Great news from the National Autistic Society for families with autism or Asperger syndrome. Ed
Thanks to generous funding from ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’, the Isle of Wight Council and NHS Isle of Wight have joined forces with the National Autistic Society (NAS) Isle of Wight branch to launch a Saturday Lego Club on 18th September.
The club is for children aged 5 – 11 who have high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome.
It aims to improve their social interaction and communication skills by arranging for them to play with Lego in small groups, thus enabling their parents or carers to enjoy a short break.
The NAS is LEGO UK’s official charity partner.
Working with charity for two years
The toy company has been working with the charity since 2008 and ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ provided the opportunity for establishing an exciting and fun local club for children with autism. Gillian and Marcus Elsom, parents of two children with autism, are running the club with help from others who have experience of working with children with the condition.
It will be held between 10 – 12 am on the first and third Saturday of each month at Newport CE Primary School.
Support for parents and children
Gillian, says, “We know that Lego is so often a passion of children with autism and Asperger syndrome, so we wanted to organise a club that engaged their interests whilst encouraging them to build on their skills. One of the aims of the club is also to support the parents and siblings of children with autism. We hope the club will give parents some much needed respite and also allow them to meet other parents in similar situations. Siblings of children with autism can often have a tough time, so we welcome them to come along with their brother or sister”.
IOW NAS Branch Officer, Louise Foley said, “We are thrilled to be able to offer this exciting new service to local children with autism. The right support at the right time can make an enormous difference to the lives of children with autism and their families.”
Image: 713 Avenue under CC BY 2.0
