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. 

• Experience 60 seconds of how it feels to live with autism. Sensory sensitivity is just one battle someone with autism may face every day. Certain things can drive me up a wall. Like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet.
• Nonverbal Boy Pens Must-Read Article About Autism.  Philip Reyes is a seventh grader at Heim Middle School in Williamsville, New York, and he recently wrote a piece about autism and communication for The Buffalo News. Reyes is nonverbal, uses Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) to communicate, and he hopes sharing his story will give other nonverbal kids the same opportunities as him. "I am attacking the idea that autism is a bad thing that should be eradicated," Reyes wrote. "For me, autism is a different way of sensing, moving and interacting with the world." Click here to read more

• What Life Skills Do Our Kids With Autism Need to Succeed? Maureen Bennie: At some point we all have to face our children growing up. For those of us with kids on the spectrum, this milestone can seem even more daunting. Each child with autism will have a different measure of success. For some, putting on clothing, remembering to eat, or simply being able to navigate daily tasks will be the goal. For others, it will be remembering to get to class, or performing tasks at their jobs. Click here to read more 

• Repetitive Training Not Helping Children With Autism.  I've written about the difficulties I have had getting my own children to recognize and use washrooms that are not the ones from our home. It can be a real challenge for a child with autism because there is a tendency to represent, understand, and remember things in an extremely specific way.  Individuals with ASD develop hyper-specificity of learning, where their learning becomes fixed and inflexible - when learning tasks are repeated over and over. Click here to read more 

• How do I teach a person with ASD how to cook?  Penny runs a cooking school out of her home for people with ASD ages 18 and over. Her eight week sessions work on more than just cooking; her students work on social skills, sensory issues, motor challenges and food aversions. Penny identified 3 core areas for cooking and addressed these in her presentation:1. Sensory Challenge 2. Fine and Gross Motor Issues 3. Following DirectionsClick here to read more 

• Self-employment opens new worlds for autistic people. The second of four children, 25-year-old Brad Fremmerlid cannot speak or read. Being on the severe end of the autism spectrum, the Edmonton resident displays ritualistic, obsessive behaviours, such as spinning in circles or rocking back and forth. But give him a set of instructions - for an IKEA bunk bed, a stationary bike or a deluxe barbecue - and he can build whatever is in front of him. Click here to read more 

• Survey Participants Wanted: We are Occupational Therapy students at the University of British Columbia. We are continuing an ongoing research project about increasing emotion recognition and social participation in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by designing a virtual reality intervention.The goal of the project is to discover perspectives of different stakeholders, including multidisciplinary clinicians, parents of children with ASD, and youth with ASD, through focus groups. Their input will then be incorporated into the design and development of a motion gaming intervention for children with ASD.
• We are looking for parents or guardians of children with ASD (8-14 years) to participate in a 90min focus group. Focus group date/location will be determined based on your availability.For information or to join the research project, please contact: us here. You will have the opportunity to share your perspectives on emotion recognition and social participation to help design a virtual reality intervention for children with ASD.
• We are looking for teens (13-17) with Autism Spectrum Disorder to talk about computer and video games, emotions, and social skills. Do you like games? You will join us for a 1.5 hour focus group with other youth to help design a new virtual reality intervention for kids with ASD. To join the research project, or for more information, please contact: us here 
• Do you work with children withe Autism Spectrum Disorder? We are looking for multidisciplinary clinicians to participate in a 1.5 hour focus group on emotion recognition and social participation. You will have the opportunity to share your experiences to help design a virtual reality intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Focus group date/location will be determined based on your availability. For information or to join the research project, please contact: us here
  
  
   
• 2016 CALL for NOMINATIONS - NOW OPEN. 2016 ANCA World Autism FestivalCelebrate Autistic Achievements Across The Globe. Nominations Open to Autistic Individuals and Others Supporting the Global Autistic Community.  Click here for more information 

• 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.

   Down Syndrome  

•  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
  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 

Medical and Mental Health

• Mind Matters e-newsletter provides new resources and programs offered by Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) BC Division and is committed to the mental health of British Columbians. Click here for their current newsletter   

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Workshops and Training 

• Click here for the CCRR Winter Class Schedule

• Click here for information on RDSP presentations 

• Early Childhood Education and the Autism Spectrum: Fostering Social Inclusion and Play at Preschool and Daycare. Join us for an evening at the Friend 2 Friend Play Centre - New Westminster on Tuesday January 12th, 2016  6:30-8:30pm The focus of this 2-hour seminar is on developing a better understanding autism and how to facilitate social play interactions between children with autism and peers in preschools and daycares. This seminar is designed for Early Childhood Educations and parents. The session will focus on children ages 2 through 7 years. Click here to register 

• Mother's Mental Health Toolkit Training Thursday, January 14, 2016, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Enhance your mental health literacy at this one-day event.This toolkit was developed as a knowledge-sharing and capacity-building resource for staff from community-based organizations who work with mothers and families. It is not a treatment manual and is not meant to substitute mental health assessments and interventions.
  The toolkit and workshop will:
  • Enhance mental health literacy
  • Provide a guide for promoting mental wellness for mothers
  • Promote practices that could help to prevent mental health issues
  • Recognize the risks and signs of possible mental illness
  • Guide women and their families and other people supporting them to understand and access assessment and treatment
  • Support the community responses that encourage recovery and decrease stigma 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!

• 20th Anniversary Early Years Conference - Sp'e'qum.  January 28 - 31, 2016.  
  Join us to celebrate 20 years of innovative professional development with our 10th conference in Canada for early childhood development and family support. Our success reflects the powerful partnerships that we have formed across many communities: University of British Columbia,Infant Development Program, Aboriginal Infant Development Program,Sunny Hill Health Centre, BC Children's Hospital, Family Support Institute and many more. These partnerships allow us to address diverse topics of evidence based practice and research. The 2016 conference will continue to lead the field to improve skill development, practice and systems. Over the last 20 years there has been an explosion of research in areas of child development, child welfare, infant mental health, and family support. The conference has evolved from national to international participation. Click here to see the full brochure! 

• Friend2Friend Free Family Training and Information Evening
  Wednesday February 10, 2016  6:30-8:00pm Play Centre - New Westminster  336 Columbia Street, New WestminsterFriend 2 Friend offers free family training sessions free to families of children with autism and related needs. Heather McCracken program creator and executive director of Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society will speak on raising three children (one with autism) and share information on principles and practice of the Friend 2 Friend - Integrated Play Groups program offered at the Friend 2 Friend Play Centres in East Vancouver and New Westminister. Come meet the team, meet other parents and learn about these unique programs! Click here to register
   
• 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! 

• Autism Awareness Centre's Annual Two Day Conference!  February 26, 27, 2015 Brenda Smith Myles and Kelly Mahler! Early bird pricing now!
• February 26th - Brenda Smith Myles: Individuals with ASD who Present with Challenging Behaviour:  Understanding the Role of Self-Reguation.Self-regulation challenges are inherent in many individuals on the spectrum and interfere with learning and socialization. This session will discuss the characteristics of ASD that are related to self-regulation challenges and then provide a variety of evidence-based self-regulation interventions that can help a learner on the spectrum understand, monitor, control, and redirection his self-regulation system.
• February 27th - Kelly Mahler: Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System. Practical Considerations and Strategies for Improving Emotion Regulation and Other Related Skills. Interoception is an extremely important sensory system that helps us to 'feel' the internal states of our body. For example, the interoceptive system helps us feel many different internal sensations including: hunger, thirst, needing the bathroom, pain, body temperature, sexual arousal, heart rate and muscle tension. Additionally, interoception is a key component to our emotional experience. Research indicates that interoception (our ability to clearly sense body signals, like an increase in heart rate or tingly stomach), enables us to accurately identify, understand and control our emotions
• Click here for more information and to register
   
• Jennifer Sexton is very happy to announce two wonderful workshops. We are pleased to announce that Kim Barthel, a world renowned teacher, author, lecturer and speaker will be offering four days of workshops in our very own Coquitlam!!
  Kim is an occupational therapist with an in-depth knowledge of the neuroscience behind sensory processing and behaviour. The first workshop she will present is entitled " A Sensory Approach in Looking Beyond the Behaviour: Becoming a Behaviour Detective". This workshop is aimed primarily at parents, caregivers, support workers, and teachers. The two days promise to be life altering as Kim touches are topics that include the chemicals involved in Arousal Theory, sensory contributions to challenging behaviours, trauma and defiant behaviour, Attachment theory and sensory processing, co-regulating arousal, sensory strategies when interacting with children with complex behaviours.
  This workshop takes place on April 27th and 28th.
  The second workshop : Mindful Parent: A Mentoring Program for Parents of Children with Special Needs will take place on April 29th and 30th.
  This workshop is aimed at families. Kim will work with parents and child to help develop a greater understanding of some of the barriers that the child faces and how the parents can help their child to facilitate positive behaviour, interaction and engagement. These two days will be limited to 15 families. It is recommended that if a family would like to register for this workshop, that they do attend the "Sensory Approach in Looking Beyond the Behaviour: Becoming a Behaviour Detective" as this will provide a firm foundation on which to build more practical skills.
  Please note that the early bird registration for both workshops is February 29th. Space is limited for the Mindful Parent workshop, so please reserve your place to avoid disappointment. Click here for more information
   
• 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!

• Creating the Future - Partnerships for Inclusive Learning Save the Date:  August 22-24, 2016 at UBC in Vancouver, BC Click here for updates 
  
   

Other

• Quote of the day
  "Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now." Fred Rogers

• Complex Child December Edition - spirituality Click here 

• 10 Ways to Teach Kids About Their Emotions.My daughter turned 3 this year and one thing I was not entirely prepared for the huge swing in her emotions that came along with it. One minute she is happy as can be, the next she is upset about not getting what she wanted or not listening to something I asked her to do.Teaching kids about their emotions helps them to understand that how they feel in reaction to something is NORMAL. It's what they do with that reaction to those emotions that can be difficult. So today I wanted to share 10 ways that you can teach kids about their emotions. Click here to read more

• Protect your children on the internet: Here are two websites helping families keep their children internet smart!
• Click here for Media Smarts
• Click here for the door that's not locked

• Social Skills Through Drama. Want to learn about acting? The study of drama has many crossover benefits in developing social skills. Taught by theatre professionals, this inclusive class will be both fun and challenging as students develop self-expression through voice, movement, improvisation, acting games, and script work. All abilities welcome. Improved social skills, while not the focus, is expected to be a happy crossover effect. Who is This Class for? Teenagers who have social difficulties with or without an accompanying diagnosis. Some examples:
  High functioning Autism (e.g. aspergers or PDD-NOS)
  ADHD
  Learning Disabilities
  Social Anxieties like extreme shyness or fear of talking in front of others.
  This is who the class is targeted for, but it is not meant to exclude others. Teens who simply have an interest in taking a drama class will benefit fully from the class, and are welcome and encouraged to register. Location: Surrey Arts Centre, 13750 88th Ave., Surrey
  Session Start Date: Jan 21-Mar 10, 2016 (8 classes)
  Time:6:30-8:00 PM
  Cost:$120 for 8-class session
  To register:604.501.5100 or on-line here Registration Code: 4359463
  If your youth requires 1 to 1 support, then a caregiver must attend and caregiver participation in the class will be encouraged.

• 2016 Alaska Mission Possible Cruise  Madeline Stuart, Barbara Laird and Cyndi Gerlach
  It's no surprise that Celebrity guests and the travel press, including Conde Nast Traveler, consistently rate Celebrity Cruises as one of the world's finest cruise lines. Celebrity fulfills your clients dreams of remarkable, memorable vacations. July 10, 2016 Click here for more information

• The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a long-term savings plan to help Canadians with disabilities and their families save for the future. If you have an RDSP, you may also be eligible for grants and bonds to help with your long-term savings.
  You should consider opening an RDSP if you have a long-term disability and are:
  • eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (disability amount);
  • under the age of 60 (if you are 59, you must apply before the end of the calendar year in which you turned 59);
  • a Canadian resident with a Social Insurance Number (SIN); and
  • looking for a long-term savings plan.
  You may contribute any amount to your RDSP each year, up to the lifetime contribution limit of $200,000. With written permission from the RDSP holder, anyone may contribute to the RDSP. Please click here for more information 
• PLAN (Planned lifetime advocacy network)  offers a variety of workshops regarding RDSP's, wills and estates and setting up personal networks.

• Your One Stop Shop for children and families in Delta - click here

Submissions or Questions?

To submit for our newsletter or have a question for Pam to research please contact her at

Parent Network 

or 604-946-6622 ext 359.  

You can sign up at the Reach Child and Youth Development Society website to receive this newsletter directly.

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