We are a group of pro-active parents in the Dunedin area of New Zealand who have children with autism.

We are committed to helping organise and fundraise for intensive early interventions which help make easier the lives of affected children and their families.

News Archive

Here you will find all of our previous News articles that have been posted on the website.

March 07 2010

Reminder: upcoming workshop

The workshop on Stress and Social Development is next Saturday, March 13. 

The focus is on enabling people with ASD to cope with stressful situations and social development.

Here is the PDF with info about the presenters and topics to be covered.

We hope you can make it!


February 24 2010

National standards testing and students with autism

The new NZ national standards (for testing and reporting the attainment of primary school students) are being widely discussed in the media and in education circles. Hilary Stace posted this artlcle on the Humans website. In it, she considers whether the the focus of a system – which measures only literacy and numeracy – would be too narrow for kids with ASD. The author poses other questions, such as whether children with autism might become marginalised in a more competitive environment, and whether assessment and reporting can increase the quality of education for these children.

December 01 2009

Upcoming workshop – March 2010

Stress and Social Development: Enabling people with ASD to cope with stressful situations and social development.

Presented by Alison Schroeder and Justine Aldous.

13th March 2010 at Pacific Park, 22-24 Wallace Street, Dunedin, 9 - 3pm.

cost: $40 family, $60 Professional.

Please download the PDF for more info about this valuable event.

November 18 2009

Welcome to our new site!

We want to provide local people with better info, and help health and education professionals and policy-makers to better understand our stories. Please contact us with any suggestions or questions.
June 04 2009

Wacky Hair Day

The trust organised a Wacky Hair Day as part of Autism Awareness week 1 June – 7 June. All schools and kindergartens in the Dunedin region were approached to support us with our aim to build awareness of autism with Dunedin children by raising funds to hold a workshop in early 2010.
April 18 2009

Local family living with autism

Article in Otago Daily Times about member’s of our trust the von Ballmoos family. Read article here
March 24 2009

Local company in autism education deal

A company called Innovative Learning are involved in a lucrative deal, in which they will provide new education programmes to help professionals gain more skills in this area. Read the Otago Daily Times article here. You might be interested in reading the interpretation of ‘autism epidemic’ which someone has posted there also.
You might have already looked at clips on YouTube of therapy and various kinds of resources and education ideas for people with autism. Here’s an example below from Canada: a company called AutismPro.
Given the scale of financial investment in these things, it probably needs a debate about whether online resources can make an effective enough substitute for things like teaching and goal-setting
March 19 2009

Magic show: bring your kids

Our annual fundraising magic show is coming up soon. It’s at 10AM on Wednesday April 15, in the first week of the school holidays, down at Carisbrook in the corporate box area. It’s a great distraction for kids. We would like to say a huge thanks once again to the magical Jonathan Usher.