Monday, December 13, 2010

ASD Parent Training & Support Series 2011 - A Training Programme for Parents of Children with Autism

7th Intake since 2007 !

"When I discovered my son had autism at the age of two, I scrambled around for another year to look for someone to help him. I heard about ANDI Initiative's Parent Training programme and was excited at the prospect of learning skills to help my son. After undergoing the Parent Training course, I could see positive changes in my son. His therapists and I tracked his improvement from a boy trapped in his own head to a child who loves people. He's still a work in progress, but I'm now able to explore other forms of techniques of helping and connecting with him, because the initial training by ANDI Initiative made me brave, skilled, proactive and empowered."

- Parent, 2007 Participant, Petaling Jaya


"The training helped me to communicate with my son effectively. In return, he is able to relate to me in a sensible way. Introducing a new routine is no longer a struggle."

- Parent of 7-year-old, 2008 Participant, Putrajaya



The ASD Parent Training & Support Series is a four-month training programme for parents of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder who want to learn how to teach their child skills, improve their child's cooperation and other behaviours, and have fun with their child during this process.

Totalling close to 50 hours, this training series provides guidance, information and support about:

- setting up a learning programme at home
- troubleshooting difficulties
- improving behaviours
- keeping learning fun!

Through small-group training sessions, verbal and video feedback, home visits, written data and phone consultations, parents will give the trainer information on the child's progress in order to get the next steps in each child's learning programme, and to get guidance from the trainer in determining what those next steps would be.

The training includes:

- FIVE small-group training sessions
- SIX support visits to your home
- Phone consultations
- "Parent-to-Parent Support": During the training series, parents will be able to access moral support and information from several parents who participate in previous intakes of this training series
- A six-hour training on Understanding and Improving Behaviours (date to be determined)

Small-group Training Dates:

Initial Training (Session 1)
Sunday, 13 February, 2011
9:00am until 3:30pm

Initial Training (Session 2)
Sunday, 27 February, 2011
9:00am until 3:30pm

Training Session 3
Sunday, 27 March, 2011
9:00am until 3:30pm

Training Session 4
Sunday, 24 April, 2011
9:00am until 3:30pm

Training Session 5
Sunday, 22 May, 2011
9:00am until 3:30pm

Training Session 6
Understanding and Improving Behaviours
(date TBA)

Venue:

SS2, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Address will be given to confirmed participants.

Support Visits to the Home:

A total of 6 support visits will be made by a member of our Support Visit Team to the home between February and May 2011, at a time suitable for the family.


What families have said about this training series:

"After 13 weeks of this programme, my son has shown improvement. Thanks to this effective programme, I feel more calm..."

- Parent of 2-year-old, 2007 Participant, Cheras



"I have benefitted a lot from this training...I can now communicate with my child who was previously non-verbal using the communication tools introduced in the training, we have fun during the therapy sessions, we have bonded so much more and most important of all - both of us are no longer frustrated with each other.

- Parent of 4-year-old, 2009 Participant, Ampang




There are only 10 total spots available for the ASD Parent Training & Support Series, and these spots may be determined by age, diagnosis or suitability of the child for this programme.


To enquire, or to request the training scope and application form, please contact ANDI Initiative at ANDI.Initiative@gmail.com or leave a message at 012-538-6134.





***Quotes reprinted with express permission.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What's been going on lately with the Learning Materials for Loan

This 4-piece puzzle is loaned out currently to a child in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur...

...while this 3-D to 2-D matching set is on loan to a family in SS2, Petaling Jaya at the moment.

The Things That Go Together cards and the Spelling Puzzles below are currently loaned out by a family in Subang Jaya...




...as are the Occupations Cards and the Hidden Pictures worksheets (which are great for visual scanning practice).






The Identical Matching flashcards as well as the Emotions materials below have been borrowed by a family in Petaling Jaya....






...and a mum in Putrajaya took a peek at this wonderful workbook for inferencing practice.



These What's Missing pairs of cards helped a child near Kepong practice observational and language skills....


...and soon her mum will start WH-questions with the following workbook.

Earlier this year, the same mum borrowed these two (Opposites and Whose Baby) to work on with her child.







The Non-Identical Matching flashcards below as well as the Shadow Matching materials is on loan currently to a child in Kuala Lumpur.






The items above, and many more, are available for short-term loan. ANDI Initiative is happy to continue to provide this service to special needs families AT NO CHARGE, although a small deposit applies for all items.
Check out more of our Learning Materials for Loan by clicking HERE. To borrow, please send an email to ANDI.Initiative@gmail.com or a text message to 012-538-6134.
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Monday, August 30, 2010

What a Child Can Learn at Home and in the Community (repost)

This is the OTHER time of year when many parents express their concerns about educational/therapeutic options in Malaysia for their child with autism. The dearth of high-quality, affordable options worries us all.

While you research and ponder your options,

1. consider LEARNING MORE, and BECOME the expert on your child. Too radical? I don't think so.

2. enjoy this video.




Feel free to leave a comment!


*****

Monday, April 5, 2010

Creating an Sensory-Friendly Environment in your Home: A Small-Group Workshop by Teo Lee Fun, OT


“Listening to other parents’ questions, and discussing the solutions with a professional was great! The small-group workshop is an effective format” – Parent, Bukit Damansara, 2009 participant


After consulting with an Occupational Therapist about their children’s needs, parents of children with sensory integration difficulties often want to create a sensory-friendly environment in the home. During this small-group workshop, parents will learn how to make or get the appropriate equipment and materials, learn the correct methods of using them, and learn how to be financially resourceful by using items available around the home.

The size of the workshop is intentionally kept small, maximum of 12 participants:

  • To allow each participant to touch, feel, press, poke, squash, sit on, swing on, push, and bounce on the various equipment and materials
  • To allow time for high-quality discussions with Ms Teo.


Date:

Saturday, 15 May, 2010

2:00pm to 4:00pm

Light refreshments will be served


Venue:

Teo Therapeutic Centre

Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

(Address will be given out to registered participants)

About the speaker:

Teo Lee Fun is an occupational therapist trained in New Zealand and has been working many years in this field. She is SIPT (sensory integration praxis test) certified with the University of Southern California(USC/WPS). She has also attended professional training in areas such as sensory integration, NDT, MORE approach, Samonas and Therapeutic Listening.

Ms Teo has a special interest working with children with learning difficulties and sensory integrative dsyfunction. She has given seminars, lectures and conducted numerous workshops for parents, teachers and others involved with children with special needs.

For questions or to register, please contact ANDI Initiative at 012-538-6134 (8:00am until 6:00pm) or email andi.initiative@gmail.com.

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Thursday, March 18, 2010

"Introduction to RDI" and "Communication Strategies for Children on the Autism Spectrum"



“Does your child talk but not connect?” “ Does he have rigid expectations or poor peer relationships?” “ Does she struggle with problem solving when things change?”

"Introduction to Relationship Development Intervention" &

"Communication Strategies for Children on the Autism Spectrum"

by Susan Hollar, MS CCC

Pediatric Speech/Language Pathologist, Certified RDI Consultant


Date & Time:

Saturday, 24th April 2010, 9:00am until 5:00pm. Lunch and tea breaks will be provided.

Venue:

SWAN Convention Centre, Sunway Medical Centre, 5 Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.


MODULE 1:

RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION – WHAT IS RDI?

Often called “the missing link” in autism treatment, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) is a treatment program aimed at quality of life issues such as independent living, jobs, and friendships. Parents function as the primary interventionists with their children under the direction of the RDI Program Consultant. Learn about this cutting edge intervention through an interactive presentation with video examples.

  • Discover the role of parents as mentor and guide
  • Explore dynamic vs. static intelligence
  • Understand what co-regulation means for development
  • Consider ways to introduce perspective-taking
  • Learn the difference between Floortime, ABA and RDI

MODULE 2:

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Communication skills in children with autism are of deep concern to therapists and parents alike. Often children can’t utilise the words they have available to them, or they struggle in social conversation. Learn what the latest research says about effective strategies for communication development in this population. In this module we will practice strategies to utilise at home or in the office.

  • Discover the different modalities of communication
  • Learn the number one parent tactic to enhance communication
  • Explore “expansions” and “reversals” for communication development
  • Understand the critical component repair strategy plays in social communication

About the Speaker

A licensed pediatric speech/language pathologist and certified RDI consultant, Susan Hollar is the owner of Hollar Pediatric Speech and Language. She teaches at the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, California State University, Northridge. Mrs. Hollar is the 2009 recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award of the California Speech and Language Association. Her background includes specialised fellowship training in Clinical Intervention for children with Autism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles UAP USC.

She currently holds Supervisor level certification in the Relationship Development Intervention by Steven Gutstein, Ph.D. for children with Autism where she trains other professionals in RDI. Ms. Hollar is a frequent presenter at such conferences as the Back to School Autism Conference (2008), Autism Society of America and California Speech and Language Association 2009 as well as interviews on NPR Radio. Recent publications include Communication deficits in Children with Oposconus-Ataxia Due to Childhood Neuroblastoma (Journal of Pediatrics) and Adequacy of Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities in the Los Angeles Area. Mrs. Hollar is the proud parent of a teenager with the diagnosis of Autism.

To register for this series of talks, please contact ANDI Initiative at 012 538 6134 (new number) or at ANDI.Initiative@gmail.com.

This event is organised by ANDI Initiative.


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Monday, March 8, 2010

Join us for the Autism Walk organised by Interact Club Sri Aman



Find this event listed on Facebook by clicking here.

Date: Saturday, 17 April, 2010
Time 8:00am until 1:00pm
Venue: SMK (P) Sri Aman, Jalan 14/49, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Full Sponsorship Offer for Workshop on 13 March 2010




ANDI Initiative is offering the following 'boost' to parents of children with autism, who would not be attending this event otherwise, due to financial reasons:
  • 100% sponsorship for one seat for a workshop in Petaling Jaya on Enhancing Visual Processing Skills (13 March 2010).

Contact 016 913 6134 or ANDI.Initiative@gmail.com for further info. Confidentiality will be maintained. Note that this is not an ANDI Initiative-organised event.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Partial and Full Sponsorship to Attend ASD-Related Workshops/Talks


ANDI Initiative is offering the following 'boost' to parents of children with autism, who would not be attending these events otherwise:





  • 50% sponsorship for one seat for a 12-hour behaviour management workshop (13 and 21 March 2010)
  • 100% sponsorship for one seat for a talk on biomedical intervention (9 February 2010).

Contact 016 913 6134 or ANDI.Initiative@gmail.com for further info. Confidentiality will be maintained.

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Monday, February 1, 2010

Monday, January 18, 2010

What Can a Child Learn at Home and in the Community?

Inspired by, and dedicated to, the parents who, at some point or another, have struggled to find appropriate school placement for their differently-abled child.

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or click here for the video.

Feel free to leave a comment!