THE challenges and joys of raising children on the autism spectrum will be discussed at a free workshop in Leeton.
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To be held on March 17, guest speaker on the night will be Melanie Martinelli, who is an autistic presenter, consultant and mother to four neurologically diverse children.
She has been working with autistic people for 11 years.
Ms Martinelli will be talking about quality of life in the autistic population and it can be improved by planning and changing how everyone thinks of supports for this population of people.
"Regional areas experience a void in supports and access to education and training," she said. "This leaves people with disabilities under funded and disconnected from their community.
"Families with children on the autism spectrum experience high rates of stress, they feel more socially isolated and feel like they don't have the support they need to understand and help their child."
The aim of workshops such as this are to connect communities, reduce family stress and give new knowledge help empower people to ask for the support they need and are entitled to.
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Ms Martinelli believes communities like Leeton are becoming more aware of neurological differences like autism, but understanding and knowing how to support them was still a challenge.
"People on the autism spectrum have a complex presentation and no two people are the same," she said.
"The diagnosis is complicated by co-occurring conditions and developmental differences.
"This makes knowing how to provide support complicated and challenging, particularly in regional and rural areas where supports are limited.
"One of the best ways to provide general support for a person on the spectrum is to approach them with empathy and understanding.
"Autistic people experience many challenges when it comes to living in a world that is not designed for them.
"But they also have so many unique and valuable strengths that are often undervalued in today's society."
The workshop will be held on March 17 in Leeton.
Free tickets are available from www.eventbrite.com.au/e/autism-a-good-life-workshop-leeton-tickets-143230597573.
For more information click here.
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