Aspergers connections-Tauranga is a Forum and Support group for those wanting to understand Asperger’s Syndrome through shared experiences and information. This group was formed by interested parents who attended Dr Thomas Antony’s (http://facebook.com/antonythomas.nz) Seminar; “Evidence Based Strategies for the Management of Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome at the University of Waikato-CE, TAURANG
A in 2010. These parents were keen to continue meeting to gain information and support in relation to Asperger’s Syndrome.
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MEMBERS MEET at 1.00 pm every 3rd Sunday of the month at the
Care Junction
Good Neighbour
39B Burrows Street
Tauranga
CONTACT: Dorothy & Carol. Email: [email protected]
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The Inaugural Meeting of Asperger’s Connections Tauranga was held on 17th October, 2010
Our Aim:
To empower parents and caregivers who have children and family members on the Autism Spectrum / Asperger’s Syndrome through support and information. What we do:
We are a forum and support group specifically for families who have a family member on the Autism Spectrum / Asperger’s Syndrome. We are an informal group and meet to share experiences and information. We share ideas and strategies that have worked for our kids. By sharing similar stories and experiences the parents feel supported and understood. We also share the frustrations of dealing with the Health Sector, the Education Sector and Mental Health Services. At some of our meetings, we have had a special topic e.g. Women and Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome where we viewed a DVD. Paula Jessop on “Autism from the Inside” and Raewyn Douglas on “Circle of Friends”. Our support group meetings are for parents however, if you need to bring children along we have some activities for kids. We communicate via email. We inform the group of upcoming meetings, seminars on ASD and Asperger’s Syndrome and other information such as books on the subject. We also liaise with service organisations such as Autism NZ, Altogether Autism, Parent to Parent and Spectrum Collective Takiwātanga. They also refer their clients to our group where necessary. Carol and Dorothy have also attended seminars and meetings on ASD / Asperger’s Syndrome, informing others of our support group and reporting back to the group on seminars. COMMUNITY AWARD:
Our group was also nominated for the Trustpower Community Awards for volunteers. We came first in our category and received the award. It also gave us the opportunity to share our story with the hundreds of volunteers attending the awards night. And now even the mayor of Tauranga and our local MP Simon Bridges know who we are. News on the local media-Click here:
http://www.communityconnect.co.nz/en/Community-Awards/Regional-Results-and-Photos/2011-Regional-Results-and-Photos/Tauranga.aspx
On October 15th we arranged a stand at the 2011 Well Child Day in Tauranga informing the public of our support group. We were able to further increase awareness of Asperger’s Syndrome in the local community during this occasion. We currently have 200 families on our email list. Only a core group of regulars attend our monthly meetings but the email list is a great way of networking and sharing information. What are the additional challenges of having a child with Asperger’s Syndrome:
Asperger’s Syndrome is invisible and not well understood by the community. Parents experience additional challenges when their children are not understood by the medical profession and the education service. This can be very detrimental for the children and frustrating for parents. Without a diagnosis, our children do not qualify for help. Many of the parent’s in our support group are single parents. Asperger’s Syndrome is also an ongoing challenge and needs to be managed for life. We hope our support group will grow with our children and help them through all stages of life including study, work and relationships.
