In June NOFASD launched our Advice Cards for Community, wallet-sized cards for parents and carers to hand to onlookers when their child experiences a sensory overload in public. These cards assist carers to enlist the support of observers by wordlessly explaining what is going on and asking for cooperation, which includes not staring or becoming involved unless requested.
These cards have proved extremely popular, with our first batch of 2000 cards running out within the month! We would love to hear your feedback if you have used them in the community. Please contact us here or leave your comments on this blog.
One parent who cares for a child with FASD said “I didn’t feel any need to stay and explain, because it was all on the card, which was such a relief”. She described using the cards in a number of ways, including:
- When they visited places during the day she would hand them to appropriate staff members. This was also an effective way to explain why their assistance dog was with them.
- Prior to behavioural outbursts, when she noticed a build-up of anxiety or hyperactivity, she would hand them to anyone nearby.
- On a family trip, after they had de-escalated a sensory overload event she would hand them out to neighbouring holiday makers.
This parent said she hands out these cards “in an attempt to gain understanding, not judgement, from others”. We are grateful to this parent for sharing her experiences with us. We would love to hear from you too, so please send us your feedback if you have used the advice cards.
These cards are provided free-of-charge to parents and carers. If you would like a set of cards posted to you please contact us here.
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