Supporting ANOA

26/05/2026

A huge thank you to Anne Orourke, Educational Psychologist, and her team for another absolutely fantastic talk for ANOA yesterday morning on educational assessments.

Anne has supported ANOA since we first set up 3 years ago and has always been so generous with her time, knowledge and support to our members. She has delivered numerous talks for the group over the years and constantly shares information and resources that she knows will benefit families. She truly is a fountain of knowledge and an absolute diamond 💕.

Yesterday morning, Anne not only delivered an incredibly informative talk, but also opened the room up to questions and gave so much time, care and attention to everyone present. It was very clear how much people appreciated being able to ask questions in such a supportive environment.

A huge thank you as well to everyone who came along. The fantastic turnout — especially in the hot weather — is a real testament to Anne’s knowledge, reputation and the value families place on these talks.

And finally, thank you so much to the SCCUL Sanctuary for hosting us on such a beautiful morning. It was fabulous to have the doors open and enjoy such a lovely setting, and we received such a warm welcome from all the staff there.

For anyone looking to learn more about Anne or her services, her booking link is below: https://anneorourke.intakeq.com/booking

Thank you again Anne for all you do for ANOA 🙏

13/05/2026

Pls share 🙏

Please support CLDP in raising funds to open a new therapy room for children attending their preschool in Athenry. Joan and all the staff at CLDP are doing amazing work so let's get together as a community to support them ❤️

https://www.idonate.ie/raffle/FundraisingRaffleforaNewTher

We are excited to share our exciting new project at CLDP. We are building a new Therapy Room for the wonderful children attending CLDPand we need your help!
We are holding a Raffle and have received some amazing prizes which we will be sharing with you over the coming weeks.
Top prize is 7 nights in sunny Spain for 2 Adults and 2 Children 🌞.
Click on the above link to enter

06/05/2026

A huge thank you to Occupational Therapist Suzanne Bradley who very kindly gave her time this week to ANOA for a session on exploring our children's strengths, and in the end it was the parents strengths we navigated!

What parents said:

*Suzanne has an amazing ability to light up a room and lift us weary parents up. It was a lovely positive session and I came away more confident in my own armour as a parent.

*A great morning spent with the best people.

*We had been to Suzanne late last year for a parents consultation and I had forgotten just how amazing she is...Can't wait to do the activity with my daughter this evening 🩷

This is not the first time Suzanne has volunteered her time for ANOA and we are so grateful to her for sharing her time, expertise and positivity with the group. Suzanne's details are below if anyone is looking for support.

https://www.leadtogether.ie/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +353851675258

Many thanks also to Ronah Corcoran from Family Carers Ireland who joined the session to address any parent carer queries.

Lead Together is Suzanne Bradley, mum, wife, sister, daughter and Occupational Therapist partnering with families for over 25 years. Parents are experts in their child's lives, they know their child's strengths best. Let's use those to build a vision for you child and family's future.

04/05/2026

24/04/2026

Puberty can be a challenging time for any family, and for Autistic young people, it can bring additional complexities.

Join Niamh Mellerick, AsIAm Director of Operations and Occupational Therapist, for a practical and supportive session on Navigating Puberty with Your Child. Niamh will share guidance, insights and break down some of the common challenges young people may face.

📅 April 30 - CSH 1 Galway

Register via: https://calendly.com/asiam-csh1/navigating-puberty-with-your-child?month=2026-04&date=2026-04-30

Niamh will be bringing the workshop to Community Support Hub 2, in Dublin on Thursday, June 4th.

23/04/2026

✨ A heartfelt thank you to Dunlop Sport Horses 🐎💙

We are so grateful to Gillian and all the wonderful staff at Dunlop Sport Horses for hosting a very special Easter pony camp exclusively for members of ANOA.
From the very first phone call enquiring about the possibility of ANOA pony camps, Gillian was incredibly positive and enthusiastic. Her background in supporting children with additional needs was evident and that understanding carried through to every interaction with our families.

The care, patience, and genuine warmth shown to each child created a safe and welcoming environment where they could enjoy new experiences at their own pace—and the feedback from families has been so lovely to hear:

💬 “My daughter went for a pony ride on Saturday with Gillian and Conor and loved it! They were so good with her and really eased her into it despite her being a bit nervous. We are going back this weekend so that speaks for itself 😊.”

💬 “Horse riding was a big hit here. He loved it. Joshua thoroughly enjoyed his experience getting to know the horses. He is more regulated and slept better since his session. We will definitely be back for more sessions.”

Experiences like this mean so much—not just for the children, but for their families too 💙
👉 For anyone interested, lessons are €20 per half hour, equine therapy sessions are also €20, and equine therapy incorporating doTERRA oils is €30.
📞 For enquiries phone/WhatsApp: 083 421 8879
📱 Facebook: Dunlop Sporthorses
📸 Instagram:

Thank you again Gillian and team for your kindness, inclusivity, and for creating such a positive space for our community. We are so lucky to have you.

22/04/2026

🎙️ Collaborative Approaches to Anxiety with Tara Shine

ANOA recently came together online for a truly insightful session with psychologist Tara Shine. Tara is a Chartered Psychologist (Educational, Child & Adolescent) based in Galway, working with Anne O’Rourke Educational Psychology Services. She is passionate about supporting children in ways that respect neurodiversity and promote collaboration between home and school.

During the session, Tara introduced the Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) model by Dr. Ross Greene — a compassionate approach to understanding children’s behaviour and identifying the expectations they may be struggling to meet.

Many parents found it especially helpful to learn about moving away from “Plan A” (rewards/consequences) towards “Plan B” — a simple 3-step, collaborative problem-solving approach that builds connection and trust.

💬 What parents said: 💡 “So easy to understand — I’m definitely going to try it.” 🤝 “A great fit for my PDA child — supports autonomy.” ❤️
“Real, relatable and reassuring.”

A huge thank you to Tara for generously volunteering her time again and sharing her expertise with our community. We are so grateful for your continued support of ANOA families 🙏

📧 [email protected]
🔗 https://anneorourke.intakeq.com/booking

21/04/2026

✨ A Night of Connection at the Mayoral Charity Ball

We’re still buzzing after a truly special evening at the Galway Mayoral Charity Ball. A huge thank you to AsIAm for inviting ANOA to join their table — we were honoured to be there.

It was a fantastic night celebrating the incredible work of charities across Galway, with great food, entertainment, and a real sense of community throughout.

Most importantly, the evening raised vital funds for five amazing organisations:
Asiam.ie
HopeSpace Galway
Ability West
ACT for Meningitis
Galway RCC

Thank you to Adam, Niamh and the whole AsIAm team for the warm welcome and wonderful company. We’re already looking forward to catching up again soon in the new hub in Liosbaun.

23/10/2025

A huge thank you to Orna MacGiolla Ri (OT) and Margaret Blake (Social Work Therapist & Autism Advocate) for their incredible talk on Interoception! 🌟 Their knowledge, passion, and real-life examples made the session engaging, practical, and really easy to understand.

Attendees shared how much they valued the session:
💬 “Brilliant talk. Orna and Margaret were fantastic at explaining interoception. Very relaxed chat so it was great to be able to share experiences and ask the experts for advice.”

💬 “Margaret and Orna were absolutely fantastic, they explained interoception so clearly and shared great real-life examples that really brought the topic to life. Their knowledge and passion shone through, making it easy to see just how important interoception is for understanding behaviour, emotions, and wellbeing.”

We are so grateful to Raheen Woods Hotel for hosting us – providing the perfect space for learning, sharing, and connecting as a community. 💖

Events like this remind us just how important it is to explore and understand interoception, and how it can impact behaviour, emotions, and overall wellbeing – knowledge that benefits everyone supporting autistic and neurodivergent individuals.

Thank you again, Orna and Margaret, for such an enlightening session ✨