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News
| ASD awareness talks |
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| Autism Argyll have been in discussion with the Community Health Partnership to look at the possibility of delivering ASD awareness talks to frontline health staff throughout Argyll & Bute. | |
| Challenging Behaviour Workshops |
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The last in our series of challenging behaviour workshops took place in Inveraray on 4th and 5th June. 13 people attended and the small group meant there was plenty of time for discussion and sharing of ideas and good practice.
As usual, Janet Stirling gave an excellent presentation providing an insight into why those with ASD present challenging behaviours and useful strategies to deal with them.
This workshop completed our tour of Argyll & Bute. Over the past two years we have been to Helensburgh, Oban. Campbeltown, Rothesay and twice to Inveraray.
In total, 120 people attended the 6 workshops. 32 parents, 45 from Education, 18 from Social Work, 4 from Health and 21 from the voluntary sector (most of these were support workers from Jigsaw in Helensburgh)
A report on the workshops will be produced for Lloyds TSB who funded the project. Autism Argyll feel we have developed a great partnership with the Scottish Society for Autism and we hope to continue our partnership with them in the future.
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| Questionnaire |
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Thanks to those of you who took the time to complete our questionnaire. There was a 47% response, which is good for a postal questionnaire, and everyone who responded wanted Autism Argyll to continue.
Among the specific issues that members would like addressed were support for adults/teenagers with ASD, opportunities for families to meet, more training for service provider staff/carers and “more Tony Attwood, please!”
Further comments on Autism Argyll included “Since forming the group has been successful in increasing knowledge and understanding of ASD in Argyll & Bute. This is core to the group’s activities and I hope it will continue”
A copy of the complete findings will soon be sent out to all members.
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| Autism Roving Library |
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| Our Autism Roving library is being well used. Since January this year over 100 items have been borrowed. At present, the Autism Roving library is based in the Lochgilphead library and from there it will move to Rothesay to complete its tour of Argyll & Bute. Remember that you don’t have to wait for the library to come to your town. You can go into any Argyll & Bute library (including the mobile ones), ask for the Autism folder and request which title you want. | |
| SIGN booklet |
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SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) have produced a booklet for parents and carers to explain what ASD is, how it is diagnosed and what can be done to help.A copy can be downloaded from the link below.
www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/pat98parents.pdf | |
| Social Event |
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Committee member, Peter Wright, has suggested Autism Argyll hold a social event where parents and their children can meet and get to know each other. This could take place at a weekend and Peter has suggested meeting in Inveraray as that is the most central location. If you are interested in meeting with other families and taking part in this event, please contact Peter on 01546 600343. Peter says it’s better to phone around 7 p.m.
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| Challenging behaviour workshop |
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The penultimate challenging behaviour workshop took place in Rothesay on 10th and 11th March. 15 people attended and the feedback was very positive. Here are a few of the comments about the strengths of the workshop.
“Good information, entertaining”
“The chance to meet and discuss with others who have a different perspective”
“The mix of parents, carers, teachers etc, the excellent presentation and the experience and knowledge of Janet Stirling.
We were delighted to hear from a parent who had to attend a meeting at her son’s school the day after the workshop. She said
“I would never have been able to be so professional and confident if I hadn't attended the workshops..”
The last of the workshops will be held in Inveraray on 4th and 5th June. As before, the first day will look at the reasons behind challenging behaviour in those with ASD and on the second day there will be the opportunity to discuss strategies for coping with the behaviour.
If you would like to attend the workshop, please contact Maureen 01546 600004 or m.mack@tiscali.co.uk
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| Awareness Talks & Training |
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Autism Argyll are often asked to give awareness talks to various groups and ASD training to schools. We are delighted to do this as it helps raise awareness of ASD among the general public and contributes to the training of staff working with children with ASD.
We have been busy over the past few months with presentations to Children Panel members from throughout the authority, classroom assistants in Dunoon and staff at Tobermory High School. More talks are lined up for classroom assistants from Mid Argyll, the U3A group in Lochgilphead and Oban’s Rotary Club.
If you are interested in Autism Argyll delivering a talk in your area please contact Maureen or Alison
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| Challenging Behaviour Workshops |
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2008 is well underway and we have two more challenging behaviour workshops to go. These two day events, funded by Lloyds TSB Foundation, have been taking place throughout Argyll and Bute and have proved very successful with over 100 people attending.
Feedback has been very positive with comments such as “very informative and helpful information” and “Good insight into how to tackle problems and find alternative solutions”
The next workshop is taking place in Rothesay on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th March. The venue is Rothesay Joint Campus and once again the speaker will be Janet Stirling from the Scottish Society for Autism.
The final workshop will be held in Inveraray on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th June at the Argyll Hotel Inveraray.
If you would like to attend either of these workshops or would like more information, please contact Maureen 01546 60004 or m.mack@tiscali.co.uk
The Autism Argyll committee are always interested to have ideas for future talks. If you have any suggestions please contact Maureen.
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| Enquire presentations |
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Enquire is the Scottish advice centre for additional support for learning. It can offer advice on the educational system in Scotland and steps you can take to resolve disagreements. Autism Argyll are hosting a series of presentations by Enquire in January 2008. Gavin Crosby from Enquire will deliver the presentations and there will be ample time for parents to ask questions about their child’s support at school. Dates and venues are as follows:
Mon 21st Jan 7 – 9 p.m. Kintyre network Centre, Hazelburn, Campbeltown
Tues 22nd Jan 7 – 9 p.m. Community Centre, Manse Brae, Lochgilphead
Wed 23rd Jan 2 – 4 p.m. McCaig Suite, Corran Halls, Oban
For further information please contact Maureen
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| Challenging Behaviour workshops |
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Our last challenging behaviour workshop of 2007 was held in November at Dalnaspidal Guesthouse near Campbeltown. Once again Janet Stirling from the Scottish Society for Autism gave an excellent presentation which was well received by the delegates who attended.
Comments such as “This 2 day course was absolutely wonderful, so interesting and informative.” and “A very informative and excellent presentation by Janet” indicate how much the delegates enjoyed and benefited from the course.
Two more of these workshops, funded by Lloyds TSB, will be held in 2008. We plan to go to Rothesay on 10th and 11th March and the final one we hope to hold in Inveraray later. Venues have still to be arranged.
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| Autism Argyll AGM |
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Autism Argyll held its AGM on Tuesday 11th September in the George Hotel, Inveraray.
Chair, Alison Leask presented her annual report and was delighted to announce that Autism Argyll had been successful in their grant application to the Big Lottery Fund and are to receive an award of £ 49, 746. This is a three-year grant and will cover our running costs and the coordinator’s salary.
Present at the meeting was John MacDonald, Chief Executive of the Scottish Society for Autism. John spoke about the recently formed Celtic Nations Autism Partnership.
This partnership was established to share information, training and skills between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It also hopes to bring pressure to bear on politicians to improve services for those with ASD. The Scottish launch of the Celtic Nations Partnership will take place at Holyrood in November.
After the AGM, there was a question and answer session with Jim Taylor, Scottish Society for Autism and Liling Payne, Argyll & Bute Council forming an expert panel to answer questions from the audience. It proved to be an interesting afternoon and it was good to have time to discuss the issues raised in some detail
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| Autism Alert Card |
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Sometimes, people with ASD can look as if they are acting suspiciously and their use of literal language can mean they can be considered rude or cheeky. Perhaps that explains why those with ASD are seven times more likely to come into contact with the police than other members of the public.
To help people with ASD in this situation, an Autism Alert card has been developed and a training DVD created for Strathclyde Police to promote greater understanding of the condition.
The card will contain information about the person and details of a contact person who will be able to support the person with ASD in their dealings with the police.
It is hoped that people with ASD will experience less stress when they have contact with the police either as a victim, witness or suspect.
For more information click on the link below or contact the Autism Resource Centre in Glasgow on
0141 204 6347 e-mail SW_infoarc@glasgow.gov.uk
www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/News/autism+alert+card.htm | |
| Wanted - Participants with ASD for Facial Recognition Study |
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As part of a study into how children affected by ASD (Autism Spectrum
Disorder) perceive emotional information through facial expressions,
individuals aged between 6-15 affected by any degree of ASD are invited
to take part in an online study (no traveling required!) that takes
20-30 minutes to complete over a broadband internet connection.
All the study involves is viewing a number of short animations of a 3D
virtual head and selecting which expression they think the face is
showing. The only information that is recorded are the participants age
and responses. No other information is required.
For further information, please e-mail project organiser Suzanne Bell at s0677812@sms.ed.ac.uk
homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/s0677812/FACESstudy.html | |
| Challenging Behaviour Workshop |
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The latest in Autism Argyll's series of workshops on challenging behaviour was held in Inveraray in June. Once again, Janet Stirling from the Scottish Society for Autism gave an interesting and informative presentation.
Over 30 people attended the two day course with some travelling from as far away as Fife and Golspie.
The next workshop will be held in Campbeltown on 13th and 14th November. A venue has still to be arranged. if you are interested in attending the workshop, please contact Maureen on 01546 600004 or e-mail m.mack@tiscali.co.uk | |
| Tony Attwood visits Argyll |
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100 delegates travelled to Inveraray to attend Autism Argyll’s second conference on Saturday 12th May. Many of the delegates were from Argyll & Bute, but a number had travelled from Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow to listen to Prof Tony Attwood deliver his presentation on ‘The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome”
Prof Attwood is from Australia and is an internationally renowned clinician in ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) with a particular expertise in Asperger’s Syndrome. He is currently on a European tour delivering lectures on Asperger’s Syndrome so Autism Argyll were delighted that he gave Inveraray the same international standing as Cologne, Stockholm and Paris!
Prof Attwood gave a very interesting and at times humorous presentation. He began by giving an overview of ASD and how Asperger’s differed from classical and High Functioning Autism.
He mentioned the fact that many girls may have Asperger’s but tend to go undiagnosed because of their better coping skills. Girls also tend to be less disruptive so are less likely to be noticed and often have a single friend who provides guidance and security
The issue of bullying was addressed and how it was important for strategies to be developed so that children with Asperger’s can remain safe.
Prof Attwood also discussed sexuality, relationships and the difficulties that can arise when one partner has Asperger’s and the other hasn’t. However, he spoke of ways in which relationships can be supported and the positive outcome that some relationships have.
At the end of the presentation, Prof Attwood was happy to sign copies of his new book “The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome”.
A copy of this book has been purchased by Autism Argyll and will soon be available to borrow from the Autism Roving Library. The library is in Oban at present and will be travelling to Helensburgh soon. Any of the items in the Autism Library can be requested from your local library.
More information on Prof Attwood and his work can be found on his website
www.tonyattwood.com.au
www.tonyattwood.com.au | |
| Challengin Behaviour Workshop |
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A two day challenging behaviour workshop was held in Oban in March. Janet Stirling from the Scottish Society for Autism presented the workshop which was attended by parents and professionals from Oban and Mull. Once again Janet gave an interesting and worthwhile presentation on why people with ASD display challenging behaviours and gave ideas and strategies which might help.
The last workshop of this year will be held in the Argyll Hotel, Inveraray on 12th and 13th June. It is proving very popular and there are only a few places left. Next year we will hold a further three workshops in venues around Argyll & Bute.
Funding for these workshops was provided by Lloyds TSB Foundation.
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| Asperger's project |
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Do you care for, work with or know someone with Asperger Syndrome between the ages of 8 and 15?
A project called ECHOES is developing a gaming environment for both typically developing children and children with AS in order to develop their social and communication skills.
The project leaders are very keen for people with AS to have a central role in helping us to design this environment and need to know how best to make it fun, motivating and engaging whilst enabling the development of the above skills.
They would therefore be delighted if you know someone who could fill in the questionnaire which can be accessed through the link below.
It should take about 15 minutes and would be highly valued by the ECHOES team.
If you have any further questions, please contact Karen Guldberg at Birmingham University
k.k.guldberg@bham.ac.uk
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www.lkl.ac.uk/ltu/surveys/survey.php?sid=73 | |
| ASD online course |
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Living in a rural area means it can be difficult to gain qualifications in ASD. However, there is a course which is part time and is accessed via the Internet.
Birmingham University runs an online course which results in a University Certificate after one year or a Certificate in Higher Education (ASD) after two. No formal qualifications are required other than having at least two years relevant experience of working with or caring for children or adults with ASD so it is just as suitable for parents as professionals.
The programme is delivered through online materials, CD-ROM and module reader. There are also regular online discussions within tutor groups. There are three modules a year and assessment is based on a portfolio of work at the end of each module.
Applications are being accepted now for next year’s course which will start in January 2008. For more information contact the Webautism team
0121 414 7563 or e-mail webautism@bham.ac.uk.
www.webautism.bham.ac.uk | |
| March Newsletter available now |
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| See home page for details. | |
| Tony Attwood coming to Argyll |
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Prof Tony Attwood is well known and highly regarded in the world of autism. In particular, he is known for his book on Asperger's Syndrome which is considered essential reading.
Autism Argyll are delighted to announce that Prof Attwood will be giving a full day's presentation on Saturday 12th May in Inveraray.
For more information contact Maureen on 01546 600004 or m.mack@tiscali.co.uk
www.tonyattwood.com.au/ | |
| Roving Autism Library |
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Autism Argyll's Roving library contains a wide range of books and videos on many different subjects. There are books on behaviour management, education, sleep and toileting. In adition, there are many books written by people with ASD which give a great insight to how the condition affects people.
The library is housed by Argyll and Bute Council and will travel round each of the main libraries, spending 4 months in each area.It is in Oban at present and will then move to Helensburgh, Campbeltown, Lochgilphead, Rothesay and Dunoon before returning to Oban. A list of books and videos can be viewed and requested at any time from any local library.
www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/leisure/libraries/readerservices/specialneeds/?s=2166266&a=0 | |
| Challenging Behaviour Workshops |
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Autism Argyll have been awarded grants of £11 300 from Lloyds TSB Foundation and £ 3 500 from The Robertson Trust to host a series of challenging behaviour workshops throughout Argyll & Bute over the next two years.
The workshops will take place over two days. The first day will address the issues behind challenging behaviour in people with ASD and the second will examine strategies to deal with he behaviour.
The workshops will be presented by Janet Stirling from the Scottish Society for Autism.
Helensburgh is the venue for the first workshop on the 6th and 7th of February. Future workshops this year will take place in Oban in March and Inveraray in June. In 2008 it is planned to take the workshops to Dunoon, Campbeltown and Rothesay.
For more detail, please contact Maureen on 01546 600004 or m.mack@tiscali.co.uk | |
| Autism Argyll AGM and talk |
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Autism Argyll will hold its AGM on Wednesday 20th September in the George Hotel, Inveraray.
Our guest speaker this year will be Mike McCreadie from the National Autistic Society's Daldorch House School in Ayrshire.
Mike will give a talk on sexuality issues for those with ASD. He will address the difficulties in expressing sexuality for people on the autism spectrum and how to support people with ASD in sexual expression and emotion.
Places cost £7 for parents/family members and £35 for others. Lunch and refreshments are included in the price.
For further information, please contact Maureen Mackintosh 01546 600004 m.mack@tiscali.co.uk
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| Regional Conference |
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More than 100 people form throughout Argyll & Bute attended Autism Argyll's first regional conference on Monday 7th November in the Argyll Hotel, Inveraray.
The conference was opened by James McLellan, Chief Executive of Argyll & Bute Council,who has supported Autism Argyll's work since it started in August 2000.
Jean MacLellan from the Scottish Executive gave an overview of what work is taking place at Executive level to help those with ASD and their families.
The morning key note speaker was Dr Tommy MacKay, Co Director of the National Centre for Autism Studies, who gave a thought provoking talk on whether autism should be regarded as a disability or merely a different way of thinking. He also presented some of his research work on a new approach to help young people with ASD deal with their emotions. In addition to his speech, Tommy led a workshop on diagnostic issues.
Further issues were addressed in the other workshops. Janet Stirling from the Scottish Society for Autism looked at challenging behaviours.
Michael McCreadie from Daldorch House School gave one presenation on stress and another on the issues facing those with ASD when attending hospital.
David Preece travelled from Nottingham to give a workshop on mulit agency working and setting up short break respite services.
After lunch, Dr Iain McClure presented an overview of the SIGN guideline for ASD. This is a document produced by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network which provides recommnedations to health professionalsfor effective practice in the management of ASD.
The highlight of the day was the final talk given by Ros Blackburn, a young oman with autism. Ros was diagnosed with severe autism at a very young age and she gave a fascinating insight into what it is like to have autism and the impact it has on her life. She gave examples which showed that although she appears to be very able, she has tremendous problems in making sense of the world and dealing with social situations.
Ros captivated the audience. Her talk was humorous but also very moving at times. Ros' wish is that those who attend her talsk find them helpful and informative, but above all that the experience is enertaining. Given the remarks on the evaluation sheets and the discussions that took place after the talk, it is clear that her wish was granted. | |
| Post graduate Qualification in Autism |
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Discussions are taking place on the feasibility of delivering a postgraduatecourse in autism in Argyll & Bute. The talks are at a very early stage and we will bring you more information when receive it.
For more information on the course which is delivered by Strathclyde University, check out their website www.strath.ac.uk/autism-ncas | |
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