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 REACH Parent Network Information Exchange.

July 11, 2016    

 

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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Quick Links

 

Reach News 

Help a Parent/Parent Support?  

Autism 

 ADD/ADHD

 Down Syndrome 

FASD   

Education  

Medical and Mental Health 

Sensory   

Workshops and Training

Seasonal

Other

Submissions and Questions?  


Reach
Reach News
  • Fun and friendly volunteers are needed for Reach Child and Youth Development Society's children's thrift store FINDS.  Reach is a non-profit organization that helps children with special needs.  The store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 2pm.  Interested volunteers please email here or call Robyn at 604-946-6622 ext 328
  • We're building a child development centre in the heart of the community
      Click here  to find out how you can help.
     
 
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Help
Help a Parent/Parent Support
  • Vancouver Parents Transition Support Group: Wishing you all a great summer and see you all back in October 2016 for our first meeting of the new season. If you would like to get in touch during the summer, please email us here and we would be happy to answer any questions.In the meantime, we would welcome any suggestions for future topics of discussion for the new season. See you in the fall. Yuko and Liz
       
      
 

Autism
Autism
  • Alix Generous is a young woman with a million and one ideas - she's done award-winning science, helped develop new technology and tells a darn good joke (you'll see). She has Asperger's, a form of autistic spectrum disorder that can impair the basic social skills required for communication, and she's worked hard for years to learn how to share her thoughts with the world. In this funny, personal talk, she shares her story - and her vision for tools to help more people communicate their big ideas. Click here and scroll down to see this Ted Talk

     
  • Firefighter father of child with autism innovates training for first responders
    'There is a bit of a gap of information [with first responders],' Capt. Ben Wilson.  
    North Vancouver first responders are getting innovative training to help them read the signs of autism when dealing with people in crisis situations.
    The training came from a push from one of their own, a firefighter whose toddler was diagnosed as having autism. This experience helped his see the "gap" in first responder training around autism.Click here to read more 
  • The 3 Simple Words to Say When Someone Asks You, 'What Is Autism?'
    Has anyone ever come up to you and asked you point blank, "What is autism?"
    As someone who has made a career in public speaking, I'm often asked by hundreds of people each year who are just being introduced to autism about what autism is. While autism is defined and characterized as a social and communication disorder, when you get to meet people in our community, autism rarely falls into a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. Click here to read more 
     
  • Young adults, teens with autism learn to drive.Remember the first time you got in a car to drive it?How do you turn the lights on? This head rest is too high. Where's the windshield wipers? At a special camp Friday, nine young people with autism started their driving lessons by learning the basics.  Click here to read more
     
  • Scientists create glasses that expose what people are really feeling. We've all dreamt of having X-ray glasses to reveal to us things which we cannot see. But what if we had a device that could show us something deeper, some truth about the people we meet? That is now a reality, with a new kind of glasses that use real-time facial recognition technology to unmask a person's true emotional state, reports Sally Adee in New Scientist. The implications of such a technology are profound, to say the least. Click here to read more 
  • What is Stimming and why is it important. Does your child frequently rock, bob their knee, make annoying humming noises, squint or smell strange things that he shouldn't?  These behaviours are forms of sensory stimulation or otherwise referred to as  stimming and they're not simply normal. For a child on the autism spectrum, they're an essential part of coping with life.Click here to read more
     
  • 11 People With Autism Explain What Stimming Feels Like. 
    Stimming, or self-stimulatory behaviors,are behaviors people with autism may exhibit to counteract an overwhelming sensory environment or alleviate the high levels of internal anxiety, according to Temple Grandin's post in Autism Digest. Some examples of stimming are rocking, spinning, pacing, repeating words or flapping of arms or hands.Autistic people aren't the only ones who stim, although occasionally people on the spectrum stim in more obvious ways and may attract attention. Many people have a hard time grasping why someone would stim. Click here to read more 
  • SpectrumSingles: The Go-To Dating Site for People On the Autism Spectrum.  
    The 411: Introducing SpectrumSingles.com: a safe, affordable and comfortable environment for singles on the autism spectrum to find someone who is compatible in every way. By narrowing the dating field and making unique matches for specific users, meeting a lifelong partner just got much easier. Click here to read more 

     
     
     
     
     

ADD
ADD/ADHD
  • What I Wish People Understood About My Child With ADHD. When I interviewed two kids - one with ADHD and one without - what they said revealed how the condition can make them feel, and things other kids can do to help. To help gain awareness about ADHD in children, I conducted an interview with two extraordinary six year olds (One with ADHD and one without). I posted the interview on YouTube and it gained popularity very quickly. (It currently has over 210,000 views.) The positive feedback I received from the public is astounding and I want to thank each and every one of you for your support. Click here to read more and see the interview
     
  • Never Punish a Child for Behavior Outside His Control. Make ADHD the enemy; not your child. Catch your child being good every day. Stop blaming others. And 9 other rules for raising a child with ADHD that every parent should hear. Most parents are good parents. But if your son or daughter has attention deficit disorder (ADHD), "good" may not be enough. To ensure that your child is happy and well-adjusted now and in the future - and to create a tranquil home environment - you've got to be a great parent.Click here to read more
     
  • "Don't Call It a Disorder." Your ADHD brain is not a burden or a handicap, but it does make life challenging at times. Here's how I accentuate the positive when speaking to my young patients about their Turbo brains. Yes, I understand the convenience of calling it a "disorder" when it comes to obtaining accommodations, research funding, and insurance reimbursement. But indulge me for a moment as I stray from the DSM-IV. I would like to rename my brain Turbo. I chose Turbo because having this condition means it perpetually operates in overdrive. It is also unpredictable! One minute, it gets me into trouble; the next, it sparks the best idea I've ever had. It speaks out of turn when it should hush up, when others wish it wouldn't...even when it knows it shouldn't. Click here to read more 
  • Can't Stop the (ADHD) Feeling! "If you're a young person being called weird or different, I'm here to tell you that your critics do not count. Their words will fade. You will not." Why we love Justin Timberlake and these other celebrities with ADHD. Some of the world's most accomplished athletes, musicians, actors, and TV personalities struggle with ADHD and comorbid disorders. They don't let their diagnosis get in the way of success, and neither should you. Let these famous ADHDers inspire you to overcome your diagnosis and reach your full potential. Click here to read more 
  • More Than Just Naughty: Dealing with Oppositional Defiant Disorder 40% of children with ADHD also develop oppositional defiant disorder. These kids demonstrate consistently angry, violent, and disruptive behaviors toward authority figures. How to regain control as a parent.Every parent of a child with attention deficit knows what it's like to deal with behavior problems-saying no to requests or blurting words out. Children with ADHD and ODD take defiant behavior to the extreme. They have a pattern of angry, violent, and disruptive behaviors toward parents, caretakers, and other authority figures. Click here to read more

     
 


 DOWNS  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 
Education
FASD
  •  The 7th International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Research: Results and Relevance 2017 Integrating Research, Policy and Promising Practice Around the World Conference Updates:
    Call for abstracts just announced. Click here for more information. Deadline for all submissions are August 26, 2016.
    Conference Dates: March 1-4, 2017 Conference Location: The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC
    This advanced level conference continues to bring together experts from multiple disciplines to share international research. From the pure science, to prevention, diagnosis and intervention across the lifespan, the conference will address the implications of this research and promote scientific/community collaboration. It provides an opportunity to enhance understanding of the relationships between knowledge and research and critical actions related to FASD. First held in 1987, the conference brings together people passionate about this work in a stimulating environment where they can learn and forge new partnerships.Click here to stay tuned
     
Education
Education
  •   
Sensory
Sensory
  • Are You Looking for Age Appropriate Chewie Options for Older Students with Special Needs?  There are things that are socially acceptable to chew. Some people chew gum, some people chew on pencils or pens and people generally don't think too much about it.
    The question here is how can we provide something that is more socially acceptable for the older student to chew? 
  • Click here for Marc Landry's June Newsletter - Anxiety and Stress
 
MedicalMedical and Mental Health
          
    
  • NEW:
    What I Really Mean When I Say 'I Have Anxiety'.For most people I talk to, when I tell them I have an anxiety disorder, they nod their head and tell me it'll be OK. When I tell them, "I'm sorry, I'm having a bad anxiety day, can we reschedule?" They smile and tell me there's nothing to worry about and if I just get out of bed, I'll see everything is fine. When I don't want to go bar hopping because I know alcohol only increases my anxious tendencies, I hear, "You're fine. It'll be fun. Let off some steam!" 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   

WorkshopsWorkshops and Training 
    • Facing the Future
    • Wills, Trusts and Estates,
    • RDSP
    • Connecting to Community
       
       
  • Facing the Future Together: A Succession Planning Workshop. 2016 Dates:
    • 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
  • 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
     
  • DIRFloortime� DIR 101: Overview of the DIR� Model and Floortime™ Intervention:Theoretical Framework, Scientific Evidence, and Scope of Application With Paula Jurczak And Keith Landherr. This is an introductory course that reviews the theoretical framework, scientific evidence, and scope of application of the DIR model promoting functional emotional developmental capacities, reflective thinking, and overall mental health for all children and adults, including those with special needs. This is an ICDL approved introductory training. Following this course, participants may enroll in DIR 201 through ICDL.com. August 12 and 13, 2016 Questions ???  Contact Keith Landherr
    Phone # 604-299-8862 or email:here
  • Introduction to ASD - Practical Applications - POPARD
    Monday - Friday, August 15 - 19, 2016 Kenneth Cole, PhD, RPsych Surrey School District Education Centre Surrey, BC.
    This 30 hour course has recently been revised to reflect 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
     
  • 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 studentsRegistration now open! Cllck here for more information
  • Cutting Edge Strategies to Improve Executive Function Skills.
    Thursday & Friday, September 15 & 16, 2016
    Sarah Ward, MS, CCC-SLP Co-Director, Cognitive Connections LLP. These two days will provide you with dozens of practical strategies that you can implement tomorrow. You will learn about task initiation and execution to time management, practice using strategies such as 'Future Sketch', 'Get Ready, Do, Done', 'STOP and Read the Room', and seeing and sensing the passage of time. Through demonstration and practice, you will learn how to teach students the following executive control skills: awareness; forethought; waiting, planning skills; shifting; pacing; flexibility; speed of information processing.Click here for more information
     
  • Family Focus Conference, October 21-23, 2016.  The Value of One; The Power of Many 
    October 21-23, 2016 Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel Richmond BC
    Click here for more information - Registration now open!
  • Trauma-Informed Practices: School, Home, Treatment, and Community
    October 21, 2016 La Perla Ballroom , New Westminster, BC #230 - 810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster, BC. The Children's Foundation (TCF) is pleased to be hosting David Melnick on trauma. On October 21st, David will focus on using the lens of the "Seven Domains of Impact" examine the ways in which youth are impacted by trauma, and the relational, strategic, self, and collaborative practices to address areas of need.
    Traumatic events happen to all people at all ages and across all socio-economic strata in our society. These events can cause terror, intense fear, horror, helplessness and physical stress reactions. Some traumatic events are profound experiences that can change the way children, adolescents and adults see themselves and the world. Click here for more information and to register
     
  • Earlybird Registration NOW. 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 
  • Save the Date! We're excited to announce that the 20th annual Children the Heart of the Matter conference will be held on February 17 & 18, 2017 at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel in Surrey.
    • Children the Heart of the Matter Conference Committee is seeking proposals for our
      20th annual conference. Our 201 6 conference drew over 600 participants and was an overwhelming success. Consideration will be given to those presenters whose proposals reflect diversity, inclusive practice, programming and curriculum for any or all of the following: infant/toddler, preschool-age and school- age children as well as children with special needs.
  • The 7th International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
    Research: Results and Relevance 2017 Integrating Research, Policy and Promising Practice Around the World Conference Updates:
    Call for abstracts just announced. Click here for more information. Deadline for all submissions are August 26, 2016.
    Conference Dates: March 1-4, 2017 Conference Location: The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, BC
    This advanced level conference continues to bring together experts from multiple disciplines to share international research. From the pure science, to prevention, diagnosis and intervention across the lifespan, the conference will address the implications of this research and promote scientific/community collaboration. It provides an opportunity to enhance understanding of the relationships between knowledge and research and critical actions related to FASD. First held in 1987, the conference brings together people passionate about this work in a stimulating environment where they can learn and forge new partnerships.Click here to stay in tune 

     
Seasonal
Seasonal
  • Family Vacation Survival Guide.  Children love vacations. Not because they get to go to Disney World or some other place they've idealized in their minds, but because of a much richer treasure. Usually, parents are more relaxed, more fun, more emotionally available. It's common for kids to say that their favorite summer memory is something free and simple, like lying on a blanket looking at the stars with the family. These sweet pleasures are the golden experiences that shape rich childhood memories.Click here to read more
     
  • LDASF Register now for
    SUMMER 1:1 TUTORING Literacy or Math for ages 6 to 14
    July 4 to 15
    July 18 to 29
    August 2 to 12
    August 15 to 26
    Two week daily or
    Twice/week monthly programs  1-1/2 hour sessions wit  
    one to one tutor
    • Times start at 9:00 am until 5:30 pm
    • Initial assessment identifies learning challenges
    • Individual lesson plans
    • Daily written feedback and final report
    • Trained tutors supervised by an experienced teacher
    • Affordable fees $25/hour
    • Some partial subsidies provided by CKNW Orphan's Fund
    Tutoring Locations:  
    • Surrey-Newton, LDAFS Resource Centre, #201-13766- 72 Ave.
    • Langley School Board Office, 4875 - 222 St.
    • Ladner, Delta Manor Education Centre, 4750 - 57 St.
    Call 604.591.5156 or  see our website here
  • SKYZONE Surrey offers Sensory Hour!
    Sensory Hour is a unique program we run for our guests with special needs and their parents/ family to enjoy the FUN of Sky Zone together!  
    We turn down the music to accommodate sensory needs as well as scheduling our specially trained staff to work with guests! 
    Programs run the 3rd Monday of every month from 5-8 PM! Click here for more information 
  • Surrey Child and Youth FUNPASS Drop in for Fun all summer long. $47.50 PER PERSON!
    For one flat fee, enjoy unlimited, city-wide access to all drop-in
    programs including:
    • Swimming
      Skating
      Gym activities
      Fitness classes
      Weight room (13 yrs+)  Pass valid June 24 to September 5 at all City of Surrey
      Recreation facilities. Expires automatically. Does not include registered programs.Purchase your Fun Pass at any Surrey Parks, Recreation & Culture facility, on line here or call 604-501-5100.
  • FALL 2016  Friend 2 Friend Fall Play Centre Programs Free for Children. Children ages 3 through 13! Play, learn and make friends with us this fall at our signature Friend 2 Friend Play Centre in East Vancouver and New Westminster. This fall Expert Players are needed for many of our groups including early childhood programs (ages 3-5), after school programs (ages 7-13) and Saturday and Sunday programs (ages 4-12). Expert players attend the programs completely free of charge. If you are interested in your child particpate in state-of-the-art social play and friendship programs under the guidance of highly trained professional contact us here
     
     




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OtherOther
  • Ted Talk The decline of play by Peter Gray. In this talk, Dr. Peter Gray compellingly brings attention to the reality that over the past 60 years in the United States there has been a gradual but, overall dramatic decline in children's freedom to play with other children, without adult direction. Over this same period, there has been a gradual but overall dramatic increase in anxiety, depression, feelings of helplessness, suicide, and narcissism in children and adolescents. Based on his own and others' research, Dr. Gray documents why free play is essential for children's healthy social and emotional development and outlines steps through which we can bring free play back to children's lives.
  • 5 everyday ways to teach your kids about consent. Sexual consent can be tough to explain to young kids. But this psychotherapist has some advice. Parents: Teaching sexual consent to our children begins with us. Every parent I know wants their child to grow up to be confident, be resilient, feel good about who they are, and show compassion toward others. As parents, we want to communicate: "You matter. Your body matters. Your consent and boundaries matter."Click here to read more 
  • On Radical Acceptance (& Not Fixing Your Kid).  There's a small town in Belgium named Geel (pronounced hale with a throaty, Germanic H). By 1930, a quarter of its residents were mentally ill. If you know about Geel, you know this was not because something lurked in the water or food supply. It was because for 700 years families in Geel accepted mentally ill patients, or "boarders," to live with them in their own homes. The town got a nickname: "Paradise for the Insane."Click here to read more 
  • Lessons I've Heard from Teens for Parents with Kids of All Ages. I've been counselling children and parents for the last 17 years and there's some common themes that I have heard over and over again from teens which are important for us all to be aware of, even if our child is a toddler. My parents don't listen to me...Lesson #1:  Every child wants to feel HEARD.  We may think that we're listening but we might not be as good a listeners as we thought we were. Click here to read more 
  • You are invited to be a FRIEND TO PLAN. As parents and caregivers, we all want the best for our family's future. But securing tomorrow requires careful planning today. PLAN believes caring relationships and a comprehensive plan are crucial parts of living a good life. Since being founded in 1989, we've been collaborating with families to help them secure an inclusive, safe and secure future for their relatives with a disability.
    Recently, families have requested other ways to collaborate with us. That's why we're pleased to introduce a new program called Friends of PLAN.
    For an investment of only $240 per year, Friends of PLAN will receive:  
    �      An annual check-in with our Future Planning Consultant
    �      Discounts on courses and workshops from Plan Institute
    �      Invitations to monthly gatherings with Family Experts
    �      A subscription to our quarterly newsletter
    �      Invitations to member-only social events
    �      Ongoing support from our Toll-Free Helpline
    Please consider this your invitation to become a Friend of PLAN. Click here for more information 
  • Do you have positive stories about employment? We are launching a familyWORKs social media campaign to reach new families through Facebook and Instagram by publishing positive and inspirational stories of real individuals participating in employed roles. 
    The campaign will be modeled after the very successful Instagram and blog, Humans of New York, which features authentic stories of citizens in New York and around the world (often receiving hundreds of thousands of "likes" and comments per posting). We are confident that through social media, FSI will be able to connect with families who are not aware of the possabilites of employment for people with diverse abilities. Contact Daniele by email here 
  • 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 
  • Your One Stop Shop for children and families in Delta - click here

SubmissionSubmissions 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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