24th March 2023

Resilience and wellbeing are key factors to ensure a happy and fulfilling future for our young people.

Every year, students in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 at WHPS participate in the Resilient Youth Survey which is administered by Resilient Youth Australia in partnership with The Resilience Project. Students will complete this online survey during class time prior to the end of term 1.

The data from the survey will be reported in aggregate descriptive form only, by year level and gender, and no individual student responses can be identified. This data is very helpful to our school to help us to monitor the wellbeing of our students, and, when applicable, the effectiveness of our programs. In previous years, we have used data from the survey to identify issues such as low self-confidence in girls, discrepancies in wellbeing between boys and girls in certain year levels, and changes in wellbeing during and after Covid lockdowns.

The Resilient Youth Survey is completely anonymous. The survey collects the self-reported resilience and wellbeing of students and will provide valuable information to assist us create and maintain the best culture of wellbeing and resilience that we can.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s participation in this survey project, please contact Katrina Spicer at the school to discuss.

We thank you for your support.

RESILIENCE PROJECT PARENT WEBINAR

As advertised in previous newsletters, The Resilience Project ran an online presentation earlier this week titled 'Authentic Connection'. If you were unable to attend the live presentation or you would like to view it again, , you can watch the recording via this link . Please note that this link will expire on the 5th April.

THE RESILIENCE PROJECT - SCHOOL PROGRAM

Wheelers Hill Primary School has been implementing The Resilience Project since 2017. The Resilience Project was established in 2015 by Hugh van Cuylenburg, and he was joined in 2016 by Martin Heppell. Through their own very unique experiences living and working with some of the world's most disadvantaged people, Hugh and Martin realised that these people, who had very little in the way of material possessions, were incredibly happy! Bringing their understandings back to Melbourne, and identifying the need for a focus on resilience and wellbeing in young people, they developed The Resilience Project.

The Resilience Project (TRP) delivers emotionally engaging programs to schools, sports clubs and businesses, providing practical, evidence-based mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness.

Through presentations, school curriculum, events, the TRP App and Wellbeing Journals, TRP shares the benefits of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness, and easy ways to practice these in everyday life. They also incorporate Emotional Literacy, Connection and Physical Health education and activities as they are foundational contributors to positive mental health.

WHY IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS:

EVIDENCE BASED

TRP uses evidence based research to create their school programs. The research is clear; the more positive emotion you experience, the more resilient you will be. For that reason, TRP focuses on three key pillars that have been proven to cultivate positive emotion - Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) with Emotional Literacy being a foundational skill to practise these strategies.

All students receive a Resilience Project workbook, and teachers implement lessons each week focusing on developing these skills in our students, in an age-appropriate way.

If you would like further information about The Resilience Project, please visit their website at: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/

TRP@home https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/ is a new addition to the TRP website, where families can find a range of activities to help practice gratitude, empathy and mindfulness, as well as the high-energy video series GEM TV, starring the highly energetic Martin Heppell.

Katrina Spicer

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing

katrina.spicer@education.vic.gov.au

INSIGHTS

HOW TO RECOGNISE AUTISM IN GIRLS

By Dr Michelle Garnett

Autism is significantly more common in boys than in girls. This skewed sex ratio has been recognised since the first cases of autism were described in the 1940s. But we’re not sure why autism appears in more males than females. It may be rooted in biological differences between the sexes. Or, some experts say, it may be an artifact of the way autism is defined and diagnosed.

But we also know that many autistic girls remain undiagnosed because many of the social signs of autism are less obvious in girls than they are in boys. One way that girls are “flying under the radar” of a diagnosis is the use of camouflaging as a coping mechanism.

Camouflaging means to pretend to know how to socialise by using observation, imitation, and adopting a persona or wearing a mask to meet social demands. An autistic girl – like an autistic boy – does not intuitively know what to do or say in a social situation. Social challenges are a hallmark of being on the autism spectrum. Compared with most boys, however, from a very young age an autistic girl will often closely observe and analyse her peers before making the first step. She will use imitation and acting to be able to conceal her confusion when socialising with peers.

What to Know about Autistic Girls

Unlike most autistic boys, girls are more likely to be able to accurately interpret and answer questions about social interactions, social situations, and friendship. However, they rely on intellect rather than intuition, so their responses will be slower, making it difficult for them to keep up in a group setting or with typically-developing and more socially skilled girls. Consequently, autistic girls tend to choose single close friendships rather than being part of a group. They often find males more appealing as friends because male friendship dynamics may be perceived as being easier to understand.

Autistic girls often show a willingness to follow the rules, a natural tendency to shyness, and social naivety. Such qualities can mean that they are easily missed in a classroom where louder children gain the teacher’s attention. Autistic girls are usually very hesitant to ask for help. They may fear drawing attention and are often self-directed and perfectionistic, so do not wish to be seen as stupid or making a mistake.

Autistic girls can focus much of their intellectual energy on learning about their social world, hence special interest topics may have more of a social focus, such as mental health, self, friendships, animals, celebrities, literature, and fantasy. Sometimes it is not the topic that differentiates them from their peers so much as the intensity of their hyper-focus on it.

Despite their frequently better coping mechanisms and ability to camouflage their social difficulties, their social difficulties are very real, on a par with those of autistic boys, and cause enormous stress, confusion, and exhaustion. In addition, autistic girls experience sensory processing challenges at the same level or more than autistic boys. These challenges generally lead to high levels of anxiety in the classroom and playground. When this occurs, you may observe an autistic girl:

become overwhelmed in social situations
be reluctant to participate in class activities
be unable to communicate verbally (situational (selective) mutism)
feel judged negatively by their peers
withdraw from social interaction

During primary school autistic girls can appear to have no social difficulties, successfully ‘keeping it together’ at school. In fact, an autistic girl may be able to do such a great job at “wearing a mask” and fitting in that nobody would believe she has autism. However, the toll on their energy levels and emotions can be high. Girls will often come home feeling exhausted, irritable, and overly emotional, following a day processing both the academic and social curriculum. Over time secondary mental health concerns often develop including anxiety and depressive disorders, self-harm, eating disorders, and suicidality. The average age of diagnosis for autistic girls around the world is 12-13 years old, coinciding with the first year of high school, when the social world suddenly becomes far more complex, and hormonal changes that increase anxiety exacerbate autistic features.

What Next?

So now you know the signs, what do you do if you think you could have an autistic daughter? If you are a parent, approach your daughter’s teacher. Share this article and discuss what they have observed. If you are a teacher, you may approach the parents and ask them how their daughter is going at home. Mention the signs that concern you and share this article with them. Acknowledge that you are not a diagnostician, and you may be wrong, but that you are concerned and wish to do all that you can to assist their daughter.

To take the next step to obtain a formal diagnosis (or at least to investigate), carefully consider the level of experience of the Clinical Psychologist, Paediatrician or Psychiatrist you choose. The field of understanding the female presentation of autism is an emerging one and many health professionals did not receive training as part of their degree. Approach your local autism association for names of diagnosticians who are experienced in signs of autism in girls and women.

UPCOMING LIVE WEBINAR RESOURCES

Getting into the Learning Zone

with James Anderson

Monday 27 March

https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/getting-into-the-learning-zone/ *Note that the link will only work if you are already signed into your school’s page

How does your child approach challenges? Do they often take the easiest option? Do they sometimes give up when learning starts to get’s tough? Do they dislike the struggle that comes with learning something challenging?

Our relationship with challenge is one of the key elements of Learnership – the skill of learning. In this insightful and powerful session, James Anderson will show you how you can help your child develop a strong positive relationship with challenge. He’ll show you the practical strategies you can use at home and in school to put your child on path towards embracing challenges and becoming a skilful learner. He’ll show you how to get your child into their Learning Zone.

Our school subscription to Happy Families allows access to the Happy Families website to all members of our school community.

Families can access the Happy Families website at: https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/whps

Password: happywhps

Follow this link to the 'Support for Parents and Families' page on our school website.

https://www.wheelershillps.vic.edu.au/support-for-families

Below is a list of support agencies and links to their websites

Kids Helpline | 1800 55 1800 | visit website

Beyondblue | 1300 22 4636 | visit website

Headspace | visit website

BiteBack | visit website

Headspace | COVID specific resources | visit website

Brave online | free online anxiety program | visit website

Zac - The ChimpanZ Ninja