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Someone To Turn To is a free parent support network providing emotional and practical support for parents who have a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Coordinator of the program links parents up with volunteers who are parents with similar experiences and cultural backgrounds in order to establish a source for advice and lead to an enhanced quality of family life. Someone To Turn To is targeted at parents and families who would benefit from a parent support network, particularly those from a diverse cultural and linguistic background.
Parents of children who have recently received a diagnosis can particularly feel overwhelmed and may benefit from someone who has already started on the journey that they will begin. Parents who are already on the journey may benefit from sharing experiences and gaining advice from others who have had to manage similar issues.
The Coordinator ensures all volunteers are provided with initial and follow-up professional development training, to ensure effective and relevant support. The Coordinator also, maintains communications with both parents and volunteers to ensure satisfaction levels and quality outcomes are being achieved.
Someone To Turn To is always ready for parents who wish to establish a supportive connection, and for volunteers to be part of the program. Many parents who joined the program have later become support volunteers for other parents joining the program. The program also organises events and opportunities for parents and volunteers to continue learning and maintaining healthy supportive connections.
Multilingual support
Someone To Turn To is able to provide access multilingual support, through volunteers who can offer support in languages including Vietnamese, Japanese, Tagalog, Arabic, Greek, Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as English. This multilingual service is readily available from Aspect if you are in need of assistance.
Fathers, Grandfathers & Uncles
Autism Spectrum Australia provides specialised support for fathers, grandfathers and uncles of children with autism spectrum disorders. Someone To Turn To can link you with a father or grandfather who is in a similar situation to you and can give you practical suggestions on how best to manage. Someone To Turn To also offers ‘Fathers and Grandfathers' evenings, giving dad’s, uncles and grandfathers a chance to get together in an informal setting.
Following are links for the calendar of events, information about Pampering with Information Days and other useful resources:
For more information contact the Co-ordinator Pauline Hunter-Knight:
| Phone: |
02 8977 8335 |
| Fax: |
02 8977 8399 |
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Postal Address:
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Parent Support Network
PO Box 361, Forestville, NSW 2087 |
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