By
LEUT Aaron Matzkows
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Squadron
Leader Owen Gardner with his daughters Caitlin and Siobhan.
At the 10th anniversary of the Defence Special Needs Support
Group, SQNLDR Gardner told how the group had helped his
family, especially Siobhan, who died in an accident before
she was 10 years old.
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THE
Defence Special Needs Support Group had given an autistic girl
some thrills in her short life and her single father some much-needed
respite, the group has been told at celebrations to mark its 10th
anniversary.
Squadron Leader Owen Gardner, of the Airfield Defence Wing at
RAAF Base Amberley, was posted as an instructor to Point Cook
and cared for his autistic daughter, Siobhan, as well as another
daughter, Caitlin, as a sole parent.
“In the Point Cook area, it ranged from a dozen to about two dozen
Defence families with children suffering some form of disability,”
he said.
“The Special Needs group would charter a coach and arrange outings
to places of interest to children ... parks, scenic areas, adventure
playgrounds, the coast; all sorts of interesting places. “The
outings weren’t only for those particular children, but for the
whole family, giving the other children a great day out and the
parents a break as well. It was great so see Siobhan get such
a thrill.”
SQNLDR Gardner said such outings were often beyond the scope of
normal parents struggling with their families and careers.
He said the Defence Special Needs Support Group also put families
in touch with other support and respite services, providing “an
amount of information that was invaluable”.
Siobhan did not survive to see the anniversary of the group that
took so much care of her and her father. Four years ago, she was
killed in a motor accident in which Owen Gardner also was injured.
She was not quite 10 years old. Service Chiefs, Federal Ministers
and more than 100 ADF members and partners attended the anniversary
celebrations of the group at the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
The group was founded in 1994 after SQNLDR Terry Fisk and his
wife, Margaret, tried to contact other families sharing the challenges
they faced in coping with a disabled son. It now provides advice
and assistance to more than 1700 Defence families.
It is the only Australian charity dedicated to providing support,
information and assistance to ADF families who have a family member
with special needs.
Mrs Fisk, still the group’s National Coordinator, recalled the
response. “At this distance it still seems hard to grasp,” she
said.
“But it rapidly emerged that there were thousands of families
like ours. “Nearly all were totally without peer support and none
had an advocate to voice their concerns.”
Chats will bring families together
ADF
members serving as far afield as the Middle East, Europe and the
United States of America will soon be able to chat with and see
their families through a computer hook-up.
The Defence Special Needs Support Group has created the “Chatterbox”
program, with funding from the Defence Housing Authority, that
will allow families to participate in a range of activities online.
These activities include live audio and visual chats, keyboards
and photos, and even a whiteboard to draw pictures together. Margaret
Fisk, who has served as the group’s National Coordinator since
its foundation 10 years ago, said the last few technological challenges
were being dealt with and the program would soon be up and running
for families and overseas-deployed personnel to use.
“When Chatterbox is fully operational we will be able to hold
national conference meetings on-line. We will also be able to
present a range of guest speakers on subjects that are extremely
important for ADF families with special needs, including Defence
education and health issues,” Mrs Fisk said.
Overseas personnel who are interested in using Chatterbox can
send an email to national.coordinator@dsnsg.org.au,
or their families can phone 1800 037 674.
Local coordinators are also throughout Australia, for contact
details visit www.dsnsg.org.au.
The group provides advice and assistance to more than 1700 Defence
families with special needs across Australia and overseas.
