Emer Ring : Contributing Factors in Achieving  Positive Behavioural Outcomes for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. It’s not All the Children’s Behaviour… We Need to Think Carefully About Our Behaviour Too…
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L. Scott and J. Drysdale : A Transdisciplinary Approach to Learning Support and Intervention
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Tom Berney : The Ethical and Moral Consequences arising from a Diagnosis of ASD
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Rita Jordon : Understanding & Meeting the Educational Needs of Children & Young People with ASD
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Wednesday 1st May 2013 at 11.00 a.m.

For Further Details and Directions Please Contact:
The Irish Society for Autism, Unity Building,
16-17 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 1.

Phone: 01-874 4684 / Fax: 01-874 4224
Email: admin@autism.ie
Meeting Co-ordinator – Denis Sexton

Don’t forget to visit a Build-A-Bear Workshop store to make an Autism Awareness Bear.

€1 from the purchase of this beary special teddy will be donated to the Irish Society for Autism.
With soft blue fur, an Autism Awareness bow and the sweetest smile, this furry friend will bring
forever love and hugs! Hurry while stocks last (www.buildabear.co.uk).

For more information please contact the society by email or phone; admin@autism.ie, 01 874 4684.

Take note: In order to participate in the cycle this year, cyclists must raise a minimum of €60 for one of the chosen charities

We are fundraising to help develop a residential service for young people with Autism in the Kerry region. The project will provide eight people with autism the opportunity to live, work and participate in leisure and recreational activities in an ambiance of unconditional respect and dignity in a social-care model of excellence. This project will be the first of its kind in Kerry.

We are thrilled to announce that construction for the Residential Centre for Autism commenced in April 2012 in Dromavalla, Ballyseedy, Tralee. We hope the project will be completed in 2013. We are planning major fundraising to ensure this project reaches fruition.

Would you be willing to cycle for our charity in the Ring of Kerry Cycle 2013?

If you are willing, we would very much appreciate your support. The event takes place on Saturday 6th July 2013. To sign up for the Ring of Kerry Cycle 2013, please download the Registration Form. Once you have printed the form out and completed it, please post the form to either of the addresses at the bottom of the page. You will then receive a registration pack and sponsorship cards. Thank you.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Jim Adams by email at adams@diginet.ie or by phone at 066 71-24740 / 085-123 3288, Patricia Adams by phone at 087-617 7083 or contact Liam Kingston by phone at 087-416 3865.

My name is Michaela Murray and I am currently studying for a MSc in Cognitive
and Clinical Neuroscience at Goldsmiths, University of London and I am required to
complete a research project as part of my coursework. I have decided to examine
how sensory processing and motor coordination impairments, which are frequently
observed in conjunction with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), affect social abilities in
children with this disorder.

STUDY TITLE: The Sensory and Motor correlates of Social Responsiveness in
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PARTICIPANTS: Participants of this study will include parents of children aged
between 5 and 10 years old.

Purpose of the study

As the causes of ASD are not yet known, the causal mechanisms behind social
impairments, the most significant deficit associated with the disorder, are not yet fully
understood. Children with ASD are frequently reported to exhibit sensory modulation
deficits such as behaviours associated with sensory sensitivity (e.g. covering ears to
loud sounds), sensory under-responsivity (e.g. failure to respond to name) and sensory
seeking (e.g. rocking). Similarly, disturbances in motor behaviour are commonly
associated with the disorder and early motor deficits are often among the earliest
symptoms observed in children with autism. Evidence from multiple studies has
shown that, although not part of the diagnostic criteria, these impairments may play an
important role in the rate of acquisition of language, social, and communication skills.

The current study aims to further investigate the theory that atypical sensory
processing and motor coordination patterns may play an important role in the severity
of social skills in children with autism. A more detailed understanding of such patterns
will add to the understanding of how they manifest in behaviour and interact with the
core characteristics of the disorder. It is hoped that this knowledge may then allow for
more targeted approaches to early intervention in the future.

Procedure

If you are interested in taking part, you can either complete the questionnaires:

1.) Online at http://ww3.unipark.de/uc/Team_Hill/f684
2.) In pen and paper (please email Michaela and request a copy to be posted to you)
3.) On your mobile phone by scanning the QR code below:

These questionnaires contain questions about your child’s social abilities, sensory
abilities and motor abilities and can be completed at any point up until the 15th July
2013.Your child does not need to participate, although you may wish to observe a
particular behaviour that you have been asked a question about, in order to confirm
your answer. In total, it will take approximately 35 minutes to complete all three
questionnaires. Please answer all questions as honestly and accurately as possible.

Compensation for your time

As a thank you for your participation in this study, each participant will be entered into
a draw to win a €100/£100 M&S voucher. If you would like to be entered in this draw,
please provide your contact details as requested on online/paper forms.

Participant rights

Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary and you may refuse to complete
the study at any point without prejudice, or refrain from answering any questions with
which you are uncomfortable.

Confidentiality

All responses will be treated with the strictest sensitivity and stored in secure files to
ensure confidentiality. All identifying information will be removed from questionnaires
as soon as your participation is complete and all responses will be analysed as a whole.

For further information

Should you require any further information about this study, please contact Michaela
Murray at ps203mm@gold.ac.uk.

Alternatively you can contact my research project supervisor, Elisabeth Hill, by email at
e.hill@gold.ac.uk.

Thank you very much for your time.

My name is Margaret Dee and I am an MSc student in Trinity College Dublin looking for participants for a study on the school environment. The aim of the study is to see what the most important environmental factors are that impact on participation in mainstream post-primary education for students with ASD.

To find out what these factors are, I am holding two focus groups for interested participants. One focus group will be for adolescents with ASD who are in mainstream post-primary schools. The other group will be for parents or guardians of adolescents with ASD who are in mainstream post-primary school, and teachers of adolescents with ASD who are in mainstream post-primary school.

They will take place in Trinity College Dublin, in the evening after school, at a time and date that suits all participants. Hopefully this will be around Easter. During these focus groups, you will be asked questions about you/your child/student’s school and your/their participation in all aspects of school life. The focus groups will last for 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Refreshments will be provided.

An adolescent can participate even of their parent or guardian does not wish to participate and parents or guardians can participate even if their child isn’t.

This study has been granted ethical approval by the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Committee, Trinity College Dublin. If you are interested in participating or would like to hear more about the study, please contact me at mdee@tcd.ie.

Many thanks for your time.

Another milestone has been reached. The passing of the Autism Bill will ensure that the future of People with Autism will be protected and enhanced.

If you have a moment, please think about participating in our family study of autism. Any interest expressed here does not signify any commit, and your help is greatly appreciated. The link to the survey is https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IrishFamilyAutismStudy. Closing date January 2014.

Thank you for your time.