Introducing our Community Champions!

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Posted by
Paula Barrett - former Community Manager

on 6th April 2009

at 09:17

Hello,

I'd like to introduce the community to our fantastic team of Community Champions. The Champions are here to help you find your way around the community, answer any questions and generally make this online community a nice, welcoming place!

If you need help getting the most out of this community or learning how to post new topics, comments or update your profile, you have several options - you can leave a comment here in this discussion, you can send your questions to them privately by clicking "Contact" in their profile. Or you can leave a message in the How to Use the Community section or the Feedback & Help discussion also. (Don't forget you can also contact me at any time!)

Meet your Community Champions

So I'm happy to introduce this wonderful group of people:

How to become a Community Champion

Anyone who is an active member of the community can become a Community Champion - and we are always on the lookout for more people to be on the team! So if you are interested please leave us a message below, but more than anything - participate in Talk about Autism and we will notice you. :-) One other thing...if you're interested in playing a more active role in this community, but perhaps don't wish to be a Community Champion, do let me know. We're open to ideas, and we need all kinds of people to make this an interesting place. This is your community, so let us know what you're thinking and lets find a way of putting ideas into action.

Other ways to volunteer

We have many ways to volunteer in the Talk about Autism community. To find out about these opportunities, visit our Volunteers Welcome! page.

Please join me in welcoming our Champions - and I hope they will come here and tell us all a little more about themselves too.

Elena Goodrum

Community Manager
Talk about Autism

elena@talkaboutautism.org.uk

Posted by
Josie Barnshaw

on 6th April 2009

at 15:21

Hi All

Josie here, It is exciting to be part of this group and so far it has proved very informative and beneficial to me and I am sure to everyone else taking part in the various discussions.

I hope that between us all we will continue to inform and educate each other on the intricacies of autism and indeed improve the interaction between us all as well as seeking and sourcing the information and guidance that we need to help our children and ourselves to get the best out of our varied situations.

There is a broad spectrum of users on the site, from adults on the spectrum to parents who are both on and off the spectrum with children in the same situation (on and off the spectrum) and between us all I am sure we will be able to make improvements in all our lives via our communications on this site.

We also have the added benefit of Paula and her colleagues who are also on hand with their expertise, so all in all we have the best set up that we could possibly have here on this site.

Looking forward to exchanging views, tips and strategies with you all.

Josie

Posted by
Dizzytart

on 9th April 2009

at 13:36

Hi All,

Dizzytart here. I too think it is exciting to be a part of this group. I have found that talking to parents who have children on the Spectrum, and indeed talking to adults on the Spectrum is a valuable resource and tool in helping to solve potential difficulties thay may, and do arise.

I am looking forward to interacting with as many of you as possible, sharing experiences, strategies, views etc, and I hope all of you have a wonderful Easter.

Dizzy

Posted by
MarcoS

on 14th April 2009

at 12:47

Hi,

I apologize in advance, I didn't realize I needed to post here. But I'm very happy to happy to be part of this team. My hopes in joining this community is to be able to share my experiences and hopefully help anyone. Sure, my experience is limited to what my son is showing me and what I've learnt from the different communicties I joined throughout the years.

Nonetheless, I can honestly say that I will be happy to listen to anyone willing to chat it up with me. Sure, there's an ocean (I live in Canada) apart, but, in the end, aren't we all together in this?

MarcoS

Posted by
Elena Goodrum

on 11th August 2009

at 10:44

Hello there, everyone!

I would like to introduce you all to our 2 new Community Champions, Nicky (NickyB) and Claire (bumblebee). These two ladies have been going out of their way to answer questions, start discussions, and welcome new members, so it made sense to extend an invitation to them to become one of our Champions.

You can send your questions to them by clicking "Contact" in their profile. Or you can leave a message in the Feedback & Help discussion also. (Don't forget you can also contact me at any time!)

As mentioned at the start of this discussion, the Champions are here to help you find your way around, answer any questions and generally help make the talk about autism community a lively, welcoming & safe place. This is really helpful since we get a lot of questions from people really needing support & guidance.

Anyone who is an active member of the community can become a Community Champion - and we are definitely on the lookout for more people to be on the team! So if you are interested please leave us a message below, but more than anything - make yourself a more active member of this community. : )

By the way - if you think that being a Community Champion isn't for you, but you have some ideas for activites or other things we can do here in the community, please let us know! A healthy community takes all kinds of people and you might like to do something like having a monthly Q&A with one of our members, for example. (Hmm, that's a pretty good idea actually!)

Please join me in welcoming our new Champions - and I hope they will come here and tell us all a little more about themselves too.

elena

PS. We have two other Community Champions who spend a lot of time here in the community - Josie and Steve McGuinness

Posted by
NickyB

on 11th August 2009

at 14:27

Hello and thanks for the lovely welcome Elena :) It is a privelege to be asked to be a community champion.

I will tell you a bit about me. I am (just!) 40 and I have a wonderful hubby Ken and 2 fabulous boys. Matthew is 11 and does not have ASD. He is about to start at our local Grammar school and we are ridiculously proud of him.

Stuart is 6 and has a diagnosis of high-functioning autism. He attends the local primary school where I also work as a dinnerlady. His path through school has been a rollercoaster of emotions. The staff are extremely knowledgable about autism, and have unending patience with him (and with me!) He has been receiving 1-2-1 teaching over the last term which has made a huge difference, I am in the process of trying to get the LEA to carry out stautory asessment. I'll go into that another time - I anticipate that will be a major area of interest for me on the forums.

Please feel free to contact me via my profile if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.

Nicky x

Posted by
bumblebee

on 11th August 2009

at 14:41

Hi all.....

I thought I's introduce myself too! I live with my husband and our 3 beautiful children. Hollie is 13 and has Asperger's and an anxiety disorder. Unfortunately she had to leave her grammar school due to the pressure and we are currently finding a suitable placement for her. Josie is 11 and has Aspergers, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia...(the lot really!). With a lot of battling the LA, she has now got a place at a fab specialist school and starts this Sept. little Jack is just 4 and has ASD. We want him to go to the local NAS school but the LA have other plans!! His education is still undecided at the mo. They are all so very different and very special.

Over the years we have been through the statmenting process 3 times and so far 2 tribunals. We have been involved with social services, CAMHS, and all health services. I work as a speech & language technician with pre-school children so autism is really my life at home and work!!

About 2 yrs ago, we got involved with our local autism support group MAGIC and I have been on the committee for a while now. It is very rewarding and my husband and I volunteer at MAGIC's youth club and play sessions as well as chating to parents on a Fri morning over a cuppa! I really enjoy sharing my expieriences with other parents and it is also so rewarding to be able to pass on a little knowledge to make other's lives a bit easier. I have learnt the most over the years from other parents and I feel it's so important to keep sharing!! I have found that parents of children with autism seem to be the most determined, strong people I have ever met! and I am very flattered to be asked to be a 'champion'!!

Claire

Posted by
JACQUELINE

on 28th August 2009

at 18:23

Hi Bumblebee, I am new to this forum this is my first post to a forum hope i have done it right i am a mum to 2 girls one is N.T and the other as just been dx with ASD, she has ADHD, learning difficulties,sensory problems,speech and language problems,behaviour problems.My girls are very special to me and my husband.

Still feel that we have a great learning curve but take one day at a time.It will to chat to other parents for advice and also to feel just to have a chat to parents who understand what you are going through on a daily basis.

I attend MAGIC and think it is a brillant place to go with or without the kids.

Posted by
Josie Barnshaw

on 28th August 2009

at 19:24

Hi Jacqueline

There are a couple of other MAGIC girls in this forum who will no doubt pop in and chat to you when they come back online. In the meantime feel free to ask any questions or have a chat.

You may not have spotted it yet but we have a "Ranting Room" where we go to have a moan about anything and everything. Its a new board so we havent used it much yet (all our rants/moans to date are interspersed about the other boards as you may see when you have a look around!!! ;)

Josie - Community Champion

Posted by
Elena Goodrum

on 1st September 2009

at 11:15

Yay! - another MAGIC member. Fantastic!

Elena Goodrum

Community Manager
talk about autism

elena@talkaboutautism.org.uk

Posted by
bumblebee

on 1st September 2009

at 11:49

Hi Jackie,

That is such a lovely thing to say about MAGIC...means it is achieving it's goal!! I totally agree though, it is so comforting to be in a place where our families are free just to 'be' and where we are not judged because our kids don't fit the 'norm'! I just wish there was a good support group in all areas to support all families.......maybe one day?!

Claire - Community Champion