A halloween-themed fundraising event is being organised in Oamaru to ensure the continuity of a therapy programme for children with autism.
The Waitaki Autism Trust was established in December 2013 as an informal support network and a way to fund the use of an internationally recognised treatment known as ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis).
With no government support for ABA, the trust relies on grants, donations and fundraising to pay for therapists' wages, training, travel and resources.
Chairwoman Yanina Vidal said the aim of the Halloween event was to raise enough money to fund ABA therapy for three Oamaru children until at least the end of the year.
It can cost more than $300 a week per child to receive 12 hours of ABA therapy.
''We need funding; we're in desperate need of funding,'' she said.
Halloween was the perfect time to ''celebrate eccentricity and have fun'', Ms Vidal said.
''It's actually good for us, too; we struggle a lot socially because having kids with autism and other problems, you don't go out, you don't have time to go out.''
Ms Vidal was appealing for support from the business community for the event.
''We need help of any kind,'' she said.
''We are ... on the lookout for friends, family and business owners to donate vouchers [or] raffle prizes.''
Trust members hope to make it an annual fundraiser and are positive they can do so after an ''awesome'' response so far.
Ms Vidal said she had received some ''very generous'' offers of donations and support from the public.
''People have just opened their hearts,'' she said.
The trust was established by Ms Vidal and Stephanie Peters, both of Oamaru, who have seen how ABA therapy, a one-on-one intensive programme involving therapists working with children in their own homes, has helped their children with autism.
Ms Vidal said she would like to see the trust expand to offer a formal support group, not just for parents of children doing ABA therapy.
''As parents [of children with autism], your child can be very different from another child, but there's a shared understanding,'' she said.
The Halloween event will be held upstairs at Cucina 1871 from 7pm on October 31.
Local bands Dee May & The Saints and The Bella Cadets will provide entertainment.
Tickets are $30, with all proceeds going towards ABA therapy for three Oamaru children with autism.
Email waitaki.autism@gmail.com for more details.
