The NDIS has introduced a new pricing structure for group…

Sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect. During lockdown, my son Lachie did an online session with Adam Gibson and my other son Tom supported Lachie to do this. What began here, has resulted in a two-year partnership between Adam Gibson Coaching and Interchange Outer East. Following some initial chats, and using the strict Covid-19 protocols that were with us at the time, we began a four-week program outdoors at Eastern Ranges School. We hadn’t had enough after this, so we added a six-week program. Fast forward to today where we have run continuously for almost two years! We have explored other clinics as well as our base clinic. We have run clinics for wheelchair users, for girls only and for a younger age group.

What has been absolutely brilliant has been seeing the friendships form and the participants skills develop. We have such a tight group of people who encourage one another, celebrate each others successes and genuinely enjoy being together. We have seen people who were initially reluctant to use their non-preferred hand give it a crack and had reports of therapy goals being worked on in our fun, inclusive sessions.

JBL and NBL Visit

JBL Australia and NBL reached out to Adam and arranged to come along to one of our clinics and witness the magic firsthand. JBL even gifted a pair of headphones to each of our participants. Our crew were so excited to receive them and we are so thankful to JBL Australia and the NBL. Our gratitude also goes to Adam who makes time for this group every week and delivers a program that our participants just love. For Tom and I it is the highlight of our week and we love working in this space.

Click here to watch the video by JBL Australia!

If you are interested in getting involved please reach out to the Interchange Outer East Recreation Service Team at gap@ioe.org.au or call 9758 5522.

– Fiona Fisher, IOE support worker and parent

Another wonderful joint Autism Family Camp done and dusted … but the magic still lingers.

In partnering with Beyond the Book Therapy Services and Different Journeys, Interchange Outer East had the pleasure of running another Family Camp for the families of autistic children and teens in Phillip Island this July.

Campers enjoyed the usual big camp activities such as the giant swing and flying fox. However, the group was also treated with talented guests such as Embrace this Space Art therapy, Luxy Sparks Welding and the fantastic tech from GameAware which added to the mix of activities for those looking for fun with less adrenalin.

With a multitude of ages including approximately 25 x 5-10yr olds, 14 x 11-14yr olds and around 17 x 15-18+yr olds, along with a big bunch of amazing parents shepherding their loved ones in on the Friday night … the fun began. Well, to be honest Friday night is far more about falling in the door, being shown to your room and working out the lay of the land, so to speak. Some parents looked stressed after working hard to wrangle everyone and everything together in order to attend, some children rolling their eyes with no plans of buying into the idea of shared fun, some feeling anxious about what was to come. Some however, have attended before and seem relaxed and enthusiastic to be in attendance again.

Walking around, talking to fathers telling me that they’ve not experienced anything like this, to being able to talk to other dads in his position. He said he’d never felt like it was ok for his son to be himself. His wife, tears streaming down her face, thanked me for the experience and I assure her I am simply lucky to be involved. The sort of stuff being described and appreciated by this family (and many others) has nothing to do with me or even a particular amount of skill shown by the organisations involved. The true magic is in simply offering a space where like minded people can come together and feel safe being themselves.

I walk around chatting to teens, clearly having a ball. They’re chatting with their parents and other children. They’re actively involved in everything from basketball games to Dungeons n Dragons. They’re side-by-side with little ones who are at times looking up at them with admiration. The teens tell them to quiet down. Some are unknowingly mentors in this moment. A mum tells me they didn’t think they’d leave their rooms this weekend, worried their teenagers wouldn’t enjoy this experience after a really rough time the night before. Her voice cracks as she then tells me she’s seen her teenager relax a little, smile a little and how much that it has meant to her as a mum. She apologises and wipes her tears. There’s no need to apologise; we all understand here. She tells me she was told about the camp and it just can’t be explained until you’re here yourself. Her teen bounds up beside her, takes a seat and starts colouring with us. I can’t hear what she’s saying anymore, I’m lost watching the relaxed body language and her mum’s arm around her. Another teen won the Super Smash Brothers tournament last night. I hear he almost smiled.

Little ones are building box forts, a seven year old is showing another how to weld. He is also a mentor for a moment. Numbers exchanged for future play dates and catch ups. “I made a friend!” a four-year old exclaims. Knowledge is being exchanged between parents and services working towards the same goal. For families to feel safe and included in everyday life.

During the infamous night walk a beautiful young man intent on jumping from dark bushes and scaring those around him. The shrieks then cackles of laughter. A mum offering to piggy back another mama’s child as she struggles to carry both little ones that have decided they’ll simply, “die if I walk another step”. It’s the most beautiful sort of messy I’ve ever seen.

It’s watching people let their hair down and be their authentic selves. It’s priceless.

Autism Family Camp is like a really great bonfire with good company; the smoke seeps into your pours and stays with you longer than the time you were actually gathered around it.

– Michaela Alcorn, Staff Member and Autism Family Camp parent

Here at Interchange Outer East, we are thrilled that three of our previous Home Experience Program (HEP) housemates have found a mainstream rental property and have moved out of home together! After completing the HEP program, Megan said, ‘Nothing can stop me now!’. She said she felt highly motivated to move out of home permanently. The parents of these three young people worked hard to secure a rental property. However, their perseverance has paid off and they are all beginning a new and exciting phase in their lives.

The three housemates, Megan, Meg, and Carly, all participated in the six-month HEP program. During this time they developed the skills and confidence to take the next steps to living independently. With the support of HEP program staff, each of the young women were able to safely explore what living out of home feels like and what it means to live with housemates.

Home Experience Program (HEP)

HEP offers people aged 18+ the opportunity to live in a house for six months with two other IOE participants. Participants live in a rental property 24/7 and experience fully what it is like to live independently with housemates. The program provides part-time staffing and a lead tenant overnight to ensure participants receive the freedom and experience of living away from home but with supports to develop and build on skills and capacities.

In Megan, Meg and Carly’s case, their parents’ confidence in their skills and capacity grew throughout the program. They experienced a lessening dependence on them and observed their development and progress. They should all be so proud of what they achieved during the HEP program and we hope they will be an inspiration to other families who may feel that living independently may be out of their child’s reach.

If you would like more information about the Interchange Outer East Home Experience Program, you can find more information here.