Sunshine Coast residents Nicholas Mitchell, Nichi Plushke and Tim Pylypiuk have been nominated for the fourth annual INAP Awards.
The International Naturally Autistic People Awards is more than an awards ceremony: this prestigious event, which will be held here on the Sunshine Coast in October, enables communities to come together from all walks of life and all cultures of the world. The event, which encompasses six days of activities including a festival and convention, will bring together a sharing of ideas, accomplishments, innovation, collaboration and showcases.
Through the opening ceremony, awards ceremony gala, workshops and festival venues, participants get to hear from and see how people both on the autistic spectrum and not on the autistic spectrum are working together in the areas of sports, entrepreneurship, technology, the arts and community leadership.
The interactive workshops give opportunity for the delegates to learn directly from peers and colleagues in the field of education advancement, community living approaches for independence and interdependence, cognitive approaches and support, the relationship of physical and spatial environments toward accessibility, increasing effective communication and inclusive employment.
The contribution of the three nominees from the Sunshine Coast has not gone unnoticed by the international judging committee, as all three have excelled in various capacities.
Plushke has been nominated for excellence in sports, Pylypiuk nominated for literary arts and Mitchell brings to the nominations the variety of multi talents autistic people often have but are seldom acknowledged for. Through his years of support by his family, local autistic community and local Sunshine Coast community, he has demonstrated that with the support, environment and nurturing of interests, an individual on the autism spectrum can indeed achieve and be not only a contributing member of society, but an inclusive member.
For more details on the awards and the upcoming convention see www.naturallyautistic.com.
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