This year I jumped on the bubble bandwagon! Our school, GW Smith Elementary, celebrated Autism Awareness Day on the 10th of April, and we are still celebrating Autism Awareness Month. We did our kick-off day on the 7th, the first day back after spring break, by doing up a display case with lots of child-friendly books about autism; a newsletter also went home. In the newsletter there was information about autism, information about the Bubbles for Autism recess we would be doing, and a puzzle piece entry form. Each child was asked to design their own puzzle piece to show what was special about them. Then, in the classrooms, the teachers would teach the kids about autism, and each child created a poster that would be hung in the gym on Friday. 

Friday was AMAZING. We had asked the kids and staff to dress in blue, and when I arrived at the school in the morning there was a sea of it. Almost every child in the school had returned their puzzle pieces, and the posters were already to be hung up and looked GREAT! I spent a lot of the morning in the gym hanging and putting together the puzzle pieces, which meant that I saw a lot of the classes coming and going.  Several times I asked the kids, “Why are you wearing blue?" My question was always met with a reply of: “It’s Autism Awareness Day!” 

At around 12 noon things got into full swing! A TV crew showed up, and the newspaper came to take pictures. We were visited by a representative from our school district, as well as by therapists that work with my son, and the guests that really surprised me were my amazing family and friends who came to support me.

At 12:30 the Mayor arrived, and at 12:40 we headed outside. To say that there were a million bubbles in a sea of blue is no exaggeration! The kids had a blast – they were excited, they were understanding, and they were supportive!

That night we sent home another newsletter with a school-wide introduction letter talking about what autism looks like for our family, and a handout about autism.

I could say so much about the day because it exceeded all of my expectations, but instead I have some amazing photos to share and a link to the news story, because seeing the sea of blue was beautiful.  Thank you so much to GW Smith Elementary for allowing us to do this and participating 100%! Thank you to the Central Alberta Branch of Autism Society Alberta for all their help, and the amazing photos are by Wishbone Photography, who loaned their time to capture our day. Thank you!

Click here to watch a TV report on the event

Click the photo below to see a larger version

Our New Web Address

We now have a new, shorter web site address! You can now visit www.autismalberta.ca for the latest autism news and events from around the province!

And don’t worry, all of your old links to pages on www.autismsocietyalberta.org will still work – They’ll all get redirected automatically to the correct page on the new site. We also have new e-mail addresses, like info@autismalberta.ca, but if you send something to our old e-mail addresses it will still be passed on to us. We hope you’ll find our new address easier to remember and to use!

Billy’s Story

In August 2009, I had a precious baby boy named Billy. He was a tiny bundle of joy weighing 4 pounds 12 ounces. He spent a few days in the NICU because he was so tiny. After a week, I got to bring him home. Soon I noticed there was something different about him compared to other babies. He had a very hard time latching onto a nipple to eat. Eventually, I had to put a fork through the hole of the nipple to make it easier for him to eat, as I was unsure of what else to do.

During the first two months I knew something was wrong with my baby, but I wasn’t sure what. He would regurgitate his formula, and it would always come out his nose. I spent those two months taking him to different doctors, and we went on many trips to the ER. They tried to make me feel like I was just an over-worried first-time mom, and that there was nothing wrong with him. I continued to fight, as I knew in my heart that something was wrong.

Finally, when Billy was 2 months and 1 week old, I found out the truth – he had a cleft plate (cleft of the uvula). I was told the reason it took so long to find this out was because he never lost any weight (due to me making the hole in the nipple bigger). That’s what ultimately saved him – given how tiny he was, they said, it could have been very dangerous for him to lose weigh due to a cleft. I was scared and relieved, all at the same time.  

One week later, I left my husband. I now found myself as a single parent to an amazing baby boy, and was unsure of what our future held. But we were ready for whatever life would throw at us.

Billy was just over 2 1/2 months when we went to the cleft palate clinic at the Alberta children’s hospital for the very first time. It was decided he would have the cleft repaired when he was about 9 months old. We also were referred to the genetic specialists, who have run several tests and still have no answers. When Billy was 4 months old, he got his very first pair of glasses (he was extremely far-sighted). Little did I know at this time that I would have a few years of fighting with him to keep his glasses on, as he hated every pair he had!

At 6 1/2 months Billy was diagnosed with congenital torticollis, with some pretty severe spots of asymmetrical head shaping. He went to the head shape clinic at ACH, where it was recommended that Billy wear a helmet to help correct the asymmetrical head shaping. However, being a single parent who didn’t work, I could not afford the helmet, which truly broke my heart! Instead, we did heavy duty physio therapy to help correct the torticollis and took every tip we could to help with the head shaping.

A month later Billy got RSV. He was hospitalized for a week in isolation. We were very worried, as surgery for his cleft repair was only a month and a half away, and having RSV could have forced us to postpone the surgery! Thankfully, he made a great recovery.

Starting at the age of two months, Billy also suffered from severe ear infections – so severe that each infection would cause the membranes in his ears to rupture. So when he was 9 months old, it was time to have the cleft repaired; they also put tubes in his ears. Surgery went great, and helped Billy to avoid getting further infections!

I met my current husband when my son was about 10 months old, and it was wonderful to have someone to support me through everything that we had to go through.

Billy was always very late to hit any of the usual developmental milestones for babies. When he was 15 months old I went back to work, and he started going to daycare. Little did we know he’d steal the hearts of the workers, and they would become an amazing support for him. We continued going to the children’s hospital for check-ups, and we’d leave with bad news everytime. The hardest was when I was told that Billy was extremely delayed in all areas! I worked hard on things at home, and the daycare staff worked hard on things with him during the day. We all continued to work hard we would see amazing progress in Billy, but as he got older the delays would become more severe, as more was expected at his age for all the testing charts. As hard and difficult as it was to always hear the bad news, I always knew at the end of the day that I was truly blessed: I had an amazing little boy who fought like heck for everything he had already accomplished.

Click here to read more

Experience Adventure – Explore Our Teen Camps

Register Early! Camps Fill Up Quickly

Our teen camps offer participants the opportunity to spend time outdoors with structured activities throughout the summer. Keep your teen active and engaged with a camp that includes swimming, canoeing and team sports like basketball. Adventure week camps provide opportunities for teens to be exposed to new, unique adventures in a safe and supportive environment.

Ages: 13 years – 17 years
Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Camp Deposit: $125 per week

Please ensure you contact your FSCD caseworker. Centre subsidies available for those that qualify.

Note: Teens need to bring a packed lunch and snack every day. Drop off and pick up is at the Centre for Autism Services Alberta, 4752 99 Street, Edmonton.

Click here for registration info and schedules

Seven Steps to a Successful Transition to Adulthood

1. Create your vision
   • What does a good life look like to your youth?
   • Develop a clear idea about what is important in your youth’s life.
2. Gather information
   • Attend a transition planning information session.
   • Talk to others who are in a supporting role to your youth, such as their FSCD worker or teacher.
   • What do you and your youth need in order to achieve their vision and goals?
3. Build your transition team
   • Who should be involved in transition planning meetings? Extended family members or supportive people such as teachers and service providers who know your child well may be a valuable addition to your team.
   • Who can play a role in assisting your youth reach their goals in the future?
4. Develop your transition plan
   • Identify goals to reach your youth’s vision for adulthood, strategies to achieve goals, timelines and people responsible for carrying them out.
5. Put your transition plan into action
   • Follow up on strategies and actions as outlined in your plan.
6. Update your team and plan
   • Be sure to communicate with the team as goals are achieved so your plan can be kept current.
   • Have another planning meeting to check progress made or make revisions to your plan if required.
7. Hold an exit meeting
   • Evaluate the process and celebrate success!

Visit the Human Services Transition Planning webpage to learn more about the integrated approach to transition planning and proactive supports that are available. If you have any questions about your role in transition planning, please contact your local Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) office.

Symptoms Suggestive of Psychiatric Problems in Non-verbal Individuals with ASD

Ade Orimalade

Diagnosing psychiatric disorders, or excluding psychiatric diagnoses, is more difficult in persons with Developmental Disabilities (DD) compared to persons without. One of the main difficulties is the issue of difficulty with communication. Delay in language development is an important issue in autism, and in its more extreme forms this can mean the person with ASD is non-verbal. Diagnosing psychiatric problems in non-verbal individuals with ASD can be difficult and a high index of suspicion is required.

There are some presentations that could alert a clinician as to the presence of a mental illness in a non-verbal person with ASD:

1. Biological signs – these include a change in appetite (decrease or increase), reduced energy (or increased energy, in mania), sleep pattern changes, weight loss (or weight gain)
2. Social withdrawal, refusal to go to school or leave the house
3. Crying, screaming, yelling
4. Persistent nightmares
5. Increased or worsening obsessive or ritualistic behaviours
6. Some unusual body movements, such as reaching out for unseen things, could indicate the presence of visual hallucinations
7. Abnormal or odd/bizarre postures could indicate the presence of Catatonia, a potentially serious problem which should be assessed urgently
8. Self-injurious behaviours, such as picking skin excessively, hitting self or biting self
9. Change in bowel habits, urinary or fecal incontinence
10. Having “meltdowns” with agitation, aggression, yelling, etc.
11. Aggressive behaviour towards other people or property
12. Just a change of character, especially as evidenced by people who know the person well.

The above list is not exhaustive but gives clues as to when to be suspicious that a non-verbal person with ASD might need to see a clinician or their family doctor or psychiatrist for an assessment of mental health. The list is also not specific to the presence of mental illness, and so physical problems, such as infections, pain and seizures need to be considered.

Autism Society Alberta Seeks Nominations for Directors

The Autism Society Alberta Board of Directors is seeking nominations from areas of the province that are currently unrepresented. If you live in southern Alberta (Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and area) or if you live in rural Alberta, please consider standing as an Autism Society Board member. To apply, please submit a nomination form to nominations@autismalberta.ca. Please indicate your name and contact info, the area of the province you will represent, your interest in autism, and your skills and background. Tell us what you feel you will contribute to Autism Society Alberta, and the direction in which you would like to see Autism Society Alberta head over the next few years.

Adapted Recreation Programs Now Available in Red Deer

A Grandfather’s Perspective

Jim Clevette

“The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.” When I first read this quote by Sam Levenson, I immediately knew I had found that perfect job description for being a grandparent. I knew this based on my experience with 5 grandchildren, three of whom live less than 400 steps away, front door to front door. After 37 years of teaching high school Social Studies, being a grandfather became my new passion in retirement. It was me, Judy, my wife of 42 years, and Corbyn, Alex, Mack, Matea and Asher against the world. We were done raising our 3 kids, and now it was time to have the fun that would create the wonderful stories of a caring relationship based on unconditional love. Best of all, they go home at night, where someone else has to bathe them and put them to bed. As Gene Perret said, “On the seventh day, God rested. His grandchildren must have been out of town.”

As seems to be becoming more prevalent in our society, one of our grandchildren is on the spectrum. Our beautiful 6-year-old granddaughter Matea was diagnosed a few years ago, and displays a number of the classical behaviours of an autistic child. Communication is an issue for her, but she has become more and more verbal as time goes on. It is interesting that she seems to have no problem communicating what she wants with her Nana (my wife), or her affection for both of us. Social interaction is difficult for her, but as she and I stand in line waiting to go into her kindergarten class each morning I see little examples of her interacting with the other girls of her age in small ways, either by touching them or by watching them play. We decided to stand in line with the other students to promote the social interaction rather than have her go into the school ahead of the other students. The 61-year-old Bampi (the name the kids have for me, or as the grandsons call me, Bamp) standing with the other kindergarten students is the highlight of the day for this old high school teacher.

My daughter asked me to write down what it means to be the grandparent of a child who is on the spectrum. What does it look like, sound like and feel like for someone who grew up in a time when there were no autistic children, or if there were, they were not around? What was it like for a parent who raised three children who all went on to university and become successful teachers? What did it mean for a teacher (and later administrator) who didn’t have to struggle with inclusion of these students in his classroom? It is a different world, a better world, but what does it mean to be a grandparent with a child such as Matea?

I must admit I struggled with the question. I did what I normally did when I previously wrote graduation speeches as a high school principal: I researched the topic, I Googled quotes, and tried to make them fit into some inspirational message to each year’s graduating class. I spent time looking at what others had written about similar circumstances and their experiences and thoughts to see how they were similar or dissimilar to my own experience. Then the words would follow, and hopefully make sense to at least a few.

This time it was different. There were no magical answers and really no gems of wisdom, and I struggled with that. As I thought about it, however, that was exactly the point: there are no words of wisdom or insight that could succinctly explain what it was like to be a the grandparent of a child on the spectrum, just like there is no magical answer that will help Matea with her struggles – only the work and efforts of a community.

Click here to read more

Home On The Range Autism Ranch

Home On The Range Autism Ranch is seeking adults with autism and developmental disabilities to become involved in agriculture and food sustainability programs in Strathcona County.

Open House
Date: Saturday May 2, 2015
Time: 10-2 pm

Come out and enjoy a great day with us on the ranch! See what we all provide and do at Home On The Range Autism Ranch.

To register as a participant or volunteer, email us at info@autismranch.org for more information.

Volunteers Join Us!
Date: Every Tuesdays
Time: 6-9 pm

We are always looking for volunteers. Join us if you are interested. We gather every Tuesdays. Email us to register or if you have any questions. Join us to get moving and make a difference in the lives of many people!

What we do at Home On The Range Autism Ranch:

• Active Outdoor Learning in Nature to Build Skills
• Greenhouse & Potting Studio
• Organic Vegetable & Herb
• Gardens
• Vegetable Box Program
• Garden Crafts
• Woodworking Pro jects with
• Pallets

Click here to learn more about Home On The Range Autism Ranch

Visual Schedules and Positive Behaviour Support Plans: Classroom Benefits for Teenage Students with ASD, FASD, and Brain Injuries

Myles Bingham

I teach a diverse group of teenage students with diagnoses that include brain injuries, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders. In the class we can have anywhere from 3 to 6 students with either one or two Educational Assistants (EAs). Our program works to improve communication, social interaction and behaviour and develop academic skills to contribute in the community. The students present a variety of unwanted behaviours, which the EAs and I have identified as barriers to achieving our program goals. The adoption of two classroom strategies has reduced student anxiety levels and improved student behaviour. Utilizing a multi-modal “First/Then” schedule and implementing Positive Behaviour Support Plans (PBS) has empowered students and enabled class participation in the community.

To reduce anxiety around transitions and activities, we employ a visual plan of events. Students follow a “First/Then” schedule in which “First”, they complete a teacher-directed activity based upon their Individualized Program Planning (IPP), and “Then”, they earn time in an activity of their choice. The daily schedule is both written and drawn on the board in large blocks. Each block has the words and shows a picture of an activity with clear arrows to show how students move through the “First/Then” activities. Students and guests to the class can immediately view where we are in our daily schedule and understand what the students are currently engaged in and working towards. This structure increases student independence due to the clear connections between completing work and earning choice activities. Students are encouraged to communicate preferred activities, as well as thoughts and feelings, with staff.

Our classroom team tailors Positive Behaviour Support Plans to encourage student-staff discussions on feelings. Students request a “break” when feeling anxious or angry. Every time a student requests a “break” we give it to them. The first step is to provide an alternative behaviour for the student in place of the unwanted behaviour. Once the student demonstrates that they can learn an alternative behaviour (to ask for a “break”) the classroom team can then work towards a desired behaviour.

In my class I have a student who would yell at other students to “shut up” when he felt they were too noisy. In creating his PBS, we encouraged him to ask for a break when he felt like yelling at a classmate and go to a pre-arranged spot in the hallway. Classroom staff modeled and role-played how to ask for a break and initially helped the student express himself (“It sounds like you need to take a break”). The student then made the connection and used the phrase after two weeks of continual practice. Every time he asked for a break I allowed him to leave the class. Initially, I was not comfortable with encouraging a student to be out of the classroom whenever he felt like leaving, but I also wanted to stop the yelling. After two weeks, the alternative behaviour of leaving the class completely replaced the yelling. We then worked with the student on a desired behaviour. Ultimately, I wanted the student in the class 100% of the time. The student agreed to stay in the class and put on his earbuds and listen to an iPod when feeling frustrated. Currently the student will ask me for a break and listen to his music, or simply make eye contact with me and pull the device out of his backpack. It took our team approximately four weeks to move between all of the steps in the plan. I consider having him not screaming at classmates and staying in the classroom a success. He is completing more of his work, and has learned a strategy to self-regulate that he can employ in other areas of his life.

Overall, the implementation of these two approaches has significantly reduced the number of behaviour events. Students and staff enjoy the calm and predictable environment in our classroom. With the support of my Special Education Department Head and school administration, I can collaborate with exceptional EAs to reshape behaviour. The multi-modal “First/Then” schedule and Positive Behaviour Support Plans are two strategies that work in my classroom to support interactions within the school and community.

Myles Bingham has a Master’s degree in Education Psychology with a focus on special education from the University of Alberta. He has worked as a classroom teacher, Academic Strategist, and Accessibility Advisor for students with disabilities at NorQuest College and the University of Alberta. Myles is currently teaching an Interactions class for Institutional Services Schools, which is a part of Edmonton Public Schools. In his spare time he chases his three boys, ages 4, 2 and 2, around the backyard.