Sesame Street: Julia, Character With Autism

The new Sesame Street character Julia... who has autism.

BEST EVER:

Seaworld Review: Autism-Friendly And Loads of Fun

Visting Seaworld in Queensland, Australia as part of our first big family holiday adventure was an event we highly anticipated. However, as a mother of a special needs child (my son Rafael has mild autism), my husband and I were a little worried about how he'd perceive particular attractions at the theme park.

As we were staying at the adjoining Seaworld Nara Resort (an incredibly beautiful, medium-priced hotel), the Seaworld theme park was our first stop, the second we arrived, changing into our cossies and leaving our bags with the wonderfully friendly hotel concierge.

We headed in, armed with the park map and hopping onto the adjacent monorail (the first of its kind opened in Australia by QLD pollie Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen), and there we were in a aqua park heaven.

Heavily themed with all the kiddie fave Nickelodeon characters including Spongebob Square Pants, Dora The Explorer, and many more, it's an instant fave with the kids. And my TV aficionado twins were no exception.

As all good theme park experts will tell you: check the times of all the shows and happening of the day so you maximise your day there. You will become an expert in an instant, and park staff can help you find where everything is, plus all the clearly marked signs around the park.

A little tip: have the kids (and you!) dressed in either swimming costumes with little cover ups, or quick-dry fabric clothes; you'll need to dry up quickly when you go on the famed Castaway Bay and Viking Revenge rides.

Halfway through the day (and I know readers of this blog will relate), it was proving difficult to wrangle my son's demands to be a part of the action. (My son has a mild autism diagnosis, and his perception of what's possible and what he can participate in is sometimes skewed) So, for example, we'd see the amazing daredevil ski-jump show, and he'd want to be a part of it, not understanding that the danger level to participate is very high (and it's not even possible for the audience, bar some audience interaction with the performers on the edge of the water/arena).

The same went for seeing dolphin show - it got tricky with explaining he could not be a part of that show.

I did uncover however, thanks to the super lovely, helpful staff, a daily special needs program run by Seaworld. Here is some information on the program:

 -  the cost is $114.99, and the program duration is 45 minutes in total, with 20 of those minutes in the water. Each participant must have a carer with them (mum or dad or a guardian) who can participate free of charge (as they are there purely to assist).

A photo is included in the price, and the DVD of your experience is an optional extra, at $24.99. (This information is correct as of 14 January 2015, and is subject to change).

Before booking, it's highly recommended guests contact the Seaworld Guest Services team on 07 5588 2423, and they will be able to better assist with further information on the program.

Here are some photos from Seaworld, as well as my own happy snaps (taken on my new iPhone 6 - I am so pleased with the shots).

Oh, and for more on Seaworld including ticketing and accommodation and showtimes, scroll down for link.

Would I recommend Seaworld to families? Absolutely. In a heartbeat. So, so much to do. Get there early, grab a map, and plan your day. If you are staying next door at Seaworld Nara Resort (and I recommend you do), it's a super short stroll to the monorail. The theme park is attached to the hotel. And the hotel itself? Fantastic. Kids will love the nighttime fun in the hotel waterpark, and just quietly, the spa is heaven after-hours.

Keen on seeing the other famed theme parks there (Movieworld, Seaworld, Wet 'n' Wild)? Go the multi pass! Click here to buy.

For questions on marine life at Seaworld and how they're looking after them, click here.

The seal show below! So much fun:

The Dora show! Must-see. And, look out for the meet and greet also available post-show:

Ohhh, Seaworld Nara Resort breakfasts. To-die. Yum:

Hello, breakkie pastries!

The Penguin Encounter! You will love watching how these cute critters interact. Go at feeding time!

The famous Affinity dolphin show:

The truly hilarious 'Fish Detectives':

Dora meet and greet!

My kids at the Dora and Diego meet and greet! They were stoked:

The view from our room:

The truly fun waterpark. Open all day. Closes at night. Then open again for a mini waterpark disco:

The characters pop into the Seaworld Nara Resort hotel lobby for a snap:

More meet and greet!

Helicopter rides. Ask at the hotel desk:

Ninja Turtle fun:

A note on getting the airport: we used Town Cars (see www.towncars.com) - call the 24 hour call centre (Sydney metro area) on 02 8874 5000. Go to this link for more info and to book. It's an affordable, fuss-free way to get to the airport. The best part? You don't need to leave your car in an airport carpark for days, and the bonus is that for kids with special needs, it's a low-stress experience.

For more info on Seaworld, click right here.

Our Autism Adventures was a guest of Gold Coast Tourism. For all your GC needs and questions, click here.

You guys, there is a reason the sunny Gold Coast is famous for families - it is kinda unbeatable, and there are a gazillion things to do. To that end, next up: more QLD theme park reviews, on TwinnieWorld and Josie's Juice. There's so much to do, so much we got up to! Stay tuned for more.

'A Different Brilliant': Aspect Autism - VIDEO

(As appeared on sister blog page 'Josie's Juice'). If this post had a 'like' button, I'd hit it a million times over. If only just for the fantastically brilliant header just above.

Aspect has released a positive awareness campaign on its Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages called, 'a different brilliant.' The campaign includes a centrepiece film and microsite (www.adifferentbrilliant.org.au), which celebrates our differences by introducing viewers to seven quirky real-life characters on the autism spectrum in a beautifull shot, positive and inspiring montage. 

Seven real-life ASD heroes tell the story

The captivating short film captures the stories of seven unique individuals as told by them, their friends, families and communities:

CALLUM THE PUZZLE WHIZ. 14 year-old Callum is enthusiastic about puzzles and completes them in record time without looking at the finished image on the box. He represents the unique talent for sorting and visual problem solving some people on the spectrum possess.

CHELSEA THE DRESS-UP SUPERHERO. Like many girls her age, four year-old Chelsea loves pink, dressing-up, and playing with Barbies™. But thanks to her unique way of expressing herself, rather than dressing up as a fairy like all the other little girls going to a birthday party, she arrives in a self-designed superhero outfit. Those with highly sensitive nerve endings as part of their ASD often delight in specific fabrics and textures that are gentle and familiar to their touch.

SUPERMARKET SURVIVAL, NATHAN. For an ASD child with super-hearing powers, like seven year-old Nathan, supermarkets are a deafening cacophony of disharmonious sounds: buzzing fridges, in-store announcements, checkout noises and errant trolleys. A two-year old is shown sitting in a trolley with ear defenders as an example of how many children on the spectrum with auditory sensitivities, like Nathan, bravely tackle the experience.

SCHOOL BOYS AT HEART, BEN. We see 10 year-old Ben () at the school gates as other children come and go around him. Both he and his brother, Nathan (7) attended Aspect schools and have now successfully transitioned to the mainstream education system. The scene reminds us that people with autism don’t look any different – they could be any school friend or classmate; but take the time, and you’ll discover a different brilliant.

ALEXANDRA, THE DREAMER. Sometimes people on the autism spectrum have trouble with communication, social interaction and sensory overload. The story of 29 year-old Alexandra is told in a café scene. She gazes out the window while conversations happen around her, brilliantly finding a “safe place” in her own mind to block out the overwhelming nature of her surroundings, but eagerly joining in the conversation when a friend asks her a direct question.

ROBBIE, THE VISUAL ARTIST. Passionate photographer and business owner Robbie is in his early 20s. His story is told creatively via a class field trip montage. As others take similar shots to each other, Robbie sees the world through a different brilliant lens.

CAMERON THE WORKER. Cameron is in his 40s and an active member of the workforce. Aspect supports both Cameron and his employer via the Aspect Capable specialist employment service, which offers person-centred employment training and support to jobseekers with ASD, and their employers through coaching, mentoring, job preparation and training.

“So often wonderfully talented, brilliant people with autism spectrum disorder are overlooked by society as being odd, or quirky, or obsessive. With our a different brilliant campaign, we hope to inspire a wider understanding and respect for how people on the autism spectrum are just like you and me, in many ways, but with their own uniquely brilliant take on the world,” says Adrian Ford, CEO of Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect).

The 'a different brilliant' short film was released to the public via social media today, on Thursday 13 November on the Aspect Facebook page facebook.com/AutismSpectrumAustralia, as well as via Twitter and LinkedIn.

The public is encouraged to ‘like’ and ‘share’ the 'a different brilliant' short film with the hashtag #adifferentbrilliant and include links to the a different brilliant microsite in any social media posts: www.adifferentbrilliant.org.au/

And so, I am doing my part, to honour my beautiful son Rafael, who is six, and (to borrow a line from one of the best films on the planet, and one of my fave flicks ever, 'Temple Grandin') "different, not less", here is this exceptional video:

Australian Story: 'I am Jack' - ABC TV

Screening as part of ABC 'Mental As' – a week of distinctive programming on TV, radio and online for Mental Health Week - comes this ep of 'Australian Story.'

It's the story of radio and TV personality Ian ‘Dano’ Rogerson and his wife Nicole, who gave up their home, careers and an exciting lifestyle for the love of their son, Jack.

Ian Rogerson is a successful national broadcaster and media star who in the 1980s was best known for his professional partnership with Jonathan Coleman. As ‘Jono & Dano’, the pair had a 10-year run with top-rating radio shows and a string of national television programs. 

While Jono Coleman went on to forge a successful career in Britain, Ian Rogerson all but disappeared from the entertainment scene for more than a decade.

Five years ago Australian Story filled in the missing years.  Ian Rogerson had thrown in his career – “career suicide”, according to many in the industry – to care for Jack.

Diagnosed with autism as a toddler, Jack Rogerson was hyperactive, could barely speak and was unable to express ordinary affection. Like many parents of autistic children, the Rogersons soon discovered there was little help available. But they were determined to do whatever they could to enable their son to lead a mainstream lifestyle.

The turning point came when they met Elizabeth Watson, a therapist pioneering a treatment called Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). 

When we first visited the Rogersons, Jack had just completed his primary school education.  Now, five years on, the family’s determination is being richly rewarded.

At 18, Jack has recently graduated from a mainstream high school and is looking forward to a career in the hospitality industry.

In this program, the Rogersons candidly discuss the highs and lows of Jack’s life and explain how he has been able to reach his full potential. 

"Jack’s progress shows what is possible," says Nicole Rogerson, who is now CEO of Autism Awareness Australia and also runs an early behavioural intervention centre in Sydney to help other children with autism.

"We know that kids in Australia, one in a hundred of them, have Autism Spectrum Disorder. The reality is the vast majority are not getting anywhere near best practice guidelines for treatment of Autism. So unless the government makes a genuine investment in this area, so many children are not going to reach their best outcome and I think that’s a tragedy." 

  

Also featured are the Rogersons’ younger son, Tom, high school director of students Adam Lewis, and family friends Angela Catterns and Jonathan Coleman, together with therapist Elizabeth Watson.

'Australian Story – I am Jack' will screen on Monday October 6, at 8pm on ABC.

UPDATED: if you missed the episode tonight, you can watch the whole ep right here.

Note from ABC: This episode was broadcast at 8:00pm on Monday 6 October 2014. It was published 59 minutes ago and is available until 9:01pm on 20 October 2014. File size approx. 144 MB

 

Sensory Sensitivity In Autism: Viral Video

This viral video - created for the UK's National Autistic Society by Rattling Stick - is said to show what it's like for a child with autism and sensory sensitivity:

As a mother with a child with a mild autism diagnosis, I don't believe this is the way he necessarily sees the world because… I asked him.

Now, his speech is not developed enough where he can tell me if this is what he can and can't feel and see and hear, but I did show him the video and asked him: are you scared? Or do you like this? He said he liked it… and he wanted to watch it again!

While he was initially far more resistant to loud noises and it distressed him, now - with therapy and one and a half years of schooling - he is a different child.

And so, to be more accurate, sensory defensive people would relate to this - not every person with autism.


The National Autistic Society describes itself like this:

"We are the UK's leading charity for people affected by autism.

We want a world where all people living with autism get to lead the life they choose.

We will transform understanding of autism and make sure everyone living with autism gets the support they need."

What do you think of the video? Does it relate to your child? Or you?

Vaccines Don't Cause Autism: Healthcare Triage #12

This. A VERY comprehensive video on the NON link of vaccines and autism. Must watch and share:

The video description for this video - uploaded in January 2014 - says:

"There is almost no topic in health and health policy that immediately polarizes people more than the idea that vaccines cause autism. Even though the original big paper on this topic came out at the end of the last century, the anger this causes is still raw and potent. But there is a very, very large amount of research showing that vaccines and autism are unrelated. Please, watch the video before you jump down my throat."