Finding You Finding Me

SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NON-VERBAL OR ON THE BORDERLINES OF SPEECH, WITH SERIOUS LEARNING DISABILITIES OR SEVERE BEHAVIOURAL DISTRESS

Recognise the title Finding You Finding Me? It is one of my favourite books. Written beautifully by Phoebe Caldwell who has worked for over 30 years as a practitioner with people whose severe learning disabilities are linked with behavioural distress. (Jessica Kingsley Publishers)

Phoebe Caldwell introduces the practical approach known as Intensive Interaction, making connections through their body language a means of self-expression which makes it possible to build relationships by shifting attention from solitary self-stimulation to shared activity. The outcome is true happiness.

What I respect most is her ability to touch with very deep emotions and her wisdom to ask "How can we get in touch with each other?"

Thank you Phoebe for sharing your knowledge.

I am trying to find out if the book is available in Spanish, so far no joy, will let you know at a later date if I am successful.


Disclaimer: I have no financial interest in this book

Basketball, Tennis for Wheelchair Users

Here are some more activities going on in Marbella.
If you do not speak Spanish then here is a perfect opportunity to enjoy 3 in 1

• meet new friends
• play a sport / hobby
• learn conversational Spanish

WHEELCHAIR USERS

Marbella Powerlifting Club 952 774 457

C.D. Baloncesto Silla de Ruedas Marbella 952 866 750 (Basketball)

Tenis en silla de ruedas (a partir de 17 años):
Viernes de 13:00 a 14:00 horas
Lugar: Polideportivo Paco CantosAvda. Canovas del Castillo. 29600 Marbella
Profesor: Julio Cid
Inscripciones: Delegación de Juventud y Deportes. Tel. 952 761 185/ 952 761 186.
En horario de 9.30 a 14.30 y de 17.00 a 19.00 horas.
Documentación a presentar: Hoja de inscripción debidamente cumplimentada junto con una fotocopia del D.N.I. y de la Cartilla de la Seguridad Social o seguro privado.

Rembember to telephone first and always take along your Identity card and Medical Card.

Covering the Costa del Sol

For the time being I will be focusing on the Costa del Sol region in Andalucia, mainly because this is the area where I reside and am familiar with local activities. However, as this blog expands I do hope to incorporate other regions.

I would appreciate any in put/feedback from readers interested in this community topic.

Thanking you for your cooperation.

Rainy Days and Wheelchairs

Here's a game for all the family, there is no accessibility problem, MegaBowl & Sports Bar, Marbella. http://www.megabowlmarbella.com/eng/default.htm
I have personally used the facilities, they are excellent for wheelchair and Special Needs users, ramps at good levels, 22 State-of-the-art Tenpin bowling lanes which upon request can be raised on the sides also they have specially raised, waist level, ball guided servers for people that cannot throw the balls at ground level. It truly is great fun and geared for all. Ask for special rates if in a large group.

So do not stay in doors, get out there and have some fun and one other point if you drive down into the underground parking at the shopping mall, you should stay dry all the way.

Gluten Free / Casein Free in Andalucia

Having trouble finding Gluten Free and/or Casein Free products. There are three major stores in Andalucia offering these products, Hipercor, Mercadona and Carrefour. If you happen to live near Gibraltar, Morrisons also has a very attractive well labelled range called "free from". On a personal choice Morrison's brown bread is really delicious. Also there are many small health stores around Andalucia offering a good range of products, it really is worth popping in for a browse, quite often I am surprised, also I like to support the small business owner. We still need to hope that one day the prices will be more attractive, GF/CF is painful for the wallet.

Sioux Indian Prayer

"Great Spirit, Help me never to judge another
until I have walked in his moccasins."

Making Websites Talk

Firstly, let me give you this link http://www.browsealoud.com/page.asp?pg_id=80002

I was browsing the National Autistic UK website yesterday http://www.nas.org.uk/browsealoud, which is now speech-enabled, meaning it can be read aloud to you using the program Browsealoud (download for free).

DATA: Browsealoud makes using the Internet easier for people who have:

. Low literacy and reading skills
. English as a second language
. Dyslexia
. Mild visual impairments

Unfortunately not all websites are speech-enabled, however I was able to try the program on the http://www.bbc.co.uk/, it is great fun, you can change the voice and the speed. Blogger.com is speech-enabled.

There's a big place in my heart for wheelchair users

I cannot walk by a building or down a town street without my passionate concern asking, "how would a person confined to a wheelchair enter there?, or why is that ramp so steep?". Why?, you may well ask, after all I do not have anyone in my family who uses a wheelchair! I am not confined to using a wheelchair, so why all this passionate concern!.

I will share with you my story. It is not until reality hits us in the face, hard at that, do we really learn lessons that remain in our memory.

Back in 2001 my darling son of 8 years of age fell off his bicycle and broke his shin bone, it was one big crack that would take months to heal. The plaster was set from the top of his thigh to bottom of his toes. Stiff like a rock. This was early July, the sun was really warming up and no swimming pool to cool down. To get Max out of the house was an effort in itself, fortunately God blessed me with strength and I was able, in a fire woman's lift, carry Max down the flight of stairs out the front door and into my car. After followed the rigged up a plank of wood, to keep the plastered leg straight out and a borrowed wheelchair. Day time trips were to be avoided, we turned into dusk searches, saved by the large shopping malls that catered with lifts and ramps and bless them air-conditioning. To cut a long story short, this went on for months, I can only describe it as extremely heart breaking hard work, not only physically but the mental pressure of "eyes" watching you like we were some sort of alien with a plank of wood.

Well out of something bad more than not arrives something good. Three points that will always remain in my memory. After 2 1/2 months being confined to the bed or the wheelchair my son Max finally was able to walk again. Secondly he learnt to read phonetically and thirdly I converted to a big advocate for wheelchair users. I am the one that gets real mad when someone dares to park in a reserved wheelchair zone, when shops do not place a ramp outside, when people park near the curb blocking side ramps, when people moan they are too tired to walk, how dare they. This subject we will cover again, as it is immense.

I really would like everyone to spend just one week of their lives using a wheelchair to get around town, I believe it is the only way we will finally learn that we need to change our mentality drastically, the sooner the better.

Marbella Taxis Adapted for Wheelchairs

This is good news, according to the Sur in English, edition 10th to 16th October 2008, http://www.surinenglish.com/ The Marbella Town Hall has asked the Junta de Andalucia to create 9 new licenses for taxis that are adapted to carry wheelchairs. At present only 4 of the town's taxis are adapted for the disabled and nine more would help Marbella meet the requirement that states that 5% of all cars should have these characteristics.