AEIOU Foundation for Children with Autism in Woolloongabba | School

AEIOU Foundation for Children with Autism

Locality: Woolloongabba

Phone: +61 1300 273 435

Address: 3 Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba 4102 Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.aeiou.org.au

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• Non-profit organisation
• Disability service
• School

25.01.2022 If you could be a superhero with any kind of superpower you could imagine, who would you be? Last week on Early Childhood Educators' Day, we invited our centre teams to celebrate their educators for all they are and all they do as part of our team. At #AEIOUSippyDowns, the educators and children celebrated with yummy (individually packaged!) treats and by dressing up as superheroes. As it turns out, being an Early Childhood Educator is a superpower all on its own!

25.01.2022 Last week, all our centres from Townsville in Far North Queensland to Adelaide in South Australia tuned in for a unique shared book reading session organised by Senior Speech Pathologists Jo and Joy. Of course, we had to pick one of our favourite books on little crawlies: 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' This was a huge hit with all the children The reading was accompanied by interactive storyboards and the children were joined by our very own Hungry Caterpillars... with mouths that ate up the treats throughout the reading - check it out in the video! A big round of applause for our amazing centre teams who are always developing new activities to engage the children and to help them develop communication, social and self-help skills

25.01.2022 Do you need help navigating the NDIS for your child? Our in-house NDIS Support Coordinators, Katrina and Sean, can help! Our NDIS Support Team is dedicated to supporting you through the early days of an autism diagnosis. They can discuss how you can advocate for your child and can help you explore the services available to you - no matter whether your final choice is AEIOU or otherwise. Call (07) 3320 7500 to talk over your next steps or learn more at: https://aeiou.org.au/ndis

24.01.2022 The #AEIOUNathan community burst into an explosion of culture today, having a joint celebration for 'Diwali' this week (the Hindu Festival of Light, on the 15th day of Kartik) and 'Holi' (the Hindu Festival of Colour, traditionally celebrated at the beginning of spring). The kids got to explore traditional 'Diwali' activities like crafting rangoli alongside painting fireworks to celebrate light. Then, the whole team and all the children came together to end the day with a... vibrant 'Holi'-honouring bang: a centre-wide colour fight complete with gulal (coloured powder)! What a burst of energy! We're so humbled to be able to share experiences like this with our multicultural community.

24.01.2022 Fun in the sun is even better when it's in the shade And these new shade sails that the Aurizon Community Giving Fund helped us to install are the perfect protection on summer days at #AEIOUToowoomba! Little Remy has some big feelings about the Aurizon Community Giving Fund: two big thumbs up! On behalf of all the children and staff at our Toowoomba centre, thank you, Aurizon, for your support

24.01.2022 We couldn't ring in the end-of-year break without one last #TransformationTuesday: today, we're celebrating Ethan at #AEIOUToowoomba! Ethan has attended our Toowoomba centre for 12 months now and has so much to celebrate: he's gained skills across all developmental domains, but particularly in his independence during daily routines and self-care. Since he's joined AEIOU:... Ethan has learned to independently dress himself and put on his shoes and socks (self-care) Ethan can use PECS on a device to request items (communication) Ethan uses fine motor skills to roll and cut Play-Doh with his peers (play skills) Ethan can imitate his peers (social skills) It's so wonderful to see the difference that early intervention can mean in the lives of children like Ethan and for their families. We can't wait to continue watching Ethan grow in 2021

23.01.2022 There's a hungry, hungry Sound Shark waiting to eat some Letter Fish! To highlight #NationalWeekOfDeafPeople, the children in the Wallaby Room at our #AEIOUNathan centre have been focusing on their listening skills We watched closely to see how our therapists and educators used their articulators (the parts of their face, like mouth, tongue, lips and cheeks, used to produce sound). Each child listened to the sound the therapist (the Sound Shark) made, and then went fish...ing for the letter that matched the sound. When they found the matching letter, they fed it to the big, hungry Sound Shark! Gnash, gobble, munch! went the Sound Shark, and giggle, giggle, giggle! went the children #NWDP2020

23.01.2022 When Jude started at #AEIOUBaldHills in January, he was unable to follow instructions to open his mouth and couldn't tolerate having his teeth brushed. Jude would engage in avoidant behaviours whenever he saw his toothbrush. Over the past nine months, Jude's been working with his therapy team to get familiar with his toothbrush, build his imitation skills, and lots of positive reinforcement. Never skip on positive reinforcement snacks! Now, Jude is able to tolerate having his teeth brushed for up to a minute both at AEIOU and at home. What a toothbrushing transformation for this #TransformationTuesday! Great work, Jude!

23.01.2022 How many times have you wished that your child would make friends more easily? The early years bring with them a rollercoaster in friendship for little people the world over. But, for children with autism, building and maintaining friends can be even more of a challenge. Learning how to be a friend involves learning the appropriate skills for friendship: communication, sharing and social skills. The good news is it all starts with simple play, something you can foster with ...your child at home. We'll be releasing the last in our nine-part #AutismTheEarlyYears series early, on this Sunday. In the final episode, we talk about encouraging independence and building your child's self-help skills. Please share this video so we can reach more families. #autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance

22.01.2022 3 years ago, little Jack began at our Rhonda Greensill Centre (#AEIOUToowoomba). Aged 3, Jack had no functional means of communication and suffered through meltdowns, could not tolerate shoes and wearing most clothing. When his family moved across states to access the vital early intervention Jack needed, they say that AEIOU 'quite simply saved us'. Within two weeks at AEIOU, Jack was smiling again. He began to communicate with others, and the night terrors left. This year, J...ack turned 7. He had a small birthday party to celebrate with a group of friends from his school, including his best friend. He is reading at a Level 4 (the goal for the end of the prep year). He trains in muay thai twice a week. He is so joyful and happy - his teacher's words, not his family's. He still experiences challenges, but he loves going to school and has transitioned well. To think this time 3 years ago, Jack had so many struggles... We couldn't be prouder of the communication, social and independence skills Jack has developed. Now look at him! You can read more about the O'Dea family's journey here: https://bit.ly/2Zfpgrr #TransformationTuesday

21.01.2022 One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and pop! Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. We read 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' at #AEIOUSippyDowns recently and, boy, was that caterpillar hungry! He ate apples , pears , plums , strawberries , oranges ... and we explored those same fruits with our senses and learned that they all look, smell, feel and taste differently.... After our little caterpillars explored all that food, they made a cocoon and out they came as beautiful butterflies!

21.01.2022 Have you read our latest Eyes on Autism magazine? What a year. In 2020, we've adjusted our service offering to better support families. We've had to change the way we fundraise. This edition of Eyes on Autism reflects on the year that was, and sits down with some of our families whose children attend our centres to look ahead to the future and share in their stories of hope.... You can read the magazine's latest issue here: https://bit.ly/2WOouAl If you've got a holiday reading list, add this to it!

20.01.2022 Construction at #AEIOUCanberraRegion is underway! The AEIOU centre in Garran, ACT is being developed, project managed, funded and retained by John James Foundation. Not only will it be purpose-built for AEIOU, but it will also form an extension of the broader John James Village precinct. The design will also include a 33KwH solar energy system with battery storage. Better for the environment, better for AEIOU's operational costs for energy supply!

19.01.2022 2020 has been a challenging year for many of us. For families in the autism community, the everyday challenges have been compounded by an isolating and global pandemic, which may make you feel disconnected or afraid. But the best thing about community is that we can be there to break down barriers, build trust and support one another. This RUOK? Day, we're encouraging each person in our AEIOU community to ask another in the community "Are you OK?". Open the door to having meaningful conversations with someone else on the regular. It's a little thing you can do that means a lot to someone who might be struggling with challenges at home, school or work.

19.01.2022 Ahead of Father's Day, the children in the #AEIOUBaldHills Planes Room got crafty creating special artworks for the amazing father figures in their lives. Here, Elizabeth and Furyin give a big hand for their superhero dads

18.01.2022 This year, being kind to others and keeping a positive mindset for yourself has been more important than ever. On #WorldKindnessDay2020 (13 November), the AEIOU centre teams made an extra special effort to spread kindness to their colleagues. The team at #AEIOUSippyDowns brightened each other's days by wearing funky socks and colourful shirts with positive messages. #BeKind #BePositiveBeHappy

17.01.2022 Thank you to Bravehearts' Ditto's Keep Safe Adventure Program for teaching the children at #AEIOUSippyDowns about personal safety. Through song, dance and interactive performance starring 'Ditto' and writing by Bravehearts' professional educators and child psychologists, the children learned about: Differentiating 'yes' and 'no' feelings Recognising the body's 'warning signs'... What to do if you feel unsafe or unsure Reinforcing that there is no secret that children cannot tell someone These are important messages to empower children with personal safety skills and knowledge. If you would like to learn more about how to talk to your child about personal safety, you can download Bravehearts' FREE 'Personal Safety Parents and Carers Guide' at bravehearts.org.au/personalsafety

15.01.2022 Thinking about sending your child to AEIOU? You're probably wondering what your centre would look like, what adventures your child would get up to each day, who would be helping you, and how it all works... While some of our centres are purpose-built or retro-fit, they all have two important things in common: We employ an exceptional team across each of our centres. Every therapist and educator is skilled in delivering autism-specific early intervention, and they are stok...ed to be able to work with these awesome little people. Our evidence-based program is centred on learning and play - a program where over 95% of children saw improvements in their early learning skills after a single year at AEIOU. Find out more at: https://aeiou.org.au/how-we-can-help

14.01.2022 We've been waiting to share some happy snaps of the children at our #AEIOUBrighton centre in Adelaide from last month Outdoors play spent in the centre's sandpit and playground is our favourite part of the day at AEIOU! Slipping down the slide, digging in the sandpit, riding our bikes: using our hands, feet, arms and legs in play is a super fun way to explore our surroundings. And when outdoors play is over, we can tick 'work on gross motor skills AND have fun' off our day's activity list

13.01.2022 "Up on the shore they work all day, Out in the sun they slave away, While we devotin' Full time to floatin', Under the sea" Richard from Ocean Life Education took the kids at #AEIOUBaldHills for a pretend trip under the sea at the centre. The children got to touch star fish, sea cucumbers, a special turtle named Dale and a peek at a baby shark (doo-doo-doodoo-doodoo) The kids loved the touchy-feely pools and made fast friends with the ocean creatures.

08.01.2022 Did you know AEIOU contributes to high-quality research in the autism field, alongside a number of research partners? Our friends at UQ have developed a new early intervention approach for infants with a first-degree relative with ASD. The initiative harnesses the power of ordinary parent-infant interactions to target social reciprocity from the earliest months. If you’re currently pregnant, and your baby will have a parent or sibling with ASD, The University of Queensland in...vites you to be part of a research study that could make early intervention accessible to infants at risk of ASD across the world. If you would like to find out more or know someone who might be interested, please contact the UQ research team on [email protected].

07.01.2022 Is your child finding day-to-day living tasks - such as getting dressed, brushing their teeth or feeding themselves - a challenge? These strategies developed by therapists and backed by families can help develop their confidence, their independence and their self-help skills. This episode brings us to the end of our nine-part #AutismTheEarlyYears video series. We've loved sharing our past families' experiences and strategies with you, and we've loved seeing you all engage w...ith each episode! Want to re-visit any of the episodes we've aired or share the lot with a family member or a friend? Head to: https://aeiou.org.au/autism-the-early-years Now here's a question for you: if AEIOU was to put together more video resources, what would you want to learn about? Write to us in the comments below! #autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance

07.01.2022 To all the dads, granddads, uncles, carers and father figures: Happy Father’s Day! This Father's Day, Nick shares some of his journey with us as dad of a child with autism: four-year-old Levi, a happy, easygoing kid, who loves blueberries and riding his bike. Nick shares his challenge in coming to terms with Levi's diagnosis, and his pride in seeing his son make leaps and bounds with his development in the last 18 months with AEIOU. Just last weekend, the family went ...camping for the first time, something they never thought they would be able to do; this Father's Day, a picnic and the beach. "If you said to me six months ago, or even 12 months ago, that he’d be doing what he is now, I’d be in disbelief." Read more: https://bit.ly/3bnhLDH

06.01.2022 Five little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log, eating some most delicious grubs... Yum yum! The children and staff in the Nemo Room at #AEIOUGoldCoast have been enjoying singing 5 Little Speckled Frogs lately, and imitating the actions of jumping around like frogs. So... naturally, the staff had to dress up as speckled frogs to play along with the children. We love watching these little tadpoles grow into beautiful, clever speckled frogs!

05.01.2022 Happy Early Childhood Educators' Day to all our Educators, Teachers, and Learning Facilitators! These staff play such an important role in delivering our therapy and care, and have developed such heart-warming relationships with the children in our centres. Each day brings new surprises and challenges and today, some of our centre teams received the most beautiful messages and gifts from families... all to celebrate them! What an incredible impact these educators obviousl...y have had on these little learners' development and in the lives of their families. #LoveMyECE #ThankYou #EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay

05.01.2022 At #AEIOUGoldCoast, we've had such glorious weather recently! It's been perfect for lunchtime picnics for the children, therapists and educators in our Dolphin Room. Outside in the fresh air, and playing games together: what a lovely little picnic!

05.01.2022 Last week, our #AEIOUToowoomba team held an intimate gathering to celebrate the centre's re-opening after extensive renovations earlier this year. We welcomed a small number of guests to say a BIG thank you for making our centre brighter, safer and more spacious We'd like to thank everyone who joined us, with special mention to Peter Haeusler, Bobbie and Lyn Brazil and the team and riders behind the Chain Reaction Challenge Foundation Women's 300 for their generosity, and Geoff McDonald for TRC and parent Melinda Luscombe for their ongoing support.

04.01.2022 Look at these gorgeous little people! This World Children's Day, we're celebrating each of the children at our centres: their kindness, creativity and courage, all they've achieved so far, and the big lives ahead of them. For adults, today is an opportunity to celebrate and advocate for children worldwide. It's time to pause and be inspired by the kind of world the children of today will create as they grow up. If these souls are anything to go by, their world will be one... of big ideas and even bigger hearts. #WorldChildrensDay2020 #ReimagineTheWorld

03.01.2022 Last Thursday was R U OK Day. Working in the early childhood early intervention space is rewarding and challenging all at once. But it also means that each day is a new opportunity to ask a colleague, friend or family member: are you okay? A big heartfelt shout-out goes to #AEIOUBaldHills Room Leader Carla, who organised special care packages for every team member and hands-on activities to help us spark those sometimes-tricky conversations. Being able to learn from and be supported by one another certainly helps us be okay! Let's keep the conversation around mental health going long beyond September.

02.01.2022 Hands-on tactile play is one of our favourite activities at AEIOU... It sneaks in fine motor skills development for our kids disguised as a whole lot of fun, and is made that much more exciting with our trusty friend, Play-Doh At #AEIOUToowoomba, we used Aided Language Stimulation (ALS) boards to engage the children to request for Play-Doh, cut and squash the dough, and roll and create!

01.01.2022 Ahoy, me hearties! #AEIOUBaldHills is the place to be ahead of #TalkLikeAPirateDay tomorrow! We had such an arrr-mazing time participating in pirate-related activities and social games such as: Pop-Up Pirate Throwing quoits... Sensory play digging for treasure among the pasta shapes Pin the Hat on the Pirate These activities not only help develop the children's skills for waiting, turn-taking, social interaction, receptive and expressive language, and play... They're also a barrel of laughs!