Leslie Schwass tells here about her 35 year old son’s battle to overcome the effects of autism.” Matthew came in at 5.5 lbs, five weeks early. At three months he reacted to the immunisation injection, and then failed to develop at normal milestone pace. He was diagnosed with a host of problems, but chiefly brain […]
Ask Why Is This Happening
March 21, 2024
He’s a danger to the others,” they said. “He’s aggressive.” “He should be removed from the group.” “He has rages.” The topic under discussion was the little boy with Down Syndrome. “He’s a danger to the others,” they said. “He’s aggressive.” “He should be removed from the group.” “He has rages.” This did not tie […]
Book Review: A Place Where I Belong
March 19, 2024
By Manuele Teofilo If you’re looking for an informative and insightful book on neurodiversity, then A Place Where I Belong by Staci McLean is for you. She is an author, a speaker and the mother of a neurodivergent child. McLean is also the founder and director of The Neurocollective NZ, creating places where we ALL […]
Live Like a Yellow Rose
March 14, 2024
I’m Emma, I’m 23 years old and I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome when I was a preschooler. A lot of people wish that they could have got a diagnosis that early, but for me, it was a huge shame factor. I never felt like I fitted into any of the stereotypes of what an […]
Four Decades of National Camps!
July 25, 2023
There have been so many incredible stories and highlights from National Camps over the years. We only could fit a very few highlights and wonderful stories in this timeline. 1980’s Baptism is always a highlight of National Camp One reflected on the first camp at Matamata “I have many moving memories, but the one which […]
The Difference Between Inclusion and Belonging
December 21, 2021
We often hear the words ‘inclusion’ and ‘belonging’ when talking about welcoming more people with disabilities into our churches and ministries. But the difference between these two is not always clear. As it’s December, let me use a Christmas example to try and explain. Most of us will have different Christmas traditions, such as a […]