TCHC Times - East of England Edition
Volume 2 Issue 1
Ipswich GAPS Garden Project
Our Ipswich GAPS learners have been getting involved in our garden project.
During their construction lessons, learners made planters from recycled pallets and scrap wood. The learners also built their own bin for their break time area. It is amazing to see what can be achieved by our young people and we can’t wait to see the planters full of their own fruit and veg.
The learners will be able to pick their own crops to take home and cook with.
Autism Acceptance month
April is Autism Acceptance Month, this month raises awareness of the signs, symptoms and realities of autism and is used internationally to promote acceptance.
During Autism Acceptance Month, Danielle Davis – Ipswich Centre Administrator, shared her experience living with Autism.
Danielle said; “I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at 17 years old. It was a shock to my entire family as I wasn’t “textbook autism” in the sense that: I did not have special interests associated with ASD, I was academic and in mainstream school without an EHCP, I was well behaved and I was sociable.
However, looking back at my childhood and understanding my difficulties clearer, I discovered; I have suffered and continue to suffer with sensory overload, I have been dismissed by MANY professionals even though I have a diagnosis, I struggle with emotional dysregulation and I lack confidence in social situations and will “mask” or “stim” to get through them
These things and many more, shape my day to day life. The more research I do, the more I learn about who I am. But I rarely get an opportunity to share this with others, and poetry has been an outlet for me for as long as I can remember – I’m just like you, with a little more me.”