2019 Autism Conference Series

Transcription

1 Welcome to your Autism SA Infomail 2019 Autism Conference Series Autism SA is excited to announce the 2019 Autism Conference Series. The speaker will be Michelle Garcia Winner - internationally recognised speech pathologist from the United States, and founder and CEO of Social Thinking. She will present "Using the Social Thinking Methodology to support Social Learning". Social Thinking is a company dedicated to helping individuals across their lifespan to develop their social competencies to meet their personal social goals. Michelle is recognised as '...the leading expert in the field of social skills' with more than 30 years' experience working with individuals, families and professionals in the autism sector. Michelle is a prolific writer and has written and/or co-authored more than 40 books and over 100 research articles about the Social Thinking Methodology including; 'Social Behaviour Mapping'; 'Thinking about you, Thinking about Me?'; 'You are a Social Detective'; and 'Superflex: A Superhero Social Thinking Curriculum". Presentation overview On Friday 15 February 2019 Michelle Garcia Winner will teach individuals and those that support people with social emotional learning challenges to develop skills in how they interpret and respond to social information to better connect with others. Michelle will present tips, practical strategies and frameworks for individuals and those that support individuals with autism to improve social competencies that can be used immediately in the classroom, clinic, home and community. The conference is set to be an engaging, interactive day where the participants will be guided through a range of innovative socially based problem solving strategies that can be used with individuals with solid expressive and receptive language skills, in a range of settings. "...one of my favourite authors in the field of teaching emotional intelligence. Michelle Garcia Winner has pioneered some very helpful ways of conceptualising and helping educators understand the social challenges that students on the autism spectrum face." - Stephan Borgman,

2 2010, Psychology Today, 'Spectrum Solutions' Read more testimonials and about the program here Who should attend? Individuals on the spectrum, parents, family members, educators, clinicians, professionals, and anyone who supports a person on the spectrum will benefit from attending this conference. All participants will develop an appreciation that social capabilities are integral to a person's success in life - socially, academically, and professionally. To be held at Morphettville (South Australian Jockey Club), this is a conference not to be missed! Super early bird special ends 30 October book your place here. Volunteering with Autism SA Autism SA had the opportunity to meet some incredible groups of South Australian students, academics and professionals at Telstra, and the University of Adelaide volunteer expos this month. Thank you to those that registered their interest in volunteering for Autism SA - your contributions will be integral in helping Autism SA to support individuals on the autism spectrum to live the life they choose in an inclusive society. Gina We recently had a chat to one of our newest volunteers, Gina, about her volunteer journey. Gina volunteers with the Autism SA Foundation Skills Group, making resources and interacting with clients. Gina was motivated to volunteer so that she could not only 'learn and grow', but be able to "help support the (Foundation Skills Group) children, and knowing that no matter how I can help it will all go towards helping these children grow and learn... the staff here are so supportive, and seeing how motivated they are only pushes me to want to do more...". We also asked Gina what she would say to anybody who may be contemplating volunteering, and she shared that it is "a great opportunity to further your knowledge areas". Thank you Gina! If you are interested in making a difference through volunteering, like Gina, please lodge an

3 application via our website. Recognition Awards Nominations for the 2018 Autism SA Recognition Awards are now open! Autism SA recognises that there are many individuals and organisations that make significant contributions to the organisation as well as for individuals on the autism spectrum, their families and carers. The Autism SA Recognition Awards are designed to recognise these outstanding contributions and achievements in the community. Nominations in each of the categories will be open until 15 October 2018, and can be made online via this link, or by downloading the nomination form here and sending it to The Autism Friendly Charter - spreading the message of inclusion and acceptance across the country Autism SA's Autism Friendly Charter just touched down in Adelaide after a month long National Roadshow campaign. Throughout the month many passionate business owners, management and staff across the country attended the free training delivered by the Autism Friendly Charter team. Many attendees provided feedback that they were thrilled by the training, with participants sharing that they learnt 'lots of useful ideas and tips on how to help people with autism', that the team was 'very helpful' and that they simply "loved it!" Thank you to all of the businesses that supported Autism SA by attending the autism friendly training sessions. The Autism Friendly Charter online training has landed! With the National Roadshow ending with great success, Autism SA is thrilled to announce the launch of the brand new Autism Friendly Charter website. The website will contain information, resources and provide eligible businesses and recreational organisations across the country 24 hour, online access to Autism Friendly training modules to

4 assist them in understanding the autism spectrum, and aiding them to make small adjustments to become an Autism Friendly Business.. This means that Australia is one step closer to a more inclusive society. To find out if your business is eligible visit the website: or if you have any questions about the Autism Friendly Charter, you can contact afc@autismsa.org.au. NDIS update On Thursday 2 August the NDIA held a webinar on self-management. The panel answered questions from the community via live chat and delivered information and insights about what selfmanagement is, how to self-manage your NDIS funds and your responsibilities as a self-manager. If you missed the webinar, or would like to watch it again, it is now available here Facebook Live On 24 August, Autism SA held a Facebook Live session with our passionate schools team, answering your questions. If you missed it, you can view the session on our Facebook page here. Up next month on Facebook

5 On 21 September at 4.00pm, the Autism SA Training, Consultancy & Research team will be live to answer your questions about training, family and professional workshops, and the 2019 Autism Conference Series - with Michelle Garcia Winner. If there is a question you'd like to ask, please send it to asamarketing@autismsa.org.au or jump on our Facebook page at 4.00pm on 21 September and comment below the video once it is live. All questions ed before the video will be kept anonymous. Sunday Mail Westpac City-Bay - run for Autism SA!

6 Get ready to lace up and make a dash this September with the 2018 Sunday Mail Westpac City- Bay. If you've never participated before, there are a number of ways you can be involved: * 3km dog walk * 6km or 12km wheelchair * 3km, 6km or 12km walk * 3km, 6km or 12km run * 21km half marathon run Autism SA has a registered team for the day -be sure to list us as your team when you register here. So come and join us - Jenny, our CEO will be undertaking the 6km walk! Community Fundraisers - 'Girls Nite Out' Thank you to an incredible group of women in the community that got together to raise funds for Autism SA with a 'Girls Nite Out' last month!

7 The night looked fantastic, filled with yummy food, raffles, prizes and more, with the group raising more than $400 for Autism SA. Thank you Lyn and Ann for organising the fundraiser, and to all their guests for your generous donations! If you would like to organise your own Autism SA fundraiser, fill out this form and send it on to Magic Carpet lands at Autism SA Autism SA enjoyed testing our brand new Magic Carpet this month, an incredible sensory learning tool that comes with an interactive system that displays images and games. The innovative technology will be used for therapy at Autism SA's Elizabeth and Netley locations, and will be used as part of the sensory space that is currently being developed at the Northern Hub. Thank you to the team and their community at Liquor Industry Gold Club (LIGC) for the grant that brought the Magic Carpet to Autism SA. Each year the LIGC host a Charity Golf Day, where they raise funds to assist local charities, and we thank them for choosing Autism SA this year. To see the Magic Carpet in action, visit our Instagram page, and see how this cool new technology works. Coles Mini Collectables Autism SA had a special delivery from Adam and the Coles Distribution Centre based in Edinburgh Parks during the month! The Centre donated a giant pile of Coles mini collectables to Autism SA, to be sorted into packs for Autism SA Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists to use in their daily therapeutic practice. Existing Autism SA resources such as cash registers and shopping baskets, as well as therapist created resources such as shopping lists and visual matching sheets, will be used to accompany the little collectables.

8 Thank you to Adam, the Coles Distribution Centre and to all of the incredible members of the community that have been donating their miniatures. If you have any donations that you would like to donate to Autism SA, donations can be dropped to the Autism SA Netley and Elizabeth offices, or posted to us at PO Box 304, Marleston DC, These miniature resources will have a great home to go to as they will be loved, taken care of and used in many different settings by Autism SA therapists for many years to come helping individuals on the autism spectrum realise their potential. Training Coming soon for families: Positive Behaviour Support Planning: understanding behaviour and practical strategies to support This session will be presented on Thursday 27 September at Autism SA's new Northern Hub training room. Presented by an experienced Behaviour Consultant from the Autism SA Psychology and Behaviour Support team, participants will develop a greater understanding of behaviours of concern in the context of autism. During the session, the presenter will guide participants through a range of relevant, realistic and evidence based strategies that can be utilised in a range of settings, and that can also be individualised for the person in their day-to-day lives. This session is highly recommended for families who are accessing, or looking at accessing, Psychology or Behaviour Support from Autism SA, or are just wanting a deeper understanding with practical strategies to support an individual in the home or community environment. To book your place, click here.

9 Coming soon for professionals: Supporting students on the autism spectrum for school services officers (SSOs) and education support officers (ESOs) This workshop will be presented on Friday 14 September at Autism SA's new Northern Hub training room. Supporting a student on the autism spectrum can be both challenging and very rewarding. This workshop recognises the important role of SSOs and ESOs within the educational sector. The program also allows time for participants to share their ideas and successes, and network with other participants. Topics covered include: * Understanding the autism spectrum; * The role of support staff; * Evidence based teaching strategies when working 1:1, in small groups and supporting in the classroom; * Enhancing communication; * Increasing social understanding; * Reducing interfering behaviours; * Addressing sensory needs; and * How to look after your own needs on the job! You can book your place here. Calendars Autism SA offer a variety of training sessions - held at both our Netley and Elizabeth sites. For more information, please visit the links below or contact the Training and Consultancy Coordinator on General Family Workshops July-December 2018 Professional Development Workshops Term In Focus Family Workshops July-December 2018 Early Days Workshops July-December 2018 Parent Conference

10 Hosted by the Department for Education, Getting the right fit is a conference which will inform parents and carers about the services and support available for children and young people with a disability. Parents and carers of a child or young person with a disability are invited to listen to information and strategies from key note speakers and participate in workshops at the Parent Conference, Getting the right fit, on 12 September The conference will be opened by a performance by students from Kilparrin, Errington and South Australian School for Vision Impaired (SASVI). Please download the full flyer here. Registration for this conference is via this link. Do you have a heart-warming story you would like to share? Please send us an w ith the details to asamarketing@autismsa.org.au St ay Connect ed