PAX Australia - starts tomorrow

Hi everyone.

The Melbourne event for gaming show series Pax starts tomorrow and goes through to Monday!

http://aus.paxsite.com/what-is-pax

Here's the description:

"In 2004, the folks at Penny Arcade decided they wanted a show exclusively for gaming. Sure, comics, anime, and other nerd hobbies were cool, and those activities all had their own shows... so what about games? From that idea spawned a small 4,500 person event in Bellevue, Washington, focused on the culture and community that is gaming. Since then, the show hasn't looked back. Doubling in size each year until venue capacities were reached, in 2010 the show expanded into Boston for PAX East, drawing tens of thousands of attendees in the inaugural year. The shows in Seattle and Boston represent the two largest gaming events in North America, and for the first time PAX is expanding internationally for its inaugural Australian show!"

PhD scholarship for The Lab

Anyone know someone who might be interested in doing a three-year PhD scholarship with The Lab?

If so, the link to the application form is here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z839oabrpduvphn/aiZw8vWfvc . The deadline for applications is July 31.

Here's the description:

The above application form relates to a VU & Young And Well CRC scholarship to undertake a specific PhD research project at Victoria University. This project will:

• generate new knowledge from and about an existing innovative technology project for young people with Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism, and;
• develop innovative methodologies that accurately and ethically represent young people’s voices, including methodologies that involve the use of digital technologies.

The Lab (www.thelab.org.au) is a growing network of ‘technology clubs’ for young people with High Functioning Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome, as well as their parents and carers. Established in early 2011, The Lab currently caters for 60 families in Melbourne, 30 families in Sydney and 30 families in Geelong, with more locations underway. All Labs offer personal mentoring in technology by programming and design professionals, as well as the chance to meet others and develop social skills in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The focus of the PhD project will be:

·         The development of innovative, technology-informed research methodologies that respond to the needs of young people with High Functioning Autism, and that accurately reflect participants’ ‘voices’;

·         The use of these methodologies to (a) better understand how the Lab works, especially in its interaction of the technological and the social; and (b) develop cross-Lab evaluations that accurately capture impact on participants and families; and

·         The development of protocols and guidelines for new Labs that are designed to facilitate maximum positive impact, based on evaluation data.

Closing date is Wednesday 31 July 2013. Further information is available from Dr Stefan Schutt, Centre for Cultural Diversity & Wellbeing, Victoria University (Stefan.schutt@vu.edu.au)

Payment forms for Term 3, Maidstone Lab

New payment forms are now available for Term Three of the Melbourne Lab.

Term Three runs for ten weeks and costs are:

Social Sessions (Wednesdays and Saturdays): $110.00 full/ $90.00 concession            Technical Sessions (Thursdays): $165.00 full/ $110.00 concession

Click here to view The Lab - public docs

Disclosing Aspergers workshop

Hi everyone.

For your information, have just been sent the following email about an Aspergers workshop:


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I’m writing to let you know that registrations are now open for the full day Special Little People seminar to help children with Asperger's/Autism Spectrum Disorders: “How to best support Primary School children”

Wednesday, June 19th, Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre, Preston Registrations close: 20th May

It’s exactly the same seminar we ran in March, where presentations focused on strategies: managing anxiety, pragmatics, team work, handling bullying and disclosing an ASD.

Here’s what attendees had to say about the March seminar:

“A very helpful, well organised seminar - a terrific insight into the “world of an aspie.”

“All information was helpful - especially parents understanding teachers and teachers understanding parents.”

“I came away upbeat and not overwhelmed as I have done on many occasions of going to these seminars/workshops.”

This seminar is for all year levels in primary school and brings together the main professionals needed to help case manage a child with Asperger's.

If you know any parents, teachers, service providers, others that you think this seminar would benefit please email it on, publish it on your facebook site, etc and a flyer is enclosed if you wanted to print it out and post up on notice boards etc.

The website for further information and to register is

www.speciallittlepeopleseminars.com

Thank you for your support to date. We are really trying to have the wider community see the world through the eyes of a child with Asperger’s as the basis of our seminars, strategies then follow. Hopefully we’ll get even more parents, teachers and other professionals coming for the same seminar to help us with this goal!

Thank you for your time and passing this email on!

Amanda Curtis

SLP seminars team member and author of the book "My friend has Asperger's"

Tel. 0417 411 007

Fax. (03) 9489 7636

PO Box 416, Northcote, Vic. 3070

www.speciallittlepeopleseminars.com

New links with GUF Gaming - and new offer for Lab social sessions in Werribee

Today Dale and Stefan met with Jim White, founder of GUF Gaming, described on their website (http://www.guf.com.au) as "Australia's own internet and games centre...We offer top of the line PC and console gaming for the casual and the hardcore player alike."

Jim is a parent of a child on the autism spectrum. He already knows some of the Lab kids, and wants to have more involvement in the Lab. We're very excited to have this interest from GUF - in fact we couldn't imagine a better alignment of interests.

To start things off, Jim has offered to host special social Lab sessions at his Werribee centre from 10am - 12pm on Saturdays. Cost will be $10 and includes access to the GUF PCs. Security will be provided, and GUF will create a special Lab login, which will include access to a host of fun games offered by GUF, but minus any inappropriate ones (R-rated etc). There is no 'parent room' there: usually parents either leave kids there and come back later - or are encouraged to learn the games themselves from the guys who work there!

For those of you interested, please let Stefan or Dale know as soon as you can. This session could either replace or augment your usual Lab session, depending on your interests and time. We will still run the Maidstone sessions from 1pm to 3pm on Saturdays, so you could do both or one, as you choose.

The GUF website has more details of what they offer: http://www.guf.com.au

Great article by the Chief Science Officer of Autism Speaks about how far we've come in understanding autism

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geraldine-dawson-/autism-awareness-day_b_2979117.html

Melbourne Lab - payment forms for next term

Hi everyone.

Payment forms for term two of the Melbourne Lab are now available. Our term will be the same as the 11-week school term - ie starting in the week of April 15 and ending in the week of June 24.

Cost per session will be the same as last term ($15 plus GST for the tech-focused sessions, $10 plus GST for the socially-focused sessions, concessions and hardship exemptions available). The total cost will be a little more this time because this term has 11 weeks instead of term one's 9 weeks. Payment can be made via credit card, cash or cheque. VU will issue paper receipts that can be picked up from The Lab in Maidstone (next to the sign-in book).

MS Word and PDF versions of the payment form can be downloaded from here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z839oabrpduvphn/aiZw8vWfvc

Regards,

Stefan

Minecraft: the 'ultimate educational tool'?

Thank you Sophie for this link:

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/03/could-minecraft-actually-be-the-ultimate-educational-tool/#share