Autism Around Alberta Newsletter

In This Issue

• Autism Alberta’s Family Resource Centres
• Autism Alberta’s Summer Support Group Meetings
• Self-Care Milestones and How We Got There – Kitty Parlby
• Defining the Spectrum – Nicole Burnett
• COVID-19 Disability Survey
• Autism Insights – June 2021
• The Power of “Yet” – Karla Power
• Estate Planning Series: Part 4 – Disability Tax Credit – Gergely Hegedus
• Improv Groups for Teens and Adults
• Latest News from the Sinneave Family Foundation
• What is a Sensory Diet? – Maureen Bennie

In Memory of Deborah Barrett

It is with great sorrow that we share the news of Deborah Barrett’s passing on April 20th, 2021.

As President of Autism Society Alberta, I have the task of trying to convey what Deborah meant to our community and to myself. It is a difficult task, and one that I take very seriously. Deborah’s passing leaves a chasm in our community efforts on topics such as Who Will Take Care of Our Kids and employment for those with disabilities. She was a great activist in our community. She was a resource whose departure will impact the effectiveness of our efforts for many years.

It is sad that you often kick yourself after a loss, telling yourself “I wish I told them what they meant to me and our community while they were alive”. I feel I missed the opportunity to truly tell Deb this personally, so I am choosing to do the next best thing I can think of and tell anyone else that will listen. I was first introduced to Deborah about eight years ago, when I was looking to build service offerings for children with disabilities. Within 24 hours of meeting Deborah, she had a dental emergency, and asked me to make a speech and accept a large donation for Autism Society Alberta at a dinner event. In the years that followed, she always provided me with great advice and even greater mentoring, which helped me to eventually realize the importance of the words in that first speech.

In This Issue

• Update on ASA’s Covid Response and Recovery Initiative
• Autism Alberta’s New Sibling Toolkit
• Smoothing the Transition into High School – Kitty Parlby
• Poverty Reduction Table – AISH Educational and Awareness Campaign
• It Has Been A Pleasure! – Brandon Rudics
• Canadian Journal of Autism Equity
• Estate Planning Series: Part 2 – Inter Vivos Discretionary Trusts (Henson Trusts) – Nicole Wiebe
• Spectrum Siblings – Karla Power
• Research Study Looking for Peer Facilitators
• Modeling: Part 3 – Carmen Moore
• Share Your Experiences with Autism
• Caregivers and Increased Demands During the Pandemic – Maureen Bennie
• Webinar: How to Incorporate Structured Strategies into Everyday Life
• Upcoming Caregiver Workshops
• Workshops from the Centre for Autism Services Alberta

In This Issue

• Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day 2021 – Kitty Parlby
• Aging in Autism: Supporting An Autistic Senior
• Kindness and Connection – Karla Power
• Estate Planning Series: Part 1– Estate Planning and Discretionary Trusts – Nicole Wiebe
• Medication – Hope Rudics
• Modeling: Part 2 – Carmen Moore
• The Light at the End of the Tunnel? – Brandon Rudics
• Health Matters: Why Developmental Disabilities Are A Covid-19 Vaccine Priority
• Women+ASD Learning+Support Group
• How to Support Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Through Grief and Loss – Maureen Bennie
• Sensory Issues and Emotions: A Guide to Assisting Children and Adolescents with Self-Awareness and Strategy Development
• Upcoming Workshops from the Centre for Autism Services Alberta

In This Issue

• Autism Alberta’s Statement on FSCD
• Revealing An Autism Diagnosis – Kitty Parlby
• Autism Calgary School Parent Panel
• Life Uncommon – Karla Power
• Introducing Legacy on 5th
• Socially Connecting, Learning, and Meeting While Physically Apart – Ideas for the ASD Community – Maureen Bennie
• Job Seeking During COVID-19 – You Thought It Was Tough Before!
• Modeling – Part 1 – Carmen Moore
• Autism Edmonton’s Artwork Competition
• The Autism Lens – Teaching and Supporting Kids on the Spectrum
• Autism Conference Mini-Series: Re-Thinking What We Know

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