2010 Workshop Calendar

Our 2010 Workshop Calendar is available now to download! If you don't have an adobe acrobat reader click here to download the reader.

Learning Links offers a range of Professional Development for early childhood professionals; infants, primary & high school teachers; health professionals and support staff. Some courses and workshops are also attended by parents of children who have difficulty learning. Presenters are experienced professionals drawn from the fields of education, speech pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, family counselling and paediatrics.

2010 Parents and Families Group Calendar

Our Parents and Famiies Group Calendar for 2010 is now also available. These groups are both educative and therapeutic for parents and children.

Visit our Workshops page for a full list of what we offer or go straight to our online booking form.

Annual Report

Our 2008/09 Annual Report is now available! Please click here to download the full report (5,466KB), click here to download the concise financial report (1,237KB), click here to download the full financial report (446KB), or click here to download the text only (5,121KB).

ADHC Client & Carer Forums

In 2010 Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) Metro South Region is hosting nine Client & Carer Forums (Information Exchanges) for clients, families and carers. These forums provide an opportunity for you to discuss your experiences and express your ideas about the delivery of services to older people, people with a disability, their families and carers; and for ADHC to keep you up to date on regional developments.

Click here for more information.

Autism Initiative

Learning Links is an approved Panel Provider under the Helping Children with Autism Initiative.

Learning Links has a range of support options available for children birth-6 years with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or Pervasive Developmental Delay.

Services are available at the following locations:

• Brookvale - (02) 907 4222
• Fairfield - (02) 9754 2377
• Miller - (02) 8783 7111
• Peakhurst - (02) 8525 8222
• Kingsford - (02) 9398 5188

Please refer to the following website for information relating to the services available:
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/progserv/people/autism_panel/Pages/31_35_nsw.aspx#31_nsw

Carers NSW

Carers NSW have extended the Carer Line and Carer Counselling operating hours.

From 5th January 2010 the Carers Line and Carer Counselling will be operational from 9.00am-8.00pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (as well as 9.00am-5.00pm Mondays and Fridays).

Call the Carer Line 1800 242 636 (free call except from mobiles) or visit their website http://www.carersnsw.asn.au

Carers NSW Carer Representation Program

The Carer Representation Program provides training, information and support to carers to enable them to act as Carer Representatives, representing Carers NSW and the wider body of carers.

The aim of the Carer Representation Program is to inform a range of professionals and the broader community of carers’ perspectives.

Carer Representatives activities include:

• participation on committees, advisory groups etc;
• guest speaking;
• forums;
• conferences;
• media interviews; and
• focus groups.

Carers NSW is seeking the involvement of carers from diverse communities and backgrounds, with carers throughout metropolitan, regional and rural NSW invited to join the Carer Representation Program.

Service providers are encouraged to inform carers of this opportunity. No experience is required, but an interest in getting the carers’ perspective heard is a must.

For more information please contact Alison Parkinson on 9280 4744 or email alisonp@carersnsw.asn.au.

Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care - Name Change

On 1 July 2009, the Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental
Amalgamations) Order 2009 became effective, establishing the Department of Human
Services as a division of Government Service and removing all branches from the
Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and adding them to the newly
established Department of Human Services.

The full title of our agency is now Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human
Services NSW. Our agency is also now identified by the acronym ADHC.

Click here for more information.

Learning Links is now conducting diagnostic screening for children presenting with behaviours and characteristics typical to children that have a diagnosis of Autism.

Diagnostic screening can be conducted at your school or preschool. The behavioural rating scale used is widely recognised by professionals in identifying children with Autism and is based on a comprehensive assessment including observation, interviews with professionals and parents and review of reports and information relating to the child.

This diagnostic screening is invaluable to parents and school professionals in assisting in the process of diagnosis and in establishing support mechanisms and programs to best support the child.

All screening is conducted by Learning Links’ psychologists with a comprehensive report provided following assessment.

Please contact the location closest to you for further information or to make a booking.

FaHSCIA e-news

Please click on the link below to access all editions of this newsletter.
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/disability/pubs/employers/Pages/disAbilitye-news.aspx

National Disability Insurance Scheme

As you might know, there’s a proposal to introduce a National Disability Insurance Scheme for everyone who has, or acquires, a significant disability. 

Why is this important for every Australian? Those who acquire a disability through a workplace or a motor vehicle accident generally receive financial support. However, for those who acquire permanent disabilities in other accidents, are born with a permanent disability, acquire a permanent disability through a medical condition or have a permanent mental illness, there is no automatic support to meet their needs. This is a national disgrace and an issue for every Australian. It's time to introduce a new national safety net, ensuring peace of mind for all Australians should they or someone they love become severely disabled.

How can you help? Either visit www.ndis.org.au and use the very easy “Email your MP” function to express your support or email Bill Shorten, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services and express your support.

What are the biggest issues for you or the person you know with a disability?

• Lack of information about disability services (no one seems to have a holistic view).
• Lack of coordination of disability services.
• Lack of availability of disability services (especially respite and funding for large equipment).
• Lack of respite – you must be “in crisis” to get any assistance.
• Lack of suitable respite and support services for children / adults with behavioural issues.
• No planning into the future as to what the lifelong needs of the person with a disability might be.
• No consideration paid to how best to position the family to continue to care for the person with a disability (and this is so much more affordable for the public purse than having that person cared for in an institution – if that option is even available, which is unlikely).
  
  How could your/their life be changed by a National Disability Insurance Scheme?


• For the system to move from crisis-driven to something more positive and proactive.
• Better access to / and coordination of disability information, services and funding – no one seems to have a big picture view.
• For the "whole" person and family to be considered now and for a sustainable future, rather than the system just addressing the most recent crisis or most urgent need – no one seems to be looking ahead.
  



Speech Pathology Survey

The University of Sydney is conducting a survey of parents to find out what they think about the availability of speech pathology services around the country.  The results of this survey may be used to help plan speech pathology services and will be published so that the data is publicly available.

Parents will not be asked to identify the service they are currently (or have previously attended) and no information which could identify them, their child or their speech pathologist will be collected. The research has been approved by the University of Sydney Human Ethics Committee.

If you would like more information about the survey please click here.

Support for school leavers

A FREE SERVICE!

Learning Links’ team of qualified specialist professionals is able to provide school leavers 16 and over with additional individual intervention in planning their transition from high school. This exciting free pilot program is currently available to students who are diagnosed within the mild disability range and attend schools in the Northern Beaches area.

We are pleased to be able to offer the program options listed below to support students. The pilot program for students has been developed to provide the following specialist services:

• functional and standardised assessment to assist in identifying areas of strength and ability,
• comprehensive written report,
• comprehensive feedback to students, parents and school professionals.
• individual meetings with students to support them and assist in future directions, and
• strategies and links for students, parents and school professionals.

Participation in the pilot project is free. The program delivery will be supported by Learning Links’ team of highly qualified and experienced Educational Psychologists.

To discuss this exciting opportunity and confirm student eligibility please contact Diane Peacock-Smith on (02) 8568 8247 or email: dpeacock-smith@learninglinks.org.au.

Upcoming Events

Come along to support Learning Links at some great events next year.

The Big Rip


Weekend Speech Therapy

Learning Links - Fairfield now offers Speech Therapy support for children of ages 3 and a half to 18 years on Saturdays!

For further information about this exciting opportunity for families, please contact Veronica Hodgson or Jill Vidler on 9754 2377 Monday - Thursdays or to email.



Work and Babies Research Project

Have your say about work and babies. 

Cecelia Herbert is conducting research that looks into the changing relationship between women and their jobs after they have children.

She hopes to gain a better understanding of why women do and do not return to work.

Take part by going to www.workandbabies.com to fill in a survey.

Please tell any mums who would like to contribute to the research so that we can give them a voice when is comes to their work and babies experience.
  
This research is being conducted as a part of the Masters of Organisational Psychology at Macquarie University.

Young Carers Media Training Workshop

What is it like to be a young carer? Who are young carers? What do they do? These are just some of the questions that are commonly asked. There are still LOTS of people out there who don't understand what an amazing role you play in each of your family's lives.  As young carer issues get more attention, we need some media savvy representatives to talk about young carer issues.

If you are 16 years old or over and live in the Sydney area, then we would love you to come and take part in our Young Carer Media Training Workshop on 16 March at Carers NSW, Sydney where you can learn about different types of media and gain skills in how to tell your story in an interview. For more information please call the YC team on 1800 242 636.





 

 


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