Welcome to the Friends, Family and Carers Forum! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[Justme5]

Thank you. The first time they were assessed, we got NDIS funds for speech and OT. The findings weren't enough to get them inclusion support and ultimately I had to pull my son from daycare as he was hurting himself so regularly. My daughter repeated kindy and will move into prep next year. Getting her reassessed now is an attempt to get it sorted before school starts, but they've already said they're unlikely to diagnose before a year of schooling is completed. It's so frustrating to constantly be told to try and sort it early, then be told they won't diagnose until school becomes a problem. I'll check out that parenting thread. Thank you.

[tyme]

Not sure which state you reside in, but in Vic, the earlier they get the paperwork in, the earlier they can get funding for school. They need 8 weeks at school, and then the paper work can begin. I'd encourage you to let her prep school know early so they can begin paper work now @Justme5 .

I've been through the process, helping others. 

If you do live in VIC, I can provide more info. I'm not sure how it works in other states.

[Former-Member]

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

Hey there 

@14girl @axe @Beea @Casa1 @CynF @ECTnotme @ELLIPSIS29 @Fiona4 @Fran4 @Frustration81 @Hope71 @Jabs13 @Jane18 @Jennfromoz @JJJ19 @Katalina7 @Kate06 @Kelkel @Lase @Luweza @Lym66 @Mary20 @Marya-Tanya @Medina @MerryChristmas @Mum22 @Nelly4 @nemorensis @Perth1993 @RAD555 @Seearbi @Shell72 @Starlight12 @Stevenson @Struggling_WM @Teh @Tiredmumtrying 

Welcome to the forums! I’m TuxedoCat, I’m one of the peer workers here on the forums. There are a team of us who moderate these forums to ensure they’re warm and welcoming for everyone, ensure safety and to offer support. It's so nice to e-meet you! I hope you find our forums a really special place where you can 

• Seek support for yourself without judgment
• Offer your experiences and support to others 
• Get to know other folks who “Get it” 

I know some of you have already begun to post, but I wanted to welcome you anyway!

Firstly, if you’re up to it, I know we’d all like to get to know you a little better. Wanna have a go at answering these questions? 

1. What is your favourite self-care activity? 

1. What are you looking forward do in the forums? 

I’ll go first: 

1. My favourite self-care activity is knitting and crocheting. It helps me relax and wind down while also allowing me to be creative

1. I love learning from all our wonderful members

1. I also wanted to share my favourite social thread: Coping Toolbox ( what is in yours to help you cope ) which has a bunch of self-care tips for carers, from carers 

I also wanted to give you some handy pointers for the forums 

• Make sure you check-out our guidelines by clicking here. They are in place to create a really safe space online where we can share our experiences of mental health and recovery.  
• We also have some guides on how to use the forums and for creating safety online when discussing topics like suicide and self-harm. We know these are experiences many of us will have in our lifetime, but it’s important to discuss them safely and in a way that the community can support you! 
• If you press “@” and then type someone's username, they’ll get a notification that you’ve tagged them 
• You can always tag “@moderator” if you see something that is outside of our guidelines or makes you worry about someone 

And finally, I wanted to tag our Community Guides to say hello. Our CGs are wonderful leaders of our forums who use peer work to support others on the forums @Anastasia  @AussieRecharger  @BPDSurvivor  @Faith-and-Hope  @HenryX  @jem80  @Judi9877  @NatureLover  @outlander  @Shaz51  @ShiningStar  @Snowie  @Hams  @wellwellwellnez  @Zoe7  @Aniela  @Boo13  @maddison  @pinklollipop15  @Eve7 

Welcome again!

[Former-Member]

☀️ Welcome ☀️

Welcome to those who joined the Family, Friends and Carers forums since Saturday! Hello @ColorfulDrkness @Echo3 @Elke888 @Feel @Joy46 @Kre25 @nissaa @Tornato5 

Welcome to the forums! I’m TuxedoCat, I’m one of the peer workers here on the forums. The Peer workers, Moderators and Community Guides are staff and forum members who are here to keep the forums a really safe and supportive place for everyone! I hope you find our forums a really special place where you can 

• Seek support for yourself 
• Offer your experiences and support to others 
• Get to know other folks who “Get it” 

Some of you have already begun posting (yay), but I wanted to welcome everyone and give you a bit of an "in" with the forums here! 

Firstly, if you’re up to it, I know we’d all like to get to know you a little better. Wanna have a go at answering these questions? 

1. What is your favourite self-care activity? 
2. What are you looking forward do in the forums? 

I’ll go first: 

1. At the moment, I like playing a video game called SpiritFarer to wind down. I've played 7 hours since Saturday which is quite a bit (whoops!) but it was super calming so that's fine
2. My favourite thing at the moment is hearing stories from everyone. We all have different backgrounds and experiences but all feel connected
3. I also wanted to share my favourite social thread: How can we brighten our days with laughter? What are your jokes, thoughts, ideas? Is a really nice thread to help make us laugh

I also wanted to give you some handy pointers for the forums 

• Make sure you check-out our guidelines and FAQ by clicking here. They are in place to create a really safe space online where we can share our experiences of mental health and recovery.  
• We also have some guides on how to use the forums and for creating safety online when discussing topics like suicide and self-harm. We know these are experiences many of us will have in our lifetime, but it’s important to discuss them safely and in a way that the community can support you! 
• If you press “@” and then type someone's username, they’ll get a notification that you’ve tagged them 
• You can always tag “@moderator” if you see something that is outside of our guidelines or makes you worry about someone 

Welcome again! ❤️ 

[Elke888]

Good morning 

Thank you for your kind and welcoming message. 

My second day on the forum and, feel grateful to have found somewhere to attempt speaking without judgement. This is not easy for me as I have been disconnected from society for a very long time. 

Hopefully this forum can help with the loneliness I experience every day. 

🌸

[tired_sisyphus]

@Elke888 welcome. This forum has helped me a lot. Looking after my loved one has been rewarding but has its challenges. Best thing I've learned is we (as carers) need to get help for ourselves too.

Hope you continue to find connection here.

[Elke888]

Thank you 🌸🌸🌸

[Shaz51]

Hello and hugs @Elke888 , @tired_sisyphus 

[Tornato5]

Hello and thank you very much. I am still learning to navigate around. I am sorry if I miss a reply or comment. 

[tyme]

Hey @Tornato5 ,

Just a quick hint. When replying to a post, you can type '@' in front of the member's username so that they get a notification. Like this @Tornato5 .

Welcome to the forums!