Autism fund raiser gets a bounce

Springfree Trampoline in Australia are supporting Autism Queensland by offering a Springfree Trampoline as a prize for the school which raises the most money on 'dress differently day'

Autism Awareness month starts in Australia on the 1st April and culminates ont he 30the with dress differently day.

Autism Queensland CEO Penny Beeston said, "Demand for Autism Queensland’s services was up 40 percent from 10 years ago".

“We know that 1 in 160 children have a diagnosis of Autism, and we’ve seen a real increase in the demand for our services right across Queensland,” she said.

“Autism Queensland receives government support but we also rely on donations from the community to make Autism information, support and outreach programs accessible to all Queenslanders.”

Ms Beeston said Autism Queensland was the only organisation to provide Autism specific Outreach Programs into all schools in Queensland, whether they are State, Independent or Catholic schools.

“Money raised will fund education and therapy for children with Autism; information services to support families and professionals as well as supporting our Outreach Programs, ” she said.

Some (cheap) ideas to dress differently include:

•put your clothes on backwards or inside out
•put your socks on after your shoes
•teachers could wear the school uniform to school
•get the old Superman costume out of mothballs

Trampolining and Autism

In January I posted about how trampolines benefit children with Autism and I recently came accross the passage below. It is really interesting to see how theraputic trampolining can actually be;

Jan Johnson talks about Jacob, Aged 6.

"Jacob (now 6 Years old) was diagnosed a few years ago as having high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder with Persuasive Development Delays. His physiotherapist recommended last year that he use a trampoline to improve his low muscle tone. He went for a review recently and his physio said his leg muscle tone had improved significantly and he can do a lot more hops and jumps on the ground.

The safety netting on the Springfree Trampoline has been very good as Jacob tends to throw himslef back and forth and gets off balance. Also Having no springs has made it safer. The structure is very solid and sound and I don't worry about it cracking or breaking. The Springfree Trampoline has not only been a useful tool physically but also emotionally.

Jacob has also learnt to share his Springfree when he has friends over to visit. Because of his developmental delays, he is still learning social skills. He is very chatty and loves to tell people about trains. Jumping and taking turns ont he Springfree is a way to break his obsessive talk and introduce alternate topics so that he learns about interacting with other children"

Accelerate your childs motor skills, balance and coordination

No two people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are exactly alike but what is certain is that all children LOVE to Jump!

Repetitive movement is a frequent and calming motion for many children with ASD, and jumping is a natural and healthy action, which can be beneficial to children's mental and physical development.

Some children with ASD also have issues with balance and coodination so it's especially important to ensure such a healthy and beneficial activity is undertaken safely. This is truly where Springfree stands alone. Springfree Trampoline is designed as the ultimate in safe jumping. Its revolutionary FlexiNet is designed to catch wayward jumpers, so should your child over balance, the net will flex to absorb the impact and gently guide them back to the trampolines surface. Springfree's revolutionary Soft Edge mat stretches from one soft edge to the other, and is in fact up to 20 times softer than Australian standards stipulate without the need for additional loose padding! In fact there are no hard surfaces for children to impact when jumping on the Springrfee Trampoline. Something no other trampoline can claim.