Marita Leechbabe

Recent Activity

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  Marita signed the petition | about 1 year ago

  Elle Magazine: Apologize for Trying to 'Whiten' Indian Skin
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  Marita commented on the article | over 2 years ago

  The Funny Thing About Early Intervention

  "It should be all about giving a child a chance to do his or her best, with "best" defined not as some abstract notion of "recovery," but as setting a child up for as good a life as can be had."
  
  
  Amen!
  
  I just want my girls to be happy. 
  
  Early intervention provides the means for my youngest who is on the spectrum to be happy. No more frustration related meltdowns and lots of smilies and laughter.

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  Marita signed the petition | over 2 years ago

  Promote the Use of Augmentative Communication Devices
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  Marita commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  Blasting Stereotypes in Autistic Females

  My 4yo daughter was diagnosed on the autism spectrum a couple of years ago.  About half the people we talk to about her being on the spectrum are really surprised because they think only boys can be autistic.  Such an ingrained preconception.

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  Marita commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  The Importance of Proper Support

  That really is uplifting and heartwarming story.
  
  I've found PECS invaluable as a tool to help my daughter communicate.  She now talks and communicates verbally very well but without PECS it would have been a long slow road with nothing near the progress we have achieved.
  
  I'm so grateful for our early intervention centre who push her private speech therapist and PreSchool just as hard as I do.  Nothing like having knowledgable advocates fighting beside you.

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  Marita commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  Circle of Friends: Knowledge is power

  That is fascinating.  Thank you for sharing the information about COF with us.
  
  Our early intervention teacher has been recommending COF for my daughter at PreSchool and I wasn't really sure how it would work.  This sounds absolutly brilliant now.

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  Marita commented on the article | almost 3 years ago

  Therapy Cost Rip-off?

  This Autism Funding by the Aussie Govt. has been great for those of us with children that fit the criteria. Certainly there are more equitable ways the money could have been allocated to help all children under 6yo with special needs, but Autism is what sells for political parties right now.  I'm not going to complain too hard though because my daughter fits the criteria and got the funding.
  
  It was very hard for service providers to register during the initial period.  The govt. has since relaxed its standards a little and more providers are able to register.  The problem at the moment is there are a lot of families with this funding money and not enough providers out there. 
  
  We live near what is possibly the best early intervention centre in the state of Victoria.  We pay through the nose to live here and that is what the cost of Autism is to us - to provide the best therapy for our daughter means paying high housing costs to live in the right catchment zone, close to the best services.
  
  The govt. funding doesn't cover those sort of costs, the hidden costs of parenting a child on the spectrum.  We only use / access therapies that have been well studied, occupational therapy, speech therapy, early intervention.   No diets, no woo, so none of those costs for us, I shudder to think how much harder it is for those who choose the alternative route.
  
  But no financial cost can compare to seeing the benefits of what we do and knowing that my daughter is happy and we are giving her the tools to continue to be happy in the future.