AWC Resource and Support Centre Noluthando Workshops Tytam Centre for Autism – Mitchell’s Plein Red Cross and Tygerberg Support Adult Services

What’s Happening at AWC? July 2012

Inside

Welcome…

(Milisa (4 years old) and mom, Amanda, reading a textured book together at Noluthando in Khayelitsha.)

So much has happened in the last few months at Autism Western Cape. We thought the best way to share with you would be via a newsletter, so welcome to the first issue. We hope you enjoy reading it.

To start off, our support figures for May and June are as follows:

May:

• Post-diagnosis support: 18 • Workshop and support group attendees: 31 • Booklets and resource packs distributed: 54 • Email, telephonic, and face to face support combined: 46 • June:

• Post-diagnosis support: 2 • Workshop and support group attendees: 38 • Booklets and resource packs distributed: 50 • Email, telephonic, and face to face support combined: 140

Autism Western Cape News Issue 1 – July 2012

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AWC Support and Resource Centre

At the end of April, our office received a revamp. Gone is the charity shop set-up, and in it’s place we have a toy/resource centre, where Keri offers behavioural therapy for children on the Spectrum, while Janine offers counseling and emotional support for families on the increasingly popular comfy couch, donated very generously by Hershel Girl’s High School.

Having a safe environment for families to come for emotional and practical support has made a huge difference in the service we are able to offer them. Parents have mentioned the difference it’s made for them to have a one-stop shop and not feel like they are walking the road alone, or being pushed in several different directions.

In addition to the abovementioned support, we have been offering what we call pre-diagnostic assessments for families who request it. Important here is that families are being made fully aware that it is NOT a formal diagnostic assessment and cannot be treated as such and that if they feel the need, they should get a second opinion. What it is is an observation to assess whether there is a need for formal assessment, or whether their concerns may be based on something else, such as speech delay without other symptoms, so to speak. This service is offered to families who cannot afford private assessment, but who wish to make a plan to finance it if needed (as the waiting list for assessments at Red Cross and Tygerberg are long), i.e. if they feel certain the assessment by a private professional will yield a diagnosis, and with that, a referral to an autism-specific school. In other words, the aim is to save parents money if their child does not, in fact, appear to be on the spectrum. The assessment is free and is conducted using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).

AWC News

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Workshops and Support Group

Noluthando, Khayelitsha

When we initiated the group in Khayelitsha last year, the aim of the project was to develop and empower parents with skills and knowledge of autism, so that they may pool their resources and establish a system of home-based educare… This is exactly what has happened, less than a year later.

Amanda Mlanjeni and her son, Milisa, our group mascot, have been attending the group since its conception. Amanda, along with two ECD practitioners has opened an ECD centre (Lilitha Educare) from a community hall in Site C.

Nomonde Snyman (pictured above), has just completed her ECD NQF level 4 training and has been attending the group since the beginning of the year . She has a heart for special needs children and has a gift for working with them. She recently received her registration papers and is opening an educare centre from her home in Macassar, called Ekamva Lethu.

UQUBA KAKUHLE UMAMAS!!

Exciting News

Our Noluthando group has grown so much compared to when we started a year ago. Partly in size, though this fluctuates depending on weather, but mostly in the confidence of the parents in their understanding of their children and their behavior, and their ability to implement programmes with them in the home environment. We have a core group of mothers who have come to every single session since the group’s conception, and new parents who have joined along the way. What has been lovely to see is how, when a new parent arrives, the group welcomes them into the family and explains to them in great detail IN ISIXHOSA the ins and outs of autism, and how to manage their child. The following topics have been covered in workshops so far this year:

• Introduction to Autism • Behaviour Management • “Your Rights and the Rights of Your Child” • Therapy at Home (practical workshop) • Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

What we have started doing with the group, is alternating between workshops (facilitated by Keri) and dedicated support group discussions (hosted by Janine). The support groups have received a great deal of positive feedback from parents, who have appreciated the time and space to be able to work through various issues together. In addition to the workshops and support groups, parents who bring their children to the sessions (we invite them to if the child is not in crèche, as we want them to have an environment where they know their child is accepted and understood) have been receiving speech therapy from UCT fourth-year speech students, whom Keri supervises and teaches every Wednesday, in order for the students to gain experience in the field of ASD. The children who have been a part of this programme have shown amazing

Autism Western Cape News Issue 1 – July 2012

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We are proud to announce our latest project and partnership, with the Tytam Autism Resource and Learning Centre in Mitchell’s Plein. Nicolette Ripepi, whose son, Tyler, was denied access to autism-specific schools on the basis of his level of functioning, started the centre in January of 2012. The centre currently runs from her home, and Nicky has great plans of expanding and growing it so that Tyler, and other children in similar situations can have a chance at the education they deserve.

The centre currently has five full-time students between the ages of three and eight, as well as two students who attend Beacon School’s autism unit, but who come to the Tytam Centre for aftercare. It is currently run by Nicky, a qualified ECD teacher and an assistant. All three women are passionate about autism, eager to learn and to grow the centre. Autism Western Cape has committed to partnering with the school on a mentoring basis. Workshops and autism-specific training is being given to the staff.

The following workshops have so far been conducted:

• Understanding Autism • Behaviour Management • TEACCH for the classroom • PECS

Keri is also facilitating the educational programs to be implemented, including individualized educational plans for

all of the full-time students. She will be mentoring and assisting with various teaching modalities and supervision on a bi-monthly basis. We are extremely excited about the centre, as we believe that this is the model we need to see more of going forward, given the lack of current special needs resources in the province and country as a whole.

Tytam  Autism  Resource  &  Learning  Centre  

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Our support and post-diagnosis counseling at the hospitals has continued to run smoothly. We’re finding more and more families popping in just to say hello, or to give feedback on how everything is going. Many of the families now also make use of our office as a place to meet with us. Having both Janine and Keri at Red Cross has meant that the parents can receive counseling separately from their children, while the child receives very basic one-on-one intervention, which can then be taught to the parent post-counseling. We’ve found that parents have opened up a great deal more when they have had that privacy (even from their child), as they have not had to “appear strong” in the moment. Services at Tygerberg hospital have been running well. Keri now assists Dr. Pricilla Springer and Dr. Henriette Saunders with ADOS assessments, and consensus ratings. This has been a great learning opportunity Keri has grown a great deal in terms of being able to put the ADOS clinical training (completed in 2011) into practice.

Red Cross and Tygerberg

Hospital Support

(Yumna, one our amazing moms, with Sheeth. Yumna has two sons, both on the autism spectrum Yusha, her older son, is pictured far left)

The Early Start Denver Model project with UCT has flourished. The team consisting of Nokthula, Noleen and Michelle have finished with their second group of children, seen over a period of twelve weeks, or twelve one-hour sessions. Families who have been a part of the programme have been very please about the progress the children have made. The programme is also proving to show results across language ‘barriers’, proving it to be the right kind of intervention for the South African context. The next intake of children is in the new semester, and we have a waiting list of families wanting to take part filled up till next year. Well Done, Team!

ESDM

Shop 71 Campground Centre 95 Durban Road Mowbray 7700 Tel: 021 685 9581 Email: Keri: projects@autismwesterncape.org.za Janine: support@autismwesterncape.org.za Natasha: esdm@autismwesterncape.org.za

[Street Address] [City], [State][Postal Code]

[Web Address]

Natasha Van Zyl joined the AWC team in April and has been involved both with the administration behind the ESDM project . She is also our go-to-girl for adult services and has been doing extensive research in establishing a data base of services available. Natasha has a huge amount of knowledge as well when it comes to Asperger’s and has facilitated a number of children on the spectrum.

Her projects currently include the establishment of a social group for teens and adults Asperger’s, which will be starting soon, and the running of our weekend workshops, the dates and venues of which will be released within the next few weeks.

Adult Services

Autism Western Cape

(Nomonde Snyman, left, and Nontyatyambo Mooi, right, at our support group)

(Keri working with Luyanda, 5, while gran participates in support group.)

(Janine with some of the children at Noluthando – our little helpers when we arrive to set up)

(Natasha Van Zyl)