Special needs educator Nelle Frances is bringing her Sensory Detective Workshop to Mount Isa, educating the public on autism spectrum disorders.
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Ms Frances has been delivering the renowned workshop for more than a decade, with a particular focus on regional and remote Australia.
When their son Sam was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome 16 years ago, Ms Frances and her husband struggled to find accurate information and support.
“At that time there were a lot of things in textbooks that were contradicted in the actual living experience,” she said.
When Sam’s needs increased, Ms Frances left her job to care for him full time.
She learnt a lot from her son about ways to manage anxiety and ‘autistic meltdowns’ often brought on by sensory overload.
Ms Frances began writing a children’s fiction series called ‘Ben and His Helmet’ about a boy dealing with Asperger’s at school.
From what the family had learned, they collaborated on a workshop of strategies and techniques to deal with challenging behaviours.
It was Sam himself who came up with the original idea, Ms Frances said.
“When he was less stressed and was able to reconnect with school, he asked us to teach others what his sensory world was like,” she said.
"He said that was the most overlooked aspect of the condition.”
Sensory overload can relate to sound, touch, sight, smell, and taste but also includes balance (vestibular system) and whole body (proprioceptive) issues.
The workshop was ahead of its time in 2003 before the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual was updated to include sensory issues in 2013.
"It’s an interactive workshop designed to help others to really understand the impact sensory issues have on day to day life of those with autism,” Ms Frances said.
Since then the family has educated people across Australia including parents, teachers, health workers, community support workers, and police.
The Sensory Detective® Workshop is on May 3 from 9am - 4pm at Verona Hotel, Cnr Rodeo Dve and Camooweal St, Mount Isa.
To register visit www.aspergerchild.com and use the $20 discount code MTI17.