Volunteer Adam Elsharkawi putting together ‘New Diagnosis Parent Packages’ for diagnostic centres around B.C.
Thanking our Donors & Volunteers for Providing New Families with Key Information
ACT provides parents of newly diagnosed children in B.C. with information on ACT’s resources – ACT is Canada’s leading source of comprehensive, evidence-informed, online resources.
As ACT is no longer funded by MCFD to provide our ‘New Diagnosis Parent Packages’, we depend on volunteer support and donations from the autism community.
The generosity of the autism community in supporting our Holiday Fundraising Campaign is appreciated. See ACT’s website for key projects, how to donate and recognition of our generous donors.
Special Needs Community Events – January 2018
To see what is happening around the province, and to post your organization’s events, visit Special Needs Community Events
Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Clinician Workshop
January 19, Vancouver
Parent Training to Address Problem Behaviours of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disabilities
January 20, Richmond
Introduction to ASD – Practical Applications – POPARD (Vancouver)
January 22 – 26, 2018 – Vancouver, BC
Early Years Conference 2018
January 25 – 27, Vancouver
PEERS for Teens – ABA Learning Centre
January 25 – May 3, Burnaby
ACT’s 2018 Events
ACT’s 2018 schedule is set! Many outstanding presenters, including Carol Gray, Judy Reaven, Michelle Garcia Winner, Brenda Fossett and Sarah Ward, are set to provide ACT’s audiences with insights to inspire and inform. To see this year’s line-up, visit upcoming events.
Introduction to ASD – Practical Applications – POPARD (Vancouver)
January 22 – 26, 2018 – Vancouver , BC
“I’m going to be a video game designer!”- Helping Teens Prepare for the REAL Adult World
February 23rd, 2018 – Sidney, BC
Faster than a Speeding Bullet: iPads in Autism Intervention
March 10th, 2018 – Vancouver, BC
Visit upcoming events and web streaming events for more details and registration.
Parents can register for $25 a day, please email [email protected].
Details on our event bursaries page.
Update on ACT’s Special Projects
Parent Coaching Project
2017 saw the inception of the PACE Coaching Project by researchers at UBC, following a competition overseen by the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.
The goal of PACE Coaching is to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based parent coaching intervention for children aged 15 to 30 months who are at risk of, or diagnosed with ASD. ACT was given responsibility by B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) to administer this $3 million, three year project, in March 2016.
Visit the PACE Coaching Project page for updates and new developments on this important initiative.
Translated into 8 Languages – A Parent’s Handbook: Your Guide to Autism Program
ACT thanks all those volunteers from the autism community who have ensured the sensitive and accurate translations of MCFD’s A Parent’s Handbook: Your Guide to Autism Programs (2015) into eight languages: Punjabi, Korean, French, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Arabic! The handbook is nearly 50 pages long – each language required many hours of painstaking work.
These translations can be found at Autism Information Services B.C. As MCFD took over many of the services that ACT formerly provided under contract, in the middle of this project, these handbooks will need to be updated by MCFD to match the 2017 English version. As soon as these are available, ACT will let you know!
Community professionals will find the translation of key terms used in B.C.’s autism program, as well as general concepts about autism to be very useful to helping new parents. ACT thanks MCFD for the opportunity to provide this key information to B.C.’s immigrant communities.
Autism in the News
ACT’s Facebook page just reached 3,000 likes!
To keep in touch with Special Needs issues provincially, nationally and internationally –
Visit ACT on Facebook.
Immigration Canada reverses decision, grants residency for family denied over child’s disability – Global News
Little boy’s touching video explaining his autism to his classmates goes viral
– Global News
Why intelligence scores do not predict success for autistic adults – Spectrum News
Banned from regular school life, boy with autism asks: ‘When am I going to see kids?’ – CBC News
Call for better autism diagnosis data for girls – Radio NZ
Children with autism tour Kelowna International Airport – Global News
‘They consider that education, I guess’: Father of autistic boy speaks out – CBC News
Family’s heart-rending case prompts call for autism strategy – CBC News
5 things not to say to parents of autistic children – BBC Radio
Autistic Canadians struggling for access to tax credit, says activist – iPolitics
Study shows special needs hard to meet in B.C. public schools – The Free Press
How Does Autism in Children Affect Parenting Stress?
– Medical News Bulletin
Room for Improvement: Toward better education outcomes for children in care – Representative for Children and Youth BC
It’s time for Canada to measure up on kids with disabilities – The Star