Time to move.........

"The forward youth that would appear

Must now forsake his Muses dear,

Nor in the shadows sing

His number languishing:

Tis' time to leave the books in dust,

And oil the unused armour's rust,

Removing from the wall

The corslet of the hall."

from An Horatian Ode, Andrew Marvell

On Cromwells return from Ireland in 1650 before he took action against the Scots .

I am on a roll now, after yesterdays early intervention session and talking to the other mums in the group, I have come to the timely realisation that there is a HUGE gap in the systems which support children with additional needs as well as others. Not just in the education sector, but support services, information access, Government assistance schemes, you name it. As for my self I have become a sponge for absorbing information from others who are happy to pass it on, for many it is just too much to take in when your child is young, initially diagnosed, you have other children. All these services, information, funding etc, need to be

1) Easily and readily accessible

2) Found in one area or with valid, quick to locate links and cross references

It needs to be in a folder format with interchangeable pages as info changes available at doctors, pediatrician, community health centres, pre schools, where ever ...Not every one is PC savvy, Web literate or even wants to spend hours on the www looking up stuff. It also needs to be on the Web. Stuff like continence nurse information, assistance with continence aides, respite care (this takes many forms )Govt assistance (Carers Allowance, Carers Payments or even just a Health Care card for your child), speech pathologist and therapist listings, OT and physio listings, the funding system for both Govt, independent and religious schools, the lists and information seems endless. It is vast and it is varied. I have meet people with kids with bed wetting and toileting issues who are not defined by additional needs but who knew nothing of continence nurses, funding for aides, medical assistance available..Who just thought they had to struggle along with this unhappy child and the ongoing issues.

I cannot believe the amount of information, assistance and funding there is out there and that to locate it requires half a day on the telephone, dialing six numbers, talking to seven people and a cut lunch!!!!

Same goes for the Net, for example, there is an assistance with ongoing therapy available through Medicare known as Enhanced Care Plan, it involves paperwork being completed by the GP to an allied health professional who must be registered with the HIC (Health Insurance commission)it covers Aboriginal Health Workers, Audiologists, Dieticians, Mental Health Workers,OT's, Physio's, Podiatrist or chiropodist, Chiropractor, Osteopath, Psychologist, and SP's. The completion of these forms allow for a rebate of $45.00 per session for any of these services up to FIVE per calendar year....Well worth the paperchase. But is this on the Medicare site...NO. Call Medicare and no one knows what you are talking about. This is my point, the assistance is there but poorly advertised, non accessible and information poor.

I am going to start compiling information in relation to services, funding, assistance, whatever, primarily for additional needs kids but hopefully it will encompass and cross over into some aspects of regular kids who just need a bit of help with this or that. It is something which needs to be done, should be done and I will try and get it done. Any one who reads this blog who knows of any such services (Australia only)which I might not know of, please drop me a line with details. I will also look at including help groups and discussion groups although from my personal point of view they are a bit daunting, inaccessible and non feasible if you have other kids and limited child care options, but I am happy enough to list them.

LEGAL NOTE: Any smartie who thinks they might steal the idea as a money spinner or just as your own, beware, it has been listed with a copyright registration as a idea owned by ME!!!!DON'T BOTHER