FOUR LEGGED FRIENDSHIPFIRST ON WIN: A Queensland first training program on the Sunshine Coast is giving children with autism a new lease on life.
Posted by WIN News Sunshine Coast on Thursday, 16 July 2015
Friday, July 17, 2015
WIN News Sunshine Coast
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Online Garage Sale
Our fundraising drive is about to get serious!
Thanks to the kind support of donations by individuals and businesses we are getting organised to start one of the biggest fundraisers we have planned for this year.
Come join us at our online garage sale on Facebook. www.facebook.com/garagesalesmartpupforceleste
This is going to be huge! We have a large variety of new and used products lined up from household goods to clothing, vouchers, electrical items and toys. We guarantee there will be something for everyone, even your pets.
We will be posting small items Australia wide with the larger items needing to be collected from Brassall Qld or a courier arranged at the expense of the purchaser.
Thank you to the individuals who have already donated and to the following business's and authors.
Events Cinema's
Australia Zoo
Movieworld
Jamaica Blue
Cathy Domoney Children's Author - www.cathydomoney.com
Margaret R Blake - author - www.merlins-school.com
Pass it Forward Gifts - www.passitforwardgifts.com.au
Faith Love Hope Sensory Gifts - www.facebook.com/pages/Sensory-Gifts/752900211464128?fref=ts
and many more....
We hope to be able to continue our garage sale throughout most of 2015. Any donations are kindly appreciated!
Let the fun begin!
Sunday, February 8, 2015
A Busy Week
This week has been a busy week with all therapies and school being in full swing. It has also been a very successful week.
For those who do not know Celeste is schooled at home under the registration of Brisbane School of Distance Education. This allows for a controlled environment that meets the needs of Celeste's sensory issues and helps us control her level of anxiety and meltdowns. How this works is that Celeste is primarily taught by myself, attending two online lessons with her teacher and one with a teacher's aide each week. These online lessons can go for anything from 5 mins to 30 mins depending on Celeste's ability to cope. It is often a struggle to get her to attend these classes as she meltdowns prior to getting her bum into the chair but we try each lesson.
Last year was difficult as Celeste was in a class of up to 4 children plus the teacher. With her sensory issues and auditory processing difficulties to add to her anxiety she became a huge disruption to the class. This year is looking better. Celeste has been placed in a special needs class which means she has 1:1 lesson time with her teacher. Although her age stipulates she should be in year 3 she is working at a prep level, as she was last year. Progression with Celeste's learning is very, very slow. With the current auditory processing assessment giving us insight into the auditory difficulties Celeste has we will be able to put a program into place this year that we hope will see learning progress a little faster.
On Thursday Celeste attended Brisbane School of Distance Education to meet her teacher face to face. This makes a huge difference to online class as it allows Celeste to get to know her teacher a little better and break the I am not sure barrier. She also enjoys a little time with other kids in an environment where she is safe. She is left with her teacher for a period of time with myself staying on the school grounds at the coffee shop where I can be called upon if needed. This is a welcome break for me. The day went well. There was stress and meltdowns before we left home and a few during the day but overall she enjoyed herself. Her teacher Leah and myself were able to chat and put down goals for the year.
This week also saw us do the final part of the assessment with the private speech therapist. This is the second speech therapy assessment Celeste has had. Her first assessment was done at the university and showed a lot of inconsistencies in the report that her occupational therapist was not happy with. This second report has been more in-depth and added with the auditory processing assessment has given us the scope and direction needed. Celeste will now start work with her speech therapist on a regular basis.
Occupational therapy is back for the year and so is psychology so it is full steam ahead here for 2015. We are looking forward to a year of learning and achieving and getting back on track.
At the moment we are battling swimming lessons as the teacher Celeste had left meaning that she is having to get use to a new teacher. Each week she has struggled that little more with this week seeing us achieve only 10 mins of a 30 min lesson before she was out of the pool and a meltdown was being diverted.
You win some you loose some but with every day being a new day you never know what is around the corner.
Live...Love...Laugh...
For those who do not know Celeste is schooled at home under the registration of Brisbane School of Distance Education. This allows for a controlled environment that meets the needs of Celeste's sensory issues and helps us control her level of anxiety and meltdowns. How this works is that Celeste is primarily taught by myself, attending two online lessons with her teacher and one with a teacher's aide each week. These online lessons can go for anything from 5 mins to 30 mins depending on Celeste's ability to cope. It is often a struggle to get her to attend these classes as she meltdowns prior to getting her bum into the chair but we try each lesson.
Last year was difficult as Celeste was in a class of up to 4 children plus the teacher. With her sensory issues and auditory processing difficulties to add to her anxiety she became a huge disruption to the class. This year is looking better. Celeste has been placed in a special needs class which means she has 1:1 lesson time with her teacher. Although her age stipulates she should be in year 3 she is working at a prep level, as she was last year. Progression with Celeste's learning is very, very slow. With the current auditory processing assessment giving us insight into the auditory difficulties Celeste has we will be able to put a program into place this year that we hope will see learning progress a little faster.
On Thursday Celeste attended Brisbane School of Distance Education to meet her teacher face to face. This makes a huge difference to online class as it allows Celeste to get to know her teacher a little better and break the I am not sure barrier. She also enjoys a little time with other kids in an environment where she is safe. She is left with her teacher for a period of time with myself staying on the school grounds at the coffee shop where I can be called upon if needed. This is a welcome break for me. The day went well. There was stress and meltdowns before we left home and a few during the day but overall she enjoyed herself. Her teacher Leah and myself were able to chat and put down goals for the year.
This week also saw us do the final part of the assessment with the private speech therapist. This is the second speech therapy assessment Celeste has had. Her first assessment was done at the university and showed a lot of inconsistencies in the report that her occupational therapist was not happy with. This second report has been more in-depth and added with the auditory processing assessment has given us the scope and direction needed. Celeste will now start work with her speech therapist on a regular basis.
Occupational therapy is back for the year and so is psychology so it is full steam ahead here for 2015. We are looking forward to a year of learning and achieving and getting back on track.
At the moment we are battling swimming lessons as the teacher Celeste had left meaning that she is having to get use to a new teacher. Each week she has struggled that little more with this week seeing us achieve only 10 mins of a 30 min lesson before she was out of the pool and a meltdown was being diverted.
You win some you loose some but with every day being a new day you never know what is around the corner.
Live...Love...Laugh...
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Feeling deflated but keeping positive.
As I write this I am feeling deflated and sad as I continue to struggle with the day to day dealings of Celeste. Being a single mum of a child who spends her day raging and abusing you is not much fun and leads to struggles within myself. I continue to hold my head above water and paddle along hoping that there is a better day ahead.
Today has been another nightmare with meltdowns being of a grand scale. I have been abused and threatened for no reason with the real victim of the day being the iPad. In a rage Celeste stomped on it smashing the screen. It was not that long ago that I had the screen replaced due to her braking it. I cannot continue to replace the screen on an iPad that really was never the same after the last event. The difficulty here is that her iPad was her relaxant and obsession as YouTube was her link to the world. Tough times ahead but we will just have to cope.
I am also feeling down as we continue to struggle to move forward with the fundraising for her Smart Pup. We have seen first hand the difference these pups make to children with Autism but can only dream of the difference it will make to the daily life of Celeste as we get no closer to the $20,000 needed. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. I can be emailed at
goodgabble@gmail.com.
This week saw the start of another school year. Celeste will continue with Brisbane School of Distance Education where she has been placed in a special needs class and given a teachers aide. What distance education means to Celeste is that she is able to school within the safe and secure environment of her home, and with myself by her side, whilst having the support of her teacher and teacher's aide online. Her lessons are done using a system similar to Skype. This years focus is on English and Maths only and Celeste will be working at a pace that is suited to her learning needs. Although she should be in year 3 she is repeating year 1 this year whilst working at a prep
( kindergarten ) level. Our goals this year are to achieve reading, writing and counting in sequence beyond 20.
During the last week Celeste underwent an Auditory Hearing Test. She was found to have an auditory processing deficit. The good thing is we now know what is causing some of her confusion and meltdowns and will be able to spend time working with her to help. She is currently undergoing her second speech therapy assessment, as her occupational therapist was not happy with the first speech assessment done by university students as he felt they were inconsistent. The speech therapist she is currently working with specialises in Auditory Processing Deficits so she is in good hands.
So overall this week we have been keeping our head above water and paddling along. Tomorrow, next week and the weeks after are unknown but positive things are ahead.
Keep living, loving and laughing.
Today has been another nightmare with meltdowns being of a grand scale. I have been abused and threatened for no reason with the real victim of the day being the iPad. In a rage Celeste stomped on it smashing the screen. It was not that long ago that I had the screen replaced due to her braking it. I cannot continue to replace the screen on an iPad that really was never the same after the last event. The difficulty here is that her iPad was her relaxant and obsession as YouTube was her link to the world. Tough times ahead but we will just have to cope.
I am also feeling down as we continue to struggle to move forward with the fundraising for her Smart Pup. We have seen first hand the difference these pups make to children with Autism but can only dream of the difference it will make to the daily life of Celeste as we get no closer to the $20,000 needed. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. I can be emailed at
goodgabble@gmail.com.
This week saw the start of another school year. Celeste will continue with Brisbane School of Distance Education where she has been placed in a special needs class and given a teachers aide. What distance education means to Celeste is that she is able to school within the safe and secure environment of her home, and with myself by her side, whilst having the support of her teacher and teacher's aide online. Her lessons are done using a system similar to Skype. This years focus is on English and Maths only and Celeste will be working at a pace that is suited to her learning needs. Although she should be in year 3 she is repeating year 1 this year whilst working at a prep
( kindergarten ) level. Our goals this year are to achieve reading, writing and counting in sequence beyond 20.
During the last week Celeste underwent an Auditory Hearing Test. She was found to have an auditory processing deficit. The good thing is we now know what is causing some of her confusion and meltdowns and will be able to spend time working with her to help. She is currently undergoing her second speech therapy assessment, as her occupational therapist was not happy with the first speech assessment done by university students as he felt they were inconsistent. The speech therapist she is currently working with specialises in Auditory Processing Deficits so she is in good hands.
So overall this week we have been keeping our head above water and paddling along. Tomorrow, next week and the weeks after are unknown but positive things are ahead.
Keep living, loving and laughing.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Thank You!
There are so many people I could already thank that it is overwhelming. We are only at the beginning of our fundraising journey and the support and love we have been shown is far more than we would have ever expected. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to those who have joined us on Facebook, shared our Facebook page and Go Fund Me page and a huge thank you to those who have donated. Without you we would not have already raised $1380.00.
To the business's who have got behind us and supported our cause we are very thankful. Your donations of items will soon see our fundraising tally grow. So far we have received donations from MovieWorld, Birch & Carroll cinema's, Australia Zoo and Jamaica Blue. We have already sold the $10 Jamaica Blue voucher with the $20 voucher currently being available on Gumtree. http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brassall/miscellaneous-goods/-20-jamaica-blue-voucher/1066719336. All fundraising items will be listed on this site under the fundraising events tab. Come like us on Facebook where daily status's will keep you up to date www.facebook.com/smartpupforceleste If you know of a business that may be willing to donate goods or services please tell them about us.
This is more than a blog about our fundraising, this is a blog that I hope will promote awareness of the great job Smart Pups do and also of that of Autism. I will endeavour to blog once a week with different sorts of information.
Our dream and goal is that of raising the $20,000 needed to get Celeste her Smart Pup by the end of July 2015. We cannot do this without the support of those within society. We are aware not all can financially afford to help so simply ask that you share this blog, our Facebook page and our Go Fund Me page on all social media. Send emails to those on your mailing list. Pass the information on to business's in your area, maybe they would be willing to place something in their newsletter or on their notice board.
I am here to answer any questions and provided any information you may need. As a team we can make a little girls life easier, giving her a companion that will be beside her helping her make sense of this world.
I can be contacted at goodgabble@gmail.com
Visit Smart Pups at www.smartpups.org.au. When making an online donation please place the name Celeste Douglas on your donation so the money is added to our tally.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
To the business's who have got behind us and supported our cause we are very thankful. Your donations of items will soon see our fundraising tally grow. So far we have received donations from MovieWorld, Birch & Carroll cinema's, Australia Zoo and Jamaica Blue. We have already sold the $10 Jamaica Blue voucher with the $20 voucher currently being available on Gumtree. http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brassall/miscellaneous-goods/-20-jamaica-blue-voucher/1066719336. All fundraising items will be listed on this site under the fundraising events tab. Come like us on Facebook where daily status's will keep you up to date www.facebook.com/smartpupforceleste If you know of a business that may be willing to donate goods or services please tell them about us.
This is more than a blog about our fundraising, this is a blog that I hope will promote awareness of the great job Smart Pups do and also of that of Autism. I will endeavour to blog once a week with different sorts of information.
Our dream and goal is that of raising the $20,000 needed to get Celeste her Smart Pup by the end of July 2015. We cannot do this without the support of those within society. We are aware not all can financially afford to help so simply ask that you share this blog, our Facebook page and our Go Fund Me page on all social media. Send emails to those on your mailing list. Pass the information on to business's in your area, maybe they would be willing to place something in their newsletter or on their notice board.
I am here to answer any questions and provided any information you may need. As a team we can make a little girls life easier, giving her a companion that will be beside her helping her make sense of this world.
I can be contacted at goodgabble@gmail.com
Visit Smart Pups at www.smartpups.org.au. When making an online donation please place the name Celeste Douglas on your donation so the money is added to our tally.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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