Rhubarb April 2017
Rhubarb April 2017
Rhubarb April 2017
Editorial
Daryl Cooper
Autism Awareness
This edition has been timed to coincide with World Autism Day (April 2nd April 2017
2nd). The month of April is Autism Awareness Month with various
Autism-related special events. There is so much to list. Google
Autism Awareness month to find out more.
Firstly, every child born into this world receives some form of
intervention. When a baby cries, parents intervene to alleviate its
distress. When an infant attempts to eat something harmful, or to
touch something hot, parents intervene. These interventions help In this special
ensure that the child will survive and many more interventions will
happen to as the individual grows towards adulthood, all with the Rhubarb Edition
intention that the person can survive in this world. While some we share some
diagnosed with an ASD will manage to survive in society without any
formal intervention, experience and years of research tells us that inspiring stories
many, in fact most, will not. along with a
We know enough about the symptoms of Autism to know there are collection of
many obstacles to living an independent, fulfilling adult life. If
Intervention can moderate, or even eliminate, those symptoms (as memories and
ABA certainly can), then not to provide it is more like a crime! photos to
ISADD has been providing Intervention Services for long enough celebrate Autism
now that many of its early clients are now young adults. I have yet to
meet even one of them who is not grateful for the help they got. Awareness for the
In this edition of Rhubarb we have some inspiring stories about what
first week of April.
ABA therapy has achieved for some young people with ASD. Hope
you enjoy the articles.
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Where are they today?
Children who used an interim
visual communication form:
What can they achieve?
On a recent visit to Indonesia I had two very
pleasant surprises:
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Another Inspiring Story taught other mothers to use it too. Today he does
have limited speech, can label many nouns, and
Another pleasant surprise was meeting the can answer basic questions although it took a
mother of a young boy now 15. He started with long time to achieve. He reads at his language
Yayasan ISADD Indonesia when he was 3 level, and he can use the computer keyboard and
years old. He was very active with good visual an iPad for communication. It has not been easy
skills but no language. He too started on a but because he can communicate, his frustration
program of COMPIC exchange and a COMPIC levels are not an issue and he is a nice kid to be
vocabulary and everything looked positive. At 4, with. Above all his visual skills have developed
on my next visit, he had improved in all but into art and his paintings were displayed in public.
language, and that remained an area of difficulty He also has made some designs which have
over the year. He was using his COMPICs well. I been reproduced onto cushions. He has a hobby
had to admit that he probably would not get which he enjoys, that will gain him respect, and
speech, even though he had communication. he can market his designs. The pictures and
Mother not only used COMPIC effectively but designs are below.
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So there we have shared two very different young people who are establishing themselves
in the community, and who are contributing. Both had to deal with ASD and difficulties with
language. Both got about 20 hours of intervention weekly in their early years and both used
COMPIC extensively while it was still needed. She moved on to early speech and caught up
with peers. He, unfortunately, had a language impairment beyond ASD. COMPIC support
was used differently with each, to meet the specific needs of the individual.
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Where are they today? Welcome to the World A Journey
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We grieved for the son we thought we would have We realised that the early intervention window
and worried about growing old and never dying. would not be open for long.
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When he was in high school, again with the
A Parent Contribution from New support of the school and teachers, his politeness
Zealand and sensitive nature helped him make more
friends at school. Marcus also received good
support for his school curriculum. His teachers
were willing to make amendments in the
curriculum for Marcus to assist him with his
academic work. He finished his high school in
2016 with a NCEA level 2 certificate.
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Parents Workshop
Cool Kids
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Our second lot of graduates from the Cool Kids
programme celebrated their final session with a
park picnic on the 25th March 2017. Feedback
from our young participants informed that they
enjoyed learning about Cool Breathing, The
Relaxation Game, how to use positive thinking to
deal with tough situations and using the
stepladders to work to overcome their fears.
They loved achieving their weekly rewards for
working on their step. They also all agreed that
the thing they liked most was meeting other boys
with Autism who were dealing with similar issues
at school, and they are looking forward to
continue to catch up outside the group. The
rewards they have earned from their parents for
working through feared situations on their
stepladders are certainly well deserved. We
loved seeing Oliver present his speech to the
group to conquer his fear of public speaking,
witnessing first hand Noa managing to climb on
top of a very high piece of playground equipment
fighting back his fear of heights, and hearing
about how Tristan managed to make it through an
Our Young Graduates entire assembly for the first time to combat his
anxiety related to being in noisy situations. Well
done boys.
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Creating Autism
Awareness: a
collection of photos,
past and present,
from social groups,
caf catch ups,
support groups and
family celebrations
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Lithuanian News Singapore News
Interest in ABA, and especially its use in the We welcome aboard Kheng Yan as Singapores
treatment of Autism, continues to grow in Executive Coordinator. Director and Program
Lithuania. The Education Department is Manager Johnny Fok is very appreciative of the
particularly keen to use ABA strategies in its extent to which she is not only able to assist him
schools, and ISADD has been delivering a with the administrative workload, but has
number of workshops for school personnel. When reorganised various processes for increased
visiting, Jura Tender, Emina Cholich, and Isabella efficiency.
ODonovan have all presented, and ongoing
liaison is maintained with local ISADD personnel.
https://autismawarenessdayperth2017.splashthat.com
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