FACT — Fathers of Autistic Children Together
South Brisbane Men’s Shed is the first in Australia to have a special interest group for dads, brothers, uncles and grandfathers of children with autism.
The Department of Education and Training Autism Hub had hoped to get male relatives together on a Friday to gain information and relax with people in similar circumstances. That format was less successful than hoped and has been replaced by BBQ&A sessions, for which SBMS provides part of the audience and the sausages.
What FACT aims to offer
- Planned regular Saturday opening of the Shed to attract new FACT-interested members, show the facilities, and offer a productive, valued place in a culture of mateship, good humour and fun
- Opportunities to gain new skills, socialise, have downtime from caring roles, and enjoy peer support
- On- and off-campus activities through the year promoting health and wellbeing
- Promotion of the Saturday program through schools, libraries, community organisations, disability providers and social media
NDIS / teenager woodwork workshops
The Shed has also hosted woodwork workshop sessions for teenagers (photos from August 2022).
The FACT activity page on the old site notes “No pictures to show” for the FACT group itself — we’re using related workshop photos published elsewhere on their site.