Public Seminar Mental Wellbeing – Exploring Drug Free Solutions | Harold’s Cross Dublin April 17th & 18th 2010

The Institute of Health Sciences

The Institute of Health Sciences host a public seminar event with a focus on mental wellbeing and exploring drug-free solutions to managing mental health issues ranging from anxiety and depression to childhood behavioural disorders. In this event we will have many expert speakers and will be showcasing many therapies that can be used to help alleviate common mental health issues. Tickets cost €35 and include lunch and refreshments. Proceeds to mental health charities. Contact 090-9749929 to book your place.

(Advance bookings accepted only)

Speakers

Dr. Alex Richardson: World-Renowned Expert on Childhood Learning Difficulties and author of “They Are What You Feed Them”
Deborah Colson: Leading author specialising in nutritional management of mental health problems. Deborah has co-written a number of books with Patrick Holford: “Optimum Nutrition for Your Child”, “Optimum Nutrition for your Child’s Mind” and “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Plan”.
Lynda McFarland: Nutritional therapist and professional chef Lynda demonstrates how to cook with brain-boosting superfoods.
Dr. Aine Tubridy: Dublin-based psychotherapist specialising in anxiety disorders. Co-author with Dr. Michael Corry of the bestseller “When Panic Attacks”
Mary Maddock: Former nun, mother, an electroshock survivor, founder of MindFreedom Ireland and author of the book “Soul Survivor”
Mary Farrell: Renowned whole food vegetarian chef and owner of the multi award winning vegetarian restaurant ‘Café Fresh’. Mary is also the author of the “Cafe Fresh Cookbook”

Mental Wellness Workshops

Nutritional Therapy
Medical Herbalism
NeuroLinguistic Programme (NLP)
Reflexology
Massage and Indian Head Massage
Yoga & Meditation
Homeopathy & Tissue Salts
Shine – Support Systems in Ireland

web: www.instituteofhealthsciences.com

Contact 090-9749929 to book your place.

AUTISM AND EDUCATION.

AN IRISH SOLUTION --- THE NEED TO EDUCATE AUTISTIC CHILDREN.

Norwegian State Secretary Anne Margareth Fagertum Stenhammer in her speech ‘Education for all- The Norwegian Governments’ policy for reaching the Millennium Goals’ stated the following:

• Education is a human right. Race colour, sex, language, religion, political views, origin, property or other status must not preclude the right to education. It is particularly important that the right to education becomes a reality for discriminated and disadvantaged groups.
  Education is not just a fundamental human right, it is also a means by which people are able to fulfil their potential. Education is important for personnel development of the individual and for a democratic development of society. Education is essential for people to be able to ask critical questions and make government accountable for its actions.
  Education is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and lays the foundation for sustained economic growth.”

In the judgement in the O’Donoghue case of 1993, Judge O’Hanlon stated , “that there is a constitutional obligation imposed on the state by the provisions by Article 42.4 of the Constitution to provide for free basic elementary education of all children and that this involves giving each child such advice , instruction and teaching as will enable him or her to make the best possible use of his or her inherent and potential capacities, physical , mental and moral, however limited these capacities may be. Or, to borrow the language of the United Nations Convention and Resolution of the general assembly, “such education as will be conducive to the child’s achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development ; ‘such education as will enable the child to develop, his or her capabilities and skills to the maximum and will hasten the process of social integration and reintegration.’
This process will work differently for each child, accordingly to the child’s own natural gifts, or lack thereof. In the case of the child who is deaf, dumb, blind or otherwise physically or mentally handicapped, a completely different rate of progress has to be taken for granted, than would be regarded as appropriate for a child suffering from no such handicap.”

It is internationally and nationally accepted that Autistic children need to be educated. That education is also a means by which people are able to fulfil their full potential and a powerful instrument to reduce inequality. Having read the above one would think that parents problems related to educating their child, or children in Ireland would be minor. The opposite unfortunately is the case for far to many parents in 2009.

It is to the courts that most parents have tried to get resolution to their child’s educational needs. The O’Donoghue judgement expressly gave not only a right to an education, but also a right to an adequate and appropriate education. This point is important as it clarifies the need for education to be child(individual) focused. Invariably the department of education and science has vigorously tried to defend the majority of cases further compounding the stress and anguish for parents involved. The costs to the state in defending these cases has been huge. Many millions of public monies have been used by the state against citizens of the state. In all these cases the department has not defended against the constitutional right of the child to an education , but rather the right for an appropriate and adequate education being provided i.e. fighting against individual child focused education ,thereby ignoring the right of a disabled to reaching their full potential. The department of education and science always put up defence that they were providing , or could provide, an education that they deemed appropriate and adequate to the child’s needs, but not necessarily appropriate and adequate to the actual needs of the child concerned.

This situation of parents , via the courts , of getting needs of their child/children meet changed in 2001, when the department finally took case to supreme court which gained judgement which stated that judiciary could not infringe upon policy areas of government. Judges could no longer make orders against state to provide specific education provision as it could come into conflict with government’s educational policy for special education. The rights of an individual citizen under constitution to an education became second to what the government said they could provide, or deem appropriate . It should be noticed that all legislation in area of special needs since 2001 has always included phrases such as ‘where due regard is paid to financial situation or where deemed practical’. It seems the right of a disabled child to appropriate and adequate education to enable them to maximise and hopefully fulfil potential has been abandoned. Many parents will now openly state that their children have now been reduced to second class citizens of this state. Their children’s needs will now always be decided on financial grounds not on right to services.

Legislation put on statute books in 2004(EPSON ACT) and 2005(DISABILITY ACT) have been an attempt by the government to further curtail the legal redress procedure for parents. It was through the courts that parents found their voice and a way to defend themselves against the agencies of state to protect the educational needs of their child. The government , by removing the ability of parents to get redress through courts has in effect nullified much of the positive aspects of the O’Donoghue judgement. This is strange considering so many politicians who now make up government openly welcomed the O’Donoghue decision when it was made. Of course it later came to light that as these public pronouncements were being made they were at the same time , behind closed doors decrying the cost implications for the government of the decision. To the cynical it would appear that cost, financial considerations took precedence over the need, or rather right of disabled child to adequate and appropriate education and thereby given the possibility to reach their full potential.

It was said at the time of discussions regarding the above mentioned Acts that specific rights for the disabled where not needed regarding provision of services as those services would be put in place. The present financial situation of the country where provisions of EPSON ACT have been suspended and financial cuts in special education have taken place proves once and for all to parents that promises cannot be sufficient and that legal rights have now to be enacted to guarantee services.

The following is an article that appears on the Children's Disabilities Information Website (see web address above) and covers the area of "Parent Coaching" of children with autism. This article was brought to our attention by a fellow parent as they found it helpfull in working with their child. The views in this article are for information purposes only.

Parent Coaching of Children with Autism
By Dr. Steven Richfield author of The Parent Coach

A parent writes, "Our children with Asperger Syndrome (Autism) have social and self-control difficulties. Can you offer additional advice on how to help them cope more effectively with the world around them?"

It is not uncommon for parents to find themselves at a loss when trying to coach life skills to their special needs children. Part of the problem is that those responses that are so obvious and intrinsic to our behavior patterns have not yet been firmly established in the child. This can set in motion a response cycle that leaves the child feeling unfairly criticized and parents feeling powerless to help. In my experience, parents are in the best position to provide such coaching as long as they approach the child with realistic expectations and helpful ideas.

When children are hampered by Asperger’s Syndrome or other neurologically based problems, the world may often appear as a vast puzzle that overwhelms their senses and confounds their thinking. Abruptness, inconsistency, and sudden disappointment can trigger immense emotional reactions that are disproportionate and extremely troubling to those around them. Attempts at conversation may be feeble and one-sided because it is so difficult for them to assess empathy and perspective-taking. The ability to infer what other’s expect of them is often very limited by their narrow focus. Given these limitations, parents can help them “fit the pieces of the puzzle together” by employing some of the following coaching tips:

Explain how conversations are like taking turns at telling something about yourself. Conversational tools include volunteering information without being asked, pausing to allow other’s to speak, asking questions that are related to the topic being discussed, and bringing up subjects that have been covered in the past. Suggest that they observe how others blend these elements together to form satisfying conversations. Write out the tools on individual index cards and have them refer to the cards as they practice having such conversations where you provide the context and act as a peer. Once they develop some proficiency, try recording the discussions so that they can listen to their success and identify areas for improvement.

Prepare them for the sudden and unexpected by highlighting those specific events. Life is often filled with twists and turns that more rigid children find hard to navigate around. Explain how common these events are in everyone’s life and point out their occurrences. Suggest that these are “thinking side tests” in that they challenge us to think and not act upon our feelings. Introduce the concept of “say-it-to-yourself solutions’ that help maintain self-control and clear thinking. For example, if a parent’s possession is misplaced, use it as an opportunity to express the solution, “I know I left it somewhere in the house. When I have the time to thoroughly look for it, I know I’ll find it.”

Enhance their powers of inference by using television and real life observations. Explain how the ability to infer meaning essentially means picking up on clues and figuring out what is going on in a situation. Facial expression, body posture, tone of voice, eye contact, and other clues should be identified and referred to when watching television and/or observing others from a distance. When appropriate, suggest that you watch a show together with the volume muted and attempt to infer what it going on between the characters. Another variation is to watch the first half of a show, turn it off, and discuss what may have happened during the final sequences. Look for other “inference tests” involving movie previews, shapshots, and commercials in order to increase your child’s “Inference Quotient.”

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Dr. Steven Richfield is a child psychologist in Plymouth Meeting, PA. His column appears monthly. He has developed a child-friendly self-control/social skills building program called Parent Coaching Cards. His new book, The Parent Coach: A New Approach To Parenting In Today’s Society is available through Sopris West (sopriswest.com or 1-800-547-6747) He can be contacted at www.parentcoachcards.com or 610-238-4450.

Teacher, SNA & Resource Teacher Training Days for 2009

Laura Crowley Director Educational Support Services will be running her introductory courses on Autism for teachers, SNA's and Resource Teachers working with ASD students in a mainstream school environment again in 2009. The course will cover an introduction to autism and strategies to develop and enhance the child's learning.

Any parent who would like more information for their child's school please contact Laura Crowley on 021 4377052 or email:  laura.crowley@shineireland.com

If there is any item or information or service that you feel would be of interest or benefit to other members please let us know and we will include it on the Notice Board.  Email Us