The twelfth annual World Autism Awareness Day aims to increase awareness and inclusion for people living with the
neurodevelopmental condition that affects cognitive, sensory, and social processing. According to Autism New Zealand, it
is estimated that Autism is present in 1 in 59 people.
To support awareness and inclusion for those living with Autism, members of Geneva’s Clinical Team recently attended an
in depth Autism Awareness Training session at our Hamilton office. The aim of the training was to increase Geneva’s
readiness and capability to help and support those with ASD.
“We’re always looking for new ways we can continue to improve our Clients’ lives through our services, so it’s important
that we are on the cutting-edge of new ideas and practices,” says Lindie Van Wyk, Geneva’s National Clinical Manager.
“The training was a fantastic opportunity for our Staff to learn more about the strategies that can be incorporated into
our Support Services for our Clients. It also gives us a better understanding of how to best support challenging and
alternative behaviour as well as prevention,” added Lindie.
Over the coming weeks our Clinical Team will be passing on their learnings and strategies to Geneva Support Workers,
Care Coordinators and other Clinical Coordinators around the country so they can continue to provide support to those
with ASD through:
• Home and Community Support Services
• In Home Carer Respite Support (giving Carers a well-earned break)
• Flexible Disability Support through Geneva’s iThrive services
We are also adding other operational features that can help us better match Clients with ASD with the right Support
Workers for their needs.
If you or someone you know needs a bit of extra support at home or in the community because of a disability, visit our Disability Support Services page for more information or call us on 0800 GENEVA (0800 436 382), or email info@genevahealth.com
You can also find out more and directly support some exciting research into understanding the causes of Autism by the Minds for Minds research network, which is Chaired by Geneva Healthcare’s Founder and Director, Josephine Gagan.