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. 

• PBS Show To Feature Boy With Autism. An 11-year-old on the spectrum will appear on a brand new PBS children's show in an episode focusing on inclusion. The show "Mack & Moxy" will debut on many PBS stations across the country starting April 1. Aimed at kids ages 3 to 7, each episode includes two segments exploring a different cause. Click here to read more 

• What Is Interoception and How Does It Impact Those With Autism? By Kelly Mahler.  Sit back and close your eyes. What do you feel inside your body?
  • Is your heart beating fast or slow?
  • Are you breathing deeply or shallowly?
  • Do you have to go to the bathroom?
  • Are your muscles tense or loose?
  • How does your stomach feel?
  Most of us are able to feel all of these sensations with the help of our little-known, but very important, eighth sensory system, Interoception.Click here to read more 

• 5 Ways To Create Predictability: Part 2 of "Triad of Impairments" in Autism by Maureen Bennie! What is predictability for someone with autism?Predictability is the ability to know and understand what is coming up next in your day. Many of us feel less anxious when we know what is expected of us, and how we are going to navigate our day to day lives. For someone on the spectrum even knowing which washroom to use, unless it is exactly like the one they are used to using at home, can be a major challenge. Predictability  is a way for someone on the spectrum to assuage their anxiety over the unknown, and empower themselves into their daily tasks.Click here to read more
   
• University of Minnesota Students Design Backpack for Kids With Autism. The "Nesel Pack" has pockets where weights can be added to function like a weighted vest, helping people with sensory challenges feel a calming pressure, like a bear hug. Military-grade fabric, seams and zippers make it more durable than the average backpack. A personalization window leaves room for an ID card, and clips for sensory tools or toys as well as multiple chest straps provide extra security and comfort. The pack can comfortably fit a 14-inch laptop and iPad. Click here for more information

• ANCA® World Autism Festival™ & Trade Show Kick Off Gala. Welcome to the April 2nd Kick Off Gala for the ANCA® World Autism Festival™ & Inaugural Trade Show. Join us for live music, powerful speakers and stand up comedy! This evening promises to be an unforgettable night. Filled with the amazing talent of Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Jimmy D. Lane and the Jimmy D. Lane Band, it also boasts of laughter, learning, and socializing the night away with an elegant Gala Dinner. A  great opportunity to spend an evening among the Autistic Community while helping to support the globally recognized and celebrated ANCA® World Autism Festival™ & Trade Show produced by ANCA® Naturally Autistic®. Click here to get tickets 

• 2016 CALL for NOMINATIONS - NOW OPEN. 2016 ANCA World Autism Festival. Celebrate Autistic Achievements Across The Globe. Nominations Open to Autistic Individuals and Others Supporting the Global Autistic Community.  Click here for more information
   

   Down Syndrome  

• 'Glee' Star Plays Lead Role in Film About Intimacy and Down Syndrome.  "Guest Room" is an award-winning short narrative film that focuses on the relationship between a young couple with Down syndrome and the complications that develop after a surprise pregnancy.  Click here to watch the short video

• HOW DO YOU SEE ME? | March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day | #HowDoYouSeeMe. Let's change the way we look at people with Down syndrome. AnnaRose is a nineteen year old from NJ. She's a full time college student who works part-time at a physical therapy center and enjoys basketball and swimming through the Special Olympics NJ. AnnaRose, as many people with Down syndrome, only wants to realize her potential and live a meaningful, beautiful life. 
• Testing Times - World Down Syndrome Day 2016 - WDSD 16. Testing Times is a personal video for World Down Syndrome Day 2016 inspired by my own experience, illustrating how negative journalism and outdated, unbalanced information leads to people with Down's syndrome being wrongly perceived as less value to others. My son Seb is 8 years old. When we were given his diagnosis, 24 hours after he was born, we feared our future. Reality could not be further from that vision. We are a typical family and we wouldn't swap him for the world. He is an equal and valued member of our unit. 
   
• 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   

• back to menu 

Workshops and Training 

•  Click here for the CCRR Spring Summer Course Schedules 

• Click here for information on RDSP presentation 

• Positively Parenting Workshop Series For Parents and Caregivers of Kids 7 - 18. WEDNESDAYS 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Cloverdale Recreation Centre 6188 176 Street. Presented in partnership with Alexandra Neighbourhood House
  APR 6 LISTEN TO ME!
  Learning to listen, understand and communicate with your child
  MAY 11 WE HAVE A PROBLEM...
  Problem solving with children and youth
  Attend one workshop or attend them all! For more information and to register call 604-538-5060 ext. 24

• Violence Threat Assessment - Planning and Response
  Vancouver: March 30, 2016 (early rate deadline March 9)        
  This workshop provides a communication and decision-making model to help businesses, schools, organizations and communities become more effective in their management of threats.       
  Some of the topics covered:  
  Stages of Violence - From Grievance to Confrontation
  Threat Assessment Team and Plan Development
  The Threat Assessment Flow Chart and Process
  Fundamental Assessment Questions
  Detailed Assessment Considerations
  Unable to attend? Join the live webinar
  March 22 from 1 pm - 2 pm (CST)
  Early Rate $198; Regular Rate $220 Click here to register
   
• Reach presents: April 2, 2016 9:30 - 4:30 - Positive Parenting Advanced Class - Basics and Beyond. For parents of Children 3 - 18 - you must have taken the pre-requisite course of Positive Parenting the Basics. In this class you will learn further strategies for strengthening your relationship and go deeper into learning the meaning of your child's behavior and how to develop teaching strategies that are specific to your child's profile and situation. Register by calling Pam at 604-946-6622 extension 359 oremail here
   
• Sat, Apr 2 at 9:30 AM,Vancouver, BC

  Advocating For Special Needs in BC Schools Conference

  By: BC PARENTS OF SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS - EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION.  

  Join us for our first annual Advocacy Conferfence!  Do you have a child who needs extra support at school? Wondering how to get your child what they need to survive and thrive in the system?  

  KEYNOTE SPEAKER -  Birgitta Von Krosigk

  Advocating for the Advocate by Birgitta von Krosigk
  Coach, Facilitator, Mediator, and Researcher at Dialogica, Vancouver, BC

  Click here to learn more 
   
• Autism - Strategies for Self-Regulation, Learning and Challenging Behaviours Apr 06 - Apr 07, 2016 (9 AM - 4 PM)
  Price: 375.00 (*early rate) 420.00 (regular rate)
  *early rate expires March 16, 2016
  Vancouver, British Columbia - Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre
  Trainer: Kalyn Falk, MA Working with individuals who have autism can be a very meaningful experience, but it is not without its challenges. With recent reports indicating that an increasing number of individuals are on the autism spectrum, a greater number of care providers are encountering individuals with autism as part of their work and life. While every person with autism is unique, many face similar challenges. The primary focus of this workshop is to provide practical strategies for working with high need individuals around self-regulation, learning practices and challenging behaviours. Participants will review a behavioral framework to provide effective strategies for each of these areas, which they will be able to adapt to their own specific environment and context.Click here to register
   
• SAVE THE DATE!!  Wednesday April 13, 2016 4-7pm Moving Forward: Career and life options for individuals with disabilities.Come talk to over 30 Service providers, vocational trainers and Government agents to plan your youth transition to Adult Life. Langley Secondary School.Click here for more information
   
• ACT's 12th Annual Focus on Research Autism & Family Quality of Life - Developing Culturally Responsive Research and Intervention Programming.  Roy Richard Grinker, PhD
  Professor of Anthropology, International Affairs, and Human Sciences at George Washington University   Friday & Saturday, April 15 & 16, 2016 Simon Fraser University - Downtown Campus Vancouver, B.C. *Early Bird rate ends March 2nd, 2016. This conference will provide a forum for researchers, clinicians, educators, parents and those who work for community organizations to address the realities facing marginalized families who have children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Intellectual Disabilities.  These families include First Nations, refugees, immigrants; all those isolated by virtue of language, culture or by living in rural or remote areas. Click here for more information
   
• April 26, 2016 6:30 - 8:30 Transitions Leaving High School What's Next? Family Support Institute
  How do you prepare for this big change in your son's or daughter's life? This workshop is designed to help families understand how to prepare for their son's or daughter's transition from high school into a full life in the community. Drawing on the experiences of many parents and professionals, we will discuss roles and responsibilities, the planning process, planning tools and available resources and services. Presented by Pam Collins for The Family Support Institute and sponsored by Reach. To register email Pam here or call 604-946-6622 ext 359

• 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!

• Two Days of Social Thinking® (Vancouver)Thursday & Friday, August 4 & 5, 2016

  Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP Pamela Crooke, PhD, CCC-SLP.Social Thinking conferences are dedicated to providing practical information about school-age students and adults who have social and communication difficulties, including but not limited to those related to high-functioning autism spectrum disorders, PDD-NOS, Asperger Syndrome, NLD, ADHD, twice exceptional, murky undiagnosed challenges, etc. Information presented concentrates on students with near average to far above average verbal intelligence (verbal IQs above 70). Most strategies focus on school-age children and adults, although the information is helpful for those living and working with younger children.Click here 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

• Family Focus Conference, October 21-23, 2016. Call for workshop Proposals now open! The Value of One; The Power of Many  October 21-23, 2016 Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel Richmond BC Click here for more information

• Victoria, BC - November 4 & 5, 2016. Featuring Speakers Leah Kuypers and Elizabeth Sautter  Friday, November 4 Leah Kuypers The Zones of Regulation This presentation provides teachers, therapists and parents with hands-on knowledge on the nature of self-regulation and strategies for improving self regulation and emotional control in individuals of all ages. Audience participants will learn an explicit, stair-stepped method and tools to guide individuals in utilizing The Zones framework across situations and environments to regulate sensory needs, impulses, and emotional states to social demands.  The Zones of Regulation presentation also incorporates core concepts from Michelle Garcia Winner's SocialThinking® framework to help teach individuals about perspective taking so they better understand how being in the different zones impacts thethoughts and feelings of other people around them.November 5 Elizabeth Sautter Make Social Learning Stick: Practical Tools to Build Social Regulation. Social Regulation (Kuypers and Sautter, 2011) is the ability to adjust one's level of alertness and modify how emotions and behaviors are revealed in order to meet social goals. This presentation will offer parents/caregivers, educators, and other professionals who work with individuals with social cognitive, executive functioning, communication &emotional regulation challenges, the glue that makes social learning stick.The majority of the presentation will focus on practical tools, concepts and suggestions that can easily be used the next day to support social regulation at home, school, work and in the community. Participants will learn to embrace teachable moments using new strategies as well existing ones in order to create a "social learning diet" for success.  Check here for updates 
• 
   

Other

• Click here for the new issue of Parenting Special Needs Magazine

• Nike Expands Shoe Line For People With Special Needs. Nike is adding to its lineup of sneakers designed specifically for people with disabilities, with a fresh range of offerings for both kids and adults. The athletic-wear giant is introducing three new shoes that use its FLYEASE entry system, which relies on a wrap-around zipper to secure the shoe and features a larger opening to make it easier to slide feet in and out. Click here to read more 

• Rewire Your Brain for Love by Dr. Laura Markham. "Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children." -- Rosaleen Dickson.  Healing our ability to love unconditionally requires daily practice. Most of us don't wake up overflowing with love every morning. So each day we start over. Managing our moods. Finding ways to reconnect with the deep springs inside that replenish us. Choosing love. Click here to read more and see the first nine tips

• Special Needs Classes at Circus Lab! Our Homelearners Lab - Parent/SEA Support program is designed for students with special needs to take weekly circus classes in a fun, supportive and adapted environment! Special Education Assistants, caregivers or parents are welcome and encouraged to join the class at no extra coast.   This class provides the use of the entire gym, the ability to find a space to re-group away from the class while being welcome to join back in at any time, the ability to adjust ambient music volume, and the ability to modify the curriculum to individually suit and challenge each student. Click here to learn more
  
   
• 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.

back to menu