NAS DOVER & DEAL BRANCH

nas.dover.deal@hotmail.co.uk

Sunflowers always turn to face the sun ,

so let's do the same and look on the bright side too.
FAMILY FUN CLUB
Triangles Community Centre
Dover
Monthly on a Saturday
1.00pm until 3.00pm
15 August
Kim & Mary are both away on this day so please could you givea little extra help to set up &
pack away the equipment etc. many thanks

12 September
17 October
21 November
19 December
~~~~~~~

SWIMMING
Tides Leisure Centre Deal
6.30pm until 8.30pm
£2.50 per Swimmer
Friday 4th September
~~~~~~~

Herons Pool Herne Bay

William Street
01227 742102
Disabled Child £1.40
Junior £2.40
Adult £3.40
~~~~~~

MEETINGS
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14th
Coffee morning at Suzannes 61 Church Meadows Deal CT149QZ
379747 anytime after 9:30 until 12:00 everyone welcome even your little ones
a chance to meet old and new faces so please come along.
~~~~~~~~~
If you would like anything included in the Newsletter e.g. items for sale ,to give
away ,written articles of your own or you have found of interest, things that have
worked for you , days out you enjoyed, holidays etc. please email me , at
nas.dover.deal@hotmail.co.uk
from Suzanne
Hello everyone

Here is the August Newsletter.

Lets hope that the Holidays are Fun Filled and not too stressful. !!!!!!
Scroll down for the funstuff and a FREE day out .
Over the last few months there has been 3 parents contacting us as
their nearly Teens have been are are being diagnosed with Aspergers.

As these young people will be aware of their diagnosis I thought I'd

include this month a piece about telling our children about
Autism /Aspergers the following is NAS advice from their website.

www.nas.org.uk

When should I tell my child they have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
It is a very personal decision as to when families decide to tell a child about their diagnosis it all
depends on personal circumstances. Some children are told when they are young as they become
aware of their differences. In other cases parents/carers feel they should wait until their child is a
little older so they will understand the diagnosis better.
How should I tell my child about their diagnosis?
There is no one right way of telling a child. However, there are some points you may want to
consider. Firstly, who is the best person in the family to help bring up the subject? If your child is
comfortable with a grandparent or aunt, they may be a good person to get involved, too. Secondly,
make sure that when you do tell your child, you are both in calm moods and in a place where you
both feel comfortable as children with an ASD can find it difficult to process new information.
Their ability to process is even lower when they have high levels of stress. As a result, they may
find it difficult to take in and understand what you are trying to tell them.
It is also important to ensure you will not be interrupted because your child may need need extra
processing time to think or to ask questions about what you have told them. Siblings interrupting in
the middle of this could lead to unnecessary frustration.
If you have other children you may want to talk to them separately about your child's condition. You
will need to adapt how you explain what autism is depending on the sibling's age. We have an
information sheet called Families: supporting brothers and sisters which you can refer to for ideas
how to do this and some of the questions siblings may ask. This is available on our website
www.autism.org.uk/-a-z or from the Autism Helpline on 0845 070 4004.

There are plenty of books and other resourses available .

Some are in our Branch library already or are available from
bookshops & the NAS online shop too. Here are just a few.
 I have autism...what's that?

ISBN: 978 1 89928 079 7

Code: NAS 482
£4.50
This cheerful book helps children and young
people with autism to discover how they are
different from neuro-typical people. Written in
straightforward language and illustrated with
helpful and amusing pin men, it explores different
approaches to talking, playing and learning and
offers coping strategies.
Published by Down Lisburn Trust, 2000, 32pp,
A5, pbk, illustrated
Author: Kate Doherty, Paddy McNally and Eileen
Sherrard
In Branch Library 07701009712

Can I tell you about Asperger syndrome? A

guide for family and friends

Author: Jude Welton

ISBN: 978 1 84310 206 9
Code: NAS 502 £6.95
Adam is a nine year old boy with Asperger syndrome. Here he explains his talents
and difficulties as if talking to school friends and family. Jane Telford's cheerful
pictures bring Adam's words to life.
Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003, 48pp, pbk, illustrated
In Branch Library 07701009712

I am special: introducing children and young

people to their autistic spectrum disorder

Author: Peter Vermeulen

ISBN: 978 1 85302 916 5
Code: NAS 394 £19.99
Aimed at young people over the age of ten who have an autistic spectrum disorder,
this workbook is designed to be worked through with an adult - parent, teacher or
other professional. The content and layout are devised especially for children who
process information differently. Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000,
240pp, A4, pbk
I emailed John Simmonds to ask what progress the Kent County Council are
making towards the recommendations agreed/ratified in council in regards
to the Autism Select Committee Report here is his reply.
Dear Suzanne, I am sorry for the delay in replying to your "E" Mail. A group within KCC has
been tasked with the implementation of the report and some initial funding has been found for
this. Later this month the newly appointed government National Autism adviser is visiting
Kent and we will be taking the opportunity to highlight our recommendations and maybe
persuade her to contribute to a pilot exercise. Coincidentally the government produced its
report after ours and there were many similarities. At long last I believe autism will get the
focus it deserves and although my report concentrated on autism in adults we recognise how
important it is for early diagnosis and remedial measures to be commenced to enable
youngsters to live as normal a life as possible with the condition they have. I will endeavour to
keep you advised of progress but please do not hesitate to contact me. John Simmonds

Full report & recommendations available at

http://www.kent.gov.uk/publications/council-and-democracy/selcomrep-asd.htm.

Kent Autistic Trust

There is still no good news about saving the Family Support Officers Jo & Des yet. However KCC are now
looking into how they can help so fingers crossed.
There is now a campaign website set up at www.katfamilysupport.services.officelive.com
Please visit it and sign the online petition to Save our Service

Help Raise awareness of autism by Joining our new Facebook or You Tube groups

There are so many exciting new projects happening at The National Autistic Society at the moment,
particularly in social media. These include the launch of our brand new think differently about
autism video, our shiny new NAS Facebook Fan Page and sparkling new NAS YouTube Channel.

NAS Facebook Fan Page

The National Autistic Society is proud to present the new NAS Facebook Fan Page which now
hosts the new think differently about autism campaign video. The Fan Page also includes a variety
of new ways you can Take Action to help us make the world a more autism-friendly place.
On the Fan Page you'll find info about upcoming events and how you can get involved, as well as
our regularly updated Autism Stories and you can even have a go at our Autism Quiz.
NAS YouTube Channel
We want to help spread awareness about autism. We've launched our new NAS YouTube Channel
which you can join and add your autism-related comments to our Be Counted Wall. You will also
be able to upload your own autism-related videos to the NAS YouTube Group.
There are so many ways you can help
To help us make our plans a reality we need your help, we're asking you to share these tools with
your friends and spread the word about what we're trying to do.
The internet is a powerful tool for raising awareness. Its quick, simple and, best of all, free!
 Share our NAS YouTube
Channel with your friendsUpload your autism related videos to the
NAS YouTube group

Invite your friends to the

NAS Facebook Fan PageDownload the NAS Facebook Application

Subscribe to NAS news via our RSS feed

straight to your inbox

Become a friend of the

NAS MySpace group

Aiming High Short Breaks have purchased for our branch 15 FREE Family tickets
TICKETS VALID UNTIL NOVEMBER 1ST 2009

to
Hailsham Sussex
BN27 3GD
For full details of the park & directions

go to

http://www.knockhatch.com/

Contact Suzanne via nas.dover.deal@hotmail.co.uk for details

Buy LEGO products and help support the NAS

Visit the online LEGO shop using the link below, and the NAS will receive 5% commission on all the LEGO products
that you buy.
LEGO UK recently selected the NAS as its charity partner for 2008-2010. This follows a donation of LEGO products
to NAS schools and services during 2007.
The company has pledged to raise £80,000 to build a fantastic new playground at the NAS Radlett Lodge School in
Hertfordshire through an exciting range of fundraising events. Find out more about our partnership at
www.autism.org.uk/lego
 Foreland School
Lanthorne Road, Broadstairs CT10 3NX
Summer ‘Holiday’
Indoor / Outdoor Bounces

Monday 3rd August

Monday 17th August
Tuesday 1st September
10.30am to 12.30pm
Suggested donation of £1 per child
Summer bounces will be in the infant playground – if it is raining then the bounce will take place in
the hall.
For more information about The Foreland Bounce
Telephone – 07717 064 944
Useful Contacts
NAS Helpline 0845 070 4004 (Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm)
or email autismhelpline@nas.org.uk

Kent Autistic Trust:---

Head Office
14 High St, Brompton, Gillingham, ME7 5AA
01634 405168
www.kentautistic.com
Family Support Officers
dwalker@kentautistic.com Adults
jo@kentautistic.com School Age Children
How to get in Touch
Partnership with Parents
01622 755515
Independent Panel for Special Education Advice
IPSEA
6 Carlow Mews
Woodbridge
Suffolk IP12 1EA
United Kingdom
www.ipsea.org.uk
Advice line: 0800 0184016
Contact IPSEA: 01394 446575
Fathers Club
John franklin
01474 832083
john_e_franklin@hotmail.co
SPOTS
Supporting People On The Spectrum
spotspectrum@talktalk.net 07717 064 944, or 07788 670721, or 07827 526306