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Monday 21 October 2013

Josh's iPad from Hearts and Minds helps him to stay calm



Josh is a 10 year old boy with autism who used to love his Wii, but also got very distressed by it when a game didn't go to plan.  And in the end Mum Nichola felt she had to remove it.  But the iPad was different...

"On the Wii, if he lost a race against Mario etc, there would be tears, meltdowns, and even a broken TV screen, so I had to remove the Wii," she says.  "Then I decided to do the Hearts and Minds Challenge to get him an iPad instead by collecting old mobile phones.  I got my Facebook friends to help me collect, also my work colleagues, and my colleagues at head office.  I was quite surprised how many people helped, and how quickly I collected them, and how easy the whole process was."

"Then the iPad arrived.....And he absolutely loves his iPad!  It has calmed him down loads and he has many more happy times in the day, than frustrated times.  It is amazing what he has learned himself to do in his own time.   He loves the sensory Apps you can get, and is learning when he needs to use them."

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Could an iPad help your child too?

If you live in Britain, simply collect 165 old mobile phones and the Manchester-based charity Hearts and Minds will exchange them for a new iPad.

Details here:

Website: : heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK 
Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds
Google+: Hearts and Minds

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge

Tuesday 15 October 2013

How one Burnley couple have already obtained 3 iPads from Hearts and Minds

A dedicated Burnley couple explain why they got involved in the Hearts and Minds Challenge to obtain iPads for local children with autism....
 
We are parents of two children and our youngest who is now 6 is currently diagnosed with speech and language disorder and sensory issues, this could possibly lead to a diagnoses of AS later.  He has an iPad, and it has taught him so much, there are so many specialised apps and his visual learning is really strong, like so many other children on the spectrum.

So when we saw the advert on TV one evening about 10 months ago about a charity that would exchange 165 old mobiles for 1 iPad, we thought of all the children we could help on the autistic spectrum, or those with social communication problems that didn't have access to one.

We began by creating small posters and giving them to local cafes, charity shops, hairdressers, and college etc so people could have these as drop off places and we could collect from them.  Each phone donated is photographed then put onto our facebook page (Autism and Social Communication Awareness) with a personal thank you.


The word gets round via the page also. We are now awaiting the 3rd iPad and have started collecting for number 4.  The first iPad we donated to Action for ASD in Burnley (our local town), we are very lucky to have this centre in our town it provides support for parents and children in various ways.


The second one we donated to OJs based in Preston, which again supports children and families on the Autistic Spectrum.


By collecting these phones it also gets people talking about Autism and wanting to know more about it......and that's so good because knowledge brings understanding and that's so badly needed.   In April 2013 we persuaded Blackpool Tower to turn blue for Autism Awareness Day and we hope to do the same next year too. 


We also have a twitter account running (Davina Walker @ASC_Awareness). So we started the twitter, the facebook page and I started a blog (apieceofthepuzzleblog.com) all at Easter ........it's all helped and taught me a lot, because before Easter I didn't really know how to use facebook or any social media, and now I do it all....

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Find out more about Autism and Social Communication Awareness here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Autism-and-Social-Communication-Awareness/379250578856308?hc_location=timeline

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASC_Awareness

Blog:  http://apieceofthepuzzleblog.com/

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Could an iPad help your child too?

If you live in Britain, simply collect 165 old mobile phones and the Manchester-based charity Hearts and Minds will exchange them for a new iPad.

Details here:

Website: : heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK 
Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds
Google+: Hearts and Minds

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge

Thursday 10 October 2013

A Derbyshire Mum's fight to get her son an autism diagnosis


Derbyshire Mum Caroline has three boys, but from birth she noticed something different about Lewis. 

"He never slept, never fed well, never looked at us, and at 2 was still non verbal," says Caroline.   

They took him for a hearing test when he was two, and at the appointment Lewis began arm flapping and an assessment for autism was recommended.

Three years later and the family are still fighting to get a diagnosis, even though he has many issues:

"A few worries are no danger awareness, a poor diet of only brown and cream foods, no sleep, and delayed speech... and too many others to mention."

But because he has no diagnosis, he has no services.  But Caroline is fighting to help Lewis from every angle: he began a new assessment in a new area 6 months ago.

"We will never give up!"

She has also joined the Hearts and Minds Challenge to get her son an iPad by collecting old mobile phones.

"I think that an iPad would help Lewis interact, learn, help his speech, independence, and self help skills in life,"  she says.

Please support her mobile phone collection if you can:

https://www.facebook.com/events/423188507790118/

As if that wasn't enough, she is now making and selling beautiful jewellery to raise autism awareness and funds for Hearts and Minds.  Once again, her son was the inspiration, because she needed an ID bracelet for him in case he slipped away:

"Lewis lets go of my hand a lot, and I was so worried he would get lost on holiday, so I thought what a fab idea to make ID bracelets, then came a few ideas of jewellery and ideas just flowed from my head."

A child's ID bracelet

This is her jewellery page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Awareness-Jewellery-and-Safety-items-By-Caroline/283234721809964?hc_location=stream

Some more examples of her jewellery - all of which can be purchased by messaging her page.


Could an iPad help your child too?

If you live in Britain, simply collect 165 old mobile phones and the Manchester-based charity Hearts and Minds will exchange them for a new iPad.

Details here:

Website: : heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK 
Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds
Google+: Hearts and Minds

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge


Wednesday 2 October 2013

Isaac points for the first time thanks to an iPad


Isaac is almost 5 years old and has classic autism and other conditions, including seizures and global developmental delay.  He is still non verbal but has now started pointing since the arrival of an iPad obtained through the Hearts and Minds mobile phone recycling scheme.

You can read more about Isaac and his family here: http://faithmummy.wordpress.com/

Could an iPad help your child too?

If you live in Britain, simply collect 165 old mobile phones and the Manchester-based charity Hearts and Minds will exchange them for a new iPad.

Details here:

Website: : heartsandmindsphones.co.uk/
Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK 
Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds
Google+: Hearts and Minds

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge

Tuesday 1 October 2013

GIVEAWAY! A fabulous Mia Tui Bag

Autism Mums are not always good at treating themselves, so here at Hearts and Minds we have a very special treat for one Mum thanks to Mia Tui, whose award-winning multi-functional bags are loved by Mums all over the UK, and further afield.

These wonderful bags are available in a variety of colours and styles and can be used as travel bags, changing bags, gym bags and for work. 


This is the gorgeous Minnie Amelie and we have one bag to give away on the Hearts and Minds Facebook page!

It has plenty of functionality with two pockets for bottles or sippy cups, clips for your keys plus a phone and pen holder, a co-ordinating clutch bag that you can use this as your mini handbag, and a clear PVC bag which is ideal for all your wipes and creams.  A changing mat or iPad, plus a few spare nappies or toys can effortlessly fit into the large inside pocket.

One winners will be chosen at random on Thursday 31st October 2013 at 10am in the morning.  Simply pop over and LIKE the Facebook post and write your reason for wanting this wonderful bag.
UK and Northern Ireland only.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=604378019605646&set=a.179083095468476.37550.174286835948102&type=1&theater

Do you like what you see?  Well Mia Tui have also given a 20% off discount code to use on the website so you can buy your own bag too!

This is the code: Mia13

Here is the link to their website: http://miatui.com/
  

The Hearts and Minds Facebook community for families affected by autism:

Facebook: facebook.com/HeartsAndMindsUK 


Other social media:


Twitter: @handmchallenge
Pinterest: Hearts and Minds
Google+: Hearts and Minds

More about the charity here: Hearts & Minds Challenge