Inclusive Taekwon-Do

Inclusive Taekwon-Do

For the past year and a half, I have been taking clients along to Inclusive Taekwon-Do (NZ ITF) in Hastings. The Thursday night group is for people with special needs and some of them also attend other inclusive mainstream sessions each week too. What an incredible club Ben Evans runs. It truly is fully inclusive, and the Thursday nights are inspirational with many of the black belt seniors also with disabilities leading the group through their patterns. The routines and ethics of the club provide a secure environment where everyone knows what is expected of them and there is mutual respect and acceptance of difference. Ben knows all his students and how to support each one positively to help them progress at their own pace. The core principles are courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. You can really see these in action there. The sense of shared purpose and celebration of individual achievements is so evident every session. Many of the people have made long-term genuine friendships and they have a shared sense of being in a safe and welcoming community. I can’t speak highly enough of what a special organisation NZ ITF Taekwon-Do is! What an example they are to show how people with disabilities can be successful participants and contributors in a learning environment when they have the positive support and structures to achieve at their own pace.

I’m passionate about getting more opportunities for people with disabilities based in Central Hawkes Bay (CHB); so, with this in mind I got together with Katrina at the Paul Hunter Centre in Waipukurau to get Ben to start a group down there. He was so keen to do this and we are now in our second term of Taekwondo at the Paul Hunter Centre. He is also taking groups at some of our schools now too. What a buzz there is when Ben arrives each week to lead our group. He brings such positive energy and enthusiasm to each session and the time just flies past. Little by little we are learning the first pattern, and some people (me included) will be ready to grade for their first time in June for their “yellow stripe”. Apart from the mental well-being and sense of shared purpose there are many benefits to be gained from Taekwondo: improved physical co-ordination and balance, building muscle memory, memory development, ability to follow verbal instructions, increased confidence and self-belief. I enjoy the class enormously and can see the progress with each person in our group, both in the pattern work but also in their confidence to participate in new things, contribute ideas and positively support each other as fellow learners, recognising that although we have different skills and abilities, we are all equal team members.

 

Hooked on Sensory Toys

Hooked on Sensory Toys

Hooked on Sensory Toys….

Over the last year, I have become hooked on the benefits of Sensory Toys; not just for children with disabilities but for everyone! It started with some “fidget items’ on the bench; shells and stones with different textures and colours. Then I got a bit more intentional and bought a Sensory Kit from Sensory Sam’s website. Then I noticed some cool ones at Kmart in the pet section, then the toy section and so on. I now have quite a big range of sensory toys, in my house placed in bowls and sorting trays, and in my car. The ones in the house are mainly used by adult visitors, as I make a cuppa they sit at the kitchen island and then before you know it they are fiddling with some fidget toys. This is when I bring out my favourite ones and soon we are just exploring, playing and relaxing.

In the vehicle I have bags of them for different children that I support, which I keep by their usual seats. I’ve noticed the first thing they do once seated in the vehicle is to get their bag out and start playing. When I travel with children who are siblings; this is particularly helpful to reduce those after school “snitchy moments” as we drive home from school. They can do turn-taking and swapping of toys while I focus on driving in the after-school traffic.

Because we engage with the world through our senses, sensory play is vital for children to integrate what they are experiencing. It is important for everyone, but especially for people with disabilities as it can help them improve their cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills in various ways.

Some of The Benefits of Sensory Play for People with Disabilities (qualityhealthcare.com.au)

  • Cognitive skills: sensory play can help people with disabilities develop their attention span, concentration, memory, problem-solving, creativity and language skills. For example, sensory play can help people with dementia recall past memories or people with intellectual disabilities learn new words or concepts.
  • Physical skills: sensory play can help develop their fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, balance and spatial awareness. For example, it can help strengthen their muscles or improve their mobility.
  • Social skills: it can help people with disabilities develop their communication skills, social interaction skills, cooperation skills and self-confidence. For example, sensory play can help people with autism express their emotions or communicate their needs or preferences.
  • Emotional skills: it can help develop their self-awareness, self-regulation and coping skills. For example, sensory play can help people with anxiety calm down or relax or people with depression feel happier or more motivated.

Sensory play can also provide a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction for people with disabilities. It can make them feel valued and respected as individuals who have unique abilities and preferences. It can also make them feel more connected to themselves and others.

If you have never experienced the joy of sensory toys, I recommend you have a go. You can make your own, use found objects that appeal to you or buy some. Pick one up and don’t think about what you are doing with it. Chat to someone or watch TV or read and then after a while take a moment to see how you feel. Try out some different ones, squeeze balls, pompoms, keys on a keyring, heavier metal ones, soft fluffy ones. You will soon discover your preferences. I have always been a “phone pacer” I will find myself walking up and down the room when on the phone. I discovered that if I have a something to fidget with in my hand, I don’t walk around! Given that I have patchy mobile reception; this has been a real game-changer!

 

 

What does Advocacy look like?

What does Advocacy look like?

Women on a video call on her computer

 

 

 

 

People often ask me what advocacy looks like at Action Pathways Ltd, so I thought I’d write a blog piece about it. I like the description from the Cambridge Dictionary:

”To advocate is to speak for, support, or represent a person or group of people who may need extra help or protection”.

Because my service is receptive and responsive to the different needs and goals of each family, so too advocacy is different for each client. There are a range of key things I do though which I would like to touch on here.

“Pathways planning”: we co-create an action plan that is holistic; recognising that a range of small changes is often more effective than just focusing on one big change.

Attend meetings with clients: e.g. Community service providers, Health and Education services, support groups e.g. Pediatric Team Meetings, Counselling Services, Budgeting Services, School Individual Planning Meetings.

  1. a) as a support person (take notes and give moral support)
  2. b) to speak on behalf of the client with pre-arranged points to be covered; I ask the tricky questions for them and promote their child’s inclusion

Organise and attend meetings to create a holistic “wrap-around” support team for families with high needs

Do agency referrals: e.g. health and education services e.g. social worker support letter, MOE referrals.Women writing

Do funding applications: with client’s approval to access funds for specific needs/goals e.g. Extraordinary Care fund for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

Research what services are available to meet their family’s particular needs and share with clients e.g. disability sports groups and activities, free Computer workshops.

Visit Services with clients to see what is offered and whether they have activities or supports client would like to participate in or access e.g. personal trainer at the local Gym, local libraries, sports groups, community health providers, community holiday programmes for children.

Arrange meetings/events with like-minded people to the client: e.g. “Girl’s Play” event at the Faraday Museum for girls to meet with cognitive disabilities who enjoy doll play, meet-ups in local parks or libraries for families with children with disabilities.

As part of journeying alongside families, advocacy plays a key role in promoting access to the supports they need to thrive. As they experience positive results and gain confidence, their sense of well-being increases, and they no longer feel isolated.

Inspiration aboard the Spirit of NZ

Inspiration aboard the Spirit of NZ

Recently I did an adult voyage on the Spirit of NZ Tall Ship for 3 days and nights. What an incredible experience it was. I was fortunate enough to go on a youth voyage when I was at school on the Spirit of Adventure (which has now been decommissioned and isn’t a tall ship) and have always wanted to do another voyage as an adult. We were 40 “trainees” aged 19-75 and we had 12 crew. It really was “all hands on deck” to sail the ship as everything is done manually to raise and lower the sails and the large sails like the mainsail took a minimum of 10 trainees hauling each rope to get it up. What a euphoria we had when we had raised all the sails the first time and were sailing without the engine as has been done for hundreds of years sailing ships around the globe.

There was an atmosphere of expectation and excitement from the trainees as we boarded with each of us having personal challenges in mind for our voyage. What an amazing community of positive support we were, recognizing that we are all unique and that what is easy for one person is a challenge for another. We celebrated each person’s achievements, and they celebrated ours. The crew were so skilled at supporting people when they needed it but allowing us to each face our challenges and give things a go without stepping in prematurely. It reminded me of how I work with people with disabilities, aiming for self-determination and empowerment, supporting them as they need it on their journey towards this.

My personal biggest challenge was to climb at least halfway up the mast and push through my fear of heights. I did this with encouragement from the trainees and crew on the deck and when I asked them to sing “Te Aroha” as I climbed, their voices lifted me up and my fear reduced to a manageable level. Other challenges I mastered were sitting out on the Bow Spit net while sailing and climbing up to the deck rail and swinging from a hand-held swing, jumping into the sea at the furthest point out from the ship. I did it 3 times and actually enjoyed it by the last jump!

The children that I work with were a real inspiration to me to push through the difficulties and give things a go as they have to do this daily. One particular example springs to mind; as I swam up to the ship at the end of my first swim, I needed to climb a ladder with rope sides and wet wooden rungs. I felt like I didn’t have the strength to do it as the ladder was only secured at the deck and was going under the side of the boat at an awkward angle. I thought of one young man I work with who despite having cerebral palsy, really works on his upper body strength and can do 1 finger pull-ups on a horizontal bar. I thought; if he can do that, then I can climb to the next rung on the ladder. Rung by rung saying this to myself, I climbed the ladder without assistance. By the end of the voyage I was able to do it with only a little difficulty. It reinforced to me how we can do more than we think we can and that when we dig deep and persevere through difficulty we have a real sense of achievement and develop skills that seemed impossible to us.

I feel so privileged to have had this opportunity and am considering going back as a crew volunteer for some youth voyages. Every year the Spirit of NZ takes an “Inspiration Voyage” for young kiwis aged 16-30 who live with a disability. The Captain told me some amazing stories from previous voyages which inspired me to perhaps volunteer on one of them. I can only imagine how life-changing these voyages must be and the incredible sense of achievement and empowerment the trainees must come away with. I have come away with a reignited motivation to do more adventures and to start doing the other things on my “bucket list”!

To find out more about the Spirit of NZ and what they do, go to: www.spiritofadventuretrust.org.nz