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. 

• Seeing the Spectrum A new history of autism. The world is unpredictable and disorderly. Sometimes your train is late; sometimes it rains when it's not supposed to; the drugstore doesn't have the brand of dental floss you like. Boundaries are violated and rules are ignored. The green spinach on your plate touches the white chicken, and someone has bought your boxer shorts from J. C. Penney instead of from Kmart. People are hard to figure out. Sometimes they promise and don't deliver; it's not clear whether the expression on a face is a smile or a sneer, or, if it is a smile, what it's about. People say things that they don't mean literally: they tell jokes and they use ironic expressions. Other people's minds are a foreign country in which we're guests, tourists, or strangers, unsure where we are and what's expected of us. Click here to read more
   
• Moving Past the "Asperger Syndrome" Label The medical community is no longer using the label "Asperger Syndrome" to describe those on the autism spectrum. What does this mean for your family? Several years after the term "Asperger syndrome" was dropped from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), people still use the term. Colloquially, it suggests the symptoms of a milder, higher-functioning form of autism. But the latest edition of the manual, known as DSM-5, uses only one term - autism spectrum disorder. Why the change? Click here to read more

• Autism Spectrum Disorder: Overview and Facts. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that can be hard to identify and understand. Start here. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobiological disorder that is characterized by difficulty communicating verbally and relating socially to others, alongside a need to engage in repetitive behaviors or language. Some common early symptoms that parents often notice in a child are delayed speech, restricted interests, not responding to his or her name, and avoiding eye contact. Click here to read more 

• 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 

   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

• Click here for the Kelty Mental Health News

• 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 presentation 

• 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
   
• February 6, 2016 Workshop: Sharing the Autism Diagnosis with my Child.  Sharing the Autism Diagnosis with or children can be scary.  When should we do it, who should do it and how do we do it?  Come and learn how you can positively share this information with your child so they can feel great about themselves and learn to become their own advocates.  Great for parents, caregivers and educators of children over the age of 4.  Facilitated by Pam Collins. Tuesday February 16, 2016 from 6:30 - 8:30pm at Reach Child and Youth Development Society  $20.00 per person.  To register please email Pam here or call 604-946-6622 ext 359.
   
• 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! 
• 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
   
• YOGA FOR THE SPECIAL CHILD(R) THE SONIA SUMAR METHOD BASIC ONE PROGRAM  March 14 - 20 Vancouver B.C.Taught by Sherry LeBlanc

  Location: Sacred Space Studio, 3574 west 4th Avenue, Van. B.C. Contact: Sherry LeBlanc to register and for more information  email here or call 416-532-5988. Click here to see the website
   
• Facing the Future Together - A succession planning workshop for families March 19, 2016 (10am-3pm).  Presented by Ted Kuntz. At some point in the future the role of monitoring, advocating and caring for your relative with a disability must pass from the parents' generation to the next.

  This full-day workshop is designed to inform and assist all members of the family and their successors to:

  • Address concerns about the future and secure a succession plan
  • Hear how other families are creating peace of mind
  • Consider how to share roles and responsibilities
  • Identify key resources
  • Balance wishes and obligations

  Identify short and long term actions
• 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. Facilitating strategic approaches to inclusion
  & belonging for all students Registration now open! Cllck here for more information 
  
   

Seasonal 

• Screens Off on January 27th! Delta Libraries (FVRL) and the Delta Community Literacy Committee have joined forces to make this a memorable one. #ScreensOff-Delta invites you, your classroom, and your family to participate for a chance to win amazing prizes; then on Family Literacy Day, unplug and connect with a literacy infused activity. Click here for more information

• Bell Let's Talk Day - Jan 27
  Help make Canada stigma-free by joining the national conversation about mental health! Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for every tweet using #BellLetsTalk, every Facebook share of that day's Bell Let's Talk Day image at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, and every text message, wireless and long distance call made by Bell Canada and Bell Aliant customersClick here to download the toolkit 

• Eating Disorders Awareness Week - Feb 1-7 Led by Jessie's Legacy, the Provincial Eating Disorders Awareness (PEDAW) campaign is a BC Province wide effort to raise awareness around prevention and early intervention of eating disorders as well as media literacy, resiliency, building healthy body image and self-esteem.
• Interrupting the Stigma: Putting an End to Size-Shaming love our bodies, love ourselves! Saturday, 30 January 2016 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (PST)

  Vancouver, BC Click here to register 
• How to Love Our Bodies, Love Ourselves: A Pinwheel Education Series love our bodies, love ourselves! Thursday, 4 February 2016 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (PST)

  Vancouver, BC Click here to register
• Wear Purple! Click here for more information

Other

• Quote of the day
   ""Never give up on someone with a mental illness. When "I" is replaced by "We", illness becomes wellness."  Shannon L. Alder

• Click here for the current edition of Parenting Special Needs Magazine 

• 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.
• Click here for your comprehensive guide 

• 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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