22 December 2016
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Karen O’Mahony is the founder of the ‘Masquerade Ball Rainbow Club for Autism’. She has been named December ‘Cork Person of the Month’.
This means her name will also go forward for possible selection as ‘Cork Person of the Year’ at a Gala Awards Lunch on January 20, 2017, at the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork.
The Rainbow Club is based at Mahon Community Centre. Karen and her team provide therapeutic support for children with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. The Club provides support for parents and families of children on the Autism Spectrum.
Karen and her husband Jon have two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which gives them a personal understanding of the special needs that children, and their families have.
Karen said “It was always my dream to set up a group that caters for their needs and provides visual, tactile and social stimulation. This helps ASD children to learn to interact with other children and to accept change without getting stressed,”
The Rainbow Club is run on a voluntary basis and depends on donations and grants.
