Borders Asperger & Autism Group Support

Holiday Club for Autistic children

2008-08-03T05:27:00.001-07:00

Holiday Play Club Questionnaire

My name is Sheena Henderson I previously worked as a Play Development Officer for South Lanarkshire Leisure, Play Services. My remit was to plan and implement holiday play clubs for children with additional support needs, which I did for four years until I had my son in 2006.

The first ever play club ran summer 2002 and it catered for twelve children all who were on the autistic spectrum. The clubs ran from two locations one in Hamilton catering for some of the children from central South Lanarkshire and the other in Lanark meeting the needs of some children from the more rural areas.

Each club ran for two days a week at the locations using the same staff members. Staff members worked on a one to one basis with the children throughout each session. These play sessions offered a varied play programme from a sensory room to soft play. Each child had an individual play programme which was constructed by the play worker.

My proposal is to work in collaboration with BAGGS (Borders Asperger and Autism Group Support) setting up holiday play clubs for children with ASD starting summer 2009, mirroring the model I have previously used in South Lanarkshire.

To take part in the questionnaire, please contact BAAGS....baagsmail@yahoo.co.uk

September 17th 2008

2008-08-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

Richard Exley
ANGER & Autism

Wednesday 17th Sept.
10 am until 1pm

£45 per delegate

Ettrick Riverside Business Centre, Selkirk

emotion trainer

2008-07-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

free trial

http://www.emotiontrainer.co.uk

Psychology Student Seeks Siblings.

2008-05-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Do you have a brother or sister with autism?

Are you over 18?

I am in my final year of studying Bsc Psychology with the Open University.

I am undertaking a research project to find out more about what it is like to have a brother or sister with autism.

I am looking for a participant to interview, and hear about your experience of autism, and the impact this has had on you and your family.

Confidentiality and anonymity assured.

If you would like to find out more please contact me and I will pass on your details to Donna...the student.

T-SHIRTS for sale

2008-05-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

BAAGS t-shirts are available in adult sizes;
small...medium..large and x-large.

cost is £9 plus £2-75 p&p

they look great, and feel great and all money would help towards keeping BAAGS supporting.

The Carer - Van

2008-04-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

By definition, people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, requires constant attention and in many cases close scrutiny. Providing this level of attention is extremely demanding on the individual as well as the family and friends of the sufferer.

Many of the regular things the rest of us find commonplace are not available to these families; things like day trips and holidays are extremely difficult if not impossible. Some respite from the constant pressure of providing day to day care to the sufferer is often impossible to find.

BAAGS has hit upon the idea of a caravan on a regular holiday site, Berwick Holiday Park, which is within easy travelling of Scottish Borders for the use of individuals, and the families of those, with an Autism Specific Condition to use as short holidays and respite.

The aims of this discreet project of BAAGS would be
• To reduce the stress on the family members involved in the care and support of an autistic person.
• To allow the autistic person the opportunity to holiday in an environment that is non-disabled specific.
• To encourage families who have an autistic member to holiday as a family unit, without the fear of isolation or stigma.
• To allow autism people and their families to holiday alongside other families. To allow families to enjoy a family holiday at an affordable cost, regardless of time of year they holiday.

Please Give Generously

Talk-in for parents and others

2008-03-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to £1000.- from the Parenting Strategy Fund...we are hoping to organise some informal talk-in for parents, teachers, additional needs assistants, social workers, carers.....etc etc.
We will have a Guest who has a diagnosis of asperger syndrome, and they will come along and give you an idea of what life has been like for them from chuildhood to adulthood and all the stuff in between.
The talk-in's will be held on an evening, in a local venue with tea/coffee included.

These talk-in's will be free to all parents and donations towards the cost of the tea/coffee will be encouraged.

It is hoped that the venues will be in Duns, Hawick, Peebles and Gala......anyone with thoughts/opinions or n interest in attending, please contact me.

Dates have still to be finalised, and you will read about them here as well as everywhere else!!!

Rest in Peace Genevieve....Thank You

2008-02-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

Genevieve Edmonds

3rd July 1981 – 9th February 2008

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the tragic Death of Genevieve Edmonds on 9th February 2008.

Anyone who had the privilege of working with Gen will understand the void that Gen leaves behind her.

Diagnosed with Aspergers, Gen had a unique capability to give of herself and to understand and support other people. Gen had a gift for straddling two realities. She lived with Autism and found the “non autistic” world hard to understand and to be in. Nonetheless she also understood the importance of connecting two realities assisting one “world” to understand the other. At risk and pain to herself she stood on the bridge daily and translated one world for the other in the hope that it would make a difference to others with the condition, barely asking or expecting anything for herself.

During the time she worked for Paradigm her selflessness, courage, strength, beauty, vivaciousness, humor and tenacity were just a few of the traits that marked her out as special, unique and as our friend.

Gen faced every day with courage. She faced her working days with us with more than that though. She was a font of knowledge on her own condition. She had a rapacious appetite for information that would help her to understand herself and was tireless, talented and generous in the extreme in sharing that learning to benefit others.

Every day that she worked with and trained groups cost her more than anyone working with her would understand. At the end of the day she was exhausted. It was too much for her to process and understand the difference she made. For by standers, those like us with the privilege to watch, seeing the difference she made was awe inspiring.

Many of us come into the work that we do to make a difference. Many of us leave never knowing whether we did or not. This is a tribute to a woman who probably never understood the difference that she made but whose contribution to making things better for others was, is and never will be in doubt.

She was our friend our colleague and we loved her. She is irreplaceable and will be sorely missed.

Rest in peace Gen.

Donations in memory of Genevieve can be forwarded to the International League of the Protection of Horses via: B Livesey, 31 Bolton Street, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 3AA. Tel no: 01257 262602

2009 training programme

2008-02-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

we are looking to plan the 2009 events...anyone who has a particular topic that they would like to see covered, could you either post it here,
post it on our website www.baags.co.uk,
or
email baagsmail@yahoo.co.uk

PATRON

2008-02-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

BAAGS are very proud and honoured to have GEORGE KENNEDY as our patron.
George is a great ambassador for our group...he is ambitious, talented, appeals to all age groups, respectable, interesting, admired by young and old, approachable and polite...what more could we ask?
He has a huge following for his music and is very much in demand, just check his bebo site to see a list of his forthcoming events...not many quiet spells. He also has produced number of albums, and is in the process of completing his next one. His music sees him travelling all over the U.K, and is a regular performer for the Haven Holiday Parks.

George is local to the Scottish Borders, having been born and lived all his life in Earlston...can't get much more 'local' than that!!!

We are currently in the process of planning a Tour of the Borders...George and friends will be performing a series of 'gigs' Borders-wide...titled BAAGS of FUN...they will be appearing at a place near you...so watch this space!!!!

Thank you to George and his crew for their support, friendship and willingness to promote BAAGS and the conditions we are raising awareness of.

George Kennedy

2008-02-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

www.offcialgeorgekennedy.co.uk

check out his site...what a singer.

Plans are being made to host a Charity event to raise money for BAAGS thanks to the tlented George...a locally grown talented inger...

Thank you George, and the team, for your support

BOOKS

2008-02-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

We are always looking for unwanted and unneeded books...we collect them from anywhere within the Scottish Borders...so please, have a clean out, encourage family, friends and neighbours to sort through their bookcases and give us a call

Dates for 2008

2008-02-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

February 25th, Kings Arms, Melrose....7-30pm

The theme is Education, Autism and Denholm Primary School/Autism Unit

2 councillors, and 2 members of the Education Ddepartment will be present and do their best to answer any questions/concerns any parents have.

Border Forums

2008-02-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

www.borderschat.com

a great new forum for everyone to keep in touch with what is going on in the Borders....check it out...register and join in