The social media mob that was so quick to condemn NZ Breaker Tom Abercrombie and his family need to understand the intense challenges faced by autistic people – especially children – in restricted environments like MIQ, writes Denise Carter-Bennett, an autistic mother of an autistic child. Last week, media reported that professional basketball player Tom … Read more
Living with a differently-wired brain is challenging at the best of times – never mind in the midst of a global pandemic. Erin Kavanagh–Hall chats with six neurodivergent New Zealanders who share the obstacles they’ve overcome during the Covid-19 lockdown. ‘I was terrified of being stuck inside’ Cate, 31, Wellington Diagnosis: Autism As a person … Read more
The success stories of people with extra struggles may not get awards and trophies, but they’re worth celebrating all the same, says Jai Breitnauer. It’s the time of year for awards assemblies and prize-givings, for clubs and teams handing out certificates and trophies. It’s traditional, as we approach Christmas and the end of the school … Read more
The Lightbulb asks innovators and entrepreneurs how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Socius VR’s Anzel Singh who’s working to create VR videos for people with autism to practice social interaction. First of all, give us your elevator pitch for Socius VR. Socius VR is virtual reality system for people … Read more
Jai Breitnauer wrote that she was at her ‘wit’s end’ over a lack of funding for her child with autism spectrum disorder. Then the Ministry of Education stepped in. Is it a happy ending? Only sort of, she writes. In March I wrote a deeply personal, and quite sweary, essay about how shit the education … Read more
Have you had to deal with grumbling kids who don’t want to go back to school after the winter holidays? Here’s what to do. While some school reluctance is normal, spare a thought for parents whose back-to-school struggles have reached a whole new dimension. Their child’s reluctance to go to school has escalated into a … Read more
Play It Strange CEO Mike Chunn met a young autistic drummer and quickly realised how hard things were for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially the young. When Play It Strange and Rotary Newmarket supported the recording of 16-year-old Kane Chong’s song ‘We Are One’ – a track dedicated to his severely autistic best friend, Connor – … Read more
When a supermarket in Marton announced it would offer special shopping sessions for adults and children with autism or sensory processing issues, families around New Zealand rejoiced. Alexandra Saunders shares why it means so much. News came today that Marton Countdown is offering an hour of quiet, every week from 3-4pm on Wednesdays. Designed to … Read more
‘Every child in New Zealand deserves the support they need so that they can succeed in education,’ said Labour during the election campaign. Now it’s time to back up those words with real funding for children with autism and other special needs, writes Erika Harvey. Dear Jacinda, I didn’t expect to be here. To be … Read more
Nicola Bond, mum to a special needs child, has some tips for helping kids with autism spectrum disorder get through what can be a really stressful time of year. If you’re the parent of a special needs child and the thought of Christmas has you reaching for a glass of wine, don’t worry, not you’re … Read more
Should we stop using the term ‘special needs’? Spinoff Parents columnist and advocate for children with disabilities Tessa Prebble looks at a new campaign to retire the phrase, launched to mark World Down Syndrome Day. In the world of social justice, language is important. I consider myself fairly woke, or if I’m honest, in a continuous … Read more
A Wellington school’s use of a ‘seclusion room’ to isolate autistic children has been dismissed by officials as a sorry aberration. But the school cell speaks to a much bigger problem with special education in New Zealand, says Giovanni Tiso, the father of two children with autism. There are few things more distressing and painful … Read more