creating an Autism Resourse Center! need ideas

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i cant believe this but im actually creating a Autism Resource Center

so, first a little background

im native and i live on a native reserve, i noticed i wasnt the only autistic one here, there are 2 other (diagnosed) autistic kids here, one 13 and one 11 years old, brothers, and i got the idea to be a mentor or a advocate of somekind.

well i got a job (summer job) at the Band Office (a head office where people work to manage housing, fisheries ect, basically a mini 'town hall' for the reserve) and had a moment to talk to the chief and asked her if i could start a small autism resource center for the reserve and she ACTUALLY GREEN LIT IT! i really only have until the end of december to organize everything BUT SHES ACTUALLY LETTING ME START THIS!! WHAT THE HECK!? at the momemt i have no funding but i think i can find funding somewhere because she said she cant really hire me full time until financial information is all there but SHE ACTUALLY LET ME START DEVELOPMENT

so i need to hear from you guys! what should this center have! let me know!!

Computers, printers, and internet access.

A library for books---fiction and nonfiction---which deal with autism.

A library in general

Taking steps to assure a non-sensory overloading atmosphere.

An area for sports (if space enough).

Sound-absorbent carpeting.
Dimmable lighting.
Odor-eliminating air purifiers.
Quilts and/or heavy blankets.

And cats ... lots of friendly, furry cats ...

Bangan.

The path to
employment
could be rough
for those kids.

Model
productive use
of work place
accommodations.

Good suggestions so far.

Just wanted to say, nice work getting your idea approved!

One of the best things you could do is have a referral directory. Where to go for:
- diagnosis
- treatment
- support
- services for school age and for post-school age

Part of this information is available free with a little research. Other parts of it could be asking those who have used providers to write a short review. Support could include forums such as WrongPlanet.

You might also have some resources aimed at family members and others aimed at autistic individuals.

It's a great idea, and I salute your initiative!

heres a copy of my agenda

What is the plan?

My plan is to bring autism resources onto reserves to increase awareness and accessibility of resources to parents of autistic children and autistic people themselves. Autism is a prevalent issue on reserves and seeking out resources and assistance is an even bigger issue. Those on reserves have to live with poverty, transportation issues, and often times reserves are just too far away from already established centers.

Why on Reserves?

We need more easily accessible centers on reserves because people living on these reserves tend to have a harder time seeking these resources out and finding transportation to these resources, some people don’t even have internet or phone access to find these resources. Often times a child has to be very obviously autistic to even be diagnosed and they only receive care for a limited amount of time. This leaves children and adults with less obvious forms of autism to slip through the cracks. This can actually be even more problematic when autistic parents have autistic children and the cycle continues. Non-native autistic adults already have issues with relationships, independence, education, and careers, being first-nations without resources makes this even more of a problem. Aside from the resources needed, autistic people can also benefit from therapies developed around culture. Being around nature and animals has already proven to be healing and helpful to autistic people. (Like service dogs, gardening and horseback riding therapy)

Who would be involved?

When it comes to who would be involved, I think educated professionals and specialists would be important due to the complexity and misconceptions of ASD. Not only professionals but advocates are important; people who have experience with autism first hand and can speak for those who may not be able to or offer compassion and advice to those who need it. Autistic people have a unique outlook on autism that a specialist will never have (unless the specialist is autistic.) This specialist doesn’t need to be in house all the time however the centre should be able to consult them at any time. Anyone with experience and a love of helping those on the spectrum can be extremely beneficial to the centre.

Where should the centre be?

Location is a question that only can be answered based on the reserve it’s in. The case of the Bouctouche Reserve the answer would be either within the Band Office or within the head start depending on space available. A standalone building would obviously be ideal however it gets complicated when it comes to funds available to build one. (I think one day I would love to see autism buildings as common as hospitals and health care centers but I’m getting ahead of myself.) As for other reserves, many of them do have schools and community centers so they are always an option. The end goal is to have some form of autism resource centre in every reserve.



When should this happen?

These resources should be available as soon as possible. The diagnostic rate is 1 in 68 in Canada. Autistic children will continue to be born and there are likely many autistic adults undiagnosed. The sooner we get the resources, the better. (My current employment contract ends December 28th 2018 however regardless I will be working at this project.t)


Details on what these centres can provide

Major issues within the autism community involve socialization and communication, fixations, obsessive behavior and sensory issues, however it gets even more in depth, there is also a large amount of autistic people living with behavior problems, as well as co-morbid issues such as dyspraxia, ADHD, OCD, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, digestive issues, suicidal thoughts and many many others.
Obviously one centre can’t provide treatments for all individual issues however each centre can analyses each client as an individual and tackle large and small issues together by reaching out to specialists and mental health services together. The centre can be a sanctuary for those with sensory issues by providing sensory toys\tools or maybe even an area where a person can be themselves; free of judgement. An advocate\mentor can be available for those with autism or anyone looking for insight, someone who has experienced autism can share success stories to those looking for guidance. We can assist those with severe sensory issues to navigate through overstimulating environments and find ways to cope with the pain. We can assist parents into finding therapy for their own stress and give advice and an area where they can learn to bond with their child. We can organize activities for those younger on the spectrum to meet friends and develop social skills (or even just have fun.) Most of all we could help those on the spectrum develop skills into careers, we can bring out the best that autism has to offer. I’m aware that there may be funding limitations and we may not be able to provide as much as I listed here but I think just a small place where anyone can come and ask questions, borrow books and get together and spread awareness can go a long way.

Closing thoughts…

I was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2011 when I was 14. The only reason I was diagnosed was because I had a meltdown and attacked my sister. I was arrested. No one should have to get to that point. There were signs of my autism long before this, however due to the fact that I’m female and native it’s likely I would’ve never been diagnosed. Even after I was diagnosed I struggled to get assistance in school and in work. To this day I’ve had to leave school and certain jobs due to meltdowns and other issues due to my autism. I don’t want other people to go through this, and I know there are people likely going to go through what I went through. One part of my autism that benefits me is my focus and passion. Establishing and working at one of these centres is a passion of mine and I really hope to help those on the spectrum that need help.

That's really a good presentation. It's well-organized and well thought-out.

It does need minor editing--there are minor problems with things like punctuation. But very minor ones, and easily corrected. Even great scholars have to edit their work, it should be remembered.

I'm at work now....so I can't tackle the editing now

When is it due to be submitted?

You've restored my hope in humanity for the day. I wish you luck with this, many people could definitely benefit from it.

I'm thinking that once a successful model is developed at one reserve (in the US we say reservation), it could be duplicated at multiple other reserves.

An additional function might be training educators or administrators on reserves to have a part-time assessment and education role for autism (maybe 5-10% of their time).

Either of these directions could turn into a job for you.

WOW!! ZB that is fantastic. I am so proud of you. I think an Autistic crisis program is super needed as well. I am working on my end here on the other side of the continent to work with the 911 system, I don't know what the equivalent to 911 is in Canada, and I am tying to work with with first responders and hospitals to make the system more diverse for the needs of Autistic people and other people who don't fit into their check boxes. I have actually put together a questionaire which I will post on WP soon. I came up with these questions in order to show that the system we have now is not adequate to meet our needs. But I think that First Nation people have unique issues as well and when you are Native and Autistic, those issues can be compounded. So I think that creating a crisis intervention system that works will be a really big deal for your center. I will be happy to help you do that since I am also trying to do it here.