Autism Around Alberta Newsletter

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

(more…)

In This Issue

• The Best Christmas Ever! – Karla Power
• Getting Ready to Drive – Kitty Parlby
• Autism CanTech
• The Unexpected Path – Deborah Barrett
• Social Narratives – Part 3 – Carmen Moore
• A Place to Call Home
• Successful Transitions from One Activity to Another for Individuals with ASD – Maureen Bennie
• Upcoming Autism Webinars

(more…)

In This Issue

• Autistic Peer Mentors and ASA Receive Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities Awards
• Barbara Stewart Self-Advocates Fund Campaign Update
• Give The Gift That Keeps On Giving!
• Autism Alberta’s Newest Online Toolkit: A Visual Aid Library
• A Real Life Perspective on Stimming – Kitty Parlby
• The Future of Autism Supports and Services in Alberta: A Wake Up Call
• My Personal Pandemic – Anantha Krishnamurthy
• Study on Body Image and Eating Behaviours
• The Chaos That Won’t Subside – Hope Rudics
• Autism RMWB Presents: The Missing Piece Project
• Light at the End of the Tunnel – Terri Robson
• Changes to Our Holiday Traditions – Brandon Rudics
• Workshop on Transitioning to Adulthood
• My Authentic Self – Bruce Petherick
• Social Narratives – Part 2 – Carmen Moore
• How the Pandemic is Affecting Sleep – Maureen Bennie
• Webinar: Supporting Individuals on the Autism Spectrum with Co-occuring Mental Health Issues
• The Kids Are Okay – Karla Power

In This Issue

• Help Us Reach Our Goal – Donate Today!
• Only One More Week
• I’m His Voice, He Is My Heart – Karla Power
• My Views On Change – Brandon Rudics
• K-12 Learning During COVID-19
• Supports at Post-Secondary Schools in Alberta – Kitty Parlby
• LGBTQ+ Support Group
• Beacon of Hope: A Parent With A Plan
• Social Narratives: Part 1 – Carmen Moore
• Research Opportunity for Canadian Families of Children with ASD
• Autism Calgary Holiday Parties
• Addressing Challenging Behaviour and ASD – Going Beyond What We See – Maureen Bennie
• Helpful Tips and Resources for Teaching Conversation Skills to High Functioning Students with ASD

(more…)

In This Issue

• Virtual Town Halls: The Future of Autism Supports & Services in Alberta
• Barbara Stewart Self-Advocates Fund Matching Campaign
• Supporting Autistic Advocates – Adam Glendon
• When Your Child Becomes an Adult – Kitty Parlby
• What’s Up, Wood Buffalo? – Nicole Spring
• Learning ASD Coping Techniques… From My Son – Brandon Rudics
• An Amazing New Initiative – Coming in December
• Cultivating Self-Esteem in a Stigmatizing World – Cara Hykawy
• This is Real Life – Karla Power
• The Power of Reinforcers – Part 3 – Carmen Moore
• Chatbot Engagement Focus Group
• The Importance of Play for Children with ASD – Maureen Bennie
• Workplace Disability Disclosure Study

In This Issue

• Back to School, At Home or in the Classroom: A Resource for Families
• It’s That Time of Year Again… But Things Are Looking Different – Hope Rudics
• Connecting to Your Closer Community – Kitty Parlby
• Autistic Support Group
• Never Give Up Hope – Karla Power
• Being An Adult with ASD in the LGBTQ2+ Community – Brandon Rudics
• Centre for Autism Services 50/50 Raffle
• Autistic Peer Mentor Hosts Free Virtual Group Tai Chi Classes – Aksana Kirton
• Back to School During COVID – Terri Duncan
• The Power of Reinforcers – Part 2 – Carmen Moore
• Constipation, Witholding and Overflow – A Deeper Dive into Bowel Problems for Individuals with ASD – Maureen Bennie

(more…)

In This Issue

• ASA’s Response to July 21st Announcement from the Minister of Education
• Please Ask Me About My Son – Karla Power
• Connecting in Lethbridge – Brandon Rudics
• Autistic Self-Expression
• Autism Society Alberta’s Annual General Meeting
• Autism Society Alberta Support Group
• Everyday Learning – Teaching in Context – Kitty Parlby
• Strategies for Better Sleep in Individuals with ASD – Ade Orimalade and Funto Orimalade
• Life Beyond Trauma
• Parenting a Child on the Spectrum, While on the Spectrum – Brandon Rudics
• The Big Announcement – Hope Rudics
• Increased Screen Time in the Age of COVID-19 – Maureen Bennie
• You Can’t Ask That: Autism
• Self-Management 101 – Carmen Moore
• Autism Edmonton is Adding New Board Members
• Occasio – Summer Edition

Let It Go

Karla Power

 
As I write this, I am filled with a sense of pride in my boys and peace in my heart. If you had asked me a month or two ago, I would not have described my heart as being peaceful. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Just like many people during this difficult time, I was struggling. I was struggling with trying to balance two worlds: that of work and home, all while trying to adjust my family and myself to a brand-new routine. It was definitely stressful!

On top of the regular everyday stress with work and managing a household, my husband and I were both stressing about how to meet our children’s goals. Paddy has goals for speech and communication, dressing goals, and life skills goals, to name a few. We had also just recently been informed that Kelton was not reaching his milestones. So here I am, sitting with lots of time on my hands, thinking it’s a great time to work on all these goals!

WRONG! After several attempts to work on many of these goals, I ended up feeling exhausted and defeated! I started to wonder if perhaps trying to potty train during a pandemic was not the best plan! Yes, we had lots of time, but it was not undivided, and both of our boys were out of their regular routine. So, to expect them to try new things in such a scary and confusing time was a bit much!

The Art of Backing Off

Kitty Parlby

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘quality of life’ quite a bit. Our family works hard to fill our son Eric’s life with a combination of productivity, recreation and relaxation. Although this can be a struggle at times, I have gotten better at it over the last 20 years. It is especially important to give Eric a chance to hone his abilities and learn new skills. However, there is a vital aspect of exploring skills and creativity that I’d like to address.

Have you ever come up with some great task or project for your autistic family member, student or client? Maybe it was a practical skill, or maybe it was creative. Perhaps it was just an everyday chore that you felt they were ready to try, or something they showed an interest in. However, as things got started you found that they were not going as you expected. Maybe it was going very slowly, or it was getting messy, or loud, or went in an entirely unexpected direction. Then, without even being conscious of doing it, you stepped in.

And there it is. Most of us, being human, look at completing tasks through our own experience. That means doing a task our way using the skill and experience we have. I’m no different. Yet we all gained those skills or our creative style through trial, practice and error. Those with autism need that same chance. So it was with great struggle and mindfulness that I had to learn a new skill myself: the art of backing off. It’s a fine balance to be had, and your balance may look different from my balance.

Continuing Autism Society Alberta's Conversation with the Government of Alberta

In the past few weeks, the Government of Alberta has invited representatives of Autism Society Alberta and other community groups representing Albertans with disabilities to learn more about the challenges individuals and families are facing in light of COVID-19. We are encouraged that some recent meetings have been more proactive, and we are being invited to provide our thoughts in advance. This includes a recent discussion with The Honourable Rajan Sawhney, provincial Minister of Community & Social Services, and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health. Since the situation continues to evolve every day, we encourage Autism Society Alberta members to continue to share your unique challenges and specific concerns, both with us and through your own network.

As we speak out for our community, we continue to highlight the need to:

• View a designated family member as an Essential Partner in Care (critical to physical health, emotional well-being, and containment/treatment of COVID19)
• Value the life of each Albertan equally (including those with disabilities)
• Understand the greater impact of social distancing measures on our individuals and families, including restrictions and cuts to essential services
• Address financial, social, and circumstantial barriers that restrict individuals on the spectrum in meeting their basic needs during this crisis
• Plan for barriers in post-Covid Alberta regarding disability-related services, housing, employment, and education

Real life experiences are invaluable in demonstrating the actual needs of our community. Please e-mail us at community@autismalberta.ca and keep us up to date on your most pressing issues.
 

Autism Society Alberta is Still Here to Help

During this period of social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19, Autism Society Alberta will be available to talk you through challenges you may be having personally or with loved ones with ASD. We can also refer you to your regional autism society. Call us at 1-877-777-7192 or email at info@autismalberta.ca. We are working from home, but will get to you as quickly as we can.

For everyone’s health and well-being, we want to remind you to wash your hands frequently; cough or sneeze into tissues, discard them immediately, and wash your hands afterwards; stay in your home except for essential trips for groceries or medications; and keep a distance of two meters between yourself and anyone you do not live with.

Act of Giving: Glenn Havinga

We are thrilled to spotlight our recently retired treasurer, Glenn Havinga. Glenn has volunteered as a board member with Autism Society Alberta for a total of fourteen years! During that time, he also graciously took on the task of being our treasurer.

Glenn is the father of two, and his youngest son, now 31 years old, is on the Autism Spectrum. Glenn’s professional background includes being a Certified Management Accountant.

When asked what he enjoyed most about volunteering with Autism Society Alberta, he quickly replied, “The people – I appreciate the passion of everyone around the table. To see people give so much of their time and effort when they are already busy with jobs and their own families is inspiring.”

A growing number of individuals and families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder are contacting Autism Society Alberta and our regional partners to express worry and concern regarding our province’s current political climate. The pending 2020 budget has our community in a heightened state of anxiety.

Needless to say, individuals and families are fearing for the vulnerability of government programs that are critical to supporting themselves or their family members to lead more independent lives. Of particular concern are Program Unit Funding, Special Education, Family Support for Children with Disabilities, Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, and the Persons with Developmental Disabilities program. There is also serious concern that the known gaps in Alberta`s systems of support may grow, such as the known problem with PDD IQ cutoff. There is fear that some programs may introduce more restrictive eligibility criteria, and that the number of Albertans experiencing hardship may increase.

We are also hearing issues regarding some recent policy changes and system challenges. Families in some regions are reporting a wait of 9 months for FSCD intake. Individuals are expressing hardship associated with the deindexing of AISH, and the pending shift of AISH payments to the first of each month. Also, local autism community groups are investigating some denied PDD applications from families with clear and immediate need.