Gaining Strength in Networking

If you are regular reader you will notice that I am writing posts a lot less frequently. I have been very pre-occupied with my job at CareWest and I have been using my weekends to chill and refresh. As so much is going on also in my advocacy work as well, I am going to attempt to do a post once a fortnight.

This bring me to what I am doing as I write this blog. I am sitting in my car (in the air-conditioning as it is 33ºC [91ºF] outside)

Australian Native trees, what is outside my car window as I write this blog

I have just finished my meeting with Sue, who initiated an Autism Support Group in Lithgow about 12 months ago. She told me of the struggles and successes that she has had with her grandchild whom is on the spectrum and this prompted her to help others that have struggle with similar issues.

She is a very strong willed lady and I am very happy to have her come on board to be part of our network. Sue is also a passionate knitter and with her spare time she likes to create quilts and sensory products that assist with the the running costs of the support group. I also discussed with her my plan to create an informal network between the facilitators of the Support/Social groups in Central West, Blue Mountains and Wagga Wagga, to share the vast and varied knowledge and resources that all the groups have. In the near future a regular newsletter will be distributed by e-mail. I also want to create a directory with these groups and anyone else who would be interested in their local group (sorry only in Australia at this stage) being added please contact me via the contact form on the top right hand corner of the page.

Another person with whom I have come across recently is Jeanette Purkis. Jeanette is an inspiring lady who is on the spectrum, who humbly dedicates many tireless hours to work benefiting us all on the spectrum (and indeed making the world a better place for everyone). I started talking to Jeanette a couple of months ago because I was told that she would be a great contact, through a mutual facebokk friend. She is doing and has done too many things to list them all here. However some of the things she has done/is doing are listed below:

• Wrote an autobiography and a book on finding & retaining work for teens/young adults on the spectrum titled "Wonderful World of Work: A Workbook for Asperteens"
• Has spoken at many conferences & has many more planned in the future including speaking at the Aspergers Services Australia - 3rd National Conference (which I will also be attending next week. I plan to write about what I learn at the conference soon after attending).
• She is on the Australian Autism CRC (Collaborative Research Centre) Program 3 (focusing on adults with Autism) which I have recently also become involved with.
•  Hosting an Autism Radio Show, which I will be interviewed about Autism and employment on the 14th March 2015.
• Writing an insightful blog

As you can imagine she is very busy, however I have multiple projects in the pipeline that Jeanette, along with others, will do in the future

As I have more to speak about (almost limitless actually, I just need to plan more time to actually sit down and read it all). I plan to write another blog in a week or two so stay tuned & please contact me if you have any questions on the blog in general or anything in particular I am doing. Thanks for reading.