Autism Angels...thank you and Happy Christmas

I have met many angels along the way since discovering Joel has autism.   Not meaning to sound too sentimental but this life I've ended up having has given me an opportunity to  meet these amazing people who work with children with autism .  They have come along at times when  I've lost faith in humanity.  They have helped restore this faith and given us hope.   I  wanted to thank just a few...

Hazel Whittaker who has been an amazing carer for Joel from Crossroads Care taken after Joel's First Holy Communion in Spring 2012

1) ABA tutors from our lovely Australian ABA Tutor Michelle Wilkin who had the patience of a Saint and always a smile and positive attitude to his current day tutors at Step by Step school for children with autism.  All Joel's carers too especially Hazel who took Joel through his First Holy Communion sessions and helped take him to the Beavers.  Lyn Chadwick needs a mention too from Aiming High East Sussex when we arrived in the country she gave us an afternoon out while taking Joel out usually on a local train ride!  Izzy Zeigler who started Joel off in the oxygen tank and helped with the exercises and picking up Joel from school when he first started at Step by Step before I got transport for Joel.

Michelle Wilkin - Joel's ABA Therapist in Sydney



Joel in our pool in Freshwater, Sydney with Michelle and Holly



Sinead who takes Joel to Cubs and helps with the Scotson therapy exercises.



2) Felicity Ellacombe at the Fred Foundation based in Fulham London www.thefredfoundation.org who came to the rescue and funded Joel for a year and a half at Step By Step School when we were losing our battle with the East Sussex Local Authority. 
She believed in our case and that we would get the funding once we had enough evidence of Joel's progress and finally this year once we had moved to West Sussex the Local Authority agreed to fund Joel for the next two years and then with a review.  Without Felicity's charity which is so specialist Joel would have regressed even further into his autism and wouldn't be learning but he's got that chance now.  They really do need the funding now more than ever so if you're thinking of sponsoring any charity please consider them. If I'd asked now they would not have been able to pay for Joel's fees as they are helping so many families like mine so please support them even if it's going to one of their events - look on their website please!

3)   Matthew and Alison Pope - who told us about FRED!  They are amazing parents who have helped give us advice about how to get autism related services as they are a bit further ahead than us and have a child with autism who's about five years older than Joel.  They freely gave us advice about funding for Joel's school through the Fred Foundation who had also helped this family.  I told you Fred were amazing...

4) All my friends who supported me when we discovered Joel had autism in Australia; Marianne, Sophie, Vicks for babysitting Holly especially when I had all the Joel related meetings, Jael, Helena and many more friends who helped me along the way once I was on a mission to get going with Joel's therapies.  All my friends in England new and old who have given me support and laughs along the way. 

5) Jeremy Marris from The Tree of Hope http://www.treeofhope.org.uk/ who has enabled Joel to have oxygen therapy and for carers and ourselves to learn the Scotson technique therapy for him from the Advance Centre in East Grinstead.  Without this charity we wouldn't have been able to fund this and Joel is benefiting hugely from this therapy and requests the exercises and it helps him sleep and YAWN!  Lots of children don't yawn much as they don't get enough oxygen to their brains so this amazed me that this simple technique can help with this and generally with calming and even talking.  Joel requested the exercises be on his 'back' yesterday and even though you may think saying 'back' is nothing to blink at believe me for a child with significant speech delay and severe autism this is HUGE and gives me and his carers hope!

6) Joel's local hairdresser Emma at The Wright Studio in East Grinstead for her patience and perseverance!  Joel now can sit happily in the hairdressers (with his ipad) while he gets his hair cut.  A year ago he wouldn't even let you touch his hair let alone cut it!  Hoorah for willing hairdressers all round the world who cut autistic children's hair they are unsung angels!!

7) David Urani, Educational Psychologist.  Without your letter regarding Joel's educational needs we wouldn't have got the funding from Fred and perhaps from the Local Authority.  I know you help countless other families too.  Gem.  And Australian too! 

8) Tasha Figg from The Springboard Project www.springboardproject.com where Joel has spent many hours on a Saturday morning having lots of fun with you and your helpers especially Tom who has gone to Uni now.  For taking Joel to the cinema for the first time this October half term and him actually sitting for the whole film with one 'toilet' break.  For Joel this is amazing.  Springboard supports families in the holidays too offering days out.  Joel went to Chessington Park and is going to a pantomime too this Christmas with Springboard.  Hoorah for Tasha for her smile, positive attitude and for giving us a break knowing Joel is having fun.

Joel with Tasha Figg at Grasshoppers in Crawley where he's loving the messy sensory play.


9) Lesley Schatzberger at Jessies Fund www.jessiesfund.org.uk/ .  Joel had music therapy through Jessies Fund with Jo Brazier and he really benefited from this becoming more and more compliant at the end of the funding when he first started he would hardly stay in the room.  Music is so important to Joel and without this charity and others like it so many children with disabilities wouldn't benefit from this which can bring on speech and help them with communication and expressing themselves. 

10) My family and Jake's family especially Granny Maggie, Grandpa Lawrence and Granny Mary and Joel's Aunts for all your help and support.  For giving Jake and I a break and looking after the kids.  Not forgetting Uncle Harry for his love and support and Uncle Gavin for being the new Wicked Uncle.  (I had a Wicked Uncle James who had a twisted sense of humour who hung me off a Cornish cliff and chased us on the cliffs and gave us lots of fun with lots of fear at the same time if you get my drift!).

 

Sarah Merrifield at Tablehurst Farm with Holly and Joel also rides on Liberty

 

 

11) Sarah Merrifield - Joel's riding teacher at Tablehurst Farm who takes Joel most Saturdays.  For her patience and care.  Joel was very fidgety to begin with a year ago on Liberty one of her beautiful Haslings and now he is calm and sits beautifully. 

12) Di Churchill the organiser of  Activenture and all the young volunteers who make it possible  http://www.londonyouth.org.uk/inspiring-young-people/activenture/about-activenture .  Joel had a wonderful activity week in the Summer in East Sussex and hope it's the first of many with Activenture.  It's the only group for disabled children who have young volunteers from age 13 who are one on one with the disabled child so that means they also share a dorm with the disabled children and it's often their first experience with kids with disabilities so it's a steep learning kerb for them in a week!  One young person looking shattered said to me 'they're having fun but we're exhausted!'...try having that 24 hours a day 365 days a year!

13) All the volunteers in Lourdes who helped out with our family this year including Jane, John, Pip, Tony, Angela and many more...

Volunteer Helpers Jane and John looking after Joel on his 9th birthday in Lourdes with Joel and me in the City of the Poor, Lourdes 31 July 2012

14) Lianne and the staff at High Trees where Joel stays a few nights a week.  I was so grateful this came along in October so that we could have a day once a fortnight to spend with my other two children.   I recently read an article about a woman who regretted not spending time with the two siblings of her disabled daughter and it was sad to read this so I try and give time out for them too.


The list goes on and on.  I just wanted to thank a few autism angels and will be adding to the list as I go along.  We need people like you and we love you all!  Thank you and Happy Christmas to you and all the other incredible people who dedicate their lives to helping children like Joely.