Putting the pieces together
Nelle Frances - the parent of a 17 year old child with Asperger's Syndrome - has started AspergerChild.com to provide parents, carers, families, educators and professionals with reliable information and support in their journey with Asperger's Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, High Functioning Autism and other Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
According to a recent report, as many as one in every 100 children could have autism.
“This means that autism and its related disorders such as Aspergers, also known as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) – are much more common than previously thought,” says Frances. “Although there is no central register of children with autism, figures released in Australia last year showed 1 in 160 Australians are affected by ASD’s. This new report, published in the Lancet, shows this may already be outdated. There is now an obvious need for Autism-specific health and education services to increase,” she says.
One of the resources Frances provides on her site are the Ben and His Helmet book series, five fictional book titles she penned herself. The books are unique in that they are written from an asperger child's point of view and help parents and their Asperger’s children understand ASD and learn strategies to live with it.
“I grew extremely frustrated by the lack of resources that were available so I created five titles over a period of time, two of which are for children aged 9-11 and three which are for children aged 5 – 9 years,” Ms Frances said.
Frances further supports children, adults and their families with Asperger's Syndrome by regularly speaking at conferences and seminars about her books and her personal journey with Asperger's Syndrome. She’s also available to present her Interactive Sensory Sensitivity Workshop ™ - an interactive training workshop for Professionals and Educators highlighting how sensory response impacts the behaviour, development and progress of those with an ASD.
“Our mission is to recognise and validate the thoughts and perspective of an asperger child through the power of the written word, and in doing so promote acceptance, understanding and tolerance in the communities surrounding them. We hope to empower parents and their children to take control of their personal journey and create a positive path forward.”
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
