By Dongyun Kwon
Bush Buddies is back every Tuesday for Term Four at Badger Creek Hall and outdoor spaces closeby.
Bush Buddies is a weekly event for kids aged up to six to cultivate sociality with friends and nature while they are doing fun activities.
Interchange Outer East Project Officer Michaela Alcorn emphasised inclusion as the purpose of the event.
“Interchange Outer East is a disability support organisation, but Bush Buddies is an inclusive playgroup and so children without a diagnosis can attend,” she said.
“We want all different children with different abilities to play together, children with disabilities shouldn’t be separated from other children because they can learn from each other.”
The idea of inclusion came up from her own experience with her two boys who are autistic and have ADHD.
Ms Alcorn said NDIS did not support the children under 10 and it was also hard for her to find a good place for her kids.
“NDIS did not support respite of children under 10 because they said it’s parental responsibility,” she said
“Lots of families of small children don’t want a respite where their children go away, we don’t want to be without our children because the children are too young to do that.
“Although lots of places call themselves inclusive, they don’t have the staff who know how to support someone with a disability, so I pitched the idea to Interchange who then gave the first term funds to Interchange Outer East.”
Bush Buddies’ activities are child-led and natural theme-based.
“We don’t tell the children to do something,” Ms Alcorn said.
“For example, we set up a little wooden kitchen with little wooden bowls and we fill them with flowers and grasses and the kids stir them and pretend that they are in a cafe.
“We have wooden boxes, stories, wooden musical instruments, a beautiful mat on the floor where everyone can sit around and a little campfire.
A communication preference system, which was developed by the autistic community, is used during the whole session whereby everyone chooses a sticker to express their current communication preference quickly, nonverbally, and simply.
A green sticker means the person is actively seeking communication
An orange sticker means the person only wants to talk to people they recognize.
A red sticker means the person probably does not want to talk to anyone, or only wants to talk to a few people.
Children learn an Auslan sign each week as part of inclusion as well.
The event also provides open conversations about how to access early intervention and NDIS to guide the families in the right direction.
The first session of Term Four started on 3 October with 17 families.
“We did potato stamping today,” Ms Alcorn said.
“I got potatoes, chopped them and then I carved out a little picture so that children could dip them in paint and do the beautiful printings on paper.
“We have 17 families signed up for the term but more families are welcome to register.”
Being Seniors Month, the first session of Term Four had a grandmother to read a story.
More seniors are encouraged to attend the event this Seniors Month.
For more information, please visit Interchange Outer East’s website, www.ioe.org.au.
