parent to parent spring magazine 2015

Parentto Parent

MAGAZINE •• SPRING 2015

A totally different world

Sensory friendly movie

JB Munro signs off

2 PARENT TO PARENT MAGAZINE • SPRING 2015

Welcome to spring and this edition of our magazine.

There has been a lot of discussion over past months about support for children in the education system. This raised issues that hinder

true inclusion, attitude and funding. The Ministry of Education through its Special Education Update is looking at what needs to be done to improve the experience and outcomes for students with additional educational needs at school.

The consultation for this was extended to include families with a series of meetings throughout the country – good to see parents and families acknowledged and participating as partners in the important processes of change and improvement in the sector.

Enabling Good Lives is a partnership between the disability sector and government agencies. The Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development are contributing and working in partnership with disabled people, their families and whanau. The primary focus is to enable disabled people and their families to have greater choice and control over the supports they receive and the lives they lead.

The Waikato demonstration of Enabling Good Lives was officially under way in July and welcomed its first group of participants wanting to participate. Peoples’ first connection with Enabling Good Lives Waikato is through a Tuhono or Connector; they have the opportunity to consider what a good life looks like for them and the supports they may need to achieve this.

The Christchurch demonstration, in its final year, worked mostly with school leavers and has transformed the pathways for many young people. Learnings from the two demonstrations will inform the much bigger project of system transformation. For more information on Enabling Good Lives check out the website http://www.odi.govt.nz/what-we-do/improving-disability-supports/enabling-good-lives/

Connecting parentsParent to Parent is a nationwide not-for-profit organisation formed in 1983 by parents and professionals to support the families of children with disabilities and health impairments.

Thirty two years later, its 11 branches nationwide help families get through tough times, and encourage and empower them to think big, have hope and create meaningful everyday lives for the whole family.

Free and confidential, its two main services are the Support Parents connection and providing information.

Support parents: Having contact with another parent who has ‘been there’ can make all the difference. Parent to Parent supports families/whanau by connecting parents with a trained Support Parent who has a child with the same or similar condition, or who has experienced similar issues. More than 600 trained Support Parents nationwide can offer practical ideas, solutions and lend a listening ear. This service is unique to Parent to Parent; by supporting parents through their challenges, they are better equipped to focus on the gifts, skills and strengths of their child, and not let the disability block the pathway to a bright future.

Information: Parent to Parent’s researchers offer free information on over 3600 conditions; easy to understand information tailor-made for each child – for the child’s whole family, early childcare learning centres, schools, workplaces and any organisation that works with, and for, people with disabilities and health impairments. Conditions range from the common to the rare, and could be a result of a birth injury, car accident, medical misadventure, autoimmune disease or long-term medical conditions; from behavioural to physical, sensory, mental or intellectual.

Anne Wilkinson

C h i e f E x e c u t i v e

@ contact [email protected]

www read onlineparenttoparent.org.nz

facebook@parent2parentnz

free phone0508 236 236

instagram@parenttoparentnz

Bright futureswhere anyth ing i s p o s s ib l eBusiness development manager Sue Pairaudeau is the latest addition to the Parent to Parent team at the national office in Hamilton.

Sue comes from 23 years in print media, the past nine as a newspaper editor, followed by three years in retail marketing and communications.

She is now leading Parent to Parent business development through funding, communications and marketing. Her first major project is travelling the country directing and facilitating the current focus group and survey exercise, which may result in a consolidation, refresh or rebrand for Parent to Parent. Her goal is to raise the profile of the organisation so it can deliver its high quality core services to more people to keep up with increasing demand.

Sue comes from a large family where disabilities in young adults ranging from Type 1 diabetes to ADHD and aspergers are not considered barriers to leading full lives filled with fun. Having spent three years researching natural health and how nutrition affects the brain and body, Sue says peoples’ health and wellbeing drives almost everything in her life, and her attitude is “anything is possible”.

3PARENT TO PARENT MAGAZINE • SPRING 2015

Contents4 special film screening

5 A totally different world

6 awareness week a timely reminder

7 parent to parent in northland

8 inclusive atmosphere

9 introducing catherine trezona

10 understanding ear

11 a special ability: JB Munro

14 events diary

Looking

Manager Sue PairaudeauEditor Glenn Lambert-Vickers

Graphic designer Te Reo Hughes

Parent to Parent wishes to thank the newspapers that covered our people and children during Awareness Week, and consented for us

to run those articles in this magazine.

Cover: Photo courtesy of Hamilton News

Throughout September Parent to Parent is conducting focus groups nationwide to find out who knows what about our organisation and to help shape our future.

We aim to eventually become New Zealand’s “go-to” organisation for supporting families of children with disabilities and impairments, so we’re looking at our brand – our logo, name, strapline and what they mean to people who may or may not know what we do.

Focus group participants have been invited from all corners in the communities surrounding our 11 regional offices. They represent a random selection of locals as well as our volunteer support parents, parents being supported, and board members, to share food and ideas, and win fun spot prizes.

The focus groups will then determine what we ask in a nationwide survey. Together they will determine what happens next – a consolidation, refresh or rebrand – so community input is vital and very much appreciated.

If it results in a new look, a relaunch is planned for next February, and we hope to see all the same faces back to celebrate.

The focus groups are fun and interactive, and the success of the discussion can largely be attributed to Natalie Richards, managing director of Versus Research, Hamilton.

5

7

8

within


This year’s Parent to Parent Awareness Week (August 10-16) received unprecedented media coverage

with 13 newspapers and two radio stations from Whangarei to Invercargill reporting on the event and talking to our

people. Here are a few of those wonderful stories.

By Ged Cann

To mark Parent to Parent’s awareness week, which begins on Monday, the organisation has organised a sensory friendly screening of the Minions movie.

Parent to Parent is a nationwide charity formed in 1983 to support families of children with disabilities and health impairments by providing information packs and connecting parents who are going through similar circumstances.

Parent to Parent will host the sensory friendly screening of the movie so children who would usually be affected or unable to go to the cinema can have the opportunity.

Parent to Parent Waikato regional coordinator Carol Maynard said the inspiration for the event came from her daughter, who returned from a Sibling Support camp with the knowledge that half of the families there had had to leave a cinema in the past when a disabled child became frightened or disruptive.

The viewing will have dimmed rather than extinguished lighting, and the sound levels will be limited to avoid any unnecessary frights for the children. Families will be able to bring their own food as well.

“We have organised this so young people with needs that are unable to attend a screening with the general public are able to have a movie

experience, in an understanding environment.“This concept is very popular in the United States and the United Kingdom.”

Jacquie Dale is a user of Parent to Parent and said for her four-year-old son Toby the chance to see Minions at the cinema was amazing. “We took him to the cinema and showed him the screen so he can work up to it. He’s never been to the cinema before and he loves the Minions.”

Toby has Russell-Silver syndrome, a rare growth disorder, which means he has always been smaller than his twin brother Finn. Toby is on a growth hormone to help him catch up to his brother. Jacquie had previously taken Toby to a clown show and just the lights dipping was enough to unnerve him. “We had to take him out. Even now whenever we drive by the theatre he remembers.”

Jacquie said Parent to Parent had been an immense support in the early days of her sons’ lives by providing

reading material and helping her realise she was not alone when she spent most of her time at the hospital.

“We also have coffee groups, those are really awesome for the mums,” she said.

Courtesy of Hamilton News 7 Aug 2015

Special

Twins Toby, left, and Finn prepare for Toby’s first ever trip to the cinema.

f i lmscreening


By Geoff Lewis

Coping with one child with disabilities is hard enough, but dealing with two takes a special person and special help – or so Hamilton mum Samantha Te Papa has found.

Originally from Britain, Te Papa came to New Zealand 11 years ago, moving to Hamilton in 2009 where she joined Parent to Parent – an organisation which supports families of children with disabilities and impairments.

Her first son, Hayden, now 8, has spastic quadriplegia, cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy. Other than that, he is a very bright boy.

Three years ago second son Harrison arrived and while things seemed normal at the outset, he was eventually diagnosed with autism and a severe processing disorder. Otherwise also a very bright boy.

‘‘Being able to turn to Parent to Parent has been really good,’’ Te Papa said.

‘‘I knew nothing about autism to begin with. It is a totally different world. Parent to Parent has provided me with lots of information and shown me where to go to meet parents of other kids with similar disabilities.

‘‘Parent to Parent has allowed me to understand what is out there to help and to talk to therapists to better understand the professional practice – although therapists don’t have to live at home with the problems.’’

Parent to Parent also helped in moving children out of the home, when the time came, into more independent living arrangements, she said.

A nationwide not-for-profit organisation formed in 1983, Parent to Parent New Zealand celebrates its 2015 awareness week, August 10-16.

Free and confidential, last year Parent to Parent connected 478 parents with a volunteer support parent; provided 2860

tailor-made information packs, sibling support programmes for 92 children and teens, and training courses for 130 parents.

Parent to Parent Waikato regional co-ordinator Carol Maynard said the main event for Parent to Parent’s awareness week in Hamilton was the sensory-friendly screening of the movie Minions. Sensory-friendly screening means the lights are left on low and the sound volume is reduced.

‘‘We want to provide an opportunity for families to attend the movies as a whole without fear of being asked to leave because their child might make some noises or get excited. People with special dietary requirements can take their own food and there is also allowance made for increased levels of movement and noise,’’ Maynard said.

Courtesy of Hamilton Press 5 Aug 2015

I knew nothing about autism to begin with. It is a totally

different world.

“”

Hamilton mum Samantha Te Papa, with sons Hayden, 8, and Harrison, 3, says Parent to Parent was a lifesaver. Photo supplied by Bruce Miller

A totally worlddifferent


By Amy Johnson

This week is Parent to Parent Awareness Week, and Southland regional coordinator MaryAnn Hughes is hoping to raise awareness about the services the organisation offers to families. Formed in 1983, Parent to Parent was established as a not-for-profit group by parents and professionals to support families of children with disabilities and health impairments.

MaryAnn said Parent to Parent offered a free matching and information service to families throughout Southland.

With its national office in Hamilton, MaryAnn said researchers would find out more information about a child’s condition from doctors, professors and paediatricians.

“When a parent’s child is diagnosed with a condition, often they don’t know anything about it.”

Parent to Parent had information about more than 3600 conditions, she said. “It’s specifically tailored to that child.’’

Invercargill mother Leanne Pope has been using the service for the past couple of years. Her

daughter Bailey Peters was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) about three years ago, followed by mild dyslexia a year later. Leanne said she was shocked when she found out about Bailey’s condition and found it difficult to find more information.

“It’s not a nine to five, it’s full on.’’ However, after talking to MaryAnn she was given a ‘‘huge information pack’’ which covered not only the conditions, but also strategies about how to manage behaviour associated with it.

“There was so much good reading,” Leanne said.

Leanne said it was particularly helpful to talk to MaryAnn, because she has a child with Asperger’s Syndrome.

“I know from a mother’s perspective what it’s like,” MaryAnn said.

Bailey was now reading at a 10-11 year old age level, and was no longer getting sent out of class, Leanne said. “I just wish we got the diagnosis [earlier].”

For people wanting to connect with other families

who had been through similar experiences, there were also 42 trained support parents based in Southland.

“We’ve got a wide variety of parents who have experienced and been through the journey with their child in many conditions.”

If a family could not be found locally, Parent to Parent would look nationwide, or even internationally if it was a rare condition. Working alongside the coordinator from Autism Southland, MaryAnn said they made rural visits and held support groups in Queenstown, Gore and Te Anau. Parent to Parent also held family activities, such as a Sibling Support Camp, which is coming up in November, for children aged 8-18 who have a sibling with a disability or health impairment.

MaryAnn said she was thankful for the support of funders and Parent to Parent’s volunteer committee who helped make the service possible. “Without my committee I wouldn’t be able to do half the things I do. They’re very supportive,” she said.

Courtesy of Southland Express 13 Aug 2015

AwarenessA timelyreminder

Week


By Danica Maclean

Support is the name of the game for Emma Watson.

Her 14-year-old son Tyler, who attends Blomfield Special School, was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old.

She receives support from Parent to Parent and Altogether Autism Northland, and also provides support back to other mums involved.

Watson first became involved when her family moved to Northland from the Wairarapa in 2013.

Parent to Parent supports families of children with disabilities and impairments while Altogether Autism focuses specifically on autism support. This week is its annual awareness week.

The goal is to connect parents with other parents who have children with the same or similar conditions as their own.

Watson attends monthly coffee group catch ups where she has met some other mums dealing with similar issues.

“Tyler has complex needs and requires a lot of support – having someone to talk to is huge,” she says.

“It is critical to have support along the way when you have a child with autism.”

Parent to Parent and Altogether Autism also provide people with easy to understand information on over 3600 conditions.

Watson says whenever she needs information to support Tyler she puts an information request through and the research team sends out an

information pack that is specific for Tyler and the issue she is seeking information about.

It also provides courses which help parents ensure their child gets everything they are entitled to at school.

The free service has connected with 393 people in Northland since it launched in 1983.

Watson also volunteers for the Sibling Support days. She says children who have a sibling with a disability miss out, as often parents are dealing with the child with the disability and are stretched for time.

“It’s so cool to see the kids have fun on a day especially created for them.”

“There have been good times and hard times, but when I look back, I see how strong this journey has made me as a mum. Tyler is an awesome son and I am continually learning methods and ways to allow him to grow and develop his skills for the future,” she says.

Courtesy of Stuff 10 Aug 2015

Parentto Parent

in Northlandproviding wealth of support

Tyler (left) and mum Emma Watson are one of many Northland families who benefit from Parent to Parent’s support.

(opposite page) Parent to Parent service users Leanne Pope (back left) and Bailey Peters (9), with Southland regional coordinator MaryAnn Hughes.


By Glenn Lambert-Vickers

The Altogether Autism AUT’BE conference 2015 in Auckland on July 22 and 23 attracted 240 delegates, including people on the spectrum, their families, and professionals. MP Hon Ruth Dyson and media representatives also attended sessions.

The conference featured keynote speeches and workshops with a balance of lived experience and professional expertise.

Presentations from a Māori and Pasifika perspective, along with a sensory theatre workshop were key highlights.

Altogether Autism national manager Catherine Trezona says the conference reflected the diversity of the Altogether Autism community. “It was wonderful to provide a balance of lived, family, and professional experience across the conference, reflecting our goal of inclusion and diversity.”

A highlight was the Māori and Pasifika perspectives. Keynote speaker Bernie Wastney delivered a Māori whānau’s experience of autism, with advice for professionals on building partnerships with families. Dorothy Taare-Smith provided

Attendees at the Applied Theatre Specialist workshop were treated to a live demonstration by Mind Over Manner (MoM) of sensory processing differences and neural anxiety through a hypothetical family scenario. Facilitator Susan Haldane guided the audience through each hypothetical family member’s reaction and the individual sensory processing that led to the exchange.

Other notable workshops included a presentation by Nan Jensen of Quin Law about legal rights and responsibilities, while Tanya Breen and Jenny Gibbs presented on using psychological tests for diagnosticians and test users in diagnosing autism.

The Parent to Parent trade stand proved a popular stop for delegates, providing resource packs and parent support services information.

Feedback from delegates was overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on the inclusive atmosphere along with the balance of personal, parental and professional perspectives on offer.

Altogether Autism is a national information and advisory service for people on the autism spectrum, their families, whānau and professionals. It is provided in joint partnership by Parent to Parent and LIFE Unlimited.

Inclusive

Bernie Wastney, keynote speaker at the Altogether Autism Conference

atmosphere

attendees with a kaupapa Māori alternative for supporting Māori learners with autism, while Betty Pulefolau-Kolose discussed bringing autism awareness to the Pasifika community.


Catherine Trezona was formally introduced as the new national manager of Altogether Autism at last month’s AUT’BE conference. Glenn Lambert-Vickers talks to Catherine to find out more about her new role and her background.

Catherine, can you tell us about yourself?

I grew up in the Waikato and I am the mother of two Cantabrian-born sons. I’ve previously been a mohair wool classer, a goat farmer, and a Playcentre supervisor. I recently completed a Masters at Massey University in Health Psychology. My Masters involved a qualitative research project working with parents and children involved in a child weight management programme. I have worked for Altogether Autism since 2014 as a researcher.

What do you see as the key priorities for you going forward as national manager?

I’d like to focus on enhancing our community and networks to ensure people on the spectrum, families, and professionals have a voice in all aspects relating to autism. I am also passionate about building relationships with Māori and Pasifika communities, using the connections formed through the AUT’BE conference. Migrant communities are another group I would like to see us connecting with further.

What other community needs do you see as a focus for Altogether Autism?

I feel it is important we offer support for people on the spectrum who are experiencing a transition, for example transitioning out of the school system. Transitions can be a stressful time for people with autism and it would be wonderful to be able to provide support for the person, their family, and professionals working with them.

What do you do outside of work?

Faith, family, farming! I’m a country girl at heart. I live on my uncle’s farm so am still involved with stock work with assistance from my beautiful dog Bethany Beagle. I love visiting my sons who are both based in Wellington. I enjoy experimenting with new gourmet vegan creations and sharing them with the community through a monthly recipe club.

Introducing...Catherine Trezona


Carolyn Jury leads a busy life as a mother, a student, and as Parent to Parent’s support and information coordinator. Glenn Lambert-Vickers talks to Carolyn about her involvement with the support parent programme, her studies, and her passion for helping families of people with disabilities.

As the support parent and information coordinator for Parent to Parent since April, Carolyn connects people who want to speak with a trained Support Parent – someone who has been through similar experiences and can offer an understanding ear. Connecting with another parent who has “been there” reduces the sense of being overwhelmed by the situation.

Carolyn says: “They understand the small steps and resultant celebrations in a way that the wider world may not comprehend.”

Carolyn knows the benefits of a connection from personal experience, having been connected with a Support Parent and later becoming one herself. As the mother of a son with Asperger’s Syndrome, Carolyn contacted Parent to Parent in 2007 for information and support. The connection was so beneficial that Carolyn trained to be a Support Parent soon after and joined the local Waikato Parent to Parent branch.

“Being mum to a son who is different helps me to understand and empathise with our whānau and families,” Carolyn says, “and I find it rewarding being part of a team that makes a real difference in the community.”

For the past three

years Carolyn has been studying towards a Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences in counselling at Wintec, Hamilton, and is completing her final paper this semester. She was motivated to study counselling from her experiences of parenting a different child and her volunteer work with Parent to Parent. The enjoyment Carolyn felt from supporting other parents with calls inspired her to learn more about counselling and develop her skills to help others in the community.

After graduating Carolyn sees herself still working within the disability sector using her passion for supporting families to encourage

and empower people to reach their full potential. After balancing a busy

range of commitments, Carolyn will hopefully have time to celebrate and reflect on her journey while

enjoying a well-earned rest from study!

Connection understanding ear

Being mum to a son who

is different helps

me to understand and

empathise with our whānau and families.

“

”

& an


JB Munro is stepping down. The former head of IHC, fundraising maestro and global disability advocate talks to Bruce Munro about the polio-victim foster child who left school without any qualifications and went on to play a pivotal role in the most significant advance in disability rights in the history of New Zealand.

A photographer at the Otago Daily Times tells a story about JB Munro that is hard to reconcile with the quiet, elderly gentleman sitting here in the armchair of his modest Mosgiel townhouse.

''I was a cadet photographer and I asked him what the JB stood for,'' the photographer recalls.

''He replied, ‘It’s JB. Go ask your chief of staff','' the overawed youngster was firmly told.

''JB – he's a legend,'' the now senior photographer concludes. The incident occurred in the mid-1980s.

Mr Munro was in the middle of a 20-year reign as national director of IHC, the organisation providing services for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. It was a tumultuous

time for the disability sector and the country: The end of institutionalisation for thousands of people who were now being integrated into mainstream New Zealand life, often for the first time; the rise of disability rights, which was challenging social stigma and expectations around disability; the culmination of two decades of slow but steady progress, now spilling over into people's everyday lives. And in the eye of the storm stood JB, enthusing, cajoling, envisioning, and sweating towards his vision for a better tomorrow for everyone.

''It was a very hard battle. But I wouldn't change it for anything,'' says the 78-year-old in the blue cardigan with a glint in his eye. ''No one should be institutionalised. It must never be lost.''

Mr Munro was born on August 15, 1936, the son of an unwed 16-year-old girl from Gore. He became a ward of the State and was fostered at a few months old by William and Lily Munro, who farmed on the outskirts of Invercargill.

The Munros had begun fostering when their own children, including Burt Munro, of World's Fastest

A spec ial abi l ityJB Munro received a 2013 Attitude Hall of Fame award for outstanding lifelong service to the disability community.

Continued from page 11 Indian fame, had grown up and left home.''Burt was 36 years older than me. He lived at the far end of the farm on Tramway Rd and liked to speed along the gravel road on his motorbikes,'' Mr Munro says.

More than 100 children were given short or long-term care in the Munro home.

At only a few weeks old, JB Munro contracted polio. As a result, his left foot was twisted outwards at a 90-degree angle and his heel hung in the air.

In 1944, he came under the care of orthopaedic surgeon Major Renfrew White. The next eight months were spent in Dunedin, between the hospital and Kew Convalescent Home, enduring four operations that included the grafting in of a bullock bone to lengthen his leg.(Some four decades later, Mr Munro would buy the South Dunedin Convalescent Home he had spent so much time in and convert it to the service of people with intellectual disabilities.)

Teased for his callipered limp, and then unable to get School Certificate despite repeated attempts, Mr Munro left school at the age of 18 and took work at the Vacuum Oil Co (later Mobil). It was just to pay the bills. His real focus was youth work.

He led the large local chapter of Boys Brigade and was superintendent of a Sunday school that had 35 volunteer teachers working with 400 children. After two years’ youth work training in Sydney, the energetic natural leader returned to New Zealand, married his fiancée Val (nee Sharfe), and shifted to Dunedin to work for the YMCA.

Adopting the radical approach of asking teenagers what they wanted, JB (as he was now known) organised and ran weekly and fortnightly dances which attracted up to 500 young people. The money he raised went towards the construction of the joint YMCA facility and Dunedin City Council carpark later built on the Moray Pl site at the bottom of View St.During this time, the couple's two children were born.

Mr Munro had set up a trampoline in the ground

floor foyer of the old YMCA building, in Moray Pl. One day, he noticed a young man with an intellectual disability standing outside watching those on the trampoline. Mr Munro invited him in to have a go. The next day the boy returned with several friends.''It was that young man who triggered John's interest in disability,'' Mrs Munro says.

By 1968, JB was the administrator of Southland IHC. For several years, he combined that with being an Invercargill city councillor ... invited to stand as the Labour candidate for Invercargill. It was a timely offer as he was becoming increasingly concerned about the needs of people with disabilities.

''It was the reality that things could be much improved,'' Mr Munro says with feeling.''We had 10,000 people with an intellectual disability in state institutions. Forty to a bedroom. A health department that was absolutely ... A lot of individuals who were self-centred so-and-sos.''

In Parliament, he championed the ground-breaking Disabled Persons' Community Welfare Act. The Bill, which was passed during the last week of Parliament before Labour was defeated in the 1975 general election, gave disabled people community services as of right for the first time.

It was during a chance meeting at Wellington airport that former IHC head Donald Beasley suggested Mr Munro apply for the top IHC job. In October 1977, the family packed up for a new life in Wellington. They

would not return south for 21 years.''It changed our lives completely. The things John was able to accomplish with a willing staff, '' Mrs Munro says.

Human rights had been slowly on the rise since the 1960s. Women's rights, indigenous rights, gay rights ... Now was the hour for disability rights.Up until then, the focus had been on keeping disabled people locked up and out of sight, Dr Hilary Stace, a disability researcher at Victoria, University of Wellington, says.''He was really important in the deinstitutionalisation of people with disability and then in the shift from

It was a very hard battle.

But I wouldn’t change

it for anything.

“”


large community housing to smaller community housing in residential neighbourhoods,'' Dr Stace, who is researching a book on JB, says.

Fundraising continued to be an active sideline. The calf-rearing scheme he set up, and which still operates, was netting the IHC about $500,000 a year. He gave seed funding to Parent to Parent, which supports families of people with disabilities. Some of the money donated during the 1981 nationwide Telethon, which he co-chaired, got mobility taxis started in New Zealand and brought teletext to the country's television sets. He founded what became the Fundraisers Institute of New Zealand, and hosted the first disability television show in the country.

In 1998, the same year he was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, Mr Munro voluntarily stepped down as chief executive of IHC and took up the role of Otago administrator, ''to get back to the grass roots''.But two years later, he was on the move again, seconded to disability self-advocacy group Inclusion International as chairman and roving ambassador.

In recent years, he has been president of Rotary Mosgiel and served on Rotary's international service committee. The New Zealand wing of Rotary International's disaster relief ShelterBox project has raised millions of dollars since JB was its first New Zealand secretary. He has also raised funds, and served as international chairman for seniors’ community housing organisation Abbeyfield.Now he is stepping down, stepping back. A move given impetus by the onset of Alzheimers.

Mrs Munro says she noticed the beginnings of his memory loss up to five years ago. A brain seizure last year, however, has sped up the degenerative process.

“There's no point taking responsibility if you can't remember something right at the crucial time or you make the wrong decision,'' a philosophical Mr Munro says.But there is still much of the mental spark and verbal skill that made him a fearless advocate and fearsome opponent. Mr Munro admits he was always quick with his tongue. It was a skill he acquired to counter schoolyard bullies and then

applied to fight for others.

''He is very caring. And he fights for anything, always with words, using his intelligence,'' Mrs Munro says.They could just be the sentiments of an admiring spouse. But they are repeated in different forms by many others.Alan Somerville, past president of Otago Playcentre and Abbeyfield Dunedin chairman, shoulder-tapped for the role by Mr Munro, says JB has an ''anything is possible'' attitude.

The downside of that is that it is ''exhausting for the rest of us'', Mr Somerville jokes.

The aim was always to secure the change and assistance that was needed to help others, the couple

say. The chief example was ''bringing children out of institutions'', Mrs Munro says. ''Some parents were frightened that going into the big wide world, they [their children] were going to suffer for it. But it didn't happen. ''They would go off to dances, live by themselves, get a job. All these things happened. And they had been told by the doctors years ago that their children would never amount to anything and they needed to be put into an institution.

Mr Munro's only regret is that he was not able to raise more money to put IHC on a more secure footing.''But the thing is, dear, you were focused on doing all the humane things,'' his wife replies. ''Ralph is building on that now. You got it all started.''

Beyond that, Mr Munro says there is not a thing he would change about his life, not even being a ward of the State. At the age of 50, he was reunited with his birth mother, his siblings and relations.''Now I have two wonderful families,'' he says.

Mrs Munro glances over at him, another reason to be grateful, not bitter, forming in her mind.''If John hadn't had all those experiences, he might not be the man he is today. He might not have done the things he did.''

Courtesy of Otago Daily Times 6 Jul 2015

JB has an ‘anything is possible’ attitude ...

“”


EARLY START DENVER MODEL INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPAutism is estimated to affect 1:100 children. While it is a spectrum disorder, it is lifelong and often presents with significant impairment. Many children are diagnosed in their early years (before age five) and, given the brain plasticity in the first years of life, early intervention offers the best potential.

The value of early intervention is widely recognised with studies showing better outcomes with earlier treatment. However, knowledge, availability and accessibility of evidenced-based programmes is limited.

Victoria University, in conjunction with the Autism Intervention Trust of Wellington, is pleased to announce a one-day workshop in the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). ESDM is an evidenced-based programme that shows huge promise in the treatment of autism in pre-schoolers.

What is ESDM?Named as one of Time Magazine’s Top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2012, ESDM is an evidence-based intervention specifically developed for very young children with autism. ESDM is a play-based intervention that fuses behavioural and developmental principles into an integrated approach.

Using play and daily routines, ESDM can be implemented in different natural settings such as the home or an early childhood centre by trained therapists and educators as well as parents and other family. ESDM aims to reduce the symptoms of autism and targets all developmental areas.

ESDM offers the potential to transform beginnings for children with autism.

The presenter Elizabeth Fulton has been working with children with autism and their families for many years. She is also on staff at the University of NSW in the Faculty of Medicine School of Psychiatry.

Elizabeth is a certified ESDM therapist and the first Certified ESDM trainer in Australia. Her clinical experience includes:

• assessing children with ASD

• developing and supervising Group ESDM intervention programmes

• ESDM Clinics

• ESDM Parent Training.

Elizabeth is also an experienced presenter, training large groups of professionals in a range of child development, behaviour analysis and intervention topics.

What will you learn?In this introductory one-day workshop to learn about the theoretical and empirical framework, curriculum and teaching principles of the ESDM.

Topics include how to: • Become a play partner with a child with ASD

and engage them in rich one-on-one learning experiences

• Promote children’s development, communication, social interaction and imitation

• Administer and complete a developmental assessment of children's skill levels

• Develop individualised and developmentally appropriate teaching objectives

• Implement the ESDM teaching practices and fidelity system to evaluate technique use

• Maintain data systems and address progress challenges when needed.

WHEN: Monday 19 October • 9:30am-4:30pmWHERE: Victoria University Karori campus Donald St, Theatre Block, Lecture Theatre COST: $105* Family/whanau $155** ProfessionalsMorning/afternoon tea and lunch provided.

*plus $5.12 booking costs**plus $6.38 booking costs

REGISTER: http://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2015/early-start-denver-model-introductory-workshop/wellington

introductory in early interventionbest practiceautism workshop

Elizabeth Fulton


RENEWA short workshop set in a tranquil venue that explores natural support networks, grief, family resilience and managing stress. Meet other parents in your area.

25 Sept • Yarnton House • Auckland

SUPPORT PARENT TRAININGThe course covers communication skills, grief issues and provides opportunities for personal awareness where parents can consider their ability to support others.

12 - 13 Sept • Havelock North Community Centre • Hawke’s Bay25 - 26 Sept • Parent to Parent Manawatu • Palmerston North

TO FIND OUT MORE OR TO REGISTER FOR THESE EVENTS AND OTHERS:WWW.PARENTTOPARENT.ORG.NZ • [email protected] • 0508 236 236

events diarySee what is happening in your region

All Parent to Parent events are free

SIBSHOP / SIBCAMPA day or weekend camp for kids aged 8-18 who have a brother or sister with a disability.

6 - 8 Nov • Camp Adair • Auckland27 - 29 Nov • Camp Columba • Southland

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2015Notice is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of Parent to Parent New Zealand Inc.18 Oct • Auckland Airport Holiday Inn • Auckland

parent to parent spring magazine 2015

Documents