ACT News and Resources

October News Round-Up

ACT Seeking a New Executive Director

Deborah Pugh is stepping down as Executive Director in the New Year after 12 years in a leadership position at ACT. The Board of Directors is seeking qualified applicants to lead ACT into a new phase of its development as B.C.’s premier source of information and support for individuals with ASD, their families, and the professionals who serve them. For details see www.actcommunity.ca/job-posting-executive-director-for-act/

Have Your Say: Federal Accessibility Legislation

The Federal Government is consulting with Canadians on new accessibility legislation. Consultations will be held in Victoria on November 7th and Vancouver on November 26th – see below for opportunities to participate online or face to face. Some of the questions they will be asking are:

  • What are the main barriers to accessibility that Canadians with disabilities face?
  • What would it take to fix those barriers?
  • How can we change attitudes in Canada to better include and respect people with disabilities?

For more details: www.esdc.gc.ca/en/consultations/disability/legislation/index.page#h2.325

Skill Development for Young Adults with Autism

The Canucks Autism Network (CAN) is offering the CommunityWorks Canada® program, for individuals with autism, ages 15-21, who wish to volunteer alongside typical peers in a variety of community settings, developing work, communication and social skills. For more information, visit the CommunityWorks Canada® program page

EmploymentWorks Canada (EWC) is looking for participants, diagnosed with ASD , between 18 and 29 years, who are motivated to learn from different businesses in the Lower Mainland to develop employment-based skills; for example, social, communication and professionalism in the workplace. Contact Brooke Straith, EWC Program Coordinator, brooke@pacificautismfamily or 604-700-8614.

ACT Event: iPads in Autism Intervention

Faster than a Speeding Bullet: iPads in Autism Intervention – November 26th, 2016 – Vancouver, BC. Presented by: Brenda Fossett, Ph.D., BCBA-D

This workshop will review a number of skill areas in which the iPad can be a useful instructional tool and/or an aid for daily living. Relevant apps will be discussed and demonstrated. While apps relevant to all ages will be featured, this workshop is for children and adults with a variety of special needs who require adapted educational, communication or life skills supports.

Mayday Club Youth Choir Performance

The Mayday Club Youth Choir had their first public performance on October 23rd at the Autism Speaks walk. Congratulations on your performance! See the choir in action: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qunoXUUhrJg

For upcoming performances, see the Mayday Club Youth Choir Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MaydayClubYouthChoir/

RASP Updates: new Behavior Consultants, SLP’s, PT’s and OT’s

Four new RASP professionals have been added or had their status updated between September 17th and October 26th. As of October 26 there were 654 professionals on the Registry of Autism Service Providers. See who is new in your community at www.actcommunity.ca/rasp/search/.

Behavior Consultants (Category A – Non-Supervised)

  • Tina Lin – Burnaby, Delta, Ladner, North Vancouver, Richmond, Surrey, Tsawwassen, Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock

Speech-Language Pathologists

  • Susan Wilson – Serves: Burnaby, Vancouver

Occupational Therapists

  • Hanna Nagtegaal – Serves: Campbell River, Comox Valley, Denman Island, Hornby Island, Parksville

Physical Therapists

  • Deborah Humphries: – Serves: Dawson Creek

RASP RESOURCES

Questions? Contact an ACT Information Officer for one to one support in English, Cantonese, Mandarin or Punjabi.

Mental Health Resources from the Autism Information Database (AID)

In recognition that individuals with ASD have significantly higher rates of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, ACT’s Information Officers continue to gather relevant resources for the ACT Information Database.

  • Information about ASD and mental health conditions, including ADHD, anxiety, OCD and depression. actcommunity.ca/resource/2922
  • Summary of a research study that examines the types of mental health conditions that often affect children and youth with ASD. actcommunity.ca/resource/1998
  • Common co-occurring disorders for individuals with ASD, including diagnostic challenges and developing a treatment plan. actcommunity.ca/resource/1945
  • In this ACT online video, Dr. Vikram Dua discusses his Autism Comorbidity Algorithm to frame and guide clinical and diagnostic assessment and treatment decisions though a developmental lens. actcommunity.ca/resource/528/

For more information and community resources, search ACT’s Autism Information Database: www.actcommunity.ca/aid. We welcome your suggestions for information or community resources for the AID – contact [email protected].

Survey of Early Childhood Intervention Services Closes Nov 1st

The Family Support Institute, BC Association for Child Development and Intervention (BCACDI) and Inclusion BC have embarked on an information gathering project to determine the key concerns of parents of children and youth with special needs in B.C. Access the survey here: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/FamilyFeedbackServicesforCYSN/ before November 1st, 2016.

Seeking Volunteers on the Impact of Autism

As part of a 4th year / graduate course offered at UBC, the instructor is looking for volunteers with autism in the Vancouver area who would be willing to be interviewed by students in medical anthropology about the impact of autism on themselves and their families. Download this letter for details.

Community Events Across British Columbia

Visit the ACT Community Events page (www.actcommunity.ca/education/community-events) for upcoming social groups, BI training, and conferences. Submit your community events for inclusion in this provincial resource listing.

Autism in the News

Alternative treatments in the news

Staff News

ACT’s E.D. awarded Distinguished Service Award by BCASLPA

Deborah Pugh receiving award from Nathan Hoffart, Julia Hodder (left) and Kate Chase from the BC Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

On October 21, Deborah Pugh, ACT’s Executive Director, was awarded the 2016 BCASLPA Distinguished Service Award for individuals who are not speech‐language pathologists or audiologists but who have made outstanding contributions to the professions and/or the communities they serve, in recognition for her “passion and advocacy for children and adults living with ASD.”

ACT’s E.D. awarded Distinguished Service Award by BCASLPA

On October 21, Deborah Pugh, ACT’s Executive Director, was awarded the 2016 BCASLPA Distinguished Service Award for individuals who are not speech‐language pathologists or audiologists but who have made outstanding contributions to the professions and/or the communities they serve, in recognition for her “passion and advocacy for children and adults living with ASD.”

Deborah Pugh receiving award

Deborah Pugh receiving award from Nathan Hoffart, Julia Hodder (left) and Kate Chase from the BC Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

Job Posting: Executive Director for ACT

ACT – Autism Community Training is searching for a new leader to take over the position of Executive Director of this dynamic organization in January 2017. This is a full-time position, based either in Burnaby or Richmond, British Columbia.

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of the Executive Director’s role is to ensure that ACT continuously anticipates and responds to the needs of families and professionals to understand the nature and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder through the provision of quality information and training. The work of the E.D. includes ensuring that the organization’s staff maintains a high degree of expertise, commitment and personal ethics, that the organization is managed in a fiscally responsible manner, that it is represented in the community as having a high degree of expertise and ethical standards and that all community stakeholders are aware of ACT, its services, the issues it is attempting to address and the ways in which it can be of service to them.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Communicating ACT’s vision to the autism community, government and the media
  2. Working with ACT’s Board of Directors to refine and implement strategic and operational goals
  3. Promoting ACT’s role as a leading provider of excellent training in autism-related topics
  4. Leading ACT’s staffing, recruitment & retention strategy
  5. Ensuring ACT’s financial management & and independence through revenue diversification
  6. Supporting the development of ACT as a technologically advanced organization

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

  • Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline
  • Experience working in the not-for-profit sector providing services to a special needs group ideal
  • Experience in a leadership role
  • Experience working with government ministries
  • Experience seeking funding sources and raising funds
  • Budgeting experience

Skills & Characteristics

  • A passion for serving families and people with developmental disabilities
  • Ability to work with complex individuals
  • Ability to work with complex bureaucracies
  • Ability to work with diverse groups to develop consensus.
  • Collaborative, patience, diplomacy and respect for differing points of view
  • Ability to motivate and align others to a vision
  • Strong strategic thinking ability

About ACT – Autism Community Training

  • ACT provides non-commercial, evidence-based information and training on ASD to parents and professionals – the most comprehensive community-level autism information service in Canada;
  • ACT’s information and support work is funded by B.C.’s Ministry for Children and Family Development and by individual donors and sponsors;
  • ACT’s services support individuals with autism to live productive, satisfying lives within their communities, ensuring that families and professionals, wherever they live in B.C. have access to:
  • ACT hosted 26 live events in 2015, supported through registration fees and sponsorship;
  • ACT is a registered charity; charitable tax number is #861691236RR0001.

The deadline for applications is Monday, November 21, 2016, 4 pm
Please send all resume and covering letter by email: Attention ED Search Committee [email protected]

Download ACT Executive Director brief job description

Province announces special needs money for independent schools

The Province of British Columbia has recently announced that is will be providing an additional $1 million for special needs supports at specialized independent schools in B.C.

Read the full press release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016EDUC0122-001888

Comment from Inclusion BC: http://www.inclusionbc.org/press-room/whats-new/government-announces-massive-step-backwards-inclusive-education-investing-1-mil 

ACT’s End of Summer News Round-Up

Results of ACT’s Resources and Services Survey 2016

Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer ACT’s Resources and Services Survey, released in August 2016. Over 1,000 responses were received from parents, individuals with autism, professionals and para-professionals. There was strong representation from across B.C. which means that the survey provides very useful insights to the perceptions and priorities of families and professionals.

While there were some differences in responses based on whether we looked at parent versus professional perspectives, or whether the respondent lived in Metro Vancouver or a small rural community, in general, the responses were similar across the board:

  • Those that have used ACT’s many free online resources or the individualized services of Information Officers rate them highly.
  • Many respondents, depending on the resource or service, are not aware of all that ACT provides: we need to do a better job of promoting our resources, especially in Northern B.C.

All of the suggestions we made in terms of areas where ACT could improve our resources were endorsed. The highest degrees of support were for:

  • Better information resources for adults;
  • A Registry of Autism Service Providers for children six and over;
  • Developing a profile tool for all professions on the RASP.

ACT’s next step will be to seek out necessary resources to enable us to meet the challenges we have been set. To review a full report on the results you can download the PDF here.

New RASP Professionals: Interior, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island

The professionals listed below, serving Merritt, Cloverdale, Parksville, Powell River, Salmon Arm, Saanich, and Port Moody, had their status updated or were added to the RASP between Aug. 3rd – Sept 17th, 2016. There are now 650 RASP Professionals listed.

Behavior Consultants (Category A – Non-Supervised)

  • Michelle de Beer – Coquitlam, Langley, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey
  • Sarah Gentile – Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver
  • Leanne Scheidel – Aldergrove, Cloverdale, Delta, Langley, North Delta, Surrey, White Rock
  • Laurel Rankin – Comox Valley, Nanaimo, Parksville, Powell River, Qualicum Beach

Behavior Consultants (Category B – Supervised)

  • Shanna Davies – Comox Valley, Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville.
  • Jodi Phillips – Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody

Speech-Language Pathologists

  • Christine Schretlen – Richmond
  • Chelsea Van Tol – Ashcroft, Barriere, Cache Creek, Kamloops, Logan Lake, Merritt, Savona

Speech-Language Pathologists (Supervised)

  • Sarah Rhodes – Cloverdale, Delta, Langley, Surrey, White Rock

Occupational Therapists

  • Catherine Brandon – Kelowna
  • Mark Koslowski – Saanich, Salt Spring Island, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria
  • Courtney Snider – Barriere, Chase, Kamloops, Logan lake, Merritt, Salmon Arm, Savona, Sorrento

See the RASP list to browse all current RASP service providers. The RASP listing is updated each week and is searchable by location, willingness to travel, languages spoken, and if professionals are currently accepting new clients. There are now 650 RASP Professionals listed.

RASP Professionals can update availability and online

ACT encourages all RASP Professionals to update your availability. It is clear from the Survey (see above), that parents appreciate it! Please use this online form – ACT can usually update the website within two working days. Parents: if you find a listing is out-of-date, please let us know at [email protected] and we will follow-up with that professional.

New Survey:Mental Health and Autism Survey for Practitioners

ACT, in collaboration with UBC’s Department of Continuing Professional Development and with the support of an expert Advisory Committee, is developing an online education initiative – the Online Mental Health and Autism Project – funded by MCFD.

To understand the educational needs of professionals, UBC – CPD has developed a survey to gauge their experiences from across the province. If you are a healthcare provider working with children and youth with autism, who also have mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression or OCD, please fill in this Survey:

New ACT Resources for B.C.’s South Asian Community

With support from ACT’s South Asian Autism Project Committee (ASAAP), funding from Autism Speaks Canada and sponsorship from the Surrey School District, ACT is releasing new resources to help families in the South Asian community affected by autism this month.

Punjabi- Language Video for Autism Videos @ ACT

One Parent’s Journey into Autism (in Punjabi) is presented by Sunita Braich, parent of a child with autism, an Integration Support Teacher in the Surrey School District and a member of ASAAP. In this video, Ms. Braich shares her experience in receiving a diagnosis of autism for her child: “There are some things I wish I had known more about before being thrown into what will be a lifelong journey and there are other things, I am proud to say, I feel I intuitively succeeded at.”

Guide to Working with South Asian Families – Chapter 13 of the Autism Manual for B.C.

Chapter 13: Guide to Working with South Asian Families Affected by Autism (pdf). In this guide, Preetinder Narang, M.Ed., BCBA, Special Educator with the Surrey School District, uses her own experience to explore the challenges faced by professionals working with culturally and linguistically diverse families. Ms. Narang explains the benefits of employing a culturally informed, family-centered approach guided by the “Cultural Assessment Tool.”

Download chapters from ACT’s Autism Manual for B.C. at www.actcommunity.ca/autism-manual

Monthly Support Group for South Asian Families

ACT’s South Asian Autism Awareness Project (ASAAP) hosts a monthly support group for South Asian families raising or supporting a child with autism. Parents and extended family are welcome. Topics will be chosen by the group, and the discussion will be held in both Punjabi and English. To RSVP or for more information, contact ACT at 604-205-5467 or [email protected].

Upcoming meetings will be at the École Henry Bose Elementary School, 6550 134 Street, Surrey, B.C. All meetings are from 6:30pm to 8:30pm: September 28th, October 27th, November 24th, 2016.

For more information on the ASAAP project, and more resources in Punjabi, including a video on IEP’s, visit our ACT in Punjabi page.

Sponsored by Simon Fraser University and the Surrey School District.

Upcoming ACT Live Events: ABA in School; iPads as Learning Tools

ACT’s Live Events are a great way of getting new ideas and inspiration whether for your own child or those you work with. Click on the event titles below for detailed event descriptions, pricing, scheduling or location, or go to: www.actcommunity.ca/events

Integrating ABA Methods in Schools: Supporting School Aged Children

Presented by: Richard Stock, PhD, BCBA-D

October 21 & 22, 2016 -Vancouver

CEUs will be available – check the event details page for updates.

 

Faster than a Speeding Bullet: iPads in Autism Intervention

Presented by: Brenda Fossett, PhD, BCBA-D

November 26th, 2016 – Vancouver

See event details here.

There are group discounts if you register three or more people at once. Paying by credit card? You can register online at any time. To use Autism Funding Invoice Payment, please see: www.actcommunity.ca/education/funding-invoice-option/

Highlights from ACT’s Autism Information Database

ACT’s Autism Information Database hosts records on over 2,000 carefully chosen Community and Information Resources. Browse for books, videos, agencies, recreational activities and services providers at: www.actcommunity.ca/aid-search/

Individual Education Plans – Back to School Resources from the AID

School has begun and IEP meetings will be starting soon; the AID has several resources that can help de-mystify the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process for parents:

Individual Education Plans: A Guide for Parents

Provided by the BC Association of Parent Advisory Councils, this resource details important information on IEP’s including what collaboration should look like, sample IEP goals, Adapted and Modified programs, and reporting on a child’s progress. www.actcommunity.ca/resource/430/

Available in additional languages:

The BC Education System: An Introduction for Parents of Students with ASD

Chapter 7 of ACT’s Autism Manual for B.C. outlines how parents can better understand the province’s education system. It includes information on what inclusion really means, school legislation, the IEP, and important issues to consider upon school completion. www.actcommunity.ca/resource/9/

Supporting Meaningful Consultation with Parents

This article provided by the BC Council of Administrators of Special Education provides information on what constitutes meaningful consultation by school administrators with parents of children with special needs, assisting parents in advocating effectively for their child. Includes an appendix of sample individualized educational plan (IEP) preparation and planning forms. www.actcommunity.ca/resource/465/

Autism Research Summaries from York University

The AID contains many links to research that is useful to parents and community professionals. Dr. Jonathan Weiss and his team at York University have summarized studies on ASD to inform the autism community: www.actcommunity.ca/resource/2064/

Browse the AID for more information and community resources: www.actcommunity.ca/aid-search/

Submit your Community Resources to the AID

ACT gathers community resources from across the province for the AID. Whether you are running a parents’ group or you are an SLP working with older children or adults, or a dentist willing to treat children with autism, we would like to share your information with families. Please fill in this online form: www.actcommunity.ca/submit-resource/

ACT Supports Autism Services in Guyana

This summer, thanks to the efforts of Jacquie Jordan (pictured on the left), a member of the B.C. autism community, ACT was able to donate a collection of autism resources to the Step by Step School in Guyana which supports children with autism.

Step by Step opened in 2011 with five children with autism; they now support 19 students. For more information, visit their website: stepbystepguyana.org/

New! ACT’s Special Needs Community Events Listing

The Special Needs Community Events page lists upcoming community events from around the province at www.actcommunity.ca/education/community-events/. ACT recently changed the name from Non-ACT Events to encourage all special needs organizations to post their events. Some of the listings include:

Submit special needs events from your community at: www.actcommunity.ca/education/community-events/

Early Childhood Intervention Services and Supports Survey

The Family Support Institute, BC Association for Child Development and Intervention (BCACDI) and Inclusion BC, have embarked on an information gathering project to determine the key concerns of parents of children and youth with special needs in B.C. Access the survey here: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/FamilyFeedbackServicesforCYSN/

Focus on Adults with Autism

Is it Autism and, if so, what next? A Guide for Adults

This guide is designed to help adults who suspect they may have autism, as well as those recently diagnosed. This kit provides an overview of autism to help individuals better understand the disorder and decide when to seek out a professional for a thorough evaluation.

This resource can be accessed from the AID at www.actcommunity.ca/resource/2855/

Changes to Application Process for Persons with Disability (PWD)

Disability Alliance BC has outlined important changes to the application process for PWD designation, especially for those in the MCFD At Home Program and CLBC Program. See link for details.

Latest “Autism’s Own” Journal Issue Now Available

Autism’s Own is a University of Victoria peer-reviewed journal about autism culture, authored and edited by persons on the autism spectrum. Read it at this link.

Autism Talks at TedX

Michael McCreary, comedian and Apsie give his insight to life on the spectrum in this YorkU TedX talk. (warning: if you watch at work, your colleague may ask why you are laughing!)

Wanted: Experienced Graphic Designer

ACT requires an experienced graphic designer with prior experience in designing multi-page documents like annual reports using InDesign. Experience in designing in languages in addition to English an advantage. This is a contract position involving the design of translations into eight languages of MCFD’s “A Parent’s Handbook: Your Guide to Autism Programs”.

The designer will work with ACT staff as well as each of the translators. Please contact Christine Hung at [email protected] for more information.

Share your Back to School Photos with ACT

Nearly all the photos that ACT uses on our website and in our print materials are sent in by B.C. families. They help us project a positive vision of families affected by autism in B.C. Please consider sharing your summer or back to school photos using this form: www.actcommunity.ca/share-photos-form/

Autism in the News

For more stories and updates follow us on Facebook.

ACT Staff updates

Anne Millerd, Manager of the RASP, has left ACT to work in the area of inclusive employment and to finish her studies at Capilano University. Anne will be greatly missed. Louise Broadley, ACT’s Manager of Autism Information will be taking on the responsibility of RASP Manager for the time being.

Bonita Theron, ACT receptionist, who many of ACT’s callers will recognize as the first voice they heard when they call ACT, is leaving for opportunities in donor development. We wish her the best in her career and thank her for providing a friendly voice to greet our callers.

 

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