Category Archives: ACT Resources

Mexico Shark Cruise Online Auction Now Open
Get your Tickets for Songs on the Water
New Video
ACT Videos & Resources Guide Spring Update

Summer with the Sharks in Mexico! – Online Auction is now open!

A Shark Watching Cruise in Mexico for one with Nautilus Tours! Sail to the waters of Guadalupe Island off of Baja California to experience the best Great White Shark diving on the planet!

This package includes accommodation and food on the Nautilus Belle Amie, with a spacious salon, sun deck, an expansive dive deck and, of course, a hot tub.

Bidding is now open and will end at ACT’s Songs on the Water event on June 4th. Visit the Songs on the Water page to book tickets for this fundraiser at the Vancouver Rowing Club, Stanley Park. All funds raised will benefit ACT’s free resources.

This trip is valued at over $3000 USD. Airfare not included.

Bid Now

 

Autism Videos at ACT

Family Centred, Culturally Responsive PBS

Joseph Lucyshyn, PhD, BCBA-D, University of British Columbia
Dr. Joseph Lucyshyn presents a multi-method study of family centered positive behavior support (FCPBS), designed to be culturally responsive to families raising a child with developmental disabilities. A fascinating case study demonstrates how the family was coached to use PBS strategies to transform their child’s ability to eat a nutritious diet and play with her sibling.

Watch now

Thanks to funding from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration (CIRCA) at the University of British Columbia, ACT is able to provide this edited version of the 2018 Setting the Stage for Success: Positive Behavior Support in School, Home and Community conference.

Coming soon: Visual Support Strategies for Individuals with ASD with Dr. Brenda Fossett

View all PBS Videos

ACT Videos & Resources Guide – Spring Update

We’ve updated the ACT Videos & Resources Guide – now with 55 videos, as well as details of upcoming events, BC Resources, and the Autism Information Database.

New this issue: ‘Women & Girls with Autism’ and ‘Positive Behavior Support in Home, School, and Community’ learning streams, and a preview of new videos being released later this Spring.

View the Spring 2019 ACT Guide

Autism in the News

Parents decry cuts to B.C. autism program – CBC News

COMMENTARY || You can’t take autism and cut it out of me. I am who I am. – Folio

I’m autistic, not a child: Are casual cruelty and condescension neurotypical traits? – Salon

Kind flight attendant soothes autistic boy, 5, who had ‘meltdown’ on plane – Metro

‘Church’ to offer ‘miracle cure’ despite FDA warnings against drinking bleach – The Guardian

Autism runs in families with history of brain conditions – Spectrum News

How to ‘Hug’ a Kid With Autism – Offspring

Canada’s disability tax credit is valuable, but qualifying for it can be a huge challenge – Financial Post

Restraining students with disabilities is harmful – The Baltimore Sun

Miami Int’l Airport Opens Its First Multi-Sensory Room For Kids With Autism – CBS Miami

Family-Run Car Wash Employs 83 Workers with Autism: ‘It Provides Hope’ – People

3 Ways NYU Is Training New Teachers to Use Special Ed and ELL Strategies to Better Serve All Kids – The 74

Dimmed lights, no noise: Sensory friendly shopping coming to Vancouver Island – CTV News

Different for girls: understanding autism – The Guardian

Children who outgrow autism label end up with other diagnoses – Spectrum News

Every child matters: What principals need to effectively lead inclusive schools – The Conversation

‘Learning to trust himself:’ cook with autism works toward independence – Indiana Daily Student

Unique program pairs students, adults with autism – KARE11

What People Get Wrong About Autism – Esquire

Summer Camps Update, Social Thinking for Young Learners – April 11 & 12, New ACT Fundraiser – Buy Your Ticket Today: Songs on the Water: A Musical Showcase in Support of ACT, Two New Videos on Challenging Behaviors – Free!

Autism Videos @ ACT

Practical Ways to Decrease Challenging Behaviors in School, Home and Community Settings

Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel, respected internationally for her research and clinical practice, discusses various intervention procedures for decreasing challenging behaviors.

Dr. Kern Koegel also provides many example of how challenging behaviors can be avoided in the first place. This presentation will appeal to both professionals and families for its reliance on important research as well as respect for individuals with autism and challenging behaviors.

Watch now

WTF – What’s the Function?

Problem behaviors are one of the greatest barriers to student learning and is a significant problem for school staff and parents alike. Understanding why they occur is critical to developing preventative and educative solutions in-order-to benefit students and those who support them.

Dr. Richard Stock will dispel myths about why students engage in problem behaviors and teach participants about the four functions of behavior.

Watch now

Thanks to funding from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration (CIRCA) at the University of British Columbia, ACT is able to provide an edited version of the 2018 Setting the Stage for Success: Positive Behavior Support in School, Home and Community conference.

Visit the Positive Behavior Support video release page

New ACT Fundraiser

Songs on the Water:
A Musical Showcase in Support of ACT

June 4, 2019

Vancouver Rowing Club, Stanley Park

Welcome summer 2019 at the Vancouver Rowing Club, with a very special evening of music and friendship to benefit ACT – Autism Community Training. Featured artists include: Melanie Dekker, Yvonne McSkimming, and Mark James Fortin.
Vancouver Rowing Club - Songs on the Water

June 4th is an opportunity for the autism community and its friends to join with us for a fabulous evening in support of ACT’s free online resources. Organize a table or attend on your own. Either way you will meet old friends and make new ones.

Tickets for the evening are $50 – a $30 tax receipt will be provided. Demonstrate your support for ACT’s free online resources – sponsor a table – contact ACT for details.

ACT thanks the Synergy Collective Society, a community-based organization that blends art with social responsibility to support and create cooperative community programming.

Event Details & Tickets

 

 

Upcoming events

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/7602d0a8f584cad4bbcf1e73e/images/e92f3091-f0e7-471b-b082-54450b0bfda5.jpg

Two Social Thinking® Days for Young Children

April 11 & 12, 2019

Vancouver & Web streamed

Kari Zweber Palmer from the Social Thinking Speakers’ Collaborative is back in Vancouver with two days of training focused on younger learners. This is the fourth time ACT has presented this training and it always sells out! Save money and register by April 4th!

Live stream: Watch and participate live from anywhere by registering for web streaming.

Day 1 – Teaching Social Thinking through Stories and Play

Day 2 – What Does Play Have to Do with Classroom Learning? Exploring Social Executive Functioning and Social Emotional Learning for Early Learners
Event Details & Registration

Register by April 4th to save $50!

Please note that this training is geared for children with ASD who have age-appropriate language but struggle with social/emotional engagement. It is also effective for children with ADHD.

You may email ACT before registering if you have questions: [email protected]

Special group rates of $150 per person for 3 or more people watching via web-streaming on the same screen – a great team-building opportunity for schools and clinics to train staff. Contact us to learn more.

 

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/7602d0a8f584cad4bbcf1e73e/images/7c082486-438a-4532-9874-92b5fedbeac6.png

Summer Camps are a hot topic! 

It is time to plan for summer camps! Parents are welcome to search ACT’s BC Community Listing for camps. We have 100 listed but you can narrow down the results by adding the name of the community where you live.

Are you a camp provider? You can submit your camp here!

If any listing is out of date please let us know or send us an update using the handy alert function on each record.

Two Free Videos & Double Your Donation – $10,000 raised!

Over $10,000 raised on Giving Tuesday

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, including a $50,000 matching fund provided by the Ross-Dwyer family, our fundraising campaign for 2019 is off to a strong start – we raised over $10,000 over the past week. Blair Dwyer, a lawyer based in Victoria explains why his family is prepared to double the contribution of individual donors – right up to December 25th.

“The reason for the gift is really quite simple. We feel a tremendous debt of gratitude for all the help that ACT gave to us in raising our two children. They are both doing better than we could have thought possible after we learned of their diagnosis. ACT is a big part of that.” Blair’s gratitude to ACT was echoed by our donors:

“Thank you infinitely for all that you have provided to the Autism Community. I have been using your website and going to your events since 2015. It helped me in managing the challenges of having a child with autism.”

“Everyone at Constructive Pathways and I have appreciated everything that ACT has provided to the community over the years. Here’s a small contribution for the future. Here’s to many more!”

“Thank you for your excellent evidence-based resources and events! Keep up the great work – quality, up-to-date, freely accessible educational resources are vital for families of individuals with ASD, support personnel and professionals alike! “

“Amazing resource to families – keep up the great work!”

“We need your services…Thank you!!!”

“This is such a fabulous resource for both families and practitioners. Thank you.”

“In recognition of our grandson Adam who has brought us such great joy.”

“It will be a very sad if you are unable to continue the good work you do in the way you currently do it!”

“Keep up the great work! Especially the live/streamed workshops.”

“Thank you for everything you do and all the support that you provide to our families!”

“I am very happy to donate to ACT! ACT was central to my learning about ASD and so much more.”

“ACT is an amazing resource for our province and a precious gem for our country. We must keep ACT doing what it does best. . . training, advocating, sharing and providing the facts.”

Download the Autism Videos & Resources Guide 2019 shown above.

Every donation is appreciated; Donation matching continues until December 25th, please consider donating now to double your donation.

Give more, save more taxes!

Use the CRA’s Charitable donation tax credit calculator to estimate your tax savings. Super-donors can receive additional tax credits on donations up to $1,000.

Donate to ACT

Two new free videos –
ACT’s Online Mental Health & Autism Project

The Relationship between Anxiety and Social Competence – Grace Iarocci, PhD, RPsych

The relationship between the symptoms of anxiety, depression and social functioning among children, with and without ASD, are poorly understood. In this 25 minute presentation, Dr. Grace Iarocci presents a study into whether generalized anxiety and depression symptoms, were associated with social competence. gender. Dr. Iarocci discusses the importance of assessing both internalizing symptoms and social difficulties in children with ASD and the implications for treatment.

Watch now

Implementing Modified CBT in a Group Format to Treat Anxiety in Children with ASD: Insights for Parents, Clinicians, and Researchers

In this 20 minute presentation, Dr. Johnson highlights the growing evidence that group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatments to address mental health issues, such as anxiety, are promising alternatives to standard individual CBT treatments for children with ASD. The presentation includes information to support parents in recognizing anxiety and seeking appropriate services as well as information for professionals interested in learning more about clinical and research efforts related to increasing community accessibility of group treatments targeting mental health concerns.

Watch now

Herring Sale 2019, 20 pounds for $20Volunteers needed: Herring Fundraiser
January 12, 2019

We’re looking for volunteers to help out at the 2019 Herring Sale! Meet sea lions and help raise money for autism training at this one-day fundraiser in Steveston, Richmond. Email [email protected] for details or visit Volunteering for ACT.

September 2018 events and news

Upcoming Events

 

Managing the Anxious Symptoms of Children and Adolescents with ASD: Practical Strategies
Thursday & Friday, September 27 & 28
Vancouver 

Judy Reaven, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Colorado

This two-day training is aimed at professionals who have an intermediate/advanced knowledge of CBT and are looking for an evidence-based, manualized program on adapted CBT for children and adolescents with ASD to address the high levels of anxiety in this population. Research has shown that children and teens with ASD and anxiety demonstrate significant reductions in anxiety following participation in modified Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) interventions, allowing many to function better at home, school and in the community.

Facing Your Fears (FYF) is a group CBT intervention for managing anxiety in youth with ASD. Throughout the training, participants will learn about FYF, identify core components of the clinic based FYF program, learn how to modify FYF for teens with ASD and intellectual disabilities, as well as strategies for delivering FYF in school settings. Video examples and interactive small group activities will be provided throughout this training, provided by Dr. Judy Reaven, one of the developers of the FYF approach. Dr. Reaven is an experienced clinician and researcher and is a dynamic presenter.

View Details & Registration

Setting the Stage for Success: Positive Behaviour Support in School, Home and Community Friday & Saturday, October 19 & 20 Vancouver

View Details & Registration

ACT’s Education Resources

Back-to-School Resources

Along with the resources on ACT’s School-Age Children with Autism page, you can find hundreds of resources on our B.C. Community Resources search and the Autism Information Database.

B.C. Community Resources – Education resources

Enter your city or postal code to narrow down service providers, recreational activities, employment and training opportunities, and community organizations near you.

Autism Information Database – Education resources

Find articles, guides, videos, and research on executive functioning skills, anxiety, bullying, and much more.

Special Needs Community Events

To see what is happening around the province, and to submit your organization’s events, visit Special Needs Community Events

September Events:

Social Sprouts 2 (Social Thinking)
September 10, Surrey

Executive Functioning for Preteens
September 11, Surrey

Connect with PEERS(r) for Young Adults (19-30)
September 11, Burnaby

AutismBC Family Support Group
September 12, Prince George Social Sprouts (Social Thinking)
September 15, Surrey

Art and Social for Girls
September 15, Surrey

Incredible Years – Autism Spectrum and Language Delays Parenting Program
September 20 – December 14, North Vancouver

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Relaxed Performance
September 30, Vancouver

Youth & Young Adult Program: Games & Activities
October 2, Nanaimo – Registration deadline: September 21

Ticket Giveaway!

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Relaxed Performance – September 30 at 7 PM

Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, Vancouver

Enter now for a chance to win 1 set of 2 tickets to see a relaxed performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a Tony Award-winning play adapted from the novel by Mark Hadden, about a teenager with high-functioning autism seeking to solve the murder of a neighbour’s dog.

Visit the Arts Club website for more information on this play.

This relaxed performance is an inclusive, modified theatre experience designed to welcome people who may find it difficult to follow the usual conventions of traditional theatre.

How to win tickets: Email [email protected] with the subject “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Give-Away” before Friday, September 14 at 9:00am.
ACT will randomly select the winning entry to receive a free set of 2 tickets to see the play and will email ticket winners with instructions for pick-up at the theatre box-office.

Click the button below to send your email and be entered into the ticket giveaway.

Enter the giveaway

Autism in the News

Get the latest on ACT’s Facebook page

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has released a new simplified Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPP-D) application package. Find out more:
New form at Service Canada | Disability Alliance BC CPP-D Guides

TRACKING EXCLUSION: BCEdAccess’ Exclusion* Incident Report Form – BCEdAccess

Resources for autistic students and students on the spectrum transitioning from high school to college – Stairway to Stem

How the Ontario Disability Support Program makes falling in love a challenging proposition – TVO

Treatment to remove metals from children with autism unproven and risky, but no clear regulations – CBC News

‘I’ll break the barriers’: New ad campaign tries to end stigma plaguing youth with disabilities – CBC News

Autism Ups Risk for Depression in Early Adulthood – MedPage Today

For people with developmental disabilities, a job is more than a paycheque – it says ‘I’m valuable’ – The Globe and Mail

The extra layer of back-to-school anxiety when your child has special needs – The Washington Post

‘Atypical’ Team on Bringing ‘More Voices From the Autism Community’ in Season 2 – Variety

Gavin Rose was diagnosed with autism three years ago. Now, he’s competing for a world bull riding title – The Star

Changemaker: Bellevue man living with autism wants to help others understand it – Q13 FOX News

The relief, and heartbreak, of watching my autistic son becoming more socially aware – The Washington Post

Find reliable, evidence-based resources on ACT’s Autism Information Database – now available as a tool anyone can add to a website!

Those of you who follow ACT’s Facebook Page will know that we had a booth at this month’s International Meeting for Autism Research in Rotterdam to spread the word about the Autism Information Database – AID. There were over 2,000 registrants and they all received information about the AID as part of their registration packages!

While many of the world’s leading autism researchers now know about the AID, many families are still not aware of this great tool to help them find objective, evidence-informed resources. A simple key word search of 1300 quality resources is likely to product results. There were 2500 AID searches in April 2018, and we would like to double this by August!

ACT’s focus is on selecting resources that are practical, family-focused and non-commercial, sourced from reputable websites world-wide. We also have resources that can be helpful to adults on the spectrum. This project is over seen by an international advisory panel to ensure quality.

Installing the AID Search on your website

ACT is encouraging other not-for-profits to add the AID link to their websites to improve access to evidence-informed resources for their users.

Set up the AID Search on your site in just one step. ACT provides two options, full-size and compact, to fit the needs of your website. Contact [email protected] for help with setting up the AID Search.

View Instructions

Adding the AID Search Bar to your site is simple, only one line of HTML is needed and can be placed anywhere on your site.

Questions? See the AID FAQ’s

Something to add? Do you know of great resources that are not linked to the AID – submit via our simple online form

Materials in translation? We always appreciate submissions in multiple languages as the AID is accessible internationally.