IHC Library

To start the new year, we are looking at a few of the many new books that have arrived at the IHC Library over the last few weeks.

Living your best life: an accessible guided selfhelp workbook for people with intellectual disabilities by Jonathan Williams

Summary: Living Your Best Life provides guided self-help materials for a person with intellectual disabilities to work through alongside a supporter such as a family member, paid carer, or mental health professional. The tools and guidance help the individual identify what is important to them and move towards a life where worries and doubts do not stop them doing activities they enjoy or trying new things. Each chapter includes separate sections for supporters and for the person with intellectual disabilities (which can be read to them if necessary). The workbook also includes a wide range of exercises, graded by difficulty so this can be matched to an individual’s specific abilities and challenges. The workbook is based on principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and includes advice around accepting and managing common psychological challenges such as anxiety, low mood, anger, and grief.

Body safety book for kids

A Children’s Picture Book about Personal Space, Body Bubbles, Safe Touching, Private Parts, Consent and Respect by Adrian Laurent

Summary: Nina experiences an invasion of her personal space and decides what action to take. Topics include personal space, body bubbles, appropriate and inappropriate touching, and steps to take when uncomfortable with someone’s touch.

Riley the Brave makes it to school: a story with tips and tricks for tough transitions by Jessica

Sinarski

All children struggle to make it to school some days, and this can be even tougher for children who have had difficult life experiences and extra challenges at school. This book creates a safe space for conversations about big thoughts and feelings and offers positive tips for families to try. It also features an educational afterword for grown-ups which explains how the book helps children, and how to get the most out of it.

Brother. do. you. love. me. by

Emmanuel Coe

Summary: Reuben, aged 38, was living in a home for adults with learning disabilities. He hadn’t established an independent life in the care system and was still struggling to accept that he had Down’s syndrome. Depressed and in a fog of anti-depressants, he hadn’t spoken for over a year. The only way he expressed himself was by writing poems or drawing felt-tip scenes from his favourite West End musicals and Hollywood films. Increasingly isolated, cut off from everyone and everything he loved, Reuben sent a text message: ‘brother. do. you. love. me.’ When Manni received this desperate message from his youngest brother, he knew everything had to change. He immediately left his life in Spain and returned to England, moving Reuben out of the care home and into an old farm cottage in the countryside. In the stillness of winter, they began an extraordinary journey of repair, rediscovering the depths of their brotherhood, one gradual step at a time. Combining Manni’s tender words with Reuben’s powerful illustrations, their story of hope and resilience questions how we care for those we love, and demands that, through troubled times, we learn how to take better care of each other.

Different: a great thing to be!

By Heather Avis

Macy is a girl who’s a lot like you and me, but she’s also quite different, which is a great thing to be. With kindness, grace, and bravery, Macy finds her place in the world, bringing beauty and laughter wherever she goes and leading others to find delight in the unique design of every person.

Children are naturally aware of the differences they encounter at school, in their neighbourhood, and in other everyday relationships. They just need to be given tools to understand and appreciate what makes us “different,” permission to ask questions about it, and eyes to see and celebrate it in themselves as well as in those around them.

Featured journal and articles- VoiceDown Syndrome

Australia

This is the journal of Down Syndrome Australia. It reports current best practice and relevant, interesting information to members on all aspects relating to Down syndrome and provides a forum for others. The May 2022 edition focused on employment and included the following articles: Right to work

Describes a project led by Down Syndrome Australia to address the barriers people with Down syndrome face when trying to get a job in open employment. Covers the four components of the campaign - work readiness, an employment connection service, an awareness campaign and employment ambassadors. Supporting our family member to find meaningful employment

Looks at some of the reasons employment is important to people with Down syndrome, the questions parents might have and how parents can support their family member to get work.

A hotel with heart

The three trainees share what it is like to take part in the training programme at Hotel Etico, Australia’s first social enterprise hotel.

If you are interested in any of these items or would like to know what else they have please contact the library team (Phil, Ros and Michael) on 0800 442 442, email them at librarian@ihc.org.nz or visit the online catalogue at https://ihc.mykoha. co.nz/

You can watch their library video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=AunmBYTIZTM

Kim Porthouse President 0800 693 724 president@nzdsa.org.nz

Gwen Matchitt Vice President

Zone 2 Representative Waikato, BOP & Taranaki 0800 693 724 zone2@nzdsa.org.nz

Angelique van der Velden

Zone 5 Representative Ashburton & all areas above 0800 693 724 zone5@nzdsa.org.nz

Bev Smith

Zone 1 Representative Northland 0800 693 724 northland@nzdsa.org.nz

Zone 3 Representative Whanganui, Manawatū, Gisborne & Hawkes Bay 0800 693 724 zone3@nzdsa.org.nz

Glen Jelley Zone 6 Representative All areas below Ashburton 0800 693 724 zone6@nzdsa.org.nz

Maia Faulkner

Zone 1 Representative

Auckland 0800 693 724 auckland@nzdsa.org.nz

Carey-Ann Morrison

Zone 4 Representative Wellington & Wairarapa 0800 693 724 zone4@nzdsa.org.nz

Averill Glew Self-Advocacy Portfolio averill@nzdsa.org.nz

Zandra Vaccarino National Executive Officer 0800 693 724 neo@nzdsa.org.nz

Linda te Kaat National Administrator 0800 693 724 na@nzdsa.org.nz

Shelley Waters Treasurer treasurer@nzdsa.org.nz

Daniel te Kaat Graphic Designer 021 22 333 93 daniel@slaughterhaus.co.nz

Jess Waters Social Media & Information Officer hello@nzdsa.org.nz

Sarah Paterson-Hamlin CHAT21 Editor editor@nzdsa.org.nz

Paula Beguely Auckland Community Liaison Officer 0800 693 724 clo@adsa.org.nz

Pauline Marshall Canterbury Community Liaison Officer 0800 693 724 cdsainc@gmail.com

Grace Perry Administration Support Officer grace@nzdsa.org.nz

Kathryn Sadgrove Northland Coordinator 0800 693 724 ksadgrove@xtra.co.nz

NZDSA Socials

The NZDSA has a Facebook page that serves as a community forum and notice board for relevant issues, events and stories. facebook.com/NZDSA

Follow us on Instagram to see what our communities are up to at nz_down_syndrome

Check out the NZDSA’s website at nzdsa.org.nz

Sandra Slattery Taranaki Community Liaison Officer 0800 693 724 taranakidownsyndrome@gmail.com

NZDSA Membership

Membership is now done online. For all details please go to www.nzdsa.org.nz or for any queries please ring 0800 693 724. If you have not received an email to update your membership online please call the number above.

Donations

The NZDSA receives no Government funding and relies solely on donations and grant applications to keep us running. If you can make a donation big or small, please go to www.nzdsa.org.nz or ring 0800 693 724.

Share your employment stories

The NZDSA is asking people with Down syndrome and their employers to share their employment story. We have a range of ways of contributing to this resource.

• If you live in Auckland we are calling for people to participate in a video production.

• If you want to share your story but would prefer not to be on camera then just send us a written story.

• Film a short video of you at work answering the following questions:

For people with Down syndrome:

• Tell us about your job.

• Tell us about the things that you do at work.

• What are the favourite parts of your job?

• What does having a job mean to you?

For employers:

• Can you tell us a bit about your company?

• What does inclusion mean to you in your workplace?

• Can you tell us about some of the positive aspects of having someone with Down syndrome as part of your team?

Please also make sure your video is no longer than two minutes and is filmed in a landscape format. We would like to share these stories with our network to raise awareness. This may include online via our website and social media, so please make sure that anyone included in the videos is comfortable with this.

Please contact Zandra neo@nzdsa.org.nz before the 31st March to indicate your expression of interest in participating in a video or sending in your written or video contribution.

Numicon Kits

We still have Numicon kits available if you are interested in loaning one for the school year. Numicon is a multi-sensory, structured maths programme. If you would like to know more about Numicon the website is http://www.numicon.co.nz/

• The NZDSA has 16 kits to loan to NZDSA members.

• These kits can be used at home or school.

• The loan period is from February/March to the end of November.

• The NZDSA does require you to pay a refundable bond of $60.00.

• The NZDSA will reimburse you the $60.00 bond if the kits are returned clean and complete.

• The only cost to you is the courier and handling fee which is $30.00 and the cost of returning the kit to the NZDSA.

If you would like to borrow a kit please contact Linda te Kaat at na@nzdsa.org.nz or 0800 693 724

Tell us your story!

We are looking for adults with Down syndrome to tell their life stories! We will either publish these stories in a book or include them in CHAT21 or on the NZDSA’s website. We will be looking at different aspects of life stories, for example education, work, friends, love, leisure time, spirituality, inclusion, and dreams for the future. If you are interested in being part of this project, please contact Zandra at neo@nzdsa.org.nz and we will send you a list of questions that you could have a look at. We will organise a Zoom meeting where you can tell us your life story. You are welcome to bring a support buddy or whānau member to this Zoom session. Hope to hear from you soon!

Calling for nominations for the 2023 Youth Development Camp

24th -26th November 2023 at Vaughan Park Retreat Centre, Long Bay, Auckland. Please note spaces are limited, so apply early! Applicants must be 18 or older to attend the Youth Development Camp.

Priority will be given to applicants who are existing Full NZDSA members.

Closing date 12th May 2023.

Please email Zandra neo@nzdsa.org.nz for more information and to register your interest.

Thanks

Thanks to the following funders and sponsors who have made donations to the NZDSA this financial year:

• Lottery Grants Board

• COGS: Christchurch

• COGS: Rodney/North Shore

• COGS: Hamilton

• COGS: Auckland City

• COGS: Coastal Otago

• COGS: Manukau

• COGS: Waitakere City

• COGS Southland

• COGS Manawatū/Horowhenua

• Holdsworth Charitable Trust

• Eastern & Central Community Trust

• Te Whatu Ora — Health NZ

• Ministry of Social Development

• Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust

• Pub Charity

• Rata Foundation

• T G Macarthy Trust

• Lion Foundation

• Grassroots Trust

• Southern Stars

• Lindsay Foundation