Quick Links
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P8M6F37
Please take this short survey being conducted by the Medway Parents and Carers Forum

http://www.love2learn.org.uk/
Love 2 Learn (Medway) Limited has come into being through the commitment of teachers/tutors and trades people who have worked in teaching and learning for a considerable time in the Medway area.

The Independent - Thursday 10th June 2010
Autism and genetics: A breakthrough that sheds light on a medical mystery

http://www.senadgroup.com/
The SENAD Group has a portfolio of homes and schools for children and young people who have special educational and/or care needs

http://www.teenagerswithaspergers.com/
Welcome to Teenagers With Asperger's!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8634607.stm
The father of a child with severe autism has developed technology to help him communicate.

Leybourne Cricket Club - Annual Charity Weekend
This years Charity Weekend was held for MAGIC - our thanks go to the Cricket Club for their support!!
Please take time to read their latest newsletter, detailing the fantastic efforts the club are making for us!
Date updated: 01 September 2010

MPCF have just received this e-mail regarding what happens after Aiming High funding finishes next year. Hopefully you have all had a chance to experience the extra activities that have been arranged during the last year.
It is important that we keep the pressure up by e-mailing the local authority to let them know there is no turning back despite tough times. We would suggest that you click on the link and send your comments. We as a group will also be sending comments but sometimes the individual can make all the difference.
Date added: 10 August 2010

Following on from the Government's new idea to consult with the public about spending reviews we have received this email from Contact a Family. Please let the views of Medway families be heard by participating online.
Date added: 10 August 2010

Blue Badge Awareness
The following has been brought to our attention:
With the summer holidays looming please ensure all your families who have a Blue Badge are aware of the Rights and Responsibilities document updated in April 2010.
Blue Badge holders are not automatically given free parking in car parks. Some Devon car parks charge the same fee as other drivers. 'It is up to the car park owner to decide whether badge holder can park free'.
[Furthermore] if you have visits to London hospitals again please check parking restrictions and charges. It can be very expensive.
[The] document is available to print off from here or booklets are available from Department for Transport.
Date added: 04 July 2010

New Yahoo! Group
An online group has been set up for those of us in Medway and Kent home educating ASD/AS children to exchange ideas, resource information, celebrate our successes and commiserate when things are a bit tough! It is hoped that the group can arrange some trips and outings too as some of the more 'mainstream' home ed groups outings aren't always accessible to us for a multitude of reasons. The group can be found here. Date added: 04 July 2010

Supporting Children with ASD in Mainstream Education
Whether you have an ASD yourself, whether you have a family member with autism or whether you are a professional, the UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital would like to hear your views & experiences.
By completing the online questionnaire you will be helping then inform schools and government on supporting children with ASD in mainstream education.
The questionnaire will take about 15 mins to complete and can be found here.
If you would like more information about the study, UCL can be contacted at interaction@ich.ucl.ac.uk or on 020 7905 2169.
Date added: 28 April 2010

North West Kent Resource Directory
The resource directory for the North West Kent area is now available from The Parents Consortium and is full of useful information.
For information on obtaining a hard copy please contact admin@parentsconsortium.co.uk.
Date added: 07 April 2010

Treehouse - Snapshot of children’s autism services in the UK
Having worked with parent groups across the country, TreeHouse have been acutely aware of the stark differences in quality and choice of services that parents in different parts of the UK can access for their children with autism. During 2009 Treehouse carried out a series of Freedom of Information requests to local authorities across the UK to find out how big these variations in approaches to autism between local authorities are.

MAGIC have been heavily involved with this project, and more on this topic as well as some reactions can be found on the Treehouse "talkaboutautism" forums here.

1 in 100 children in the UK has autism. Children with autism grow up to become adults with autism.
A thought-provoking new display exploring life through the eyes of children with autism opens at the V&A Museum of Childhood on 20 March.
The display shows how the senses of sight and hearing can impact on the daily lives of children with autism. For some visual recognition can be fragmented, meaningless and frightening. Vibration and noise can be overwhelming.
It also explains the difficulties children with autism face in learning how to socialise, because social clues and ‘rules’, such as facial expressions showing emotion, are hard for them to understand and respond to.
This display has been organised in collaboration with The National Autistic Society and is linked to World Autism Awareness Day on 2nd April. More on this fascinating exhibition can be found here.

Fledglings
Fledglings is a national charity which aims to assist parents and carers of disabled children, or those with additional needs of any kind, by identifying, sourcing and supplying practical, affordable products to address every day issues.
Take a look at their website by clicking on the link above.

Some of you may have signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "recognise the vital support that Attendance Allowance (AA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) provide to disabled people, and to ensure that these benefits are secured and are not removed as part of any future reform of the social care system in England."

As a result of this petition, The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and that response can be viewed here.

Information on the original petition can be found here.

For a child with ASD, the move from primary to secondary school can be a very difficult change. A new research grant from the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity is helping us to develop support packages to help to make the process easier.
More information can be found here.

Whilst trawling through the Autistic world of The Internet, why not visit the web site of Ellen Notbohm, author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew.

Her latest newsletter is available now.

Invicta Valiants FC have been running football sessions for youngsters with special needs and disabilities in Ashford and Shepway areas since 2004. They are part of the Kent County FA disability league and have recently formed an adult team for players over 16 years of age. Read more...

Any youngsters or young adults who live outside of Ashford can play football at many other clubs throughout Kent who also run special needs and disability football in association with the Kent County FA.

For further information, see the Kent FA website and the Disability Football Register.

Special education must change - More4 News 27 October 2009
Labour MP Barry Sheerman tells More 4 News that the system of providing 1.6 million pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is in need of significant change and has urged Children's Secretary Ed Balls to act now.

An interesting article from CNN detailing how there are more cases of autism in U.S. kids than previously realized.

Looking Up is a monthly 40-page international newsletter devoted to autism. Aimed at parents and professionals alike, it is a lively and informative mix of the very latest findings in autism research from around the world and articles which explore the impact of autism in all areas.
Some other interesting articles from this site:
Children with autism 'can understand other people through stereotypes'
Hollywood celebrities leap on board for autism
Autism at the dentist's

Downloadable here is the final version of the Autism Bill which has had it's third reading in the House of Commons and been passed to the House of Lords. Please note the use of the word "Autism" is clarified as including Asperger Syndrome.

Information and a standard letter regarding your childs statement can be found here.