
development
How to select and maximise an early intervention service
Date: Tuesday 25th of August 2015
Time: 6:00-10:00pm
Location: Palmerston Library Training Room
(Back of library near Hogs Breath).
Dinner provided. (Please inform us of any
dietary requirements when registering)
Please register by Friday 21st of August by
contacting [email protected] or by
phoning 08 8947 4800.
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
AUTISM ADVISOR
PROGRAM N.T. AUGUST 2015 NEWSLETTER
