Lithgow Nanna's Touch ASD support

Autism - Through A Child’s Eyes. Children are born as a blessing and a gift! With nurturing, guidance, and encouragement they grow to find their place in the world. They have a choice to learn and develop individual traits that assist them to gain employment or choose a life path that gives them gratification. A child on the Autism Spectrum should be allowed this choice also. Recognition and assistance is needed for all these precious children. It is not that they cannot do most things; It is that they need the assistance and guidance to get there in a different way. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Educating ourselves!!!! All too often, when a parent is handed a diagnosis that becomes what is known as Autism, there is no extensive explanation given, so we ‘Fly Blind’, suffering in silence, unsure what direction to take for assistance, guidance and understanding regarding the actual cause, symptoms or expectations! Knowing how overwhelming this can become, I refused to sit back and wait with a ‘what if’ attitude, I knew I needed to stand up for myself and therefore all local families to gain the support and assistance we deserve, to assist our children in a transition for the best possible future. Forming a community based Support Group to help, by getting together in a ‘non-clinical’, comfortable, calming environment for a break with a cuppa to vent and chat about our needs. Working together as one in the community! To know we’re not alone! The national statistics state 1/88 and increasing, although my research so far shows Lithgow may possibly be closer to 1/60, so therefore we really need to step up NOW for the rights of not only our children but any Lithgow child with Special Needs that isn’t gaining the best assistance possible. Hopefully we will stand up together and show others that with support and unity we can and will achieve our goal. These are the people that we want to help by getting together in a comfortable, calming environment for a break with a cuppa to vent and chat about their needs. Coffee/Chat Get-Together's will be held at Lithgow Library on 2nd Tuesday of each month starting 11th Feb, 2014 ------------------------------------------------ 1/ The objects of this group shall be:- i - to assist with finding relevant information that will benefit any person needing knowledge of Autism, and to also educate and share information in the wider community about the existence and understanding to what an Autism Spectrum Disorder really is. ii - to arrange the correlation and distribution of pamphlets, regarding information as to what services are available and which direction to take to gain professional and medical assistance, etc in the Lithgow local area for those families affected by Autism, iii - to set-up and organise regular Coffee/Chat Get-Togethers in a calm, friendly, non-clinical environment for the purpose of being there for any parent, family member or friend touched by Autism, with the hope of also assisting to form friendships with like-minded people. iv - to promote awareness and generate interest from the many professional and medical providers, in the hope of gaining their support to assist local families with providing the appropriate services directly in the Lithgow district area, thereby preventing the distance travelled and stress caused to each individual family requiring that assistance. v - there will be an understanding that we are in no way professionals, nor affiliated with any medical, clinical, or counselling service, and will not dictate any "must do's" - knowing the information provided is NOT given as an exact direction, etc, to act upon; just merely a suggested option to be aware exists,