Specific activities
"Go To" people and national team
The national office ASD staff and the regional "Go To" people will together form the National ASD team. They provide advice to Regional Managers to support regional 0.5 FTE Go To people (mentors).
In addition, they fund ASD-specific professional learning and development such as:
- Tilting the Seesaw for Teams
- SCERTS (until the end of 2010)
Facilitating the sharing of information on the implications of the New Zealand ASD Guideline and other evidence through the ASD websites falls into "Go To" jurisdiction.
Other responsibilities of "Go To" are:
- to develop new ASD for Teachers (school and early childhood) booklets and presentations
- to co-facilitate and trial new ASD-specific professional learning and development modules and resources
- to establish ASD-specific tertiary qualification pathway and modules, including evidence-based professional learning and development in coaching and mentoring adults.
All specialist educators
Activities of specialist educators include providing:
- funded copies of the New Zealand ASD Guideline resources and the "In my shoes" DVD
- a new ASD for Teachers booklet and accompanying presentation.
Specialist educators support the following in the ways listed.
For early intervention teams
- Support the Early Intervention ASD Development Project - PL & D in using the SCERTS framework.
For early intervention teams and school sector specialists
Two-day course is for Teams of family and professionals who together to support those with autism aged 5 to 12.
Teams may include parents, caregivers, family, whānau, primary school teachers, teacher aids, learning assistants, SENCOs, or RTLBs.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the early interventions teams support this ASD-specific service provision. A minimum of 35 two-day courses per year is the set goal.
For designated specialist educators in each region
Specialist educators in each region are provided:
- opportunities to share information on up-to-date research and practice, through the ASD websites
- access to mentoring
- chance to co-facilitate or trial new ASD-specific professional learning and development modules and resources for teachers in the early childhood and school sectors
- funded access to ASD-specific tertiary qualification pathway and modules.
Teachers (early childhood and school) of children and young people with ASD
These teachers provide information on how to access:
- their specialist key worker or equivalent
- funded copies of the ASD booklet and the "In my shoes" DVD
- professional learning and development through
- (for early childhood teachers) the Early Intervention ASD Development Project (for school sector) funded opportunities for ASD-specific professional learning and development through taking part in the Autism New Zealand course Tilting the Seesaw for Teams
- newly developed ASD- specific modules and resources.
These teachers also support parents and whanau to develop a profile of the child's strengths and needs and ensure reception of relevant information about effective interventions in New Zealand contexts.
All schools and early childhood education services
Schools and early childhood education services have a number of responsibilities.
They supply information in a range of relevant media, in accordance with an awareness raising communications plan, about the perspectives and contributions of people with ASD.
They provide funded copies of the ASD booklet and the "In my shoes" DVD and offer information on how to access people with knowledge and experience of ASD.
Parents and whanau of children and young people with ASD
For parents and whānau of children with ASD, schools and early childhood education services provide opportunities to access ASD-specific parent education programmes. This jointly funded with the Ministry of Health and involves at least 177 families.
Schools and education services fulfil requests – including the New Zealand ASD Guideline products and the ASD for Educators booklet – and provide support to contribute to a profile of their child's strengths and needs
They inform about parent support groups and sources of information, including Autism New Zealand and Altogether Autism.
Parents and whānau can also access the Autism New Zealand course Tilting the Seesaw for Teams and Hanen More than Words (in some locations).
A program designed specifically for parents of children ages five and under on the autism spectrum and with other social communication difficulties.
The program provides parents with the tools, strategies, and support they need to help their children reach their full communication potential.