Defence Special Needs Support Group

The Defence Special Needs Support Group also offers the following services:

• Posting Plans – The purpose of a Posting Plan is to identify and look at what is required in the new location for the person with special needs and how to access or implement what is required so that the transition from the old location to the new location is made more smoothly. The National Coordinator manages the Posting Plan, helps the family identify and locate appropriate services and where necessary seeks additional advice and support on behalf of the family  Email [email protected]

• National Parent to Parent Network – National Parent to Parent Network is designed to assist parent’s contacting other parents who have children with similar needs. It can also work with a spouse contacting another spouse who has a similar or same special need.
  It works in two ways – formal contact and informal contact Email [email protected]

• Access to Grants – which can assist families with special needs to obtain equipment or other particular requirements relating to the person with special needs. Email [email protected]

• IPads 4 Kids  – assists families to access new IPads.IPADS 4 Kids is a program where we can assist with the purchase of an IPad for families to use to support their child or children with special needs, with their education and everyday living skills. An IPad is the best form of assistance as it is portable, lightweight; it can be taken everywhere and takes up minimal space. Families are able to download great applications suitable for the individual needs of their child. There are many applications to assist with behaviour, motor skills, learning, literacy, and can be essential for communication.  Email [email protected]

• Connecting Families -The Connecting Families program is a way of bringing families in local groups together for an event, for the purpose of families increasing their networks, peer support, information sharing and assistance, thus empowering families more.
  As compared to local family days or activities which only included families within one local group and the event organised by the local Coordinator, the Connecting Families program is organised and coordinated through the National Committee. Each event is subsidized by DSNSG with most events being 50% off the A Reserve price.  In some cases and if there are sufficient numbers, a bus may be made available for families having to travel a long distance to participate i.e. Canberra to Sydney. Email [email protected]

• FYI – For Your Information – FYI is a program that provides the opportunity for families to attend workshops or guest speakers at a greatly reduced cost. DSNSG typically charges members fee towards the cost of the workshop with DSNSG paying the rest of the full ticket price. Due to the lack of formal and informal support available when families have to relocate, we understand this can place extra pressures which compound the stress with families. The aim of this program is to assist families in networking within their own peer support structure to gather information and ideas to ultimately decrease the isolation and stress that can often affect families with Special Needs.. Email [email protected]

• Family and Emergency Care Plans –Defence Families with special needs to help assist with the care of their loved one. It is based on existing type Care Plans and Health Care Records but differs in that the Family and Emergency Care Plan will be tailored to meet the specific requirements of Defence families, i.e. mobility and deployment.
  The Family Emergency Care Plan is primarily to be used for families who have the serving member deployed but is available to all our Special Needs families, free of charge.
  For families where the member is absent on duty, this means that the primary carer is left alone to care for the person with special needs. We have found via past experience, that if that primary carer is hurt or suddenly taken ill then there is no readily available information in place to assist for when another person has to come in and provide immediate care to that special needs person i.e. what the normal daily routine is, what medication should be given, when and much more. Email [email protected]

• Drive Safe Program -Our Drive Safe Program is to assist and help members of our DSNSG families with ASD, ADHD, and Asperger’s to gain confidence and self-esteem when learning to drive (16 years and above with a current Learner Licence).
  This program was developed as we saw a need for teenagers with disabilities needing specialized training and assistance to gain their driving licence.  Having a licence will give them a sense of responsibility and make job hunting more accessible to these young men and women and in turn help reduce the financial strain of having a special need.