Category Archives: Events

$50 off if you register for both Social Thinking and Executive Function Skills

Pamela Crooke and Michelle Garcia WinnerACT is offering a discount of $50 if you register for all four days of training offered by the Two Days of Social Thinking (Aug. 4 & 5, 2016 in Vancouver) and Cutting Edge Strategies to Improve Executive Function Skills (Sept. 15 & 16, 2016 in Richmond) events.

These two events include audience activities to develop SarahWard_CognitiveConnectionsWebsite_August2014 185x210practical skills that you can implement for your students who have social or executive function challenges.

Details – This discount:

  • cannot be used if you have already received a group discount, or in combination with any other group discounts.
  • applies only if you register for both days of both events (no discount for single day registrations).
  • valid only for an individual attending both events. It cannot be shared amongst attendees.
  • valid for an individual attending all four training days of the two events. In case of cancellations, original registration rates will apply.

April News Round-Up

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Seymour Triple G – Volunteer or Donate to Support ACT’s Free Resources

ACT is delighted to announce the 1st Annual Seymour Triple G Road Cycling Fundraiser. Donate, sign up to ride or come cheer the riders on Saturday, June 25th, 2016, Mount Seymour, North Vancouver.

Sponsored by Loma Bike, Mt Seymour, Cycling BC, and Brite Coaching, this fundraiser will challenge riders with a 15 km ride up a 7-10% grade. This ride is considered “hors catégorie” (more than a Category 1 climb), and will demand heart, stamina and determination – much like the challenge autism presents for individuals and their families.

Challenge your friends, family and colleagues to put together a team for the Seymour Triple G or donate online.

ACT is seeking volunteers for:

  • Promotions: Friendly, outgoing people to hand out brochures at high-traffic cycling areas including Horseshoe Bay, Mt. Seymour, SFU, Iona Beach, or Galileo Coffee near Britannia Beach, weekend mornings, from May to mid- June.
  • Photography: High quality photographers to take action photos of the riders and attendees on the day of the event. You’ll have to be fast!
  • Day of Event Support: Help us with setup and registration, cheer on the riders and serve breakfast at the top.

Please email [email protected] if you are able to help.

Funds raised will go to the Autism Videos @ ACT (AVA) project, which hosts 16 free online videos on topics ranging from community recreation, education, toilet training, and the transition to adulthood. Funding will help expand and develop this free resource available to families and professionals when they need it as well as other autism awareness resources. All donations over $10 will receive a tax receipt. ACT’s Charitable Tax Number is #861691236RR0001

Go to www.seymourtripleg.ca for more information or email [email protected]

MCFD’s Parent’s Handbook to be Translated into 8 Languages

ACT- Autism Community Training is pleased to announce that we have been funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) to manage the translation of MCFD’s A Parent’s Handbook: Your Guide to Autism Programs into eight languages. We anticipate that these translations will help ensure that more families will have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their child’s intervention program.

This project was announced by B.C.‘s Minister of Children and Family Development, the Honourable Stephanie Cadieux, at ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research Conference on April 15. The handbook will be translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Persian (Farsi), Punjabi and Spanish. The work will begin this summer.

Download the English language version of A Parent’s Handbook. See the Ministry’s News Release for more details on this project.

Sign up for ACT’s Mailing List to receive ACT’s Monthly News Round-Up for updates on provincial autism news, including the release of these translations.

Key Ideas from the 12th Annual Focus on Research

ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research was a great success. There were opportunities to share at the lunch tables, on the posters in the foyer and during sessions. Selected presentations were webstreamed, reaching communities across B.C. When ACT has the funding available, the sessions we recorded will be edited and added to AVA – Autism Videos @ ACT.

Conference Highlights

Here are just few of the many interesting insights and ideas that came out of the conference:

The Invention and Reinvention of Autism – Dr. Roy Richard Grinker’s talk encouraged a second look at diagnostic tools to take into account cultural variations in child behavior. He encouraged professionals to consider whether or not it is culturally accepted to sustain eye contact, for adults and children to play together, or to point. If not, then these are insufficient diagnostic measures as it is necessary to consider cultural expectations for joint attention, play, or social interaction. Dr. Grinker’s fascinating book is well worth a read: Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism (www.unstrange.com).

An Aboriginal Perspective on Supporting Children and Families with Special Needs – Rona Sterling-Collins, a First Nations consultant and parent of an 18-year-old with autism, described how she organized the gathering of her extended family to share a meal and learn about autism after her son was diagnosed. The workshop included autism awareness information and an opportunity for discussion without the presence of Rona or her husband. This helped the extended family “have a better understanding of autism”.

Family Quality of Life and ASD Funding in B.C. – Dr. Grace Iarocci and Dr. Emily Gardiner talked about encouraging parents to engage in research by folding research into a fun summer camp for children. The tasks are embedded into games or puzzles, and the group (not individual) research results are eventually shared with families. See the ADDL lab page for details on 2016 camps.

Connecting with South Asian Families of Children with Autism – Preetinder Narang’s presentation focused on strategies for service providers to develop cross-cultural competence with the families they support. The content from this presentation will soon be available in a new chapter for ACT’s Manual for B.C. titled Guide to Working with South Asian Families Affected by Autism. Preetinder is a founding member of ACT’s South Asian Autism Project (ASAAP), a dedicated group of volunteers committed to raising awareness of autism in B.C.’s South Asian community.

Bilingualism and Language Development in Children with Autism – Dr. Pat Mirenda’s important presentation analyzed the research on whether the families of children with autism should continue to be discouraged from speaking their language of origin at home. Her conclusion was definitive – there is no reason to discourage families speaking multiple languages at home. Indeed to do so has many negative consequences including cutting off children with autism from their extended families and cultural and religious traditions. Download Dr. Mirenda’s handout for references to this research.

Memorable quotes

  • “Families experiences are likely to be different than those from the dominant culture and for those whose language is not the English language.” (Sunita Braich, Supporting Marginalized Families from the Trenches – the Perspective of Parent Professionals)
  • “Always say yes to tea” – speaking to the need to be polite and culturally sensitive. (Preetinder Narang, Connecting with South Asian Families of Children with Autism)
  • “Keep in mind the historical trauma that First Nations people, families and communities have gone through with colonization and residential schools.” (Rona Sterling-Collins, An Aboriginal Perspective on Supporting Children and Families with Special Needs)
  • “You know what I’m going to say, right? No significant difference” – with regards to language acquisition in bilingual homes. (Pat Mirenda, Bilingualism and Language Development in Children with Autism: One Language or Two?)
  • “Autism is not a ‘thing’, it is contextual and it is the intervention rather than the label that makes the difference” (comment on the poster board)

Seeking New Members for ACT’s Board of Directors

ACT – Autism Community Training is the primary source for objective information and support on autism in B.C. A not-for-profit society led by a Board of Directors, ACT is seeking three new board members in time for our AGM on May 31st. This year we are keen to identify candidates who understand the diverse concerns of families raising children with autism from the perspective of parents, siblings or other members of the extended family, as well as having professional expertise.

ACT’s Board is a governance board and does not involve itself in daily operations. Board members are called upon to provide the board with professional advice. Currently we would like to augment the considerable strength of ACT’s Board in the areas of human resources, media relations, marketing and fundraising.

For more information on ACT’s current Board see www.actcommunity.ca/about-us/board-members/. Those interested in finding out more, may contact the head of ACT’s Nominations Committee, Helga Marshall, c/o [email protected].

The deadline for submitting a resume and cover letter to [email protected] is May 9, 2016.

Submit Summer Camp info to the Autism Information Database

Parents are thinking about summer camps already, and contacting ACT for suggestions. ACT’s Autism Information Database (AID) has a list of B.C. summer camps. If you are a service provider or camp director, please:

If you are looking for Behavior Interventionists to attend camp with your child, the Autism Information Database (AID) has several listings that may help:

Four New RASP Professionals – Fraser Valley, Terrace and Vancouver

Over the 12 months of 2015, 93 RASP professionals were approved, and 13 Behavior Consultants moved from category B to category A. This April, traditionally a slower month, four new RASP professionals have been added to the RASP.

Behavior Consultants (Category A – Non-supervised)
  • Carla Kirk – Serves: Abbotsford, Agassiz, Chilliwack, Hope, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, Pitt Meadows, Surrey
Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Kaali Kelso – Serves: Kitimat, Terrace
Occupational Therapists
  • Nushabah Zakir – Serves: Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Maple Ridge, Richmond, Surrey, Tsawwassen, West Vancouver
Physical Therapist
  • Megan Mak – Serves: Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, Vancouver

Information on RASP requirements:

For more about individual RASP Professionals, their credentials, certifications and degrees, search and view RASP Professionals online: www.actcommunity.ca/rasp/search/

Upcoming ACT Events in Vancouver, Surrey and Richmond

ACT is bringing back popular speakers and courses this summer, including Intro to ASD (POPARD) with Dr. Kenneth Cole, in Vancouver and in Surrey; a Master Class in Social Thinking with Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke and specialized instruction in Executive Function Skills with Sarah Ward.

Introduction to ASD – Practical Applications (POPARD)

July 11 – 15, 2016 – Vancouver, B.C. Kenneth Cole, PhD, RPsych

 “Amazing and useful information. I wish our whole staff could attend!!”

“Ken was excellent in presenting the information in a very natural, straight- forward way. He was always available to answer questions- offer suggestions and re-explain a concept.”

Two Days of Social Thinking®

August 4 & 5, 2016 – Vancouver, B.C. Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP & Pamela Crooke, PhD, CCC-SLP

 “You two have an amazing ability to engage listeners.”

“Thank you for your passion, compassion and commitment to supporting people with Social Thinking challenges.”

Introduction to ASD – Practical Applications (POPARD)

August 15 – 19, 2016 – Surrey, B.C. Kenneth Cole, PhD, RPsych

 “The biggest thing I learned was dealing with behaviours. I was struggling with this as a SEA and now I definitely have some very valuable tools that I can use.”

Cutting Edge Strategies to Improve Executive Function Skills

Sept. 15 & 16, 2016 – Richmond, B.C. Sarah Ward, MS, CCC-SLP, Co-Director, Cognitive Connections LLP

 · “Thank you so much, it was an absolute pleasure hearing you speak and learning such valuable skills to teach.””I learned many practical strategies. I will definitely be implementing the “Get Ready, Do, Done” model and the clock!”

Community Events

Training from Canucks Autism Network

The Canucks Autism Network (CAN) provides autism training workshops throughout the year to build capacity in communities across British Columbia. Training equips community recreation staff, programmers, and managers with strategies for supporting children and youth with autism in community settings. Learn more about upcoming workshops in your community.

Autism Speaks Walks – Vancouver, Kitimat, Courtenay and Prince Rupert

Autism Speaks Canada Walk & Family Festival is open now for registration: www.autismspeaks.ca/get-involved/participate/walk-now-for-autism-speaks-canada/

BCaBA training at Capilano University

Capilano University has seats in both the Bachelor of Arts and Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis – Autism programs. Graduates meet the requirements to become Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analysts (BCaBA). For more information, and to inquire about on-line study, please email Dr. Richard Stock at [email protected]

Autism in the News

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Webstreaming: ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research.

For technical help, read here! 

Participate in ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research – online!

Autism & Family Quality of Life – Developing Culturally Responsive Research and Intervention Programming

New! Join us for live online webstreaming for this conference. Register for webstreaming before April 13th:  Register online or call the ACT office at  604-205-5467 or toll-free at 1-866-939-5188. Registered viewers will be emailed a link and password to the online streaming page on April 14.

For more information, visit the event details page or download the complete schedule. Read up on the technical tips before the event.

It’s Easy: The platform being used is similar to YouTube – if you can watch YouTube videos, you can watch the live webstreaming!

It’s Engaging: Live online streaming video includes a chat function facilitated by ACT staff. You will be able to post questions that will be passed to the speaker at an appropriate time, and be able to text chat with other online attendees.

It’s Accessible: Register now. Registered viewers will be emailed a link to the online streaming page on April 14. 

Selected talks (listed below) will be web streamed online for registered viewers.

Why webstreaming? ACT brings in top speakers for 15-20 events a year, and we know that not everyone can attend our live events, due to geography, cost, or organizational challenges. We have been working on increasing accessibility to our training opportunities, first by filming select events and putting them online as part of Autism Videos @ ACT. This year we are branching out to live online streaming video.

About this event

This conference will provide a forum for researchers, clinicians, educators, parents and those who work for community organizations to address the realities facing marginalized families who have children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. These families include First Nations, refugees, immigrants; all those isolated by virtue of language, culture or by living in rural or remote areas.

The goal of this conference is to build relationships between researchers, community-based clinicians, community organizations and families to facilitate collaboration to better support under-served members of our communitieis. In particular, we are hoping to provide researchers with the important research questions that the community wishes to have answered, but incorporating panel discussions and other opportunities to share experiences, perspectives and information.

 Download the complete schedule for a list of which presentations are being live webstreamed. 

April Autism Awareness Month Community Activities

Autism Awareness in House of Commons

Mike Lake, MP for Edmonton-Wetaskwin and father of Jaden, gave his annual statement for World Autism Day. He says of his son:  “It is an indescribable joy to watch him grow up.” See a video of his statement in the House of Commons.

ACT is attending or sending materials to many of these walks. If you would like ACT materials at your Autism Awareness event, please email [email protected]

Osoyoos Autism Behaviour Centre Walk for Autism – April 16th

It’s a StarWars theme for this year’s Walk for Awareness in Osoyoos. Starting at Osoyoos Town Square, registration starts at 11am on Saturday, April 16th. See their Facebook post or email Kim at [email protected] for details. ACT information materials will be available at the walk.

Prince George Autism Awareness Walk – April 23rd

Join the 5th Annual PG Autism Awareness Walk. The walk will begin at 2:00 pm with a 2 km walk together to Lheidi T’enneh Memorial Park (ending at the playgound). Details on Facebook page. Hosted by the Northern Interior Autism Society and Autism Society of B.C.

2nd Annual Rock the Walk to Raise Awareness for Autism – Port Alberni – April 23rd

The Walk will start and finish at the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel; registration begins at 1 pm. Stay after the walk for a hotdog BBQ, snack and games. Details on Facebook Page

5th Annual CAN Family Festival – April 24th, Vancouver

The Canucks Autism Network (CAN) on Sunday, April 24th will be at Jack Poole Plaza (Vancouver Convention Centre) for their 5th Annual CAN Family Festival in celebration of Autism Awareness Month. Participate in the autism awareness walk and lighting of the cauldron and enjoy live entertainment, food trucks, exhibitors, face painting, sports activities, trampolines, a mini skate park and more! With special appearances by Vancouver Canucks alumni.

For more information, or to start fundraising for the awareness walk, please visit www.canucksautism.ca/CANFamFest. ACT will have a table at this event.

Light it Blue for Autism – Autism Speaks Canada

Vancouver buildings will join more than 18,000 iconic landmarks, businesses, communities and homes in 143 countries and shine a bright light on World Autism Awareness Day April 2nd. Light it Blue or wear Blue, take a photo and post it using #LIUB or send to [email protected] Register at www.autismspeaks.org/LIUB  or check out www.autismspeaks.ca for ways to shine a bright light on autism.

March News Round-Up

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ACT Updates

Seymour Triple G Cycling Fundraiser & Autism Awareness Event

Seymour Triple G
ACT is very pleased to announce the first annual Seymour Triple G road cycling fundraiser. This event will raise cyclists heart rates as they climb Mt Seymour, and raise autism awareness and funds for the Autism Videos @ ACT project.  ACT’s free video project brings professionally filmed and edited videos to families and community professionals who cannot attend our live training.

As a part of this cycling challenge, riders will cycle up Mount Seymour – a 15km, 10% grade route! You can register to ride, or if you prefer not to take on that particular challenge, sponsor a ride or donate to ACT. ACT is also seeking volunteers for this event. Registration for the ride, to volunteer and to donate will open on April 13th. Stay tuned for details!

See below for updates from Autism Videos @ ACT

Two New Free Online Videos from AVA

Thanks to our sponsors, who make it possible for ACT to provide this free resource, we are releasing two new free online videos just in time for April – Autism Awareness Month:

Identifying and Treating Co-occurring Mental Health Challenges in Children with ASD

When Dr. Vikram Dua presented this talk for ACT last year, the event was sold-out. For those of you who missed this great presentation, it is now available for free online as part of AVA – Autism Videos @ ACT at http://www.actcommunity.ca/videos/.

Dr. Dua (who is now Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Surrey Place Centre in Toronto and sorely missed in B.C.), describes how children with ASD frequently have co-occurring mental health challenges, including ADHD, anxiety disorders and tic disorders, which can be more disabling than autism. He introduces his approach, the Autism Comorbidity Algorithm (ACA), which frames and guides clinical and diagnostic assessment and treatment decisions through a developmental lens. While aimed at clinicians and community professionals, many families will find this a very useful orientation to the widely misunderstood linkages between autism and mental health given the significant shortage of mental health professionals with knowledge of autism in B.C.

Punjabi-language: Introduction to Individualized Education Plans

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), when done well, track goals and progress for students with autism and other developmental disabilities. This  free online video in Punjabi, part of AVA – Autism Videos @ ACT (AVA), describes the process for developing an IEP and what the school and parent can do to support the IEP process. Presented by Raminder Kaur, a behavior consultant with posAbilities, this presentation was developed by Parbinder Bains and Preetinder Narang, both Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Special Educators with the Surrey School District. All three are members of ACT’s South Asian Autism Project (ASAAP). See the ACT in Punjabi page for more information on ASAAP’s work. This video was sponsored by Autism Speaks Canada, Surrey Schools and Simon Fraser University.

Coming soon:

One Parent’s Journey in Autism – in Punjabi – presented by Sunita Braich.

Taking Control of the Future – Planning for Families with Special Needs – presented by Blair Dwyer and Layli Antinuk, Dwyer Tax Law.

Urgent – Seeking Psychiatrists Prepared to Assess Autism in Adults

ACT is receiving an increasing number of calls from adults across B.C. seeking an autism assessment. We are very concerned, despite extensive research, that ACT has not been able to identify publicly funded professionals prepared to assess adults.  Few of the adults who contact us have the funds to have an assessment done by a psychologist, as this is not publicly funded. Psychiatrists are covered by the B.C. Medical Services Plan but ACT is having increasing difficult in identifying psychiatrists who are willing to see adults who are concerned that they may have autism.  The few psychiatrists that ACT is aware of have extensive waitlists.  If you know of a psychiatrist, or you are a psychiatrist, who is prepared to work with adults who are seeking an assessment for autism, please email [email protected].

Upcoming ACT Events

Live and Online: ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research – April 15 & 16

ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research Conference – Developing Culturally Responsive Research and Intervention Programing will highlight the needs of marginalized families who have children affected by ASD and other developmental disabilities who are not receiving adequate levels of support for their children. These families include First Nations, refugees, immigrants; all those isolated by virtue of language, culture or by living in rural or remote areas. There will be opportunities for discussion and information sharing while learning from those who are engaged in this important but neglected area of practice and research.  Researchers, clinicians, educators, social workers, parents and those who work for community organizations are urged to register.

Download the full schedule or visit www.actcommunity.ca/education/act-events/12th-annual-focus-on-research/ for details.

Parts of the program will be available via live web streaming video for those who register in advance.

Two Days of Social Thinking with Michelle Garcia Winner & Pamela Crooke – Vancouver

Many of the families who contact ACT are very concerned about how to help their children who have good language and average or above academic abilities but are still struggling with social awareness and interaction. It is this group of children and adults who are the focus of the Social Thinking approach. Michelle Garcia Winner, founder of Social Thinking, and Dr. Pamela Crooke are back, with two days of Social Thinking inspiration. These events are suitable for those already familiar with the Social Thinking curriculum.

Thursday, August 4 – Social Thinking – Informal Dynamic Assessment and Core Treatment Strategies. Delve into the inner mind of a person with social learning challenges though assessment tasks and video. You will also hear about factors to consider when running effective Social Thinking treatment groups.

Friday, August 5, Master Class – Exploring Key Social Communication Concepts through Hands-On Activities. Dive deeper into core Social Thinking strategies using videos and hands-on practice.  Longitudinal videos of four different clients will demonstrate how an individual’s competencies and focus of treatment changes across a span of 5, 10 and 15 years.

ACT thanks the Sheraton Wall Centre, our co-sponsors, for making it possible to bring this exciting event to Downtown Vancouver.  For more event details on both the conference and this beautiful venue, see www.actcommunity.ca/social-thinking-2016

Save money and register by the Early Bird Deadline – June 22nd.  Call 604-205-5467 or register online.

Introduction to ASD – Practical Applications (POPARD) – July 11-15 – Vancouver

Registration is now open for the always popular five-day Introduction to ASD – Practical Applications course. It will be held July 11-15 in downtown Vancouver at SFU’s Harbour Centre. The workshop will be taught by Dr. Kenneth Cole. A requirement for teaching assistants in many school districts this course is also open to community professionals and parents. Only 30 seats are available – register soon.

In April, we will be able to confirm a location for the August 15-19th delivery of this course

AID Resources in Korean, Spanish, Punjabi and more!

As part of ACT’s commitment to supporting marginalized families, staff have been identifying evidence-informed resources in languages other than English as these are often a huge benefit to isolated families.  The AID – Autism Information Database  now has over 150 information resources in languages other than English including:

Do you have resources to recommend? Please email [email protected]

8 New RASP Professionals

In March 2016, 8 professionals were added to the RASP, serving communities across the province such as:  Salmon Arm, Maple Ridge, Port Alberni, Castlegar and New Westminster. See below for hints on how to get more professional services in under-served communities. Behavior Consultants (Category A – Non-supervised)

  • Elisa Hill – Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, Mission, Port Moody, Surrey, White Rock
  • Jacqueline Pun – Burnaby, Richmond, Vancouver
  • Carly van Boven – Armstrong, Enderby, Kelowna, Lake Country, Salmon Arm, Vernon
  • Nicola McCorquodale – Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver

Behavior Consultants (Category B – Supervised)

  • Jasmine Bracken – Vancouver

Speech-Language Pathologists

  • Sumi Choudhury – Nanaimo, Parksvile, Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach

Occupational Therapists

  • Laura Munoz – Castlegar, Kaslo, Nakusp, Nelson, Salmo, Trail
  • Julia Blanchard – Castlegar, Creston, Fruitvale, Nelson, New Denver, Rossland, Salmo, South Slocan, Trail, Ymir

How to Access Professionals for Rural & Remote Families

While there are over 600 professionals on the RASP, many areas of the province are under-served. This will be an issue for discussion at ACT’s 12th Annual Focus on Research (you are invited!).  ACT has been developing the search tool for the RASP to help rural and remote families identifying possible professionals. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Families in small communities work together to pool your autism funding to bring in professionals to see multiple families over a few days. Search the RASP for professionals willing to travel.
  • FaceTime or other videoconferencing tools: As technology improves it is easier to use these methods to consult with professionals. The RASP can be searched to find professionals who use videoconferencing.
  • Call the ACT Office and speak to an Information Officer for individualized support

See ACT’s website for details on these ideas: Accessing Services in Smaller or Isolated Communities. Share your ideas on connecting families and professionals across British Columbia.  Email [email protected] or call an ACT Information Officer 1-866-939-5188.

April Autism Awareness Month Community Activities

Autism Awareness in House of Commons

Mike Lake, MP for Edmonton-Wetaskwin and father of Jaden, gave his annual statement for World Autism Day. He says of his son:  “It is an indescribable joy to watch him grow up.” See a video of his statement in the House of Commons.

ACT is attending or sending materials to many of these walks. If you would like ACT materials at your Autism Awareness event, please email [email protected]

Osoyoos Autism Behaviour Centre Walk for Autism – April 16th

It’s a StarWars theme for this year’s Walk for Awareness in Osoyoos. Starting at Osoyoos Town Square, registration starts at 11am on Saturday, April 16th. See their Facebook post or email Kim at [email protected] for details. ACT information materials will be available at the walk.

Prince George Autism Awareness Walk – April 23rd

Join the 5th Annual PG Autism Awareness Walk. The walk will begin at 2:00 pm with a 2 km walk together to Lheidi T’enneh Memorial Park (ending at the playgound). Details on Facebook page. Hosted by the Northern Interior Autism Society and Autism Society of B.C.

2nd Annual Rock the Walk to Raise Awareness for Autism – Port Alberni – April 23rd

The Walk will start and finish at the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel; registration begins at 1 pm. Stay after the walk for a hotdog BBQ, snack and games. Details on Facebook Page

5th Annual CAN Family Festival – April 24th, Vancouver

The Canucks Autism Network (CAN) on Sunday, April 24th will be at Jack Poole Plaza (Vancouver Convention Centre) for their 5th Annual CAN Family Festival in celebration of Autism Awareness Month. Participate in the autism awareness walk and lighting of the cauldron and enjoy live entertainment, food trucks, exhibitors, face painting, sports activities, trampolines, a mini skate park and more! With special appearances by Vancouver Canucks alumni.

For more information, or to start fundraising for the awareness walk, please visit www.canucksautism.ca/CANFamFest. ACT will have a table at this event.

Light it Blue for Autism – Autism Speaks Canada


Vancouver buildings will join more than 18,000 iconic landmarks, businesses, communities and homes in 143 countries and shine a bright light on World Autism Awareness Day April 2nd. Light it Blue or wear Blue, take a photo and post it using #LIUB or send to[email protected] Register at www.autismspeaks.org/LIUB  or check out www.autismspeaks.ca for ways to shine a bright light on autism.

EmploymentWorks Canada Programs

Developing Employment Skills for Young Adults with ASD


The EmploymentWorks Canada program supports youth or young adults with ASD who would like support developing the skills to succeed in the workplace.   The program is 2.5 hours of structured learning and 2.5 hours of workplace sampling each week for 12 weeks starting April 1, 2016.

Please contact Brooke Straith, EmploymentWorks Canada Program Coordinator, for more information at 604.700.8614 [email protected]

Seeking Peer Mentors to Support Young Adults with ASD

Volunteer peer mentors between 18 and 29 years of age will support youth and young adults with ASD as they complete a pre-employment training program. This is an excellent opportunity to build your resume, broaden your network of professional contacts and learn about individuals with ASD as they transition to paid employment.  Please contact Brooke Straith, EmploymentWorks Canada Program Coordinator, for more information at 604.700.8614 [email protected]

SFU Parent-Child Study on Social Skills

The Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab at Simon Fraser University invites parents and children age 7-12, with or without ASD, to participate in research about how children develop social skills for communication and interaction. Parents and children will work together on fun and interactive games. Parents receive $30 and parking remuneration in thanks for participating in the three hour study. Please contact [email protected] to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Autism in the News

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