Looking Forward
It isn’t necessarily the adoption of minutes, discussion of ASA finances, or nomination of new board members that make me want to carve out some time in our summer to attend the AGM. For me, it is simply sitting in the room, being on the edge of the conversation. It is exciting to listen to the updates being shared by members from across Alberta – things that are happening from Fort McMurray to Lethbridge, and all of them will have a positive ripple effect for my family and our daughter on the spectrum.
Most importantly, it is a unique opportunity to sit among other parents of children on the spectrum at different seasons in life. To listen, not only to where they are on their journey, but where they have come from. It is a very meaningful experience to observe and participate in conversation with those who have and are blazing the trail for those of us just embarking on our trip down Autism Avenue.
Saturday, August 15
10:00am to 3:00pm
Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre, Red Deer
Location to be confirmed
Order of the Eastern Star Makes Major Donation to ASA
On Friday, June 5, I was privileged to attend a meeting of the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern
Star. These men and women from all over Alberta use their energy to create opportunities and to make things better for many sectors of society. This year, Autism Society Alberta was the proud recipient of $23,000 in Casino funds and other funds to be used where most needed. We are very grateful to the Order of the Eastern Star, and very honoured to be chosen as a worthy recipient of their efforts.
ASA’s Central Alberta Chapter Hosts Movie Night
On a warm Friday evening in May, about 75 people gathered in a small hall in Red Deer for our first sensory-friendly screening of the movie Big Hero 6. Children arrived with blankets, pillows, and even boxes to sit it in (for the drive-in movie effect). Families were treated to popcorn and pizza when they first reached the hall. Not only did the organizers of this event have a movie going, they also arranged for a LEGO station in one part of the hall, and a large space for children who wanted to move throughout the movie.
The movie evening was a HUGE success! And even more important were the connections made. Siblings who have a brother or sister on the spectrum got to meet up with other siblings, everyone got a chance to play “in their own way”, and because of the space chosen carefully by the organizers, parents got the chance to take a quick breath and enjoy the company of other adults, because their children were safe and having fun.
Special thank you to ASA for sponsoring our little movie night here in Red Deer – people grow where they are accepted, and our autism community in Red Deer is flourishing.
Central Alberta Parent Support Group Meeting
Autism Society Alberta – Central Alberta Chapter (central@autismsocietyalberta.org)
Parent Support Group Meeting
Monday, June 15
6:00 p.m – 8:00 p.m
G.H. Dawe – Activity Room 2, 56 Holt Street, Red Deer
Agenda:
- Upcoming Programs
- Parent Perspective
- Have your input into services you would like to see in Central Alberta
Upcoming Meeting: To discuss summer meetings
Caring for Someone with Autism
Yogesh Thakker
There is no denying that looking after someone with autism can be demanding, and it can put considerable strain on relationships. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, people’s experiences vary enormously, but it’s generally harder for parents and caregivers of people with more severe autism.
- Educate yourself about autism: Ask your doctor or contact autism groups like the Autism Society of Edmonton Area, Autism Calgary, or Autism Society Alberta to get more information on autism. Understanding the condition and knowing what to expect is an important part of helping your child develop independence.
- People with autism need structure and routine. They often find strange and unpredictable events very difficult to manage and need to understand what is happening and when. Many individuals with autism find transition from one activity to another difficult and a visual cue to support this (for example, using a visual sand timer to indicate when an activity is coming to an end) can be extremely helpful.
- People with autism often respond well to visual cues. In their early years, taking “Objects of Reference” (e.g. swimming trunks to demonstrate going swimming) to the child can help to provide prompts and reinforce the spoken word. Family can receive help from Speech and Language therapists to use alternative and augmented systems of communication to facilitate their child’s development. The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is often used by children and adults with autism, and is a system where individuals are taught to communicate by giving them a card with a picture of the thing they require on it.
Many people with autism have problems with sensory processing, i.e. the way in which their nervous system takes in, processes and makes use of sensory information. They may experience sensory information in a “hyper” (extreme) or “hypo” (muted) way, and in practical terms this may mean that they find some smells overpowering and actually painful, or noises (including ones we can’t hear) unbearable. Families can look for clues or responses to particular sensory stimuli, for example covering ears in response to particular sounds, refusing to brush teeth, or smearing feces, which may indicate that a child has a Sensory Processing Disorder. Contacting professionals like occupation therapists, who can advise best approaches to manage Sensory Processing Disorders is another way to move forward.- The behavioural challenges that are present when caring for a person with autism can often feel overwhelming. It is a good idea to make a list of problematic behaviours and choose one or two priority behaviours that will be addressed first. The first step in tackling a problematic behaviour is to figure out what is causing that behaviour. In behaviourist terms this is referred to as the “antecedent”. It is also important to look at what the consequences of the behaviour are, i.e. what happens immediately after the behaviour. Often the consequences are the reason why the behaviour continues to occur. Keeping a record over a period of days or weeks should identify a pattern to the events that are causing the behaviour to occur. Once you are aware of the potential triggers of an undesirable behaviour you can take steps to either avoid those triggers or slowly desensitize the person to those things. Parents can contact behavioural specialists to get further help to understand challenging behaviours and their management.
- Assess the need for medication: While there is no medication for treating core symptoms of autism (like social communication and interaction difficulties and stereotyped behaviours), there are drugs for specific symptoms that people with autism might display. For example, short attention spans can sometimes be improved with stimulant drugs that are used to treat ADD or ADHD. People with autism who have anxiety, depression, or OCD behaviours can often be treated with antidepressants. The effectiveness of these medicines varies and side effects are possible. Please discuss need for medication with your health professional.
Many people with autism have problems with sensory processing, i.e. the way in which their nervous system takes in, processes and makes use of sensory information. They may experience sensory information in a “hyper” (extreme) or “hypo” (muted) way, and in practical terms this may mean that they find some smells overpowering and actually painful, or noises (including ones we can’t hear) unbearable. Families can look for clues or responses to particular sensory stimuli, for example covering ears in response to particular sounds, refusing to brush teeth, or smearing feces, which may indicate that a child has a Sensory Processing Disorder. Contacting professionals like occupation therapists, who can advise best approaches to manage Sensory Processing Disorders is another way to move forward.Our Story
Jessica Page
Fall of last year we began to notice our 13-month-old lose words, gestures and eye contact. Previously we didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. We acted immediately, and within a few days I booked an appointment with our physician. Unfortunately, we felt our concerns were brushed under the rug, and a hearing test was suggested. The next day I made another appointment to see a different physician for a second opinion. We were then referred to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton, where a hearing test was ordered. When the test results came back, they reported normal hearing. We waited 5 months to the day for an assessment. We saw multiple therapists, all of whom shared their observations and assessments with the Glenrose.We Want to Hear From You!
Your ATN@Work: Improving Healthcare for Adults with Autism
This post was written by Val Guiltner for the Autism Speaks Blog. Val is the Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, in Edmonton, Alberta. The hospital is one of 14 centers in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN).
We at Glenrose are so pleased to be part of the Autism Speaks ATN. It gives us the opportunity to both learn about model programs at other ATN centers and share our own. One of our important missions at Glenrose is to expand autism expertise among healthcare providers in our region and beyond.
In particular, we are concentrating on developing service capacity for adults with autism. Like other pediatric autism clinics across North America, we have a growing number of teens preparing for the transition to adulthood. We want to ensure that they make the transition to adult healthcare seamlessly and that their often-complex medical needs are met across the lifespan.
Building autism expertise in the adult healthcare system
To accomplish this, we have begun collaborating with Edmonton’s Oliver Primary Care Network. This large network includes hundreds of healthcare professionals, including physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. As a group, they have a special focus on supporting people with chronic health conditions in a wholistic, or “whole person,” manner. We’re working with them on several levels – the most immediate being the development of transition plans for our teen patients with autism.
Among our most important tools has been the wide array of Autism Speaks ATN/AIR-P tool kits for healthcare professionals. These include such topics as using visual supports to ease communication with patients who have autism as well as autism-sensitive techniques for performing blood draws, electroencephalography (EEG), dental procedures, visual exams and more.
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Autism Society Alberta’s Annual General Meeting
10:00am to 3:00pm
Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre, Red Deer
Location to be Confirmed
Watch for more details next month in Autism Around Alberta and ASA’s website, Facebook and Twitter!
ASA’s Central Alberta Chapter Welcomes Dr. Jody Carrington
Jessica Schurman
On a quiet evening in May, forty parents, teachers, educational assistants, respite workers, and grandparents came together to listen to presenter and psychologist Dr. Jody Carrington.
We were treated to a funny, inspirational, and genuine three hour presentation on the “Power of Relationships – with a dash of Autism.” Dr. Jody spoke about the importance of empathy and connecting with our children. Parents were able to ask specific questions about their children on the spectrum, and receive feedback from Dr. Jody throughout the presentation.
It was such an amazing opportunity for everyone in the room to have a chance to hear a psychologist share her expertise, and listen to the message that we are all right where we need to be, no matter how painful or wonderful.
For Youth: What is Transition Planning?
Have you started to think about what comes next after high school? Do you have some ideas about what kind of job you might have, or things you want to do as an adult?
These are some of the questions many teens start thinking about around age 16. Planning for when you become an adult at age 18 is sometimes called “transitioning to adulthood.” This is an exciting time and your family, teachers, friends and others who are important to you can all help you to create your plan for your future! The Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) program can help you and your family build a Transition Planning team that includes people who will share information to help you achieve your vision for the future. Someone from FSCD can help you coordinate planning meetings with your Transition Planning Team. There may be meetings where there are only a few people, or some where more people come to talk with you and share ideas for your plan.
Who is going to be at the meeting?
- You and your family get to decide who is going to be at the meeting and make final decisions about what is right for you.
- There may be some people at the meeting who you know and some who you don’t, but everyone at the meeting is there to help you achieve your goals.
- If you want to know who’s coming to meet with you, just ask!
- You can also ask to have a friend or other person come to the meeting if that would help you feel more comfortable.
What do I have to do?
- Talk to your family about your hopes, dreams and plans for the future.
- Let everyone know who you want to attend and who you do not want to attend.
- Let everyone know what will make you comfortable at a meeting.
- If there are things you are asked to do, let everyone know what help you need.
- You will only have to do and say what you feel comfortable with.
What if I have questions?
- Be sure you ask someone – your family, friend, your teacher or another support person – if you have any questions and let them know about any help you need.
- Let others know if you are not sure about how to talk about what you want, or how to get ideas to share at the meeting.
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 getting started with transition planning, please contact your local Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) office.
Calling All Dads of Children with Autism
Who: Bonnie Lashewicz, Beth Parrott and student researchers from the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary
Purpose: We want to learn about the experiences of fathers of children with Autism. We are especially interested in hearing from fathers of children with Autism who have immigrated to Canada and/or speak English as a second language, and/or are working extra hours to support their families.
We need you! Fathers who volunteer for our study will participate in a face to face interview with a researcher at a time and location that works best for the father. The interview will be like a conversation. Fathers are welcome to bring a family member or friend to the interview for support and/or to translate. The researcher will provide a translator if needed. Fathers will receive a 50 dollar gift card as a thanks for taking part in the interview.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in our study please contact Kritika Sharma or Amanda Lo for further information at (403) 700-7510 or kshar@ucalgary.ca, and (403) 608-3690 or awclo@ucalgary.ca, respectively.
Independence Step By Step
Maureen Bennie
Visuals can be used for scheduling, with schedules created for the day or within an activity. If a child feels anxious seeing the whole day’s plan, break it down to morning, afternoon and evening. When scheduling, think about teaching flexibility and how to cope with something unpredictable. Put the word “surprise” in one time block. Teaching flexibility and unpredictability are important life skills because we all know the day doesn’t always go as planned and things can change at a moment’s notice in the workplace.
Build in a sense of choice at an early age. One of the first things that I see happen to people who are diagnosed with autism is their ability to choose for themselves or say no gets taken away. Making choices and refusing things is an important life skill. Start small with two choices on a board. “Would you like an apple or banana for snack?” You can also start with a non-preferred activity followed by the choice of a preferred one. For example, first we do math, then you can (let the child choose between 2 or 3 things they like to do). This teaches the child they can do something they don’t like and survive and delays gratification, all part of life.
My children Marc and Julia are working on the concept of working to earn things they want through volunteering at a local Farmer’s Market. Julia wants a Playmobil Pool which is more expensive than the 2 DVD’s her brother wants. I’ve told Julia she has to work 4 shifts to earn the pool while Marc only has to work 2 shifts to get his first DVD. Both children understand this concept and realize you have to work more hours to get something that costs more – a valuable skill.
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