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Autumn 2017 Newsletter

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Autumn 2017 Newsletter CWAC NAS Branch is a volunteer-led organisation. The branch relies on the support of individuals to continue our work, as we receive no funding from local or central government. The Chester Raft Race takes place annually and is now in its 42nd year. Graham Proctor, President, Rotary Club of Chester rang me to tell us that the NAS CWaC Branch had been selected as one of the beneficiaries of this year's event. Our contribution was to find volunteers to shake tins and sell programmes..... a big thank you to our members and their friends who did this. I have often watched this event, it is a fun family event, lots of water, the odd boat that sinks and general may- hem. A lot of hard work goes into building the rafts and there are a number of prizes on offer. The Rotary Club members never stop amazing me, their enthusiasm for the project in hand requires much hard work, great organisational skills and lots of good humour. I was lucky to be part of the judging panel, based at the bandstand. Many thanks for hospitality, drinks, tea and coffee, lovely pastries as well as great company. Sue Proctor was determined that she wasn't going to carry any of the goodies home! The presentation of medals and prizes took place on the Meadows and this was preceded by the 'Rock Choir' who kept us entertained, whilst decisions were made about which raft should get which prize. Unfortunately, the team that Anne (SSAFA) and I should have presented to had disappeared before the presentation, so no photos of that moment to share! Once again, many thanks to the Rotary Club, for choosing us as one of your charities, we all agreed it was a great opportunity to raise the profile of autism in our area. Esther ( NAS volunteer) There have been adventurous goings on to raise money for the CWAC NAS branch. She had the amazing experience of climbing did the 3 peaks on the 3rd June. One of our members, Jane Harding, and a group of 9 took part and she says, ‘it was of those things I will remember forever. Ben Nevis and Skafell Pike were stunning, whereas Snowdon was done in the dark and was very damp and windy’. £250 was raised for the Chester branch. A great effort! Thank you to all involved. Donations Donations have been gratefully received from the following: Chester Ramblers - £50.00 TMI events - £215.20 Rachel Neistroj in Memoriam of her husband Olaf - £275.00 Parents att.seminars and Rosebank library - £150.00 Events at Barclays bank by Jane Graneek and Lisa Vagianos plus matched funding - £1590.52 Annual General Meeting 11th July 2017 Dee Banks School The NAS Cheshire West and Chester Branch Annual General meeting was well attended despite it being a very wet evening. The branch report was shared and is summarised here: The Hub ihas hosted courses, coffee mornings and drop in sessions and the library has been updated. It is hoped that a second hub will open in the Chester area within the next 12 months. TMI training has also been delivered in a number of sessions with another planned at Storyhouse in the autumn. We continue to be involved in a range of strategy groups which gives us opportunities to highlight the needs of our families. These networks are invaluable. The 16-25 social skills group is an excellent example of our volunteers working in partnership with the Local Authority and Autism Together to make this a reality. We have worked with Storyhouse, the Ice Cream farm and Freedome to help make these venues more accessible to our families. We have been fortunate to receive a number of generous donations which enable us to continue our support through family seminars led by Rosebank Autism Information and Support, the Together Trust and NAS. We aim to provide two courses aterm for up to 30 participants per session over the next year. Thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way to the branch over the past year. As ever, we always welcome new volunteers and have roles that can be done at home iat a time that suits the individual. Many hands lighten the load. Please contact the branch if yuou could help in any way. Following the business part of the meeting, we enjoyed a talk from Sylvia Lowery, mother, student, autism supporter, home educator, carer and business manager for her son Alex’s public speaking operation. She spoke on ‘Autism Parent Burnout and how to avoid it.’ She shared some of her own experiences as the parent of children with ASD and her top tips: 1. Admit when you are struggling 2. Accept that you can’t do everything 3. Don’t take on your child’s emotions 4. Admit you can’t change your child’s autism 5. Timetable breaks 6. Seek help if you start to feel fearful about the fu- ture 7. Take in the details of the moment 8. Learn to say no Sylvia and Alex are in the process of 9. Accept good enough developing an online training course. 10. Use technology Alex’s book is available at the Hub. Thank you Sylvia for coming along to share with us and for answering people’s questions. Many thanks to Dee Banks School for their generosity in hosting the event. News from the Autism Hub As usual, our book worm volunteer, Karen McGuiness, has been busy buying and reading new books for us! Amongst out 700+ titles we already cover a wide range of subjects, and this month’s purchases continue that trend. is an essential read for any families with an Aspergers individual amongst them. It’s a book which brings together helpful tips from Aspie mentors like Temple Grandin and Stephen M. Shore which aim to tackle everyday stressors. Topics include anxiety, friendships, love and self esteem and each chapter includes input from Dr Tony Attwood. Described by Good Housekeeping magazine as 'One of those wonderful books that makes you laugh and cry at the same time'. This semi autobiographical novel tells the story of Alex, an estranged husband and his autistic son, Sam, as they explore the world of Minecraft and find the stability and certainty that their real lives lack. The Floortime Approach is a much talked about and highly recommend- ed approach for supporting children with ASD which is proven to assist with emotional and behavioural development at any age. This book gives information and guidance for parents. As general awareness of autism grows, more and more adults are The Incredible 5 point scale has been seeking a diagnosis of ASD and this used successfully with children for book looks at the pros and cons, the many years. This book explores how process and the emotional after similar scales can be used with effects. adolescents and adults to increase communication, self management and self advocacy. The Autism Hub is open every This novel explores the same theme Wednesday in term time 10am- of adult diagnosis but from a female 6pm perspective. Laura James had For further information please already been married twice, had four email [email protected] children and a successful career h.uk or call us on 01606 783 295. before seeking a diagnosis. |With the diagnosis came a lot of answers and Find us on Facebook Autism Library @ a fresh outlook on the future. The Rosebank Bungalow. book also looks at wider themes of women on the spectrum in general. Follow us on Twitter @AutismLibrary Many of you will have seen the ‘Too much information’ films showing Alex’s experience of a shopping centre and Holly’s verbal processing overload. Now the NAS have produced another film which focuses on the interview process. The NAS website explains why: ‘After looking at how autistic people can get too much information in public places, we then moved our focus to getting too much information in the workplace. Only 16% of autistic people are in full-time employment. We talked to autistic people and found out they felt that employers don’t see their ability, but rather their autism. We wanted to work with them, their colleagues, employers and the Government to get autistic people the jobs they deserve. Over 29,000 people signed our petition to close the autism employment gap, which we presented to Penny Mordaunt MP, the Minister for Disabilities, at Westminster in March 2017. We continue to lobby behind the scenes to help autistic people to get the jobs they deserve. For the second year of our campaign, we want people to understand that autistic people need extra time to process information. Sometimes, it can feel like everything’s building up. Like your brain is too crowded and about to explode. And that makes the world a terrifying, isolating place.’ Watch the new film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8iF0TAmyr4 All Party Parliamentary Group on autism launch education inquiry The All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA) – a cross party group of MPs and members of the House of Lords - has launched an inquiry into education for children on the autism spectrum in England. This is following a consultation that The National Autistic Society, working on behalf of the group, ran last year with autistic people and family members about their priorities for change. As part of that consultation, parents of children and young people on the autism spectrum and those on the spectrum themselves, told us about the challenges they continue to face in getting the right educational provision and support in schools.
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