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. 

• Welcome to the very first episode of Speechless with Carly Fleischmann. Watch along as she interviews hollywood hunk Channing Tatum. He discusses growing up, his marriage and his greatest fears. Since finding her voice, Carly has made it her duty to spread autism awareness. In 2012, she made headlines after she co-wrote a book called "Carly's Voice" with her father, Arthur, based on her struggles and experience with autism.
• This Fourth Grader Has an Important Message About Autism for Everyone. Keira Meikus, a 9-year-old from Homewood, Alabama, won the hearts of millions over the Internet when she delivered a candid message about autism to her fellow students in her school's morning address. Keira, who studies in the fourth grade at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, was diagnosed as being on the spectrum when she was four. However, that did not stop her from being able to speak about her experience. Click here to see the video 

• What it's like for someone with Asperger's suddenly to connect with the world. In his astonishing, brave new book, "Switched On," Robison's yearning for completeness leads him to volunteer for a scientific experiment that aims to change his brain for the better. After giving a talk about his first book, Robison is approached by a postgraduate fellow in the lab of Harvard neuroscientist Alvaro Pascual-Leone. She tells him about a new clinical trial Pascual-Leone is about to launch at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Click here to read more 
• An Experimental Autism Treatment Cost Me My Marriage.  What happens to your relationships when your emotional perception changes overnight? Because I'm autistic, I have always been oblivious to unspoken cues from other people. My wife, my son and my friends liked my unflappable demeanor and my predictable behavior. They told me I was great the way I was, but I never really agreed.Click here to read more
  
   
• Teen With Autism Breaks Down What You Need To Know About The Condition "Just understand that they're different and they see the world in their own perspective." In the interview, Sean explains his personal experience with the condition. He mentioned that when he was younger, he had speech difficulties and attended speech therapy. The teen later explained how the condition now affects his daily life. Click here to learn more and see the video 

   
• Spectrum shift. Children in the rich world are far more likely to be diagnosed with autism than in the past. Why is this and what can be done to help them lead fulfilling lives? ALONE and in silence, Sören Schindler sits in a white-walled conference room in Munich for six hours a day. He is writing a program that will run an online service for HypoVereinsbank, one of Germany's largest financial institutions. His workspace suits him better than his previous one: an open-plan office where he felt constantly assaulted by the din of phones, clacking keyboards and chatty colleagues. "Working in such a loud environment exhausted me," he says. Mr Schindler has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism. Click here to read more 

• How Can We All Do Better By Our Autistic Girls? TPGA is observing Autism Acceptance Month by featuring accounts from autistic people about the differences accommodations (or lack thereof) make in their lives. Today, five women talk about about the under-recognition of autistic girls, the long- and short-term effects of going without supports and accommodations, and what autistic girls and actually need to succeed and be happy. Click here to read more 

• Sunshine Coast Gets Recognition in Hollywood.   Gibsons, BC - Locally based Sunshine Coast organization ANCA® World Autism Festival™ garners international recognition for their film CONNECTED: A film about autistic people. Filmed on location in Edinburgh, Scotland at the AWAF in 2014, with excerpts from the 2013 AWAF event held here on the Sunshine Coast, we are showcasing very talented, artistic and creative Autistic People from across Canada and around the world. This film has caught the attention of Life Fest Film Festival (home of the CAPRA AWARDS) in Hollywood, LA, California, USA. The film was produced & directed by local Vancouver film maker, Sonia Suvagau with original score composed by Sebastian Hugeneck of Sonia Productions Inc. The founders of the ANCA® World Autism Festival™, Leonora Gregory-Collura & Charlie Collura who are the Executive Producers of the film, will be attending the film screening with many members of the cast from Canada, the USA and other countries such as India, Turkey and the Ukraine.
• "Connected" is the most comprehensive film that I have seen from the perspective of people on the spectrum. This documentary will have a strong impact when it becomes available to the general public. I developed a deeper understanding of ANCA and what motivates Leo and Charlie Collura to establish this organization on an international level. Thank you Leo for allowing our meetup group to participate at this private film screening/debut."               (Peter Wlasenko)
• Click here for more reviews
   

   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

• 'I'm not OK, but I am better': man talks emotional journey with depression, breaking the stigma.
  A 27-year-old man from Ireland opened up on social media and to Global News about dealing with depression for the past 10 years and "living two different lives."
  Doug Leddin, a marketing PR consultant from Dublin, posted a heart-wrenching Facebook video about living with depression and breaking the stigma associated with the mental illness. Click here to read more and see the video
• Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on Mental Health Week.  "This week is Mental Health Week, an occasion for all Canadians to have a candid discussion about mental health and wellness and help put an end to the stigma around mental illness once and for all. Click here to read more
   
• 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 Spring Summer Course Schedules 

• Click here for information on RDSP presentation 
   
   
• ANXIETY in CHILDREN and YOUTH We're Working Together for Mental Wellness
  Monday, May 9, 2016 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm South Delta Secondary School Theatre
  750 53rd Street, Tsawwassen, BC. o Dr. Sara Junaid, Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
  o Lynne Godfrey, The FORCE o Youth and parent sharing their personal stories. Organized by: Delta Local Action Team, as part of the BC Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Collaborative - a partnership of Doctors of BC and the government of BC
   
• Positive Behaviour Support for Families of Children with Down Syndrome
  When: Two-Day Workshop - Sat. May 14 and Sat. May 28, 2016 from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
  Where: Down Syndrome Research Foundation, 1409 Sperling Avenue Burnaby
  This is a free two-day workshop being provided for families of children with Down syndrome who are engagingin problem behaviour at home, and/or in school or community environments. What parents will learn from this workshop:
  * Understand why child problem behaviour occurs in children with Down syndrome
  * Learn how to identify why your child is not behaving appropriatel* Learn how to prevent problem behaviour before it starts
  * Learn practical strategies to reduce child problem behaviour, and to increase child and family quality of life. The workshop will consist of a combination of presented information, interactive and fun learning activities,and group problem solving discussions.
  Content is appropriate for families with children of all ages. Lunch will be provided.Please email Nimet Tejpar if you are interested in attending:email here
   
• Focus Group!  Please join us for one or both community engagement meetings to find out about families' experience of accessing and using early intervention services. INFO Early Intervention Supports. The Family Support Institute, Inclusion BC, and the BC Association for Child Development and Intervention would like to hear from you about your experience with early intervention supports and services for your child. We will have parent led discussions to identify key topics and issues most important to parents and families in BC. This will help form a provincial advocacy plan to be utilized by parents and families across BC to ensure the Government addresses these issues in the next provincial budget.

  Where? The EIBI Board Room, #3-3800 72nd Street, Delta

  When? #1: Wednesday, May 18th, 9.30-11.30am, OR #2: Tuesday, May 31st, 9.30-11.30am.

  Register?Contact: Si Stainton; email Si Here Phone 604-540-8374 ext. 528
  
  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - Strategies for Supporting
May 26 - May 27, 2016 (9 AM - 4 PM)
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is one of the most prevalent brain-based disabilities in our society. There is a growing need for caregivers to acquire increased knowledge and practical skills to support children, adults and families living with FASD. This workshop will propose 5 pillars for success when supporting individuals with FASD. These include a focus on Strengths, Healthy Relationships, Promoting FASD Self Awareness, Adaptations Strategies and Team Based Support. Participants will transfer newfound knowledge about FASD into practical and meaningful ways to try differently not harder in their support of individuals, families and communities affected by FASD.Price: 420.00 (regular rate)
Vancouver, British Columbia - Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre  Click here to register


• Facing the Future Together: A Succession Planning Workshop. 2016 Dates:
  

  • June 4 (10am-3pm) 
  • October 15 (10am-3pm)

  Facing the future with promise and confidence takes planning and requires all those who care for and support your relative with a disability to work together.

  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 actionsClick here for more information and to register

  
   
   
• Registration Open! Inclusion BC 2016 Conference, June 22-25, 2016. Inclusion BC will host the 2016 Conference, "IGNITE" in Prince George, BC from June 23 - 25, 2016. It will spark new ideas and fuel conversations about current trends and issues to advance the rights and opportunities of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Inclusion BC Conference annually draws over 650 self advocates, family members, service providers, support workers, community leaders, advocates and allies of the inclusion movement together to explore and engage in discussions on inclusion, citizenship, innovation, supports and access, and leadership. Click here to see the list of incredible speakers and to register 

• Introduction to ASD - Practical Applications - POPARD - July 2016. This 30 hour course reflects current research and evidence-based practice in teaching students with ASD. Instruction includes pre-readings, practical hands-on training through instructor demonstration and coaching. In addition, course participants complete applied exercises in the key elements of teaching and supporting students with ASD.The course structure involves pre-readings and class discussions, in addition to ongoing opportunities for the participant to apply concepts through active participation.This course is a requirement for teaching assistants in many school districts and is open to community professionals and parents. Click here 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.  Click here for more information and to register 
• 
   

Other

• Learn about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and its effects on individuals and their families.  
• Why you should never use timeouts on your kids.Not 15 minutes into the eight-hour class, certified parenting instructor Linda Hatfield, who runs a Southern California program called Parenting from the Heart, explained that decades of neuroscience and social research have shown that timeouts and other methods of punishment are not only ineffective in steering the behavior of children but outright damaging. Click here to read more 

• Focus Group!  Please join us for one or both community engagement meetings to find out about families' experience of accessing and using early intervention services. INFO Early Intervention Supports. The Family Support Institute, Inclusion BC, and the BC Association for Child Development and Intervention would like to hear from you about your experience with early intervention supports and services for your child. We will have parent led discussions to identify key topics and issues most important to parents and families in BC. This will help form a provincial advocacy plan to be utilized by parents and families across BC to ensure the Government addresses these issues in the next provincial budget.
  Where?The EIBI Board Room, #3-3800 72nd Street, Delta
  When? #1: Wednesday, May 18th, 9.30-11.30am, OR #2: Tuesday, May 31st, 9.30-11.30am.
  Register?Contact: Si Stainton; email here  Phone 604-540-8374 ext. 528
   

• Screen Time Challenges? A reporter from the Canadian Press is looking for parents who are dealing with conflict over how much screen time their child should have.  It seems that one parent caves while the other digs in his/her heels about controlling time on the phone, Instagram, YouTube, games .... It never ends! If this is you, please feel free to contact me, Camilla Bains.  I will be speaking with experts to get you some answers!  You can call me Direct: 604-692-1166  Office: 604-687-1662 or email me here 

• Click here for the Family Support April Bulletin 

• 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. Click here for more information

  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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