Improving Life Outcomes

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Improving Life Outcomes – Blog

Here we will post inspiring stories we come across, bits and bobs we might write and tips.  Just click on the text in blue to view the item.

If you have something to share about someone you know with special needs and/or learning difficulties who has inspired you or has made you proud and you’d like to share it, please email info@improvinglifeoutcomes.org.nz so we can include it on this blog page.

  • Uniquely Me poem – a poem I wrote for my autistic son to read at poem/speech time at school, click on the title to read the poem.
  • My letter to people we have come across – This comes from positive and negative interactions with people who either understand or don’t understand/don’t care about my son’s autism.  I thank people for what they have done and I say what I wish I could have said to others who have been far from nice, things that I wish I could have said if only they would listen and understand.  Click on the title to read the letter.

 

  • Single parenting special needs children – Here’s a lnk to a blog page that really describes just how lonely and isolating parenting a child with special needs can be when you have to do it on your own.  I don’t mean it to be depressing rather I hope it makes others think about doing something caring for someone who can’t get out and about as easily as they can and doesn’t have that other adult to share in the good and bad times or to give a much much-deserved break.  https://transitioningangels.com/2015/11/24/the-loneliness-in-being-a-single-parent-to-a-special-needs-child/
  • Music Therapy – How music changed this autistic boy’s life – an article about how much music therapy means to an Auckland autistic boy.  Read the article and watch the video of him and his music therapy teacher perform at a special needs fundraiser.  http://www.nowtolove.co.nz/parenting/family/music-therapy-33251
  • Radio GAGA – Disabled people are creating a radio space for topics that affect and interest them. Supported by the Renaissance Group, this show is by, for and about disabled people and covers current global and community affairs. They explore housing and transport, successes in employment, education, and regularly review the city with a view to accessibility and sociability.  http://www.planetaudio.org.nz/radio-gaga
  • Work Opportunities
  • Inclusiveness in school
    • Not long after my son first got his diagnosis I had a job working as a teacher aide at a primary school across town.  During the time I was there, the junior syndicate put on a junior showcase night where each class put on a singing item.  I was saddened to hear teachers in the staffroom talking of how the hid their special needs students at the back or how they ruined the class item.  I wondered if that was how it would be when my son started in his mainstream school.  I’d like to say proudly that it wasn’t.  When my son’s school has put on shows or items my son has been treated like any other class member and included as such, not hidden away.  For one show my son was front of stage with others in his class and simply had a buddy helping him with what he needed to do.  As a result I had other parents tell me how great it was to see my son being a part of things.  That made me proud and to me, it’s what inclusion is about, it doesn’t have to be perfection.
    • All schools have their reasons for the times they exclude children with special needs.  All I ask is that someone, somewhere please have some thought for how isolating exclusions are for the child and their family.  Please offer to help and work together, please don’t make us feel like we don’t belong in our community.  Our children with intellectual disabilities are a minority group who is easily abused and disregarded but our children and families have feelings too and would like some sense of belonging to our local communities.  How about we work together to show what can be done and how we can change system and life outcomes for the better?
  • Celebrating what individuals can do – Last year I organised a school fundraiser to raise funds to pay for parents going to school camp to support their children with special needs or high needs.  We put on a performance night.  Our performers included kids with special needs or disabilities, people who have a family member with special needs, supportive children from the school and the Auckland band “Don’t call me Shirley” who play for charity.  We had a great night and it was lovely to see those who face daily challenges shine, showcasing what they can do and do well and have the support of our local community.  Yes, we raised enough funds and the kids and parents got to experience camp, once again being included alongside their mainstream peers.
  • Sibling Walks Alongside Twin Brother with Autism at Graduation – From an article on the American, Autism Speaks website.  Aly Bonville is a high school graduate who has a twin brother with autism. She shared her touching story about growing up with her brother, Anders, and how she got him to walk with her at her graduation ceremony.  https://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2015/05/27/sibling-walks-alongside-twin-brother-autism-graduation?utm_source=email&utm_medium=text-link&utm_campaign=espeaks
  • Employment
  • Coping Strategies for Carers – this link is on an Australian site about Alzheimer’s carers but I think the information is relevant for anyone looking after someone with high needs – http://www.memoryloss.org.au/caring_for_caregivers/coping_strategies.aspx 
  • Shaving Autistic Males – Here’s a link to a youtube clip showing how a carer can shave a male’s face.  It touches on what to do if the male is slightly bothered by the noise of an electric razor.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxa7onD9aTA .  I read somewhere else that before you get to the stage of having to use a razor that it’s good to get the male used to the feel of the razor and the noise first for a few sessions before you actually start shaving.