Newsletter Aug

NAS DOVER & DEAL BRANCH [email protected]

Sunflowers always turn to face the sun , so let's do the same and look on the bright side too.

FAMILY FUN CLUB Triangles Community Centre Dover Monthly on a Saturday 1.00pm until 3.00pm 15 August Kim & Mary are both away on this day so please could you givea little extra help to set up & pack away the equipment etc. many thanks 12 September 17 October 21 November 19 December ~~~~~~~

SWIMMING Tides Leisure Centre Deal 6.30pm until 8.30pm £2.50 per Swimmer Friday 4th September ~~~~~~~

Herons Pool Herne Bay William Street 01227 742102 Disabled Child £1.40 Junior £2.40 Adult £3.40 ~~~~~~

MEETINGS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14th

Coffee morning at Suzannes 61 Church Meadows Deal CT149QZ 379747 anytime after 9:30 until 12:00 everyone welcome even your little ones a chance to meet old and new faces so please come along. ~~~~~~~~~

If you would like anything included in the Newsletter e.g. items for sale ,to give away ,written articles of your own or you have found of interest, things that have worked for you , days out you enjoyed, holidays etc. please email me , at [email protected]

from Suzanne

Hello everyone Here is the August Newsletter. Lets hope that the Holidays are Fun Filled and not too stressful. !!!!!! Scroll down for the funstuff and a FREE day out . Over the last few months there has been 3 parents contacting us as their nearly Teens have been are are being diagnosed with Aspergers. As these young people will be aware of their diagnosis I thought I'd include this month a piece about telling our children about Autism /Aspergers the following is NAS advice from their website.

www.nas.org.uk When should I tell my child they have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? It is a very personal decision as to when families decide to tell a child about their diagnosis it all depends on personal circumstances. Some children are told when they are young as they become aware of their differences. In other cases parents/carers feel they should wait until their child is a little older so they will understand the diagnosis better. How should I tell my child about their diagnosis? There is no one right way of telling a child. However, there are some points you may want to consider. Firstly, who is the best person in the family to help bring up the subject? If your child is comfortable with a grandparent or aunt, they may be a good person to get involved, too. Secondly, make sure that when you do tell your child, you are both in calm moods and in a place where you both feel comfortable as children with an ASD can find it difficult to process new information. Their ability to process is even lower when they have high levels of stress. As a result, they may find it difficult to take in and understand what you are trying to tell them. It is also important to ensure you will not be interrupted because your child may need need extra processing time to think or to ask questions about what you have told them. Siblings interrupting in the middle of this could lead to unnecessary frustration. If you have other children you may want to talk to them separately about your child's condition. You will need to adapt how you explain what autism is depending on the sibling's age. We have an information sheet called Families: supporting brothers and sisters which you can refer to for ideas how to do this and some of the questions siblings may ask. This is available on our website www.autism.org.uk/-a-z or from the Autism Helpline on 0845 070 4004. There are plenty of books and other resourses available . Some are in our Branch library already or are available from bookshops & the NAS online shop too. Here are just a few.

I have autism...what's that? ISBN: 978 1 89928 079 7 Code: NAS 482 £4.50 This cheerful book helps children and young people with autism to discover how they are different from neuro-typical people. Written in straightforward language and illustrated with helpful and amusing pin men, it explores different approaches to talking, playing and learning and offers coping strategies. Published by Down Lisburn Trust, 2000, 32pp, A5, pbk, illustrated Author: Kate Doherty, Paddy McNally and Eileen Sherrard In Branch Library 07701009712 Can I tell you about Asperger syndrome? A guide for family and friends Author: Jude Welton ISBN: 978 1 84310 206 9 Code: NAS 502 £6.95 Adam is a nine year old boy with Asperger syndrome. Here he explains his talents and difficulties as if talking to school friends and family. Jane Telford's cheerful pictures bring Adam's words to life. Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003, 48pp, pbk, illustrated In Branch Library

07701009712

I am special: introducing children and young people to their autistic spectrum disorder Author: Peter Vermeulen ISBN: 978 1 85302 916 5 Code: NAS 394 £19.99 Aimed at young people over the age of ten who have an autistic spectrum disorder, this workbook is designed to be worked through with an adult - parent, teacher or other professional. The content and layout are devised especially for children who process information differently. Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000, 240pp, A4, pbk

I emailed John Simmonds to ask what progress the Kent County Council are making towards the recommendations agreed/ratified in council in regards to the Autism Select Committee Report here is his reply. Dear Suzanne, I am sorry for the delay in replying to your "E" Mail. A group within KCC has been tasked with the implementation of the report and some initial funding has been found for this. Later this month the newly appointed government National Autism adviser is visiting Kent and we will be taking the opportunity to highlight our recommendations and maybe persuade her to contribute to a pilot exercise. Coincidentally the government produced its report after ours and there were many similarities. At long last I believe autism will get the focus it deserves and although my report concentrated on autism in adults we recognise how important it is for early diagnosis and remedial measures to be commenced to enable youngsters to live as normal a life as possible with the condition they have. I will endeavour to keep you advised of progress but please do not hesitate to contact me. John Simmonds Full report & recommendations available at http://www.kent.gov.uk/publications/council-and-democracy/selcomrep-asd.htm.

Kent Autistic Trust There is still no good news about saving the Family Support Officers Jo & Des yet. However KCC are now looking into how they can help so fingers crossed. There is now a campaign website set up at www.katfamilysupport.services.officelive.com Please visit it and sign the online petition to Save our Service

Help Raise awareness of autism by Joining our new Facebook or You Tube groups There are so many exciting new projects happening at The National Autistic Society at the moment, particularly in social media. These include the launch of our brand new think differently about autism video, our shiny new NAS Facebook Fan Page and sparkling new NAS YouTube Channel. NAS Facebook Fan Page The National Autistic Society is proud to present the new NAS Facebook Fan Page which now hosts the new think differently about autism campaign video. The Fan Page also includes a variety of new ways you can Take Action to help us make the world a more autism-friendly place. On the Fan Page you'll find info about upcoming events and how you can get involved, as well as our regularly updated Autism Stories and you can even have a go at our Autism Quiz. NAS YouTube Channel We want to help spread awareness about autism. We've launched our new NAS YouTube Channel which you can join and add your autism-related comments to our Be Counted Wall. You will also be able to upload your own autism-related videos to the NAS YouTube Group. There are so many ways you can help To help us make our plans a reality we need your help, we're asking you to share these tools with your friends and spread the word about what we're trying to do. The internet is a powerful tool for raising awareness. Its quick, simple and, best of all, free!

Share our NAS YouTube Channel with your friendsUpload your autism related videos to the NAS YouTube group Invite your friends to the NAS Facebook Fan PageDownload the NAS Facebook Application Subscribe to NAS news via our RSS feed straight to your inbox Become a friend of the NAS MySpace group

Aiming High Short Breaks have purchased for our branch 15 FREE Family tickets

TICKETS VALID UNTIL NOVEMBER 1ST 2009

to Hailsham Sussex BN27 3GD For full details of the park & directions go to http://www.knockhatch.com/ Contact Suzanne via [email protected] for details

Buy LEGO products and help support the NAS

Visit the online LEGO shop using the link below, and the NAS will receive 5% commission on all the LEGO products that you buy. LEGO UK recently selected the NAS as its charity partner for 2008-2010. This follows a donation of LEGO products to NAS schools and services during 2007. The company has pledged to raise £80,000 to build a fantastic new playground at the NAS Radlett Lodge School in Hertfordshire through an exciting range of fundraising events. Find out more about our partnership at www.autism.org.uk/lego

Foreland School Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs CT10 3NX

Summer ‘Holiday’ Indoor / Outdoor Bounces

Monday 3rd August Monday 17th August Tuesday 1st September 10.30am to 12.30pm Suggested donation of £1 per child Summer bounces will be in the infant playground – if it is raining then the bounce will take place in the hall.

For more information about The Foreland Bounce Telephone – 07717 064 944 Useful Contacts NAS Helpline 0845 070 4004 (Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm) or email [email protected] Kent Autistic Trust:--Head Office 14 High St, Brompton, Gillingham, ME7 5AA 01634 405168 www.kentautistic.com Family Support Officers [email protected] Adults [email protected] School Age Children How to get in Touch Partnership with Parents 01622 755515 Independent Panel for Special Education Advice IPSEA 6 Carlow Mews Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1EA United Kingdom www.ipsea.org.uk Advice line: 0800 0184016 Contact IPSEA: 01394 446575 Fathers Club John franklin 01474 832083 [email protected] SPOTS Supporting People On The Spectrum [email protected] 07717 064 944,

or 07788 670721,

or 07827 526306