The Children's Autism team. From the left; Arletta van den Bosch, Teresa Moore and Elisa Slaat.
The Children's Autism team. From the left; Arletta van den Bosch, Teresa Moore and Elisa Slaat.
Following its fully-booked series in May, the Children's Autism Foundation is returning to the Far North to hold another series of workshops.
Understanding Autism workshops are scheduled for Kaitaia on Monday (November 7) and at Taipa the following day, with a welcome, free of charge, for whanau/families, caregivers, education workers,support staff and community members living or working with children with autism.
The workshops are part of the Foundation's efforts to help equip people with strategies, knowledge and confidence to better-support children with autism.
The line-up of facilitators, described as offering first-hand experience in supporting, training, therapy and advocacy for families of children with autism, includes behavioural therapist and Children's Autism Services manager Elisa Slaat, and private practitioner and lead family consultant for children's autism Arletta van den Bosch.
Each venue (Te Ahu and the Taipa Area School library) will host two workshops, the first (12:30pm to 2.30pm) for whanau/families, professionals and members of the community, the second (3.45pm to 6pm in Kaitaia, 3.30pm to 6pm at Taipa) with similar content but with more of an emphasis on autism in the school setting, designed as a professional development opportunity for education workers and support staff.
Community development co-ordinator Anne-Elise Smithson said the foundation believed it was those who lived and worked with children with autism who could create the necessary changes to help them flourish and become the best people they could be.
Autism touched the lives of more than 40,000 people in New Zealand, and the foundation, which was a registered charity, providing support services to 3000 people, from pre-diagnosis to 21 years of age.
