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ChatAbility episode three

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Sirrianni Famiy

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ChatAbility Frankston

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The Knights

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ChatAbility Episode one

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Most families look forward to school holidays and weekends where they can explore local attractions and attend events. However, for parents and families of autistic children, keeping them entertained particularly in busy and overwhelming environments can be challenging.
Autistic people find it difficult to understand non-verbal communication, and how to respond appropriately in social situations. They may experience sensory overload, where they may be extremely sensitive to smells, sights, sounds and textures. Autistic children therefore, often don’t cope well with holiday activities that other children would find enjoyable.
The great news is that autism awareness is continually increasing, and therefore many great organisations and attractions are now providing sensory-friendly rooms, activities and accessories that cater for children and adults with sensory needs.
Just remember, if a venue or event is advertising itself as &#8216;sensory&#8217; or &#8216;autism-friendly&#8217;, it&#8217;s always a good idea to check with them to see what they do offer, to ensure they can accommodate you or your loved one.
Attractions such as the <a href="https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/visiting/access/the-autism-friendly-museum/">Melbourne Museum</a> now provide social stories that help explain social situations to autistic children and help them learn ways of behaving in these situations.
Social stories have photographs to show a visitor what they&#8217;ll encounter during a visit, and they point out details about the setting, things that typically happen in that setting and the actions or behaviour that are typically expected from children in the setting.
<a href="https://www.penguins.org.au/attractions/penguin-parade/accessibility/">Phillip Island Nature Park</a> are a certified sensory-inclusive site with professionally trained staff. Sensory bags are available, equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools and verbal cue cards. Weighted lap pads can also be loaned for free. There are also Headphone Zones and Designated Quiet Areas for visitors needing a sensory break.
Trips to the cinema can often be a no-go zone for autistic kids as they are dark and loud spaces. Thankfully, <a href="https://villagecinemas.com.au/events/sensory-friendly-films">Village Cinemas</a> and <a href="https://www.hoyts.com.au/offers-events/events/catch-family-favourites-in-a-sensory-friendly-cinema">Hoyts Cinemas</a> offer sensory-friendly movie sessions at selected cinemas for autistic children, adults and their families. Sensory-friendly films allow families to enjoy movies in a safe and accepting environment with the cinema lights turned up and the sound turned down.
<a href="https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/events/sensory-friendly-sundays">The Melbourne Aquarium</a> offer sensory-friendly Sundays throughout Winter, with new exhibitions and activity areas will be open extra early for a quieter experience and modified to suit people on the autism spectrum and visitors with a range of differing abilities. Their trained staff and volunteers are also on-hand to facilitate creative activities.
Sporting stadiums and arenas can present major barriers for individuals who have sensitivity to over stimulation and noise. The <a href="https://mcg.org.au/the-stadium/access-and-inclusion/sensory-friendly-space">Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)</a> and <a href="https://marvelstadium.com.au/sensory-room-accessibility/">Marvel Stadium</a>, both offer sensory-friendly spaces that offer visitors some quiet and calm on event day no matter the size or volume of the crowd.
We are so pleased to hear that big and small attractions are providing these spaces for patrons of all ages who have sensory sensitivities, processing differences, or other hidden or invisible disabilities such as autism, acquired brain injury, mental illness and dementia, just to name a few. It’s just one step closer to an inclusive world for people of all abilities.
The good people at Aspect Australia say being armed with a greater awareness of neurodiversity, and by making a few simple changes or providing additional resources, you can help to create a far more inclusive environment.
People who have a hidden disability can choose to wear a <a href="https://hiddendisabilitiesshop.com.au/">Sunflower lanyard</a> on outings, which discreetly indicates to staff and others that they may need additional time, support or understanding. This provides a consistent icon that is recognisable between locations, including travelling through the airport, on public transport, attending sport, or going to the museum.
To find out more about how we can all contribute to an autism-friendly Australia, visit <a href="https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/get-involved/making-australia-autism-friendly">Autism Spectrum Australia</a>. You can check out their <a href="https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/get-involved/making-australia-autism-friendly/calendar-of-autism-friendly?state=allStates&amp;start=2022-06-19&amp;end=2023-07-18">autism-friendly event calendar</a> to find out more about autism-friendly events happening in your area.
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Having an autistic child means that Leanne Tuckerman never has much time to herself. Even when she does have time away from her son Thomas, she is still busy advocating for him, to ensure he gets the care and opportunities he needs to flourish.
Thomas, 11, was diagnosed with autism when he was five years old, and then a few years later he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He also has dysgraphia, which is a learning disability that affects writing skills, handwriting and spelling, so school can be challenging for him.
“Thomas has anxiety and is scared of many things, so he prefers to stay at home. He’s not very independent and so he relies on me to do most things for him,” Leanne explains.
An avid gamer, Thomas loves staying at home and Leanne says she really struggles to get him out of the house and engage in outdoor activities. Her main goal was to see him become more independent and less reliant on her.
After finally getting an NDIS plan approved for Thomas, Leanne wanted to utilise his funds to employ a support worker so that she could not only get some respite, but so Thomas could get out and learn to engage with the world away from her.
In July 2020, Leanne came across Carer Solutions, and it was our unique Direct Employ service that initially attracted her. Our service enabled the family to employ Maddie, a young woman who the family already knew, and who Thomas really liked.
“Thomas has always struggled to engage with people such as his Occupational Therapists and the like, so we knew that it was only going to work if he knew and connected well with his support worker,” she says.
Leanne explains how Thomas and Maddie regularly go to the supermarket to buy all the ingredients for the evening meal, then come home and prepare and cook it together.
“I am just so amazed &#8211; I could never have imagined him doing something like that,” Leanne says. “Thomas can now even go to KFC or Subway and order his own meal, which is so great to see. He would never have done that if he was with me. I have always had real trouble getting him away from his computer, so I am so happy to see him going out with Maddie, having fun and gaining independence.”
<blockquote>“Due to his anxiety issues, finding someone that Thomas knew and trusted was essential for us. My husband and I can now go out for dinner and enjoy our time together knowing Thomas is well cared for with someone he feels comfortable with.”</blockquote>
Leanne says that thanks to being a Carer Solutions Partner, she is now excited for the future, especially with Thomas starting high school next year.
“It is wonderful to see him so excited about going to high school, and it’s certainly a comfort for us to know that he is,” Leanne says.

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Advances in prosthetics are constantly evolving and over the past two decades, there have been many advances in Assistive Technology that have improved the function, design and appearance of prostheses.
To find out more about the amazing work being done in this space, we caught up with prosthetics superstar, Monique Van den Boom, Director and Senior Prosthetist from <a href="https://www.pmprosthetics.com.au/">ProMotion Prosthetics</a>. We wanted to find out more about her work, and what drives and inspires her to work in this highly technical but rewarding field.
Monique is passionate about achieving excellent clinical and functional outcomes for people living with upper and lower limb amputation and limb loss. She has worked in the prosthetics profession for almost 20 years, and her extensive work in Australia and overseas has exposed her to all aspects required to successfully treat clients who have acquired an upper or lower limb amputation or who were born without limbs.
In 2010, an earthquake in Haiti killed more than 200,000 people and left thousands more in need of prosthetics. Monique was one of the many skilled prosthetists who volunteered their time to provide much needed aid and support to injured Haitians.
<figure id="attachment_856" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-856" style="width: 608px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-856" src="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2022/06/Monique-in-Haiti_resize.jpg" alt="Prosthetics article" width="608" height="405" srcset="https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2022/06/Monique-in-Haiti_resize.jpg 1080w, https://wp.carersolutions.com.au/app/uploads/2022/06/Monique-in-Haiti_resize-600x400.jpg 600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-856" class="wp-caption-text">Monique working in Haiti</figcaption></figure>
Prosthetists like Monique, often work with people who are going through an extreme change or trauma in their lives. They play an important role in returning the individual to their previous (or in some cases, an improved) level of function.
“We work with each individual to assess their needs, determine the most appropriate device, then complete the fitting process which includes casting, moulding, fitting and aligning the device, while working with other allied health professionals to provide the therapy to help them achieve their goals.” Monique explains.
These goals may include being able to provide a device to help an individual to go to the beach with their kids or designing a prosthetic arm to help a child to ride their bike.
<blockquote>Did you know that the world’s earliest functional prosthetic body parts are thought to be two examples of artificial toes from Ancient Egypt? Early prostheses were mostly decorative, but these Egyptian toes are an early example of a true prosthetic device.</blockquote>
The recent advances in Assistive Technology have significantly raised the profile of prosthetics within the general public, as well as improve the level of acceptance and quality of life of prosthetic device users.
While this sounds complex – (and it most certainly is!),  there is a simplicity of living well and with dignity, that having a prosthesis can bring to its users and it’s up to all of us as a community to learn more about these positives.
“There have been trailblazers in the disability advocacy space that have helped raise issues people with disability face in the community,” says Monique.
“People on social media with prominent profiles act as examples of what can be achieved for new prosthetic users and people with disability are being cast in films, TV and advertising which helps to integrate all people within our society as a ’norm’; however, I believe that individuals still experience discrimination from society.”
Monique says an area with potential for improvement, is accessibility within the community.
“I think if every individual had to spend a day in their life in a wheelchair, things would be very different, and more inclusive and accessible for people with a physical disability”.
Well said Monique, we couldn’t agree more!
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Main image credit: Emily Day
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Mum of five and Carer Solutions Partner (client), Katrina Bartninkaitis, knows better than anyone just how difficult it can be to source and manage Support Workers.
Equally as complex and challenging, is finding people who genuinely connect and engage with her three young children &#8211; each living with multiple disabilities, as well as her husband John, who has early onset dementia. They all require ongoing, round the clock support.
Katrina needed a solution that enabled her to be in charge of who her Support Workers are, and when they are rostered on – all without the headache of becoming a mini Support Worker agency herself. She had been relying on agencies to find Support Workers for her, but it wasn’t working out for many reasons.
Often, she would need last minute care, but the agencies would take days &#8211; even weeks to approve shifts, and when a Support Worker finally did arrive, they would not understand the needs of her children, and often sat around on their phones, not engaging with them. This arrangement was unsustainable, and she knew she needed a better solution.
Katrina has been a Carer Solutions Partner for three years now, and she says it was a “game changer” for her and her family. Our Direct Employ model means parents like Katrina can formalise arrangements with people they already know and trust.
She has two sons with autism and ADHD, Xavier, 10 and Elliot, 12 who both have the same support workers accompany them to their after-school activities. They have a fantastic support worker who participates in the activities with them. “We even bought him a uniform so that he can do Taekwondo with them,” she said.
Katrina says that if it wasn’t for their support worker, her boys wouldn’t participate in the class – they’d just sit on the sidelines. “If the boys have any issues, he (their support worker) is right there with them,” she explains.
Katrina’s six-year-old daughter Lauren, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and ADHD, also attends Taekwondo and song and dance classes. Like her brothers, Lauren is getting so much more out of her activities, thanks to the high level of engagement and involvement of her support workers who also join in on her classes.
<blockquote>“That’s the joys of working with Carer Solutions, I have the flexibility to pick and choose the best team for my family. One of my elder son’s friends was looking for work, so we asked him to come on board as the boys’ support worker – and so he did. He is just amazing!” she explains.</blockquote>
Katrina and her family now have a team of 11 support workers who all know the family, and she can call on them as needed.
“All I have to do is send a group text message to my team, asking for a shift to be filled, and within five to ten minutes, it’s done! That’s the great benefit of working with Carer Solutions &#8211; I do the rosters, so I am in control of who comes into my home, and when.”
Katrina says her family are now even talking about the possibility of going on a family holiday together.
“That would never have been an option before coming onboard with Carer Solutions, I wouldn’t look back now – I have learnt so much from using their service.”
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Jerusha wearing a white lab coat, smiling at the camera (Images Supplied)

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When we read about all the amazing things that disability advocate, Jerusha Mather has been up to &#8211; we just had to connect with her to find out more.
Jerusha has cerebral palsy and says medical colleges in Australia make it very hard for people like her to get accepted – and she wants that to change.
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“When I was a teenager, I fell in love with neuroscience and I saw myself in a career where I could lead in the medical field and create positive change for people with disabilities.”
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Despite the obstacles that Jerusha faces both personally and professionally due to having a disability, she doesn’t give up. The words ‘give up’ are simply not in her vocabulary. 

She mentions that people&#8217;s attitudes towards disabilities need to change and when it comes to study and achieving her medical dreams, her biggest achievement has been passing the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT). 
One reform that Jerusha is currently supporting, is for medical schools to accept people with disabilities without a GAMSAT or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). 
“Some medical schools accept indigenous students without a GAMSAT or MCAT score. so, I&#8217;m asking for the same to be done for people with disabilities,” she says. 
Challenging the parameters of medical science isn’t the only reform Jerusha is fighting for. She’s been doing a huge amount in the accessibility space, including accessible food packaging, jewellery, fashion, make up and self-care products. 
Oh, and did we mention inclusive dating!? 
That’s right. She’s even put her own hand up to become Australia&#8217;s first Bachelorette with a disability &#8211; to create awareness and make people with disabilities included in the mainstream media. And we are here for it!
Jerusha’s passion for change doesn’t stop there. She’s also been calling for inclusive immigration policies to include people with disabilities who&#8217;d like to live in Australia.
While we can all agree that Jerusha’s list of achievements is beyond impressive, there is definitely no sign of her slowing down anytime soon. 
“I think knowing that my PhD research could make a tangible difference in someone&#8217;s life, drives and motivates me to finding fulfilment in what I do,” she says.
Jerusha’s message to anyone out there with a disability is don’t give up and don’t back down.  “Go for it. Keep knocking on doors and the right one will open.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.change.org/p/medical-colleges-should-be-more-inclusive-of-applicants-with-disability-exempt-pwd-to-give-gamsat-or-mcat-scores?recruiter=945230247&amp;recruited_by_id=d8723f60-4ef9-11e9-a6f7-2ff3878d30c7&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=copylin">Click here</a> to support Jerusha and her petition urging medical colleges to be more inclusive.
(Images Supplied)

Community Stories

ChatAbility Episode 3: Invisible Disabilities

Direct Employ Service Provides Peace of Mind for Naomi

ChatAbility Episode 2: Accessible Employment

Family Holiday Possible After Employing a Great Support Worker Team

ChatAbility Episode 1: Disability Inclusion

Finding Autism and Sensory-Friendly Activities and Attractions

Employing a Support Worker Thomas Knew and Trusted was Key to His Independence

How Prosthetics are Changing the Lives of People with Disabilities

Feeling Happy and in Control with 11 Support Workers

Meet Jerusha Mather, Disability Advocate