Nicole was born in Australia in 1972.  A considerate woman who is both loyal and sincere, she left her position as a truck driver when she fell pregnant with her first child.  With her partner she made Upper Ferntree Gully in Victoria’s Eastern Metropolitan Region her home.

These were happy times for the young couple. Amidst much love and excitement, Jacinta was born in 2005, and her brother, Robert, was born a year later. When the children were 18 months old, they were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“I’ve had my life on hold for five years,” Nicole says.  “My children’s father left soon after Robert was diagnosed.  I was very alone.” As a single mother of two children on the Autism Spectrum, Nicole was increasingly isolated from family and friends who could not cope with her children’s behaviour.

“I pursued many agencies for help and for several years I coped,” Nicole says.

But just before Jacinta turned five, Nicole found her children’s behaviour increasingly difficult to manage.  They were prone to running off, they had irregular sleeping patterns, and each child wanted Nicole’s full attention 24 hours a day. 

Struggling to manage both of her children’s needs, Nicole was referred by Irabina Early Childhood Intervention Service to Care Connect when Jacinta received a Flexible Support Package (FSP) in 2009.  With access to case management and support services, Nicole was invited to join the newly-formed Spectrum Connections – Autism Spectrum Disorder Family Support Group.  Initiated by a Knox City Council grant and developed by Care Connect, Spectrum Connections offered Nicole a support network of families who have children on the Autism Spectrum. 

Nicole attended the first of many meetings in April 2010.  She helped choose topics, organise speakers and encouraged attendees to discuss issues that were specific to their situation. 

“My Care Connect case manager has been a godsend,” Nicole says, “and so have the people who attend the Spectrum Connections group.  I feel as though I’m not alone, that there are people I can talk to who understand what is happening in my life.  We swap information and give each other tips and lots of support.  The group has made a huge difference to my life.”

Today, Nicole is able to manage her children’s behaviour more effectively and Jacinta and Robert are able to control themselves better.  “I am much happier now,” Nicole says.  “I’m looking to the future instead of living day to day.  My children are happier too, and when Robert starts school I hope to further my own education so I can work within the school system as an integration aid for children with a disability.”

The Knox Spectrum Connections group has been so successful that Care Connect plans to expand the initiative to the Maroondah region in Victoria, commencing October 2011.

“I would be lost without Care Connect and the Spectrum Connections group,” says Nicole.  “For me, these services are absolutely essential.”

Written by Wendy Cavenett.