REACH Parent Network Information Exchange.

This information exchange, sponsored by Reach, is by parents for parents.  It's content is  guided by Reach's mission to provide choices for families,  be family centered, facilitate inclusion, and  exist as a quality resource.  The information is meant to meet the needs of a multitude of families' interests.  We caution readers that Reach does not investigate all claims, and that claims  made  are not necessarily endorsed or recommended by Reach. Readers are encouraged to undertake further investigation on their own of items noted. 

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• Request for "Expressions of Interest" for program and services at the PAFC We are very excited to announce that we have now issued our request for "Expressions of Interest" for program and services at the Pacific Autism Family Centre.  We encourage any present providors, parent groups, or interested parties to download the PDF application on our web site here
  The purpose of this Expression of Interest (EOI) is to secure responses from organizations, companies and individuals interested in providing services within the new Pacific Autism Family Centre (PAFC), currently under construction in Richmond BC and scheduled to open in the summer of 2016.

• Meet Julia, The First 'Sesame Street' Character With Autism.  An exciting new character is set to join the world of "Sesame Street." In an exclusive announcement on People.com on Wednesday morning, Sesame Workshop introduced Julia, a muppet with autism, as part of a new initiative called Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children. According to its website, the "nationwide initiative" is geared toward families and communities with children between 2 and 5.  Click here to read more 
• Sesame Street comes up with  The Amazing Song - click the image below!
   

• The Therapy that Unlocked the Voice of an 11 Year Old with Autism.  I am writing on behalf of my 11 year old nonspeaking daughter, Katerina.  On November 18, 2014 we discovered a technique to unlock our daughter's voice, the method we used and are stilling using is Rapid Prompting Method (RPM). Through RPM, we discovered a brilliant girl who has been trapped inside of her body unable to communicate and/or show the world her true potential.  With RPM Katerina is finally able communicate her thoughts and show the world how intelligent she is. Click here to read more

• STUDY: Hello fellow families, I'm the Principal Investigator on this Simon Fraser University approved study: "The Hidden Costs of Autism: Employment and Income Effects of Caregiving for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders" . The study is designed to collect first-of-its-kind data on the hidden costs of autism and communicate results to researchers, policymakers, and the general public. I hope you'll consider participating in the study. Thank you in advance! Survey is available here

  Dr. Sherri Brown

• Exclusive Karma Yoga Class at the Vancouver Fitness Expo! PAFC would like to invite parents and caregivers within the Vancouver Autism community to join canfitpro and presenters for a Karma Yoga Class.
  Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Room 13
  Date: Friday November 20, 2015
  Time: 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  Presenters: Christa Norgren & Michelle Jansons
  Cost:  Free to parents and caregivers within the Vancouver Autism Community
  What to bring: Bring your own mat (we will have extras onsite), water bottle and towel
  Registration: To Register please email Tammy Lyle-Gravlev at email here prior to November 13. Registration is limited.
  Registration will also give you free entry into our Expo Hall taking place on Saturday and Sunday.

• "Head banging and autism: Why kids bang their heads and how biomedical treatment can help" A guest post by Dr. Sonya Doherty.  Dr. Sonya Doherty writes" Head banging is very common in children diagnosed with autism.  From a biomedical perspective, head banging is considered a sign or symptom of an underlying problem.  Something is triggering the need to head bang.  Children with autism have dysregulated brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that impair their ability to process sensory information.  This sensory processing impairment causes pain. Click here to read more
  
  
   
   
   

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   Down Syndrome  

• Downs Designs! At 62 years old, Bowersox has had three successful businesses. Although she admits her age entered her mind when starting Downs Designs, her love for her granddaughter, who has Down syndrome, was much greater.
  "Just starting another business at my age is a little unnerving," Bowersox said. "But the deep emotion that I feel is my passion to help people like my granddaughter."
  Nearly 5.8 million people have Down syndrome; a condition characterized by shorter limbs, a thicker neck and waist, and delayed fine motor skills.
  Although Bowersox doesn't have experience making clothes, her determination to keep people with Down syndrome from rolling up another sleeve or pant leg leads her way.
  "I see Downs Designs eventually offering a full-line of clothing that changes the lives of people with Down syndrome of all ages," Bowersox said. "They have enough challenges to face in their lives every day, and I want to see their clothing challenges as one fewer thing they have to deal with on a daily basis."
• Click here to see her website and fabulous jeans! 

• 15 people with Down syndrome tell a mom what kind of life her child will have.
  In a heartwarming video created by an Italian Down syndrome advocacy group called CoorDown, a mom-to-be asks what it will be like to raise a child with Down syndrome.
  "I'm expecting a baby," she writes. "I've discovered he has Down syndrome. I'm scared: what kind of life will my child have?" The organization responded to her in the best way possible: They created a video of people who also have Down syndrome telling her what she can expect. They shared all of the things her son would be able to do.
   
• People With Down Syndrome Write Life-Changing Letters to New Parent.  
  Often times, when a child is born with Down syndrome, doctors accompany the news with an "I'm sorry." They may throw out a bunch of facts, figures and medical jargon, creating one, big overwhelming experience for a new parent. It's certainly not the way to welcome a new life into the world. So what's the right thing to tell a new parent of a child with Down syndrome? How about "Congratulations"? Click here to read more and see a video
  
   
   
  
   
• You are Invited to a Delta Down Syndrome Support Group meeting: OUR GOALS ARE
  · To provide guest speakers (Reach therapists, community
  professionals and other programs) to discuss common issues
  · To provide support and information to families in Delta who
  have a child with Down Syndrome
  · To help connect parents of children with Down Syndrome
  · To provide monthly meetings for parents and their children
  · To provide on-site child minding while you attend the
  discussion
  When: First Thursday of each month starting October 1, 2015
  Where:
  Reach Developmental Preschool South #3-3800 72nd Street, Delta, BC
  Reach Developmental Preschool North Delta 10921 - 82nd Avenue, Delta, BC
  
  **alternating each month
• Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
  Cost: No charge
  Light refreshments provided
  Please RSVP to Sarah Garnham at 604-946-6622 extension 321.
  or email here 

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FASD 

• Langley - FASD adoptive and foster parents. Monthly support group meetings for those with children who have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Info: Jamie, 604-530-5917.

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Workshops and Training 

• Click here for the Fall CCRR Course Schedule 

• Click here for information on RDSP presentations 

• Click here for all upcoming workshops by Delta Assist   

•  Click here for upcoming presentations by BC Council for Families

• Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). Join us for a
  FREE info session to learn about the RDSP, the Grant and the Bond. The RDSP helps Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. Come and see Ric Tesan from Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) share his expertise on these valuable financial tools for our loved ones. To register, email Pam Collins hereor phone 604-946-6622 ext 359  NOV 17, 2015, 6-8 pm at Reach #3 - 3800 72nd Street, Delta

• You are invited to attend the 2015 Art of Raising Kids Summit, November 17 - 19.
  The theme this year is Master The Art of Raising High Energy Spirited Kids. It is a FREE Online Conference for Parents and Educators.  Listen at your convenience to 12 speakers, 4 Guest Speakers each day.  Learn ways to engage, encourage, teach, care for and respectfully raise high energy, spirited kids of any age with or without a label.  
  You'll want to listen in if you:
  - have a child that can be described as:  intense, supersensitive, inflexible, demanding, high energy, unpredictable, bright, alert, charismatic, always moving, creative, highly aware, fearful, fidgety, empathic, or high maintenance.
  - have a child who's life is impacted by ADHD, Anxiety, Sensory Processing
  Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, etc.
  - ask yourself on a regular basis how on earth to handle your child's unique needs.
  - find yourself wondering if life with your child will ever get better
  - are exhausted from trying to stay one step ahead of them
  - would like to be informed and inspired by a variety of people who care
  about kids and their wellbeing.
  - are a teacher or educator with high energy spirited kids in your classrooms.
  To register, click here
  Questions:  call Mary 647-224-5983 website here
  
   
• November 21, 2015 Richmond Annual Autism Information Fair.  We are pleased to present our keynote speaker: Amythest Schaber an artist, writer, public speaker and advocate for Autism, disability, and living life on the spectrum.
  This year's presentations will be:
   Possibility, Progress & Hope: A Journey Through Autism by Shanna Tibble Beach, Mom and Autism Advocate
   Family Quality of Life In Families Caring for Children with ASD in BC by Dr. Grace Iarocci, Simon Fraser University's Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab
   Sensory Processing and Attunement by Megan Eastwood, Occupational Therapist
   Augmentative Communication by Betsy Neily, Speech Language Pathologist with the Richmond School District and a Market Place
  Come join us for a hassle-free, no pressure opportunity to meet and mingle with a wide variety of professionals, groups and businesses providing services in the Richmond area.
  To learn more about Autism resources in Richmond please visit our website:here
• November 21, 2015  9:00 am - 2:45 pm  Doors Open at 9:00 am
  McMath Secondary School 4251 Garry Street, Richmond
  Childcare is not available
  Refreshments and a pizza lunch will be provided
  This is a free event but registration is required
  Please register online here or by phone at 604 279-7013

• Taking Control of the Future - Planning for Families with Special Needs.  
  Saturday, November 21st, 2015  Blair Dwyer & Layli Antinuk, Dwyer Tax Law, Victoria.
  A primary source of stress for families who have children with special needs is worrying about securing their future. This workshop will help families better understand planning options that are available to help secure the financial future of their children. The goals of the presentation are to help families supporting members with special needs to:
  • Understand the full range of planning opportunities that are available;
  • See how these strategies might be used to accomplish the family's planning objectives;
  • Enable parents to articulate their objectives and communicate them to a professional advisor with greater confidence;
  • Remain in control of the development and implementation of a plan that suits their needs.
  The presenters will discuss Registered Disability Savings Plans and the use of trusts. Click here for more information 
   
• ADHD Education Day for Parents. Presented by The Provincial ADHD Clinic
  Wednesday November 25th 2015 9:00 am to 2.30 pm Chan Auditorium B.C Children's Hospital. It is free to attend and open to any parent who has a child with ADHD. Click here to register
   
• Neufeld Institute Presents an On-Line Conference: Sibling Rivalry! Conflict between siblings can be a natural occurence, but one that often drives parents crazy. Competition between siblings close in age can be exasperating. Witnessing one child verbally or physically attack his/her sibling is very challenging and often leaves parents at a loss as to what to do. Faculty members and siblings, Colleen and Patti Drobot, will help make sense of the roots of aggression and impulsivity in children and explain why sibling conflict is so prevalent. They will offer suggestions about handling incidences as well as cultivating caring behaviour between siblings. They will also provide examples, stories, and opportunities for questions and answers to help bring their suggestions into everyday life. Monday, November 30, 2015 from 10 am to 12 pm Pacific Time ONLINE. Click here for more information
  
   
• EARLY START DENVER MODEL (ESDM) INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP.  The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is an evidence-based early intervention specifically developed for very young children with autism. The ESDM is a play-based intervention that fuses behavioral and developmental principles into an integrated approach. The ESDM can be implemented in different natural settings such as the home or the daycare/preschool by trained therapists as well as parents within play and daily routines. The ESDM aims to reduce the symptoms of autism and targets all developmental areas.Tuesday December 1, 2015 from 9:00am - 5:00pm. Presenter - Michaela Jelen, M.Ed.  For more information and to register (before November 23) please contact Dulcie Basto here
   
• Faster than a Speeding Bullet: iPads in Autism Intervention (Vancouver).  
  Saturday, December 5th, 2015 Brenda Fossett, Ph.D., BCBA-D
  Simon Fraser University - Downtown Campus, Vancouver, BC.It's hard to believe that the iPad was first released only in 2010. In such a short period of time, the use of iPads and other tablets have become common learning tool in the educational environment. For individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, the iPad and other tablets have been seen as the "miracle" device but to be effective, there is a lot to be considered.  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. Click here for more information 

• 19th annual Children the Heart of the Matter Conference January 15 & 16, 2016.
  Click here to see all the topics and the exceptional speakers!

•  Bottom Line 2016. It's official! Next year's Bottom Line Conference has been confirmed for February 23 and 24, 2016. The upcoming conference theme will be Heroes in the Workplace: Stories from the Champions of Change. Promote mental health in your workplace with CMHA BC's education and training workshops. Click here to see the incredible list of presentations available!
   
• Save the Date! Inclusion BC 2016 Conference, June 22-25, 2016
  Inclusion BC is excited to announce that we're partnering up with AimHi (Prince George Association for Community Living) to host our 2016 conference and AGM in Prince George. Stay tuned for more information!

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