Autism Alberta’s Alliance will be hosting a two-day Connecting Communities event in Calgary on June 13 & 14, 2024. Presentations will be made by the Alliance’s communities of practice, the Indigenous Relations Circle and other stakeholders.
Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.
This toolkit is meant to provide those considering getting a service dog with the information they need in order to make an informed choice.
When we talk about service dogs, it is essential to recognize that there are different types of support dogs, and not all have the same rights to access. There are four types: service dogs, emotional support animals, therapy animals and accredited facility dogs.
A service dog is one that is specifically trained to help someone with a disability. There are expectations of the dog, so that it can maintain public access. It must not bark, be aggressive, snap, bite, or damage property (Source).
It is specially trained and certified to perform tasks for an individual with visible and invisible disabilities like epilepsy, PTSD, vision impairment, diabetes, or mobility limitations.
An emotional support animal provides comfort and emotional support to an individual with mental health needs. To qualify for an ESA, the owner needs to receive assessment and support from a qualified mental health professional or doctor.
While service dogs are protected by law in Alberta, allowing them rights to public access, emotional support dogs are not afforded the same rights. An emotional support dog is meant to offer their owner companionship and support without special training. They have limited access. Under the Service Dogs Act, emotional support dogs are not considered service dogs and do not have the same rights to access; meaning your dog can be denied entry to a public area.
A therapy dog is trained to work in specific locations such as a hospice, hospitals, schools, etc. They do not have the right to public access and are also not trained to support a specific disability. (Source)
It provides comfort and animal-assisted therapy support to many people in a variety of settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, therapeutic settings, etc.
A facility dog encourages participation and is there to reduce the anxiety of a client in a professional environment. They can be trained to offer deep pressure for clients experiencing anxiety. (Source)
Are you thinking a service dog is right for you? Check out the following list of pros and cons parents and caregivers have listed about their experience with their service animal.
(Source)
What benefits have caregivers noticed during research studies:
Now what?
If you wish to go with a Government of Alberta-approved agency, follow this link to learn more.
What is the cost of getting a service dog through an agency?
Answer: It depends on many factors.
According to Aspen Service Dogs, one of the organizations approved by the Government of Alberta, there are several factors that go into cost:
Are there programs to help with the cost of getting a service dog?
The short answer is no. However, there are several options for trying to get support to reduce costs:
How long does it take to train a service dog?
If you would like to learn more about the process and benefits of getting a service dog, check out these resources:
A toolkit about privately hiring support staff
Depending on your region, you may have the option to hire staff under your FSCD contract through an agency or privately. Approved agencies can bill FSCD directly and pay their staff accordingly, so this can be a really great option for some families!
If you choose to hire privately instead, here are some helpful tips and links to get you started!
**Be sure to speak with your FSCD caseworker if you have any questions about this process or the details of your contract**
Outline the job description (Examples of points to include)
Here is a great link from Inclusion Alberta with some examples of job postings.
Here are some examples of places to advertise.
(Keep in mind respite may be provided by anyone 16 years of age or older however, a community aide must be at least 18 years old.)
Here are some things to keep in mind when interviewing and hiring service providers.
Inclusion Alberta has a great checklist (Staff Recruitment Checklist)
The Indigenous Relations Circle is starting a newsletter!
The Indigenous Relations Circle is an initiative of Autism Alberta’s Alliance and is interested in the Indigenous and autistic experience in Alberta. The newsletter will be distributed four times per year and will include work that our circle is doing as well as events happening around the province that you may be interested in. We hope to increase connection and community between Indigenous autistic communities.
If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please click the button below.
We hope you join us on Friday, October 13th at 12:30 MDT for a short Annual General Meeting and presentations.
The agenda for the brief Annual General Meeting will be:
Receive financial statements (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)
To elect the slate of Board of Directors
To empower the board to appoint the auditor
Guest Presenters!
Emily Coombs is a queer Autistic researcher who will be exploring the interconnectedness of autism and LGTBQ identity and provide insights into the difficulties they face and strengths they have and the path to living a beautiful life.
Dr. Jonathan Lai is the Executive Director of Autism Alliance of Canada. He also holds an Adjunct Faculty position in Health Services Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. He will be speaking about the work of Autism Alliance of Canada and providing the most recent information about the work towards a National Autism Strategy.
To find out more and to register, go to – https://bit.ly/ASA2023AGM
Moving can be a daunting task, especially when moving provinces or countries. There’s a lot to be done. Figure out where to live. Utilities. Internet. Schools. New places to shop. Find a new social group.
Not to mention the packing and unpacking.
Then there’s the bureaucratic stuff. New IDs. Medical cards. Insurance.
That’s just to start.
If you need extra supports, there’s even more to do. Every province does disability supports just a little bit differently and it can be frustrating to figure it all out. We have compiled a list of the things you need to know about moving to Alberta when you or a family member has a disability.
And, of course, if you have any questions, you can reach out to our family resource coordinators who will be happy to help you understand and access Alberta’s disability supports.
Who Will Take Care of Our Kids Fund. Inspired by her son Anthony, Deborah Barrett was a tireless advocate for autistic adults and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. She was particularly passionate about building avenues for meaningful employment and involvement in the community for individuals with disabilities who have aged out of the school system.
Deborah was deeply committed to public service. In addition to liaising with the provincial government for better services for the disability community through Act Now for Autism, Deborah was a board member and later president of the Autism Society of Edmonton Area, a board member and president of Autism Society Alberta, and editor of Autism Now and Autism Around Alberta.
In honor of her passion and drive to ensure individuals on the autism spectrum can look forward to lives full of opportunity, we are pleased to launch the ‘Dr. Deborah Barrett Who Will Take Care of Our Kids Fund’.
Every year, the ‘Dr. Deborah Barrett Who Will Take Care of Our Kids Fund’ will support projects that ensure people with autism have lives full of opportunity.
This year’s project is Planning for the Future. Presentations are listed below.
According to the Government of Canada website National AccessAbility Week is an opportunity to:
This year, National AccessAbility Week will occur from May 28 to June 3, 2023.
Here are some ideas of some sensory items you or your loved ones may find helpful. Click or tap each item to go to a suggested website.
Disclaimer: Consult your own/your loved one’s therapy team before implementing new sensory strategies.
(jumping, climbing, swinging)
(weighted, compression, tagless)
**Compression clothing website for all ages. (variety of sizes and styles)
Sensory Light Box – Apple $5.49 | Android $3.49
Fluidity (Free and In App purchases) – Apple
Colorfy (Free and In App purchases) – Apple | Android
Feelsy: Stress Anxiety Relief (free and In app purchases) – Apple | Android
Breathe Think Do with Sesame (Free) – Apple | Android
Dreamy Kid (Free and In App purchases) – Apple | Android
Chillz Out $6.99 – Apple
Uniting Alberta’s Autism Community
Autism Society Alberta does not support, endorse or recommend any method, treatment, product, remedial centre, program, service or professional for individuals with autism or disabilities. It will, however, endeavour to provide impartial information.
© 2024 Autism Society Alberta
Charitable Registration #891015190RR0001
Web Site Management:
webmaster@autismalberta.ca
