The Scene is The Spastic Centre's free fortnightly e-newsletter.
It features news, events, issues, links and contacts for people living with cerebral palsy, their families and service providers.
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Thailand Adventure
In late 2005 Judith Geppert, who is a desktop publisher with The Spastic Centre, took off on the trip of a lifetime to Thailand. Judith has a form of cerebral palsy known as Athetoid Quadriplegia but this does not slow her down.
Her trip was made possible through a tour company that specialises in travel for people with disabilities. Judith was able to ride elephants, pat tigers, snakes and alligators, ride a jetski, raft along a river, travel in tuk tuks and swim in a mountainside waterfall pool.
Read about some of her extraordinary adventures in Judith's Story - Thailand.
New CP Email Group
Brainstorm CP is an open email forum for people with cerebral palsy, family and friends of people with CP and health and educational professionals working with people with CP. The forum is a place to share ideas and discuss issues of importance to all of us.
To join, send a blank email with a blank subject line to BrainstormCP
at
Parents and Children
Inclusion in the Playground
A new study has been released by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that investigated the play of children with disabilities in playgrounds of six schools in the UK. It reveals how children were included in play and identifies organisational, social and physical barriers, and good practice for the inclusion of children in play at both recess and lunchtime. Read Inclusion of Disabled Children in Primary School Playgrounds.
Temperament in the Classroom
Temperament describes a set of characteristics that makeup a person’s individual style - or the ‘how’ of behaviour. The Schwab website for children with learning difficulties has an article that describes how different temperaments will contribute to a student’s adjustment and achievements in the classroom.
Read Temperament in the Classroom - Helping Each Child Find a Good Fit
Workshops for Children
Fun for Little Sibs!
A day of fun and games for young children ages 3 to 5 who have sisters or brothers with a learning difficulty/disability. The workshop will be held on 18 January 2006 at Learning Links, 12-14 Pindari Road, Peakhurst from 10.30am to 2.30pm and costs $10 per child. Bring your own lunch. For further information telephone Learning Links on 02 9534 1710.
Drama for Sibs!
Learning Links are also conducting two one-day games and drama workshops for children who have sisters or brothers with a learning difficulty/disability. Children aged 6 to 8 years the workshop will be held on 19 January 2006 and for children aged 9 to 12 years the workshop will be held on 20 January 2006.
The workshops will be held at Learning Links, 12-14 Pindari Road, Peakhurst from 10am to 4pm and costs $10 per child. Bring your own lunch. For further information telephone Learning Links on 02 9534 1710.
Arts
AART.BOXX – Call out for young artists with a disability 
Are you 25 or younger with artistic flare and a desire to have your work seen? NOISE is currently doing a call out for young artists with a disability across Australia to submit all forms of media-friendly works such as photography, pictures, music, words and industrial-object design. You will be in the running for micro-grants to make more art and the chance to have your art seen or heard. For more information go to www.noise.net or www.aarts.net.au
Submissions will be taken until 31 March 2006. If you have any enquiries contact Alison McLaren on 02 9251 6499 or email: amclaren@aarts.net.au.
Personal Stories
My Life - Shane Kelly
Shane Kelly is the Vice President of Scope, a major disability service provider for people with CP in Victoria. He spoke about his experience of living with cerebral palsy on the Radio National Perspective program, ‘My Life’, on 13 December 2005.
This is the first time the Perspective program has aired a segment delivered directly by a person with disability via a voice output communication machine.
Read the full transcript of Shane Kelly - My Life
Health
Gastric Reflux
Gastro-oesophageal reflux (known as GER in the USA) is a complex condition that can affect many people with cerebral palsy. The Ideal Lives website has a good guide to reflux in infants, called Infant Reflux and Pediatric GERD.
It discusses the symptoms, diagnosis and treatments that are available and some of the complications that can arise from the disorder.
Communication Skills for Health Professionals
The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, has a Communication CD that covers many of the issues that GPs, medical students and health professionals need to understand when treating people with developmental and intellectual disability. For further information contact Faye Alphonso on 03 9567 1518 or email Faye.Alphonso@med.monash.edu.au
Travel
Qantas – New Wheelchair Restrictions
Seven News has reported that Qantas has changed its regulations about the types of wheelchairs it will transport. Qantas states that some electric wheelchairs will be excluded from flights on their fleet of 737s, 717s and Aerospace 146s. Read the full story on the Seven News site.
Employment
Employment Experiences in the Public Service
The Australian Public Service Commission has a new project aimed at improving the employment of people with disability in the Commonwealth Public Service. They have asked the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations to provide case studies of people's experiences of employment in the Service. They want examples of good and bad experiences, identifying what works to support people with disability to gain/retain employment and what acts as barriers.
Participants are welcome to remain anonymous. The case studies will be used as part of the report. If you know anyone interested in responding or submitting a case study, please contact Collete O'Neil at collette.oneill@afdo.org.au by 20 January. More details on the Disability InfoXchange website.
Research
Neonatally Acquired Viruses
New research by the South Australian Cerebral Palsy Research Group is moving us closer to understanding the role that neonatally acquired viruses may have in the development of some cases of cerebral palsy.
An article published in the British Medical Association journal, BMJ, discusses the group’s findings and how they add to the body of knowledge about the complex causal pathways to cerebral palsy. Read Neurotropic viruses and cerebral palsy: population based case-control study
An item in the ‘The Weekend Australian’ explains the research in layman’s terms. It also explores the positive impact that a no fault insurance scheme could have in the lives of people with CP and on obstetric care in Australia.
Our own Judith Geppert is also featured in this article, Beating the Blame Game.
Hypothermia Treatment for Newborns
Three articles recently reviewed by the United Cerebral Palsy lend support to the usefulness of one or more techniques of hypothermia in the prevention of death and cerebral palsy among term babies born with evidence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Term babies with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy are at risk for spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Read the summary in a UCP research factsheet Hypothermia in Newborn Infants.
Conferences .. Workshops .. Forums
AIHW Forum: Information on Disability and Functioning
6-7 February 2006
Improving information on disability and functioning is an important and challenging task. The AIHW is working with a range of stakeholders and advisors to improve the quality, consistency, relevance and availability of such information. This forum, with its diverse range of speakers, is designed to provide opportunities for discussing and furthering these aims. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is the Australian Collaborating Centre for the WHO Family of International Classifications, including the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The forum will provide an opportunity for users to share information about the ICF and its implementation.
The forum will be held at the Masonic Centre in Sydney. The Centre is wheelchair accessible and able to provide other equipment such as audio loops (based on requests in registration forms).
For further enquiries contact Tiffany Lamb on 02 6244 1070 or fax 02 6244 1069.
Website: www.aihw.gov.au/eventsdiary/iidf2006/index.cfm
ACROD NSW Annual Conference – Early Bird Registration
20-21 February 2006
The ACROD NSW 2006 annual conference is the final chapter in a trilogy of specialist disability sector two-day events on empowerment and planning. ACROD will present a range of speakers over three streams involving service delivery and policy development action initiatives for both state and Australian government funded disability organisations.
Register now at 2005 conference rates. Early Bird rates end 25 January 2006. Download the registration form
For further information contact Gabrielle Jones on 02 9503 1603 or email gabe@acrodnsw.net.
Clinical and Research Perspectives in Developmental Neuropsychology Conference
30-31 March 2006
The Developmental Cognitive Neuropsychology Research Unit (DeCog) at The Children's Hospital at Westmead was established in March 2000 as an outreach unit of the Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science based at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The Unit is a joint initiative between the two institutions and aims to establish a centre of excellence in developmental cognitive neuropsychology research. The DeCog unit has a well established research program in the areas of developmental cognitive neuropsychology and
neuropsychological outcome of a range of disorders.
The conference will be held at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and the theme is clinical and research perspectives in developmental neuropsychology.
The conference will be of relevance primarily to paediatric clinical neuropsychologists but also to other health professionals, researchers and educators working with children with central nervous system dysfunction. Further information and registration form is at www.chw.edu.au/research/groups/decog/.
All enquiries should be emailed to decog@chw.edu.au.
Re:connections Forum
29 May 2006
Re:connections is an interactive forum showcasing the latest research in spinal cord injury and related neurological conditions to be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.
Re:connections will bring leading Australian and international researchers together with clinicians, healthcare and rehabilitation professionals, people with spinal cord injury and their carers, to share knowledge and strengthen research, clinical, and community networks. The forum will also showcase new research being undertaken in NSW under the NSW Spinal Grants program announced at the 2003 Making Connections forum.
More information visit the websites www.msmr.nsw.gov.au/ and www.spinalinfo.nsw.gov.au for updates and details on how to register. Further queries contact the Re:connections Secretariat on 02 9388 7872 or emal: reconnectionsforum@bigpond.com.
For Sale
Children's Stander
A second hand Jenx Humphrey children's stander is for sale.
The stander is 2.5 years old and in excellent condition. $1500.00 ono.
For further information contact Eli on 02 8824-9306
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Disclaimer
Opinions expressed in items of The Scene are the individual opinions of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Spastic Centre or the editors. Products and companies featured in The Scene are not necessarily endorsed by The Spastic Centre. The Scene is intended to be informative only and should not be relied on as medical or other technical advice on any matter. The Spastic Centre and editor take no responsibility for the information published in this newsletter or any person's actions in reliance on that information.
