Issue 26 Winter 2015 £15 annually Available from www.aukids.co.uk ® Positive Parenting for Children with Autism Spectrum Conditions Double Take Families of twins share their stories Altered Images Our easy guide to vision and autism On with the Show! Our 2015 autism events calendar is here! PLUS WIN! iPad protectors, sensory toys, books and more! Debby i LLeetttteerr ffrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorrss Tor Hesley Enhancing Lives Programme. Welcome to our 40 years in the making. first issue of We’re celebrating our 40th year. And we’ve learnt a lot along the way. Today, much of our 2015 experience and in house expertise is channelled to deliver our innovative Hesley Enhancing We hope this year brings you fun AuKids is expanding our social Lives Programme (HELP). and happiness in a big way. ! network with a greater presence on Twitter this year, thanks to the Combining the latest techniques We’ve been busy since the last efforts of Rose Walters who has and practices, HELP focuses on time we wrote. We were delighted been undertaking some project how our actions and reactions to talk at the NAS Communication work with us. We hope to be can positively shape the emotional conference in Reading last bringing you the long-awaited You November. well being of all those who use Tube channel shortly, so that you our services. Through taking Also in November, Toys ‘R’ Us can watch a bit of AuKids TV! a proactive and empathic held its first national autism-friendly If you’d like to see any of our approach the need for higher risk shopping morning. Brilliant news all features brought to life, just let us interventions is reduced. All staff round, but this was down to the know! Follow us on Twitter and receive HELP training from the hard work and dedication of just help spread the word. Despite point of induction and regularly one mum and a store manager with appearances we are still a small thereafter, to make sure it works vision – check out our Readers’ magazine and we do rely on word in practice as well as theory. page for the full story. Just goes to of mouth so that more parents can show what a bit of parent power benefit from our positive advice. can do! Finally, super breaking news Referral enquiries freephone It looks like 2015 is going to be that renowned autism researcher, 0800 055 6789 busier still, with AuKids magazine speaker and author Olga www.hesleygroup.co.uk one of the media partners for the Bogdashina, herself a parent of Established in 1975, the Hesley Group provides specialist support through its schools, Autism Show. This year it takes two young people on the autism colleges and adult residential services with a highly experienced and expert multidisciplinary place in Birmingham as well as spectrum, will be writing for us later educational, care and therapeutic staff resource, in high quality purpose built settings. London and Manchester – check this year. We are big fans of Olga’s We’re focused on positive outcomes and progress towards sustainable independence. out our diary pages for more work and we can’t wait to share her information. The AuKids team will knowledge with you. be talking at both Birmingham and Happy reading! Manchester, plus we’ll have a stand at those shows, so come and say hello! Since our last issue, we have & ebby gathered up a large number of your Tori D Facebook comments about hand e-mail: [email protected] dryers and how distressing autistic children find the sudden, loud and unexpected noise from them. We COMPETITION WINNERS passed those comments onto the FROM ISSUE 25: • The answer to the Cineworld Cerebra Innovations team who in competition was Despicable Me 2. turn had a chat with friends at Winners were Nicola Naylor, Dyson. All we can say at this stage Warwickshire; Joanne Dorasamy, is watch this space – but early signs Biggleswade; Mandy Potts, Berkshire. are promising and the Dyson team • Book winners: Amanda Ayres, seems keen on action. If you’d like Weaverham; Jo-Anna Dem, Reading; to share any of your views or Rachel Kaye, Manchester; Heather experiences regarding hand dryers Bradley, Notts; Dawn Parkinson, Billington and Georgina Gannon, with us, we will pass them on. Swanscombe. Write to us at [email protected] Whilst the products and services advertised EDITORS: in AuKids are recommended to us by Tori Houghton and Debby Elley readers, we are not an industry inspector or regulator. We advise readers to seek PHOTOGRAPHY: independent advice from regulatory bodies Front cover photo taken by David Laslett before signing up with a new service at www.manchesterphoto.com provider and to check that products and m: 07918 155362 equipment meet with industry standards. PRINTING: The opinions expressed in AuKids R and P Printers, Dukinfield magazine are those of the contributor. Please seek medical advice before GRAPHIC DESIGN: embarking on any therapy or behaviour intervention. All articles are copyright AuKids. www.periscopestudios.co.uk AuKids is published by AuKids Limited, PO Box 259, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 9BE, company number 7413180. Want to read our next issue? Not a subscriber? Subscribe NOW at www.aukids.co.uk or send a £15 cheque with your name and address on the back, payable to AuKids magazine to: AuKids, PO Box 259 Cheadle Cheshire SK8 9BE. 2 AuKids magazine, Winter 2015 Send your letters and READERS’ PAGE images to [email protected] Cover Stars Holds First Autism Friendly Shopping Morning Autism Friendly UK is a new Facebook group created by one mum in response to the Luke Ayres struggles she Diagnosis: ility faced when out Autism & Learning Disab and about with am, Cheshire Where he lives: Weaverh her autistic son is the happiest and um Amanda says: “Luke TOYS Joe, who is 3. Victoria Luke’s m rd-winning smile y I know! He has an awa 'R' GREAT: Holdsworth decided CO most smiley bo to win VER STARS: Charles and his eyes which he uses Natasha Eliyet and a cheeky glint in to do something George feature in our tw admires the ins’ everyone over! about it – for her and article – s ith selection in peace ee Page 15 but is doing really well w everyone else in the has a very limited vocab and quiet! “He y hand leading - he is same position! “Busy his and communicates b expanding t I love it when he star in his own right and places and lots of an absolute super g machines :) His passion is washin sensory stimuli can be too invites me into his world urite places in the much for our children with autism - he loves them! His favo nd his dream is to I lo and reasonable adjustments can and world are launderettes a ve: hen he is older. W should be made to help our children work / help out in one w ashing ble noises mach enjoy experiences as any other child dislikes loud unpredicta ines “He g can!” she said. tive tones such as sighin and nega I hate: She spoke to store manager Geoff and tutting”. Unp redictab Robinson at the Birstall Toys R Us details le Send your celebrity noises store in Leeds. “He was delighted to [email protected] support my ideas and helped me to to a approach head office in making it a Steph! national event,” she told us. Sock It to Them, Stephanie Roberts decided “It was supposed to be just trialled Mum e up work to look after her in Leeds but the huge response to giv who has suspected autism prompted a quick change! I simply son, Autism Sundae lobal development delay. explained to Geoff what a difference and g urned her hobby into a this event could make to people and She t Goes On Tour! ess and now runs Crafty how happy families would be to busin les, a small handmade gifts You may remember AuKids’ have this opportunity! Toys R Us Cudd any. She says: popular Autism Sundae Dessert really seemed to recognise the comp featured in Issue 20, which we SUNDAE SCH benefits of the event for children I look after my son in the day OOL: Jill explains now use to explain the key autism the lking to customers AuKids way and wanted to help”. whilst ta elements of autism. Reader Jill ing custom orders. I make all Toys R Us held its first nationwide and tak Fitzpatrick liked it so much that dmade items from scratch autism-friendly shopping morning on my han she decided to demonstrate it “I’d read your sundae article y children go to sleep and I November 30 th last year. It was when m to the Willaston Hey W.I., and loved it. I thought: ‘Let’s tely love it! I’ve been very hailed a great success by shoppers absolu based on the Wirral. She asked make some ice cream!’ te that I could turn my hobby of all special needs kids, who fortuna the ladies to make their own – usiness and I’ve since “The ladies were intrigued by enjoyed the lower levels of lighting into a b and raised cash for AuKids in ed my product range. I make the ice cream idea and loved and a non-judgemental, quiet expand the process! nimals, framed paper cuts, taking part. I’d also taken a few atmosphere. The store was given sock a art and other gifts for all She told us: “I’ve been photos of some of my friends’ symbols to put up and staff paper occasions at affordable prices.