Autism Association 2022 Annual Report

Support for Parents and Families

Ensuring families have the support they need is an important part of what we do. Providing families with access to resources, information, workshops, webinars and consultancy is an essential support, as is the opportunity to create connections with other parents with similar experiences. First Steps Playgroup In partnership with the Education Department Child and Parent Centres and with the support of Telethon, we continued to deliver the First Steps Playgroup across 7 metro locations. Over 190 families attended the First Steps Playgroup to talk to our experienced Therapists and Play Leaders about their child. This year, we extended the program by delivering training to staff in regional areas to facilitate their capacity in supporting children with Autism in their local communities. Parent Coffee Groups This year, our MyTime Parent Support Groups continued with 8 groups in Perth metropolitan areas. Over 200 Parent Support Group sessions were delivered this year, providing parents and carers with much- needed time to network. Each group is run by a parent of a child with Autism. These groups remain popular and beneficial in building local community connections and developing new friendships. Our Dads Autism Connect Group continued to expand with fathers and father-figures of young children with Autism. The groups provide a relaxed, casual atmosphere in which fathers can come together to chat, share and support each other through the online connect group and social events, including the popular Dads Family BBQ event. Workshops, Webinars and Events A calendar of events was created for the year, including over 30 workshops, seminars and webinars providing opportunities for parents, carers and families to participate and learn about practical strategies and resources to support them in everyday situations. We continued to deliver Early Days workshops for parents and carers of children who are seeking assistance with diagnosis or are newly diagnosed. Throughout the year, we facilitated 49 Early Days parent training sessions, including options with interpreters for culturally and linguistically diverse families, and sessions specifically for Dads during MyTime sessions. This year, we also introduced our first parent movie night at The Backlot Perth with parents and carers attending to connect with other families over refreshments and a movie.

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