Support group for caregivers (autism) and more

Dear everyone:

Hope you all had a wonderful Chinese New Year break! The primary purpose of this update is to remind you all about my monthly support group for caregivers of children with autism. For our first meeting, we had a total of 4 mothers (including myself).

1. Support Group for Caregivers of children with autism: I am dedicating the last Sunday of every month to a support group for caregivers of children with autism (7:30 - 9 p.m.). Caregiving can feel like such an isolated journey that caregivers need to come together in a supportive space where they can share with others what they have learnt or what they are going through. There will be some light refreshments. Participants can also bring stuff if they like. There are no obligations or membership requirements.

For this month, the meeting will be held on Sunday, February 27th, 7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Please RSVP me with the number of people coming by Thursday (February 24th) and contact information (mobile number and email). If I do not have at least 3 participants (including myself), I will cancel the meeting.

I am happy to host the meeting (Ang Mo Kio; address will be given to those who have confirmed their participation), though I am open to us having rotating locations...

2. Article about my blog and Website: Last month, Sebastien and I appeared in a Sunday Times article (Jan 23rd) about people who write blogs on their experiences with various medical conditions and their motivation for doing so.

Check out the segment about us: http://www.awakeningminds.sg/articles_sons_her_muse.html

3. Sebastien's latest paintings: For those who are interested in looking at more of Sebastien's strange, but striking paintings, you can see it by clicking on this link (you don't need to be on Facebook to see it): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=334033&id=720254922&l=a4bbd3d946

4. Learning Support (One-on-one hourly sessions - $50/hour). All children, regardless of their learning deficits, can learn. In my learning sessions, I design customised worksheets with in-built scaffolding and utilise individualised strategies to challenge students with learning difficulties to learn. My focus is on cultivating English literacy in students at different stages of language development (from pre-language stage to mainstream schooling).

For all new students, there will be an one-hour assessment ($50) for me to meet the student and the caregiver.

5. Highlights of my Website:

Books: http://www.awakeningminds.sg/books.html: my published books on autism, manic depression and a storywriting template and workbook.

Workshops (My proposed topics): http://www.awakeningminds.sg/workshops.html: my self-formulated workshops covering autism, caregiving, educational strategies, behavioural management and creative writing.

http://www.awakeningminds.sg/mental_wellness_workshops.html: my workshops on mental wellness and caregiving.

Workshops conducted: http://www.awakeningminds.sg/past_events.html: a comprehensive listing of all talks and workshops I have conducted.

Consultations: http://www.awakeningminds.sg/consultations.html, http://www.awakeningminds.sg/mental_wellness_consultations.html: my private, home-based consultations for families and institutions.

Learning Materials: http://www.awakeningminds.sg/learning_materials.html: Learning materials designed for children with learning difficulties.

Articles: http://www.awakeningminds.sg/articles.html: Articles on autism, special needs, mental wellness and parenting by me, as well as articles featuring me and Sebastien, written by journalists.

Thank you for your support. Please feel free to refer others to my Website.

Sincerely yours,

Kah Ying

+658163-4509