Our branch has received details of two upcoming events which we felt might interest those we support ...
Cambridge NAS Branch invites you to a presentation by Ian Jordan entitled: "The very different visual world of your autistic child"
Date: November 23rd 2010
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Impington Village College, New Road, Impington, Cambridge CB24 9LX
Parking: available at the Village College
About the presentation:
Sensory processing difficulties are found in virtually all cases of autism. Ian will use video, demonstration and animation to enable parents to become aware of the range and effect of visual processing problems encountered – know how to recognise them – and what they can do to reduce their impact – and what professionals can and should do.
Facial recognition, expression recognition, problems with objects morphing into other shapes, visual images persisting, hearing in colour, why children cannot hear properly if they cannot process what they see, visio-spatial awareness, strobing, how images may be out of synch with sound, hand eye coordination and much more will be addressed.
It is often very funny, disturbing and thought provoking. Ian restricts his public lectures – and they are always sell outs! He has been described as “the best lecturer in optics” and ‘charismatic’ – and in lecture evaluations he averages over 9 out of 10!
Lecture credits include many world / international conferences – 5 books – 1 DVD in association with UK university – 1CD Rom – many awards for R&D – TV credits include BBC documentary “My family and Autism”, Teachers TV……..
You can sign-up for the talk on Cambridge Branch’s website http://www.cambridge-autism.org.uk or email them at Cambridge@nas.org.uk or phone 07920 150407
Thank you to Autism Suffolk for the details about this talk.
The second of these events is a conference on PDA, run by the NAS, in association with NORSACA and the Elizabeth Newson Centre ...
Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA) is increasingly recognised as part of the autism spectrum. It is a lifelong disability which affects boys and girls equally. People with PDA need different amounts of support depending on how their condition affects them. The main difficulty for people with PDA is their avoidance of the everyday demands made by other people, due to their high anxiety levels when they feel that they are not in control. However, because they tend to have much better social communication and interaction skills than other people on the spectrum, they can use those skills to disguise their resistance through common avoidance behaviour.
As a result, people with PDA usually experience increased difficulty throughout their lives. They often imitate inappropriate behaviour or come across as overbearing, and may exhibit an obsessive desire to dominate socially. This behaviour can be extremely disruptive within classroom settings and may make for a chaotic and distressing home life.
Date: Wednesday 26 January 2011
Venue: Kensington Conference and Events Centre, London
This conference will give you a greater understanding of PDA and an opportunity to discuss strategies and techniques that will help you support people with the disorder, both at school and at home. You’ll be able to hear the latest research on changing diagnostic understandings, as well as an in-depth discussion of educational strategies for teachers. There will also be presentations on approaches to managing behaviour and issues with communication. The conference is running in association with NORSACA and the Elizabeth Newson Centre. PDA was first identified by Elizabeth Newson over 20 years ago and the Elizabeth Newson Centre is leading the way in diagnosis and support for people with PDA. The centre’s expertise means that you’ll be hearing the most up-to-date information and advice from authorities in the field.
Information on PDA is extremely limited and there are very few forums for learning about the disorder. This conference is an extremely rare opportunity to hear experts in the field discussing the latest strategies and best practice.
For more information, such as the contents of the conference, registration details and cost of attending, please click here to visit the NAS event details page. Please note that there will be a special rate available to NAS members and individuals on a low income.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Sunday, 7 November 2010
My Rights, Your Responsibility
A little while ago, our branch received some information from Autism Suffolk about My Rights, Your Responsibility. (click the link to visit the website)
To quote from the website:
"My Rights, Your Responsibility is a set of information written primarily for parents of disabled children. It provides information to parents on their child's rights to access activities, community facilities and other services.
So often disabled children and young people are told they cannot join in for reasons relating to health and safety and their impairment. This information tries to address those issues and details what needs to be done to ensure that children and young people can safely join in and that the organisation providing the activity meets its responsibilities in terms of health and safety.
Health and safety should not be used as an excuse to prevent services becoming more inclusive but should be used to ensure that risks are minimised and that we move towards a situation where all children and young people are given the opportunities to join in activities that they would like to do."
The website gives links to web based information on:
To quote from the website:
"My Rights, Your Responsibility is a set of information written primarily for parents of disabled children. It provides information to parents on their child's rights to access activities, community facilities and other services.
So often disabled children and young people are told they cannot join in for reasons relating to health and safety and their impairment. This information tries to address those issues and details what needs to be done to ensure that children and young people can safely join in and that the organisation providing the activity meets its responsibilities in terms of health and safety.
Health and safety should not be used as an excuse to prevent services becoming more inclusive but should be used to ensure that risks are minimised and that we move towards a situation where all children and young people are given the opportunities to join in activities that they would like to do."
The website gives links to web based information on:
- behaviour management
- epilepsy
- invasive care
- sensory impairments
- personal care
- moving and handling
- communication
- transport
as well as providing printed leaflets (which you can download or order) on:
- The Disability Discrimination Act
- What is risk?
- What can parents expect from services?
- What can services expect from parents?
- Children's rights to communicate their views and be listened to
Our branch feels that this information could be very useful for families caring for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and we hope that you agree! Feel free to access this information for yourselves, or to pass it on to those who may find it useful!
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Big News ... Big Fun! Come Along And Join Us!
We have got an incredibly fun event in the pipeline!
We can't wait for 4th December!
Want to know why?
Okay, we'll tell you!
On 4th December, we will be holding a Christmas Fayre at the United Reformed Church in Lowestoft!
In case you were wondering, the United Reformed Church is the one on London Road North, next to The Volunteer pub, opposite Poundstretchers in Lowestoft town centre.
The event will be open from 11 am to 3 pm, and let me tell you, there are going to be so very, very many fun things to do!
We are planning to have:
*Father Christmas Grotto! Bring your child to see Father Christmas! He will be popping in from the North Pole between 12.45 pm and 3 pm (with a short break halfway through for Father Christmas to have a cup of tea and a mince pie!), and all children who visit Father Christmas will get a present!
*A Body Shop at Home stall, run by the lovely Sarah. There will be fun things such as manicures, makeovers or hand massages using Body Shop products; free samples of Body Shop products; information on the fantastic Body Shop items available for Christmas; and a selection of SALE items, which could be great stocking fillers for Christmas!
*A button crafts stall, run by the lovely Jennie Button, who will be selling her beautiful handmade button crafts (an ideal gift idea for Christmas!)
*A cake stall, featuring cakes donated by Bushells Bakery, Heils Bakery, Boo Cupcakes, and lots of other delicious options. We also plan to have some delicious gluten-free options available!
*A raffle, with some really fantastic prizes such as:
*A bric-a-brac stall, another great opportunity to pick up stocking fillers for Christmas!
*A tombola, always fun!
*Refreshments, selling steaming mugs of tea, coffee and hot chocolate, as well as squash.
And that's not all!!!
In addition to all our great stalls, we will also have lots of games for adults and children alike, including:
And there will be opportunities for children to write a letter to Father Christmas, which they can then hand deliver to Father Christmas himself in his grotto!
And that's not all!!!
We will also have our Autism Table, packed with tons of useful information for those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders, which will also be selling official National Autistic Society Christmas cards, Santa keys, and reindeer food!
And we will also be taking this opportunity to give a very warm welcome to our new Branch Officer, Jayne Page!
So ... why don't you come along and join us for what is sure to be a fantastic day!
And ... if anyone reading this is interested in helping our big day to be a success, we would love to accept any donation of bric-a-brac for our bric-a-brac stall, or cakes for our cake stall (any donations need to be sealed, for example in cling film or a box/tin!), then please contact us on the branch mobile number, listed on the side of this page, or by emailing either of the branch email addresses.
Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you there, on 4th December at the United Reformed Church!
We can't wait for 4th December!
Want to know why?
Okay, we'll tell you!
On 4th December, we will be holding a Christmas Fayre at the United Reformed Church in Lowestoft!
In case you were wondering, the United Reformed Church is the one on London Road North, next to The Volunteer pub, opposite Poundstretchers in Lowestoft town centre.
The event will be open from 11 am to 3 pm, and let me tell you, there are going to be so very, very many fun things to do!
We are planning to have:
*Father Christmas Grotto! Bring your child to see Father Christmas! He will be popping in from the North Pole between 12.45 pm and 3 pm (with a short break halfway through for Father Christmas to have a cup of tea and a mince pie!), and all children who visit Father Christmas will get a present!
*A Body Shop at Home stall, run by the lovely Sarah. There will be fun things such as manicures, makeovers or hand massages using Body Shop products; free samples of Body Shop products; information on the fantastic Body Shop items available for Christmas; and a selection of SALE items, which could be great stocking fillers for Christmas!
*A button crafts stall, run by the lovely Jennie Button, who will be selling her beautiful handmade button crafts (an ideal gift idea for Christmas!)
*A cake stall, featuring cakes donated by Bushells Bakery, Heils Bakery, Boo Cupcakes, and lots of other delicious options. We also plan to have some delicious gluten-free options available!
*A raffle, with some really fantastic prizes such as:
- a 20" unisex child's bike
- a child's wooden chair decorated in a pirate theme
- Ted Baker sunglasses
- Rip Curl sunglasses
- a £99 eyewear voucher for Specsavers
- 2 sets of 2 tickets to see Robin Hood at the Marina Theatre
- a voucher for 2 people to play the par 3 course at Rookery Park Golf Club
- a child's scooter
- a voucher for a free sitting and portrait from Picture Studios
*A bric-a-brac stall, another great opportunity to pick up stocking fillers for Christmas!
*A tombola, always fun!
*Refreshments, selling steaming mugs of tea, coffee and hot chocolate, as well as squash.
And that's not all!!!
In addition to all our great stalls, we will also have lots of games for adults and children alike, including:
- Hunt the Reindeer
- Snowball Scavenge
- Lucky Christmas Bucket
- Christmas Teddy Treasure Hunt
- Lollipop Lotto
- Guess How Many Sweets are in the Stocking
- Guess How Many Lego Pieces are in the Stocking
- Bah Humbug!
And there will be opportunities for children to write a letter to Father Christmas, which they can then hand deliver to Father Christmas himself in his grotto!
And that's not all!!!
We will also have our Autism Table, packed with tons of useful information for those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders, which will also be selling official National Autistic Society Christmas cards, Santa keys, and reindeer food!
And we will also be taking this opportunity to give a very warm welcome to our new Branch Officer, Jayne Page!
So ... why don't you come along and join us for what is sure to be a fantastic day!
And ... if anyone reading this is interested in helping our big day to be a success, we would love to accept any donation of bric-a-brac for our bric-a-brac stall, or cakes for our cake stall (any donations need to be sealed, for example in cling film or a box/tin!), then please contact us on the branch mobile number, listed on the side of this page, or by emailing either of the branch email addresses.
Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you there, on 4th December at the United Reformed Church!
Monday, 23 August 2010
NAS Lowestoft & North Suffolk at the WYFC Tournament
The members of our branch had a busy weekend! We spent our days at Denes High School, manning our stall at the WYFC Tournament.
Our stall
Our banner
We had all sorts of fun things on our stall, such as ...
This 'win every time' spinning game for 10 pence per go
Our well-stocked tombola
Two delicious-looking cakes baked by committee member Lynda, which we used for 'Guess The Weight of the Cake' at 20 pence per go
Yum yum!
And even Roary the Tiger came over to see us!
Roary and our chairperson, Julie
Not only did we spend our day raising money for our local NAS branch, so that we can help more local families affected by autism, but we had fun spending time with each other too ...
Like when we all danced to Village People's 'YMCA' (L - R: Committee members Lynda, Amber, Emma, Rachel, Julie, Julie's daughter, and Rachel's hubby)
And then did our own actions to 'N ... A ... S'!
Thanks Julie, Amber and Lynda!
Julie showing us how much fun the tombola was
And having a go at the spinning game
We worked hard, had a great time, and raised both money for our branch, and awareness of autistic spectrum disorders.
Many thanks to all who supported our cause over the weekend by taking part!
Date for your diary ...
* We have our first drop in support group of the new school year on 7th September at The Ark Childrens Centre in Water Lane, from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm.
Feel free to come along!
Come back soon to find out what else our branch will be getting up to in future!
Our stall
Our banner
We had all sorts of fun things on our stall, such as ...
This 'win every time' spinning game for 10 pence per go
Our well-stocked tombola
Two delicious-looking cakes baked by committee member Lynda, which we used for 'Guess The Weight of the Cake' at 20 pence per go
Yum yum!
And even Roary the Tiger came over to see us!
Roary and our chairperson, Julie
Not only did we spend our day raising money for our local NAS branch, so that we can help more local families affected by autism, but we had fun spending time with each other too ...
Like when we all danced to Village People's 'YMCA' (L - R: Committee members Lynda, Amber, Emma, Rachel, Julie, Julie's daughter, and Rachel's hubby)
And then did our own actions to 'N ... A ... S'!
Thanks Julie, Amber and Lynda!
Julie showing us how much fun the tombola was
And having a go at the spinning game
We worked hard, had a great time, and raised both money for our branch, and awareness of autistic spectrum disorders.
Many thanks to all who supported our cause over the weekend by taking part!
Date for your diary ...
* We have our first drop in support group of the new school year on 7th September at The Ark Childrens Centre in Water Lane, from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm.
Feel free to come along!
Come back soon to find out what else our branch will be getting up to in future!
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Upcoming Event!!!
Heads up! :o)
We'll be having a stall at the Waveney Youth Football Club's Tournament on 21st and 22nd August, at the Denes High School, here in Lowestoft!
We'll have lots of fun things going on over both days, like Guess How Many Sweets are in the Jar, Guess How Many Legos are in the Jar, Guess the Weight of the Cakes, a tombola, and a spin the wheel game.
The Tournament is on from 10 am to 4 pm, and we just know it's going to be great fun, so come along and join us, and support your local branch of the National Autistic Society!
WHERE: Tennis Courts, Denes High School, Yarmouth Road, Lowestoft
WHEN: 10 am to 4 pm, 21st and 22nd August 2010
WHAT: Lowestoft & North Suffolk Branch stall with games and tombola
Come find us and join in the fun!
If anyone would like any more information, please call the branch mobile, as listed on the right hand side of this site, or email the email address listed.
Thank you!
We'll be having a stall at the Waveney Youth Football Club's Tournament on 21st and 22nd August, at the Denes High School, here in Lowestoft!
We'll have lots of fun things going on over both days, like Guess How Many Sweets are in the Jar, Guess How Many Legos are in the Jar, Guess the Weight of the Cakes, a tombola, and a spin the wheel game.
The Tournament is on from 10 am to 4 pm, and we just know it's going to be great fun, so come along and join us, and support your local branch of the National Autistic Society!
WHERE: Tennis Courts, Denes High School, Yarmouth Road, Lowestoft
WHEN: 10 am to 4 pm, 21st and 22nd August 2010
WHAT: Lowestoft & North Suffolk Branch stall with games and tombola
Come find us and join in the fun!
If anyone would like any more information, please call the branch mobile, as listed on the right hand side of this site, or email the email address listed.
Thank you!
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Train Walk - 13th June 2010
On 13th June, we held a Thomas the Tank Engine Train Walk at Barnards Meadow, Lowestoft. Waveney Youth Football Club generously allowed us to have a pitch at their summer fun day, which meant that we were able to reach lots of people and take advantage of the crowds!
We set up our pitch for the day ...
Our pitch at the Waveney Youth Football Fun Day
And lots of children came along to take part in our Train Walks through the day. We even had WYFC's Roary taking part in the first Train Walk of the day!
Train Walkers getting their tickets (photos posted with parental permission)
Jayne, the Branch Officer, explaining what the walkers should do
The walkers go with their father, heading for the first train station!
Getting their tickets stamped at the first train station, the Percy Stop!
Running for the second station
Station #2: The Bertie Stop!
Station #3: The Mavis Stop
And lastly, Station #4: The Thomas Stop!
Once the walkers had completed the circuit, and collected all their stamps, they got their Thomas stickers ...
The passengers getting their stickers on their tickets for completing their Train Walk
And then they got their certificates!
One happy Train Walker
Another Happy Train Walker!
Two happy Train Walkers raising money for the Lowestoft and North Suffolk branch of the NAS!
The Train Walk stamps had a busy day stamping tickets
But we didn't just have the Train Walks to keep customers busy on the day, oh no, we also had ...
Our Peg Game
The Peg Game involved putting one hand behind your back, and seeing just how many pegs you could pick off the washing line without dropping them. The winner was the person who picked up the most pegs! There was an adult winner, who won a voucher for tanning sessions at a local salon, and a child winner, who won a toy.
The Peg Game and Tombola
And, we also ran a tombola, which was very popular!
Children found the tombola irresistible!
Branch Chairperson, Julie, helping a customer check his tombola tickets
Lots of people supported us on the day, and we Committee Members had a great time running the stall, and we managed to raise £81.25 for our branch into the bargain!
We are looking forward to having another NAS Branch stall at the WYFC's Tournament on 21st and 22nd August, details of which will be coming soon!
We set up our pitch for the day ...
Our pitch at the Waveney Youth Football Fun Day
And lots of children came along to take part in our Train Walks through the day. We even had WYFC's Roary taking part in the first Train Walk of the day!
Train Walkers getting their tickets (photos posted with parental permission)
Jayne, the Branch Officer, explaining what the walkers should do
The walkers go with their father, heading for the first train station!
Getting their tickets stamped at the first train station, the Percy Stop!
Running for the second station
Station #2: The Bertie Stop!
Station #3: The Mavis Stop
And lastly, Station #4: The Thomas Stop!
Once the walkers had completed the circuit, and collected all their stamps, they got their Thomas stickers ...
The passengers getting their stickers on their tickets for completing their Train Walk
And then they got their certificates!
One happy Train Walker
Another Happy Train Walker!
Two happy Train Walkers raising money for the Lowestoft and North Suffolk branch of the NAS!
The Train Walk stamps had a busy day stamping tickets
But we didn't just have the Train Walks to keep customers busy on the day, oh no, we also had ...
Our Peg Game
The Peg Game involved putting one hand behind your back, and seeing just how many pegs you could pick off the washing line without dropping them. The winner was the person who picked up the most pegs! There was an adult winner, who won a voucher for tanning sessions at a local salon, and a child winner, who won a toy.
The Peg Game and Tombola
And, we also ran a tombola, which was very popular!
Children found the tombola irresistible!
Branch Chairperson, Julie, helping a customer check his tombola tickets
Lots of people supported us on the day, and we Committee Members had a great time running the stall, and we managed to raise £81.25 for our branch into the bargain!
We are looking forward to having another NAS Branch stall at the WYFC's Tournament on 21st and 22nd August, details of which will be coming soon!
Hello And Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the new NAS Lowestoft and North Suffolk branch website!
We are the Lowestoft and North Suffolk branch of the National Autistic Society, and we support families in the local area who are affected by Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In the past, we have held fundraising events to raise money for the NAS and our local branch, held Christmas parties for our member families, and have worked to increase autism awareness in our local area.
You can visit us here to find out about what is happening at your local branch, things we're working on, and events we're holding.
You can also find details of our monthly drop in sessions, which you are welcome to come along to for support and friendship.
We hope to be updating this website regularly, so check back and see what we're getting up to!
Coming soon: Our June 2010 Thomas Walk update!
We are the Lowestoft and North Suffolk branch of the National Autistic Society, and we support families in the local area who are affected by Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In the past, we have held fundraising events to raise money for the NAS and our local branch, held Christmas parties for our member families, and have worked to increase autism awareness in our local area.
You can visit us here to find out about what is happening at your local branch, things we're working on, and events we're holding.
You can also find details of our monthly drop in sessions, which you are welcome to come along to for support and friendship.
We hope to be updating this website regularly, so check back and see what we're getting up to!
Coming soon: Our June 2010 Thomas Walk update!
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