• Rural BC – a new subsidized online behaviour interventionist training from Douglas College
• Common Pitfalls that Delay Invoice Payment – Tips from the Autism Funding Unit
• 'Calling All Characters Drama Program' – Victoria
• 'Transforming Parent- Child Interaction' – December 15th - Early Bird Deadline!
• 'A Story of My Life Having Mild Autism' by Sean Cloarec
• 'Searching for Home' - a national forum on homes for people with intellectual disabilities
• Ice Time! Hockey for Youth with Special Needs – Kamloops
• 'Facing Your Fears' Anxiety Treatment Group at BC Children's Hospital – Vancouver
• A Parent's Guide to Evidence- Based Practice and Autism
• Attention Pre-School Teachers: sharing your concerns with the parent – a great resource from Autism Speaks

Rural BC – a new subsidized online behaviour interventionist training from Douglas College

Beginning in January 2012, Douglas College is offering a new online course for Behaviour Interventionists living in rural and remote communities, with fees of less than $100 – subsidized by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Move quickly to register! See details

Want to know about other advanced education opportunities at B.C. post-secondary institutions for those who want to work in the autism field? See ACT's page on Post-Secondary Programs for Professionals.
Do you know of other programs we should post? Send the information to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Common Pitfalls that Delay Invoice Payment - Tips from the Autism Funding Unit

ACT and the Ministry of Children and Family's Autism Funding Unit have been working together to try and help parents and service providers avoid some common errors that slow down the processing of invoices. Here are the top 10 errors that slow down rapid payment, according to those at the AFU. See details.

The Calling All Characters Drama Program - Victoria

At ACT we hear about many great initiatives happening around the province to provide unusual opportunities for children, youth and adults with ASD. A great example is the Calling All Characters Drama Program in Victoria..

'Transforming Parent- Child Interaction' – a 3 day workshop over 6 weeks

Parenting a child with autism does not need to involve simply coping with challenging behaviors. With the insights provided by Dr. Joe Lucyshyn of UBC, you can learn how to set up family routines that help your child learn functional behaviors and give you the opportunity to have fun as a family.

Feedback forms from past workshops with Dr. Joe have demanded more time so we have expanded this to three days over a six week period. For details see http://www.actcommunity.net/autism-education/upcoming-live-events/421-tpbs-12-van.html 

Early Bird Deadline ends December  15th, 2011.

Bursaries are available: www.actcommunity.net/bursaries.htm

Hockey for Youth with Special Needs – Kamloops

A hockey program for boys and girls (5-16 years) who have developmental delays and their siblings is starting on January 7, 2012 in Kamloops. The only requirement is that they must be able to stand on skates. See details.  

'A Story About My Life Having Mild Autism' by Sean Cloarec

Sean Cloarec is an energetic young man with ASD who has sent ACT a thoughtful essay he has written about his experiences growing up in Cranbrook.  If you have any responses for Sean, please send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will forward them to him. See essay.

'Searching for Home' - a national forum on homes for people with intellectual disabilities

The B.C. Association for Community Living is organizing an important national forum on housing January 26-27th in Vancouver. For more information see http://bcacl.org/searchingforhome.

'Facing Your Fears' Anxiety Treatment Group at BC Children's Hospital – Vancouver

This is a cognitive-behavioural therapy group specifically designed for treatment of anxiety in children (ages 8-12) with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome. Parents and children participate in each session. Groups will be starting in the new year. For more information contact Melanie McConnell of BC Children's Hospital who is a registered psychologist with the Neuropsychiatry Clinic. - See details.

A Parent's Guide to Evidence- Based Practice and Autism

The U.S. National Autism Centre has developed  'A Parent's Guide to Evidence-Based Practice and Autism'. This document is comprehensive at over 200 pages long. - NAC Parent Manual (pdf)

Attention Pre-School Teachers: Sharing Your Concerns with the Parent – a great resource from Autism Speaks

Over the years ACT's staff has received many calls from pre-school teachers and speech pathologists struggling to know how to share their concerns with a parent about their child's development. Autism Speaks has come up with a great resource to tackle this sensitive issue in English and Spanish. An excellent  Early Childhood Milestone's Map in Chinese, Somali, Cambodian and Vietnamese is also included: Talking to Parents About Autism Kit

ACT - Autism Community Training Society
150-2250 Boundary Road, Burnaby, B.C. V5M 3Z3
Phone: 604-205-5467 Fax: 604-205-5345 Toll Free: 1-866-939-5188
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www.actcommunity.net

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