Category Archives: Online Videos

New! Registration open for Self-Care for Carers | Combating Compassion Fatigue video

Self-care for Carers – a Mindful Compassion Program: A 10 Week Small Group Program for Caregivers of Neurodiverse Family Members

Wednesdays, April 7 – June 9

12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – 10 sessions

Presented by Georgina Robinson PhD & 
Zoey Ryan BSc, PCC

Mindful Compassionate Parenting is a 10-week course that combines empirically-based practices from Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), along with research that supports caregiver and family wellbeing.

This small group program is limited to parents and caregivers in British Columbia, 20 spaces are available. ACT is providing full bursaries for applicants to attend for free. Please apply using this online bursary form. ACT will notify all applicants if they have received a space by March 16th, 2021. Please apply as soon as possible, as we will close the application process once all spots are filled.

The course content is relevant for caregivers who support any child or family member, including those who support adults. Participation will teach skills to help you recharge your emotional and physical reservoir, cope with stress effectively, improve your caregiving relationship and build associated skills in your child or family member.

For those who dedicate their lives to caring for others, this is an opportunity for you to dedicate some time to important self care, learning how to treat yourself with kindness, and soothe any ragged emotions during difficult times.

View Details & Registration

ACT’s Bursary Fund is made possible by the support of our individual donors. If you would like to contribute your support to ACT’s bursary fund, please consider making a donation.

Combating Compassion Fatigue

A new workshop on Autism Videos @ ACT – free!

Presented by Georgina Robinson, PhD 

Caring for children is frequently exhausting. Parenting children with special needs is even more demanding of families, compounded by the need to navigate and advocate across systems. Driven by love, these families are at high-risk of neglecting themselves and developing compassion fatigue. In this 13-part workshop we begin by exploring the “costs of caring” and its potential physical and emotional toll. Then we consider research supported strategies that can empower families and build their resistance to ward off compassion fatigue. Systems supports, self-care, and mindful self-compassion are featured.

Watch here

ACT’s News Round-Up: September 2019 Edition

New ACT Guides for Schools and on Mental Health

ACT has prepared a new set of guides to our free online resources, including Autism Videos @ ACT. These guides are organized to help educators, mental health professionals, and families to discover the many resources that ACT offers.

Visit the ACT Print Materials page to download these guides. ACT can mail copies to your school or organization upon request.

 

Special Needs Community Events

ACT’s Community Events listing highlights training and events provided by organizations across B.C. Below are a few of the upcoming events.

You are welcomed to submit your organization’s events.

September & October Events

Community Outreach Event at WE PLAY KIDS GYM
Saturday, September 21 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm , Surrey

Intuitive/Expressive Arts for Kids
Saturday, September 21 – Saturday, November 30 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm , Surrey

Mindfulness for Autistic Adults
Thursday, September 26 – Thursday, October 31, Online Workshop

TAGteach Workshop for Parents and Professionals
Saturday, September 28 – Sunday, September 29, North Vancouver

Sibshops
Sunday, September 29, Surrey

CONNECT with PEERS for Teens
Tuesday, October 1 – Tuesday, December 17 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm , Burnaby

Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) Course – 8 Week Training & Silent Retreat
Tuesday, October 15 – Tuesday, December 10 6:15 pm – 8:45 pm , Vancouver

View more

Upcoming ACT Events

Starts next week! Web-streaming spots are still available. Details here.

Volunteers are needed for this event!
Volunteers receive complementary in-person registration and a certificate of attendance. Please email [email protected] to apply.

POPARD’s District Training Model - Friday, October 25th, 2019 - Alexandra Voroshina, MA, BCBA & Georgina Robinson, PhD

In this one-day presentation, Alexandra Voroshina will present an overview of POPARD’s Student Cooperation Training (SCT) Model. Details here.

Save the date: Upcoming ACT Events

November 15, 2019
Introduction to Navigating BC’s School System
A POPARD Presentation

November 22, 2019
Supporting Indigenous Families Affected by Autism through Engagement and Research
ACT’s 2019 Focus on Research Gathering

November 29, 2019
Behaviors and Mental Health – an Introduction for Families of Children with Special Needs
A POPARD Presentation

Participate in Autism Research

ACT believes that encouraging research is crucial to building knowledge of evidence-informed approaches to help individuals with autism and other conditions. We devote a page on ACT’s website to informing autistic adults and parents of children with ASD about university-affiliated projects which may be of interest.

Visit the Participate in Autism Research page to see all current research projects and project contact information.

Here are few projects which are recruiting volunteers:

  • Virtual Mindfulness for Autistic Adults
  • “Autism in Practice”: Establishing, Maintaining, and Understanding Friendship Among Adults Diagnosed with Autism in British Columbia
  • How People with ASD Experience and Understand Online Gaming as a Communication Learning Platform: A Phenomenological Approach

Submit Your Research Project

Use our online form to submit your university-affiliated research projects related to the field of autism and special needs. It may take up to one week to post.

Autism in the News

ACT carefully sources insightful stories, ranging from research and government policy, to the world of entertainment, culture, and lifestyle.

Join ACT’s Facebook page for all the latest updates.

Summary of Engagement and Research FindingsThe Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) is developing a service framework to guide how it provides and funds Children and Youth with Special Needs programs and services for implementation in Spring 2020.

Read the Summary of Engagement and Research Findings (PDF)

Details of the framework timeline are available on the MCFD’s website here.

Children with disabilities were excluded from B.C. schools more than 3,600 times last year: report – Global News

There’s no evidence caesarean sections cause autism or ADHD – The Conversation

Greta Thunberg is right: Autism is her superpower. Those who mock her should learn from her – Salon

Lawyer with autism finds her voice – ABA Journal

Artist with autism writes book to help others ‘get the help they need’ – BBC News

Father fuming, board investigating after autistic child sent home on bus with broken ankle – The Standard

“You’re Just Kooky”: Why Women With Autism Aren’t Taken Seriously – Yahoo News

Teen with autism upset after being transferred to a new school — without her knowledge – CBC News

Language expert teaches autistic child to communicate through pictures during long-haul flight – Independent

Autistic Vancouver boy gets to meet his Idol – Vancouver Sun

‘It can cause trauma’: Autism services group concerned after education minister lifts seclusion room ban – Edmonton Journal

Alberta lifts ban on seclusion rooms in schools – The Globe and Mail

A boy with autism wouldn’t sit still on a United Airlines flight. So crew and passengers stepped in to help. – CNN

After mother’s plea, kindergartner will go to school 5 days a week – CBC News

Autism Wristband That Predicts Aggressive Outbursts in Children With 84 Percent Accuracy Created by Scientists – Newsweek

Autism was tough on this B.C. pair. This is how they’re making it easier for others – CBC News

New video: INVESTing in Women and Girls with Autism

INVEST: Identify Needs, Validate, Educate, Strengthen and Thrive

Dori Zener, MSW, RSW

Girls and women with ASD largely camouflage their characteristics in an effort to pass as neurotypical. Due to their difficulties reading social cues, girls and women with ASD are disproportionately victims of bullying, sexual assault and abusive relationships. Mental health challenges such anxiety, depression, panic, eating disorders, ADHD, OCD and addictions often come to the attention of professionals before an ASD diagnosis is given, if at all.

The INVEST model has been developed by Dori Zener based on her extensive clinical experience with women and girls with ASD. The following are excerpts from her one day workshop on the INVEST model filmed at INVESTing in Girls and Women with ASD – November 2, 2018

Watch video

Dori Zener, MSW, RSW

Dori Zener is an Individual, Couple and Family Therapist in Toronto, Dori Zener has been working with individuals affected by ASD and learning differences for over a decade, with a particular interest in girls and women. She hosts “Asperfemme,” a free support group for women on the spectrum in Toronto.

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 INVESTing in Women and Girls with Autism.

New Video! Visual Support Strategies presented by Dr. Brenda Fossett, BCBA-D

 

The latest addition to Autism Videos @ ACT

Visual Support Strategies for Individuals with ASD

Brenda Fossett, PhD, BCBA-D,
Capilano University

Looking for a way to improve your parenting or teaching skills this summer? This two day workshop presented by Dr. Brenda Fossett has been edited by ACT into an online video available free! Whether you use visual support strategies now, or are looking to integrate them into your tool box, this is an essential resource for those supporting children, youth and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities who have communication challenges.

Dr. Fossett demonstrates how visual strategies can be used to increase independent functioning, teach specific skills, improve environmental awareness, teach rules and social expectations, reduce problem behavior and so much more! There is a large body of research to support the use of these strategies with children, youth, and adults in home, school, community and employment settings.

Dr. Brenda Fossett is an inspired teacher who is widely admired for her ability to convey complex concepts to those who work with children and adults with special needs, whether they are educational professionals or parent. Dr. Fossett has been on faculty in the Applied Behavior Analysis – Autism Department at Capilano University since 2013.

Watch video

Dr. Fossett’s comprehensive guide to visual support strategies is broken down into categorized sections, allowing you to quickly find the information you need:


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 Picturing Success: Visual Support Strategies for Individuals with ASD.


Positive Behavior Support in School: Four New Videos

Visit the Positive Behavior Support video release page

Behavior Technician Training for Paraprofessionals

This presentation discusses an innovative and highly successful program being implemented by the Surrey School District to improve the training of school-based paraprofessionals based on the BACB’s Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential.

Preetinder Narang, MEd, BCBA & Tina Gunn, MEd, BCBA, provide insight into the design and execution of a multi-component training program and offer practical recommendations to guide behavioral training for paraprofessionals supporting students with autism in both school and community settings. Watch now

How Classmates Can Facilitate Positive Social Behaviors for Children with ASD

Few evidence-based interventions target social-communication skills for children with ASD in the school setting. Dr. Ainsley Boudreau presents the evidence and practical applications for a variation on Pivotal Response Training, in which peers learn new ways to play with their classmates with ASD.

Watch now

Membership, Belonging, and Development of “Soft Skills” within a PBS framework

In this presentation, Dr. Victoria Knight articulates research on the importance of membership and belonging, along with development of soft skills (e.g., communication, problem-solving) within a PBS framework.

Watch now

Positive Behavior Support in Schools – Discussion and Question Period

This panel discussion, facilitated by Nathan Ngieng, Director of Instruction for Learning Support Services with the Abbotsford School District, features Preetinder Narang, Tina Gunn, Dr. Ainsley Boudreau, and Dr. Victoria Knight in a lively Q&A and discussion of PBS in schools.Topics include Peer Mediated Pivotal Response Treatment, social skills, and the Surrey School District District Action Team for Autism program.

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.