TEEGAN Hughes has received a scholarship she hopes will bring her growing expertise in children on the autism spectrum back home to Inverell.
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The 24-year-old was awarded a $5000 scholarship from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) Foundation to assist with her Master of Functional Behaviour Assessment at Bond University at the Gold Coast.
Teegan earned her undergraduate degree at University of New England and completed her honours degree in psychology at Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour in 2014.
She said the decision to work in the field of childhood autism was fortuitous.
“I’ve always wanted to work with children, and I just followed my intuition last year and ended up finding this course at Bond, and it all fell into place after that, and I got accepted,” Teegan said.
She is one of the first three students in Australia studying functional behaviour assessment to children on the spectrum.
She will complete her degree in December.
“It’s exciting,” she said. “It’s more focussed on individualised programs, so it’s looking at treating each child as their own person instead of trying to apply interventions and programs that are based on a categorization of autism.”
Children’s behaviours are assessed and unique plans are designed per child to help them overcome obstacles and beef up their abilities.
“And you’re working with them and help build up their skills and lessen their deficits,” she said.
Teegan said she knows communities like Inverell are lacking in the amount of support services needed for children with autism and their families.
“I grew up in Inverell; I was born and bred there, and I’d love to bring it back there and help out,” she said.
“They’re very special kids and have so much going for them and they just need the chance.”
Teegan felt there was a lot of support for her study back home where she would like to return, and where it all began.
“Especially my Mum and Dad,” she said. “I wouldn't be doing this without their love and support.”