Support

By Sharon Thompson

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Tim Thompson at Cooinda

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Cooinda has given me a life. I moved down here over 15 months ago from Sydney with a child five years old with some serious issues and Cooinda invited me to a meeting 2 weeks after I got here.

Cooinda reality is that we all have special needs children. I have a high functioning very verbal autistic child. Compared to the physical and health problems many other mothers have with their children, I always feel like I am whinging when I talk about difficulties we have coping. But then Tim suffers some real isolation and gets very hurt by being teased because of the odd things he says and does and as a parent that is very hard to take. And there are things that he has to have a particular way or he gets very stressed and when he gets stressed the whole family does too. The reality is I have a child with complex and very demanding issues. It doesn't matter what the reality is as far as disability categories go. My family has extra support needs and Cooinda recognises that.

What I've learnt from Cooinda is that I don't have to feel guilty about seeking support for my child, for my family and for myself. Cooinda is not just for the person with a disability. It's for the whole family. Cooinda supports the mothers, the siblings and the Dads. Mums tend to forget about their partners. We get so caught up in the fight for our families. Cooinda is able to say in a diplomatic way, 'Hey how about the Dads? They're in this too!' Cooinda acknowledges Dads and provides opportunities for them to have a say or a break or to get together with other Dads - if that's what they want. Cooinda supports the whole family. There are other family centred autistic support associations, but Cooinda is unique. It's special. I don't know where I'd be today without Cooinda.

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Kate Thompson at Cooinda

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In particular I've had help with financial issues. Cooinda can't provide us with financial assistance in dollar terms but they provide the opportunity for me to talk to somebody about financial problems. And they've been able to tell me where I can get support. They know what I'm going through and they help out in lots of practical ways. At times when it all seems too hard, Cooinda makes it possible to go on with your life.

A Dad's Life

by Rod Thompson

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Rod and Sharon Thompson at the Cooinda Family camp 2003

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For the Complete Story...
Contact: Cooinda Family Support Group