Issue 01 • Spring 2013

At Autism West Midlands, we aim to provide a range of support services for families, children and young people. Each quarter we will be bringing you a newsletter packed with information about who we are, what we do, good news stories, upcoming projects and much more!

World Autism

Day

Celebrating World Autism Day 2013World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) falls every year on the 2nd April. We call all families, individuals and professionals to join the global autism community to celebrate autism at various events around the West Midlands. If you cannot make any of the events listed below, perhaps you would like to organise your own WAAD event in your local community, amongst friends and family using our World Autism Awareness event pack. To order your copy today email hello@autismwestmidlands.org.uk or phone 0121 450 7582.

Autism Outreach Tour Saturday 30th March, 11am-3pm at Birmingham City Centre’s Victoria Square. You will be able to receive free information, advice and guidance from two experienced staff.

Sandwell Performing Arts at the MACOn Tuesday 2nd April, 6.30-8.30pm at The Midlands Art Centre we will be hosting an evening celebrating the creative talents of young people on the autism spectrum organised by our Sandwell team to showcase the successes of our family and short breaks services. We have spaces available for anyone interested in joining in the celebration. The evening will consist of a visual arts exhibition, interactive tapestry activity, music demonstration, guest speakers, refreshments and finger buffet and a few surprises along the way! Places are limited. To book your place please contact Vicki Smart by email vickis@autismwestmidlands.org.uk or phone 0121 450 7582.

Other events across the West Midlands• St. Barnabus Community Church, Longden, Coleham in Shrewsbury on Friday 5th April, 10am-2pm. Tickets only £1! • Hatton Country World in Warwick on Thursday 4th April• The National Heritage Centre in Warwickshire on Friday 5th April • Twycross Zoo in Tamworth on Saturday 6th April

For Shrewsbury book a place with Hilary McGlynn by email on hilarym@autismwestmidlands.org.uk or phone 01939 236181.

For Warwickshire and Tamworth events tickets will be available at a reduced rate for families with children with autism. One carer will be able to go for free in most cases. It will be a great day out for the whole family with time out areas available. If you are interested in coming along you will need to book in advance to avoid disappointment as spaces will be limited. To book a place please call 0121 450 7582.

For further information of our family events, training and support as they unfold please check our website and social networks for more details. If you want to advertise your local WAAD events please let us know what you’re doing by emailing hello@autismwestmidlands.org.uk.

Real life Success Story

Chloe attended Autism West Midlands drama workshops in Shrewsbury during 2012. As a result she has gone from strength to strength and has joined a local main stream drama group. She was really nervous about trying a new activity and meeting new people but her love of drama spurred her on to give it a whirl.

The sessions were provided just for children on the autism spectrum so she felt included as everyone understood the challenges she was facing and the things she may find difficult. The groups were small which helped her feel more settled and meant she got to know everyone more easily. Meeting other young people on the spectrum was a real breakthrough for Chloe, it helped her realise she isn’t the only one – now she feels less isolated and more positive about the condition.

Although the sessions were only short (about an hour) it still made a BIG difference to Chloe and her family – it gave her something to look forward to, the chance to spend time away from her family and develop her skills.

Chloe says that joining in with short breaks has helped her become more confident about trying new things, and was the catalyst to her joining a main stream drama group. In 2013 she is hoping to do two sessions every week. This is a fantastic achievement for Chloe. In the future she would like to study drama in more depth and perform in more productions.

Well done Chloe from everyone at Autism West Midlands!

New advice sessionsWe support families across the West Midlands and are commissioned to deliver services in Shropshire, Staffordshire, Sandwell, Birmingham and Warwickshire. We are now running Advice Sessions. This is an opportunity to have an individual appointment to speak to experienced and trained Autism West Midlands staff members who will listen, signpost, provide tips and strategy ideas for you to take home, and offer advice on issues relating to your child with autism. For more information please

contact the Helpline team on 0303 03 00 111. If you are unable to get to any of our listed Advice Sessions we will, in necessary cases, then offer an Advice Session in your home.

For family outreach / home support, you now need to book an Advice Session in order for us to initially assess your needs and provide you and your family with the best options available at that time. For access to our Short Breaks activities, currently available in Sandwell and Shropshire, you will need to contact the relevant Short Breaks Coordinator.

Autism-friendly screenings across the UK Dimensions-UK work with Odeon and now Cineworld to bring autism-friendly screenings at over 100 cinemas across the country. For more information of what films are available, to register for free e-news and to find out what makes an autism-friendly cinema screening please visit www.dimensions-uk.org/autismfilms.

News from the Shropshire teamA review of the service took place in Autumn 2012 and some great news of a renewed contract from Shropshire Council and NHS will take our work up to 2015. We have also successfully secured funding through Short Breaks from Shropshire Council to deliver a series of popular Music and Photography workshops for children and young people during early Spring. The photography workshops will culminate in an exhibition of the children’s printed work to show-off their skills to the public.

Coping with Change Conference75 parents and professionals joined together in Shrewsbury at the end of January to take part in workshops, hear speaker John Simpson talk about his personal experience of autism and the latest news from Carol Lucas and Jackie Taylor of Shropshire’s Adult Autism Strategy.

Obituary to a brilliant photographer: Danny BeathWe were very sad to hear of the death of Danny Beath who passed away at the age of 52 on 14th January. Danny was a brilliant photographer who won many awards for his work including being the winner of the Landscape category of the Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year Competition 2012, announced on 1st February. Danny also had Asperger Syndrome and was active in Shropshire as a trustee and member of the Autonomy self-help and social group. We were privileged to have had Danny as a speaker at our parent conferences. His

News

father, Tim Beath wrote “His death has shocked all his large family and his wide circle of warm hearted friends, hundreds of whom attended his Farewell Service in Shrewsbury on 1st February.”

News from South Birmingham We held a successful siblings workshop in October with children attending a 3 day workshop to learn about autism, meet other siblings, and understand their own feelings. For the Easter Holidays we are organising Stay ‘n’ Play sessions at AWM Head Office which will give parents and carers the opportunity to meet other parents, children to have fun with toys, games and an opportunity to try out our new sensory room. If you would like to hear more about family activities and events in South Birmingham please contact Katie Oliver on katieo@autismwestmidlands.org.uk.

News from Sandwell Short Breaks It has been a busy festive period. We had all sorts of activities in the run-up to Christmas including a huge Christmas party, ice skating, a Christmas meal and a trip to the theatre.The children and their families had a fabulous time, getting to access opportunities that they otherwise might not be able to.

Looking to 2013 we have made sure we listen to the feedback of the children and their families to ensure the activities we are providing are the right ones for them. We now have more than 70 children registered with our Sandwell Short Breaks services. To register and receive info about our range of activities please contact Kerry-Anne Alcock by email kerrya@autismwestmidlands.org.uk or by phone 0121 450 7582.

News from WarwickshireIn October we held a siblings group in Bedworth, 7 children took part in a number of activities and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. We are planning another session in Warwick for May half term. In November we held two family days, one at the Think Tank in Birmingham and another in Stratford. The families came from different areas and enjoyed a day out without having to worry about what people would think if their child became upset. Over 80 families came to these events and some families reported how they stayed for the whole time which they have not experienced before.

More activities are being arranged for Easter, including a Stay ‘n’ Play sessions in various venues across the county and days out for the whole family. There are now two new support groups in Warwick and Wellsbourne. The groups are informal sessions organised to help parents meet other parents and to share information about autism and local services. There is no need to book, just turn up!

If you would like to be kept up to date with family events in Warwickshire please contact Katie Oliver by email katieo@autismwestmidlands.org.uk to be added to the Warwickshire mailing list.

Tips & Strategies

Jake’s Supercool, Superhero Volume Control Here’s a great example of a real-life visual resource that a parent has developed to help her son understand how to control his noise levels. Laura created the chart after chatting through some of the difficulties Jake is presenting at home with Emma Hegenbarth, who suggested using a 5-Point Scale as a volume control. Emma has created similar scales for other young people in the past with some great results, especially when presented in an attractive format that grabs attention. Laura is using the chart

with Jake on a daily basis in combination with a simple reward programme. She has spoken with school, who will also be implementing this approach to encourage him to speak a little louder in class.As you can see Jake loves super heroes and Lego!

5THE HULK!Too loudAngry. Throw things, Shouting and screaming. Hitting people. Running around.

4THE JOKERLoudMaking silly actions and noises. Easily annoyed and annoying others. Bossy. Whinging. Jumping around.

3TWO-FACENoisyAgitated. Whining. Getting noisy. climbing on things.

2ROBINSoft voiceIn control. Talking in nice voice. Doing things calmly. Being kind and helpful.

1BATMANQuietVery quiet and still. Thinking and listening.

Meet the team

Tamara McCabe-Blom Family Support Services Manager

Hilary McGlynn Senior Development Coordinator, Shropshire

Kerry-Anne Alcock Short Breaks Coordinator, Sandwell

Emma Hegenbarth Development Coordinator, Shropshire

Simon Fraser Development Coordinator, Shropshire

Vicki Smart Family Outreach Worker, Sandwell

Sarah-Jane Winch Family Outreach WorkerNorth Birmingham & Staffordshire

Katie Oliver Family Outreach WorkerSouth Birmingham & Warwickshire

Sessional Activity Workers Gary Burgess, Maria Pomoni, Debra Ashton, Daniel Thomas, Eleanor Worsley, Carl Marsden, Clare Barker, Jim Lowe, Rob Reynolds, Hardip Gill and Rachel HughesVolunteers Amy Stevenson, Adham Fisher, Aaron York, Lorraine Dodsworth, Rowena Turner, Samantha Evans, Gemma Taylor, Mandy Gardner, Helen Bromley, Sue Gerrard, Julie Brennan, Rachel Davies and Kevin Green

About Autism West MidlandsThere are more than half a million people in the UK living with autism, an invisible, misunderstood and lonely disability. 60,000 live in the West Midlands.

We are the leading charity in the West Midlands for people affected by autism. We exist to enable all people with autism and those who love and care for them to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. Our passionate, expert staff and volunteers work across all age groups and abilities, providing direct support to people affected by autism.

Family Services funders

Contact usAutism West MidlandsRegent CourtGeorge RoadEdgbastonBirminghamB15 1NU

Email:General enquiries: hello@autismwestmidlands.org.ukHelp and advice: info@autismwestmidlands.org.uk

Telephone:Main reception: 0121 450 7582Helpline: 0303 03 00 111 (Local rate number, including from mobile phones)

Website: www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk

Find us on Facebook: Search “Autism West Midlands”

Follow us on Twitter: @autismwestmids

Our vision is a world where all people on the autism spectrum have the specialist care and support they need to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. Registered Charity Number: 517077Registered Company Number: 1953344 (England and Wales)

Supported byShropshire Clinical Commissioning Group