Parent Feedback from North Shore Workshop May 2015

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Shonda Spencer
7 years ago
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1 Parent Feedback from North Shore Workshop May 2015 My attendance at a my first Mom workshop was a revelation. As a parent of a 12 year old boy with Aspergers and ADD my wife and I had made multiple visits to therapists and life-skill counsellors. But to be able to experience that same valuable advice at a MoM workshop combined with its powerful actuality of brilliant actors portraying real life, every day scenarios and challenges that families with kids on the spectrum live with made the experience exponentially more effective. The fact it was shared with like-minded parents and caregivers who were able to listen to and learn from each others experiences and feedback added another, unexpected level of poignancy to the whole event. And it was an event. An emotionally draining but pragmatically uplifting one, that you get to participate in, not just be at. My immediate reaction at the end of the workshop was how can we get this in front of other parents and caregivers out there. I felt so fortunate to have benefited from it, that I also felt guilty others hadn t - simply because I knew how much of an impact it had made, and would make, to many others. The many more families and wonderfully enlightening, but incredibly challenging, kids who live in our world but on their spectrum. I know I will go to the very next MoM workshop available. I just hope we don t have to wait too long, and that as many others as possible get to share and experience it. Mike Hall Auckland 12 th May 2015

2 Workshop Feedback from The Albert / Eden Workshop Series 2013 Written by a woman who attended a Mind Over Manner Workshop for those in a relationship with a person who is on the autistic spectrum I recently attended a MOM Workshop in Mt Eden for partners of people with high functioning Aspergers. It was a valuable experience and useful for me, as living with someone with Aspergers can be extremely isolating. Most people do not understand how difficult it is. Reading books has helped but attending a workshop taken by someone who understands and can present ways to deal with living in this situation was even better. I would endorse the attendance at these MOM workshops by anyone living with someone who has high functioning Aspergers. regards Sandie I went to this and it was fantastic. There was a really good segment on ADHD and ADD type behavior. I highly recommend the workshops for all parents. Autism New Zealand

3 Hi Sue, I thought the workshop was fantastic and I am keen to attend more. I was impressed by the skill of the actors and I liked the way the scenarios were rewound, explored, repackaged and played again. I found I empathised strongly with the first scenario, probably because it was a highly emotional situation similar to what we go through and was a raw shock which was great, there is nothing like raw emotion to anchor learning. Looking at the other parents I saw the same response something like this gives hope to parents trying their hardest with only life skills to guide them. I have spoken very favourably about this to others and I have recommended it to a work colleague whose sister has a daughter, currently undiagnosed, but exhibits learning and social difficulties. Kind Regards Steve ( parent) I was really blown away by Tuesday nights performance and felt it was incredibly powerful.

4 I came with a parent the other night and it was excellent. It provided some simple strategies that we are going to put in place at home and it really helped her to see that she was not alone. Really looking forward to the next one re the links to school. As I work in secondary schools it is great to get the adolescent perspective. What you are doing is invaluable. Many thanks Jill Secondary School RTLB Hilary Ord 27 Lincoln Street Ponsonby AUCKLAND 25 July 2013 LETTER IN SUPPORT OF MIND OVER MANNER As a parent with a recently diagnosed Aspergers teenager, I attended Sue Haldane s first workshop held at Tapac this month. I was seeking an understanding of my daughter s condition and was particularly seeking an understanding of her behaviour that had troubled us all her life. What worked so well in this instance was the role playing of the actors, the interaction between actor and audience, and the way Sue guided the workshop in a very calm, kind and empathetic manner. There were times that some parts very distressing for me; but at the same time I was reassured that I was not alone, that my very private life, and the difficulty my child was experiencing was shared by others in the room. I loved the advice that other parents shared, the kind hugs when it got tough, the way the actors put all their energy into enacting behaviour (as both parents and children) in a very real and well researched way. I have been sharing this experience with the school counsellors at Western Springs College, where my daughter attends, I have also recommended the workshop to Natasha at Autism New Zealand; I have recommended to friends with autistic and Asperger children. I hope that Sue can receive financial help to fund this course, but I truly believe it will make a difference in our lives. Kind regards Hilary Ord

5 Testimonial from Janita Mind over Manner (MoM) with facilitator Sue Haldane is one of those rare workshop experiences it offers valuable information and insights for parents, educators and professionals who encounter Asperger s Syndrome on a regular basis. As a parent of a teenager with Asperger s Syndrome and as an educator for 20 years I found MoM to be informative, uplifting and full of ideas for working through potential issues with young people with Asperger s Syndrome. The active participation of the audience with the actors and the opportunities for discussion and reflection really helped to create a sense of group identity and belonging and encouraged warmth and acceptance within the group. It is a highly worthwhile experience which offers a very unique workshop approach through its use of actors and role play. Hi Sue, I enjoyed last night's workshop thanks, it was informative and entertaining. I found the use of drama helped me to grasp the concepts far better than the typical listening to a lecture with a power-point display. Here's some links for you to begin your research into the Feuerstein methods. If your ever over my way (Meadowbank end of Remuera) I'm happy to show you some of the student and teaching material. Warm regards, Vaughan Hi Sue, Were you the one running the workshop tonight? Sorry, I forgot your name but not your face! I'm the 'comedian' in the front row. I found your workshop absolutely fantastic, touching & informative. The actors were brilliant. Is ADD very similar to ADHD? If so I would like to drag my sons father along who doesn't live with him & has very little understanding of how ADHD & add presents, as my son has

6 both as I mentioned but found the ADHD workshop very helpful & demonstrates my sons everyday troubles. I ask because I got his father to go to another workshop that didn't quite represent our son & I don't have many chances with his father to get him interested in understanding this. Thanks again. Alita Feedback: I can't praise these workshops enough - fantastic actors playing a brilliantly thought out scenario, based on typical situations - day to day family stress, holiday situations, exams or new school situations. I have found the perspectives presented, (usually from the teenager's point of view but inclusive of the entire family) to be extremely powerful, and very enlightening: A topical scenario is enacted, with a confrontational, emotional, upsetting but completely believable conclusion - showing the impact on the entire family, not just the ASD or ADHD teenager. The audience are then invited to share their ideas and their feedback, in order to "rewrite" the scene, and work out, together, another more constructive conclusion, This "better ending" is then also enacted, and helps us, as parents, to think of alternative stragegies to cope when Things Go Bad when dealing with our own ASD or ADHD teen. The audience consist of parents, or people working in the ASD ADHD field, and while there's no pressure to contribute if you don't wish to, I have always found the workshops to be extremely supportive, and productive. It's also just nice to be around other parents going through similar, and realise you're not the only one doing the best you can.

7 I have picked up handy insights for my ASD spectrum teenager, and Sue Haldane is well versed with understanding children on the ADHD and ASD spectrum. I totally recommend any parent with a teenager on the spectrum to go along - even if just "for a look" - like I originally did. You will leave with a new perspective of your own.

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