ACT - Autism Community Training

These are some of our upcoming events, covering severe behavior disorders, transition planning for adutls and adolescents, and our first ever event in Cantonese. We've scheduled a busy fall for ourselves and we hope to see you at one of our events. You can register online or call us locally at 604-205-5467 or toll-free at 1-866-939-5188

MONDAY-FRIDAY | AUGUST 12 - 16 | VANCOUVER
Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders: Practical Applications (POPARD) 
Kenneth D. Cole, Ph.D., R.Psych., Consultant with the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders

FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 27 | KELOWNA
Social Thinking and Transition Planning for the Adult World and Real Life
Presented by: Pam Crooke, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

SATURDAY | SEPTEMBER 28 | KELOWNA
Teaching Individuals with ASD about Sexuality: An Introduction for School Teams and Parents
Presented by: Joy Becker, RN, BSN

FRIDAY & SATURDAY | October 4 & 5, 2013 |  KAMLOOPS
Transforming Parent-Child Interaction with Positive Behavior Support
Presented by: Joe Lucyshyn, Ph.D, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia

FRIDAY  | October 4, 2013|  VANCOUVER    2013 年10月4日，星期五 - 溫哥華
Introduction to “Positive Behaviour Support” for Children with ASD and Other Developmental Disabilities (in Cantonese) 正面行為支持”與自閉及發展障礙兒童 【廣東話】
Presented by: Dianna Yip, M.Ed., BCBA 教育系碩士, 國際認證行為分析師 葉曉欣 主講 

SATURDAY | October 19, 2013 |  TERRACE
Teaching Individuals with ASD about Sexuality: An Introduction for School Teams and Parents
Presented by: Joy Becker, RN, BSN

FRIDAY & SATURDAY | October 25 & 26, 2013 |  VANCOUVER
Functional Analysis & Treatment of Severe Behavior Disorders Methods for Clinicians and Educators
Presented by Brian Iwata, Ph.D., Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Florida

Register online or call us locally at 604-205-5467 or toll-free at 1-866-939-5188 
More online events
Bursary information
Autism Funding Unit information 

This June 21st, come to a free public meeting to launch an initiative to support employment of people with ASD. This event will be attended by representatives from ASD related organizations throughout B.C.

For more information on location, to register and for other details see this attached PDF.

The B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development has announced changes to the Autism Funding Program to be implemented in September 2013. For details see: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2013/03/new-funding-option-supports-transitions-to-adulthood.html 

The 2nd Annual Canadian ASD Vocational Conference: What Will It Take? Advancing Vocational Opportunities for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders will be held at Canada Olympic Park Conference Centre Calgary, Alberta on June 6 and 7th, 2013.

The conference will feature the following speakers:

• Randy Lewis has transformed the distribution centers of US-based Walgreens to an integrated workforce for persons with disabilities.
• Michelle Garcia Winner offers innovative vocational skill development strategies in adults’ natural `learning` environment. She brings a dynamic focus on ASD skill development for vocational success.
• Peter Gerhardt is a leader in supports to adolescents and adults with ASD. He focuses on school-to-work transition.
• Mark Wafer is the owner of six Tim Hortons in Toronto and he employs over 85 people with disabilities in all areas of the business from entry level to management.

ACT is delighted to release a new online video: Education, Integration, Inclusion: Key Information for Parents of Children with Special Needs in B.C., presented by Suzanne Jacobsen, Ed.D., BCBA . This is a valuable talk for parents and professionals who want to better understand how to achieve the best outcomes for students across special needs attending a B.C. public school.

Dr. Jacobsen is a registered psychologist, a behavior consultant and a qualified teacher who has extensive experience in the B.C. education system. She provides parent-friendly analysis of the role and responsibility of the school in the life of the student with specific references to the B.C. School Act and Ministry of Education resources. Dr. Jacobsen explains the importance of assessment to measure progress and identify educational goals for the student. Dr. Jacobsen’s positive advice on effective collaboration with the school team is very helpful to families struggling to understand roles and responsibilities. As the school year winds down, this video provides timely guidance on reviewing a student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP) to prepare for the next school year.

The video is in four parts

• Part 1: Autism in the School System (1 hour 10 minutes) 
• Part 2: Autism Ability and Assessments (1 hour 15 minutes) 
• Part 3: IEPs and other Documentation (1 hour 13 minutes) 
• Part 4: Collaboration and Meetings (59 minutes) 

 Your video subscription includes links to:  

• important resources including the laws and guidelines that Dr. Jacobsen refers to; 
• forms to help you prepare for and keep records of meetings; 
• glossary of terms; 
• sample IEPs; 
• an online discussion area where you can connect with other parents. 

Comments from the live event: 
"really practical advice and examples" (parent) 
"lots of useable information in one place - saves a lot of time and is enlightening" (student)
"Great to have the opportunity and insight on how we could do more for our child" (parent)

If you have an active subscription to all Online Videos, this new video is included in your subscription. 

• Details about this video
• Download Online Videos handout and registration form
• General questions about ACT Online Videos
• Register online
• Login to AOLC to see the online videos you've subscribed to

The ACT Annual Report 2012 is now available.

Download and read how ACT:

• Has trained 12 volunteer facilitators across British Columbia
• Answered more than 2,000 information queries
• Manages the RASP with 476 professionals listed
• Provided 2,671 New Diagnosis Parent Packages
• Uses our website as an information hub for almost 67,000 visitors in 2012
• Trained over 2,000 people at 17 events in nine communities
• Raised over $11,00 for bursaries
• Thanks the over 100 volunteers who support ACT’s work

Today, April 2, 2013, is World Autism Awareness Day, recognized by the governments of British Columbia and Canada:

BC government press release: Reaching out to address autism in B.C.

Message from Canada Minister of Health: World Autism Awareness Day. 

To see what's happening around B.C this month, visit our Autism Awareness Month listings, or submit your own! 

In B.C., April is Autism Awareness Month, and April 30^th is the deadline for filing income taxes for 2012.

Here at ACT, we’ve been getting some phone called about disability exemptions and other tax related questions. ACT cannot offer tax advice – for that we recommend that you consult an accountant. We can, however, point you in the direction of some helpful guides and sites:

• Bulletin on Disability Tax Credits
• Canada Revenue Agency pages and topics for persons with disabilities.
• A PDF of Medical and Disability Related Information from the Canada Revenue Agency.

 In addition, during the month of April, ACT is offering FREE registration to our online video Estate Planning for Families who have Children with Special Needs in B.C., presented by Mr. Blair Dwyer of Dwyer Tax lawyers. Register online and use the code 343633D466 to register for free (access expires on May 1, 2013).

As we prepare for World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, here is an upbeat interview with federal M.P. Mike Lake, his 17 year son Jaden who has autism and his delightful daughter Jenae who speaks to some of the siblings issues that are rarely highlighted on the media: http://theagenda.tvo.org/blog/agenda-blogs/amazing-lakes .