Strategies for supporting your autistic child

Sleep, eating, toileting, communication skills, emotional regulation + much more!

Parent workshop

4 June 2024 | 900 am – 400 pm

West Melbourne Baptist Church and Community Centre, 4 Miller Street, West Melbourne 3003

$53.46 per person

About the workshop

Join us for this informative workshop designed to empower you with evidence-based tools, strategies, and information to support your child’s growth and development. The workshop will cover:

The Big Three: Sleeping, Eating and Toileting – Strategies and practical advice to address the common trio of parenting hurdles, including common concerns, effective strategies and when to seek further advice.

Emotional Regulation and Communication – Insights and strategies to help you foster your child’s communication skills and support your child in navigating their emotions.

What Does Quality Early Intervention for Autism Look Like? – How do you evaluate different services and decide what supports are best for your child? This presentation will help you understand what kind of team/professionals can best support you and how to fund them.

Q & A and Expert Panel – A chance to ask us your questions!

Who is this workshop suitable for?

The workshop is for parents and primary carers of children up to the age of 6 years who have received/are in the process of an autism diagnosis.  This workshop will be particularly beneficial to you if you are researching or waitlisted for services (whether with us or another provider) – so you can begin working on some key developmental areas while you wait.

How much does it cost?

$53.46 per person. This small fee will help us cover the cost of running this workshop.

As a Not-for-Profit organisation, we are committed to equal access for all families. For this reason, we have intentionally kept the cost of this full-day program as low as possible. If relevant, you may want to use parent or carer capacity-building funds from your child’s NDIS plan to cover this cost.

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is for parents and primary carers of children up to the age of 6 years who have either recently received an autism diagnosis for their child or are in the process of a diagnosis.

PLEASE NOTE: Many childhood educators have expressed interest in this event. We hope to run a similar event dedicated to educators in the near future.

Don’t miss out!

Places are limited! Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and resources from our team of highly experienced professionals to better support your child.

About the speakers

Karen McKinnon, Psychologist & National Clinical Director

Karen McKinnon is Autism Partnership’s National Clinical Director, a registered Psychologist, and Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. She has worked in the field since 1995 and has consulted nationally and internationally with families of children with autism. Her work includes diagnostic assessments, psychological consultation, school consultation, and supervision of behavioural intervention programs, along with Autism Partnership’s staff training and professional development. Karen regularly presents at seminars and conferences.

Shannon Eeles, CEO

Shannon is Autism Partnership’s CEO. As well as leading the team, Shannon provides daily support to families navigating the NDIS. She has worked with children with autism and their families for over 20 years. Her passion for working with children began while studying nursing science at university. A subsequent diagnosis of autism in the family triggered her journey to improving education quality and outcomes for autistic children. Shannon strongly believes that autistic children deserve the opportunity to learn the skills they need to define their own futures. Shannon also serves on the board of Autism Pathways, a peak body for behavioural intervention in Australia.

Sophie Cirillo, Speech & Language Pathologist

Sophie is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with Autism Partnership. Sophie is passionate about developing children’s communication skills to support them in expressing themselves confidently. She works closely with Behaviour Consultants, Therapists and parents to ensure what children are working on is functional, achievable and can be practised consistently.

About Autism Partnership

Autism Partnership has been supporting children and families for over 25 years. We believe that every child deserves a life of independence and opportunity. We provide autism-specific services, intervention and support to autistic children and their families. Autism Partnership is a not-for-profit organisation.