Submit your Listing to ACT’s Community Events Page
With social distancing measures still in effect, the range of options for the summer are limited. To help families find what is available, ACT is gathering information on virtual summer camps and fun activities for school-age kids to be posted on a new Summer 2020 BC Community Events page. If you have a camp, program or event to share with families who have children with a range of special needs, please submit your resource. Please note that we are looking for more specialized resources that will address the needs of neuro-diverse children.
Early Intervention Resources for the Home Environment
There are thousands of children across Canada whose autism assessments have been delayed for several months at this point. As the wait time for a publicly-funded assessment in BC was up to 60 weeks even before the pandemic, forcing families to seek a private diagnosis at a cost in the range of $3,000 – $4,000, many families are highly stressed. To help families find ways of engaging with their young children who have either just been diagnosed, or where autism is suspected, ACT has gathered resources on our COVID-19 Page. These suggestions, illustrated by great videos, are focused on play based interventions. Even if a child does not have autism, these suggestions are helpful to encourage communication and social development and have been developed by world leaders in this field.
Looking for some fresh ideas on how to engage your young child who has either been recently diagnosed or where you have concerns about social communications?
Perhaps you work in public health, IDP or in a CDC which has been forced to close? We would welcome professionals forwarding this resource to families who are awaiting a diagnosis or early intervention services.
We urge parents to watch it – it’s only an hour – and hope that early intervention providers will share the link with their families and help them identify the ideas/resources that are a good fit for their child. The PDF Handout contains example activities, resources, and websites.
In addition to the free web stream above, the links to the programs below provide families tips on what to do to encourage social communication while they are waiting for a diagnosis. Ideally there is an early educator, a speech pathologist, or an Infant Development Program worker who knows the child too, and can provide advice remotely. We are not suggesting that parents become therapists, but these programs provide more sharply tuned approaches to parenting.
For children who have a language delay these resources will generally be easier to implement. For those who go on to be diagnosed with autism, it is often harder for families, but the techniques are the same. They are geared toward play and fun!
Autism Navigator is a unique collection of web-based tools and courses that uses extensive video footage to bridge the gap between science and community practice.
The Early Start Denver Model is a relationship-based early intervention model created to work with very young children with, or showing signs of, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Challenging Behaviors: Positive Behavior Support is Key!
The resources below focus on helping families re-consider the challenging behaviours that some of their children engage in. Usually these behaviors occur because the child is frustrated, as they do not understand and can not communicate what they want. The approach of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is very helpful to change a negative dynamic in the home and ACT has a number of free online videos that can help families understand how to support their child with practical information that is parent-friendly. While you may need more professional support to really take advantage of this approach, watching these videos will help you become a better informed consumer of professional services.
ACT is continuing to update information on advocacy efforts and resources on our COVID-19 page. We welcome your suggestions for new resources at info@actcommunity.ca.
ACT uses our Special Needs Community Events listing to share information provided by many different organizations. Below are a few of the upcoming events. To see what is happening around the province, visit Special Needs Community Events You are welcomed to submit your organization’s events. Over 7,000 individuals and agencies receive ACT’s News Round-Up.
Did you know there are a number of programs that can apply to special kids and adults that can make summer travel more affordable?
BC Ferries Disability Card
Discount fares are available for the person with a disability and his/her escort that will save one-half the regular passenger fare for both you and your travelling companion.
To receive this rate, you must present a BC Ferries Disabled Status Identification (DSI) Card. Discounts do not apply to vehicle rates.
The Access2Card helps those with disabilities who require assistance to access entertainment and recreation at participating venues across Canada, including movie theaters, the Vancouver Aquarium, and Britannia Beach Mine Museum.
The person with a disability pays regular admission and the support person receives free admission.
ACT is looking for photos of children, teens and adults with autism hanging out with their friends, siblings, school mates, parents and grandparents, or on their own having fun.
We use these photos to add life and personality to our print and online materials and to portray people with autism around BC enjoying life in our communities.
Visit our Share Your Family Photos page for more information on how we use submitted photos. Below are some of the submitted photos we’ve used in our emails, website, and in our print guides.
Research is crucial to build our knowledge of what are evidence-informed approaches to help individuals with autism and other conditions. Below are selected listings of university-affiliated research projects which parents and community professionals may be interested in exploring.
How People with ASD Experience and Understand Online Gaming as a Communication Learning Platform: A Phenomenological Approach
Participants Needed for UBC Study on ASD and Bilingualism
Addressing the Needs of Students with Autism with Self-Injurious Behaviour: A Narrative Inquiry
Healthcare services, stress, and resilience among Canadian children with disabilities
Summer with the Sharks in Mexico! – Online Auction is now open!
A Shark Watching Cruise in Mexico for one with Nautilus Tours! Sail to the waters of Guadalupe Island off of Baja California to experience the best Great White Shark diving on the planet!
This package includes accommodation and food on the Nautilus Belle Amie, with a spacious salon, sun deck, an expansive dive deck and, of course, a hot tub.
Bidding is now open and will end at ACT’s Songs on the Water event on June 4th. Visit the Songs on the Water page to book tickets for this fundraiser at the Vancouver Rowing Club, Stanley Park. All funds raised will benefit ACT’s free resources.
This trip is valued at over $3000 USD. Airfare not included.
Joseph Lucyshyn, PhD, BCBA-D, University of British Columbia
Dr. Joseph Lucyshyn presents a multi-method study of family centered positive behavior support (FCPBS), designed to be culturally responsive to families raising a child with developmental disabilities. A fascinating case study demonstrates how the family was coached to use PBS strategies to transform their child’s ability to eat a nutritious diet and play with her sibling.
Thanks to funding from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration (CIRCA) at the University of British Columbia, ACT is able to provide this edited version of the 2018 Setting the Stage for Success: Positive Behavior Support in School, Home and Community conference.
Coming soon: Visual Support Strategies for Individuals with ASD with Dr. Brenda Fossett
We’ve updated the ACT Videos & Resources Guide – now with 55 videos, as well as details of upcoming events, BC Resources, and the Autism Information Database.
New this issue: ‘Women & Girls with Autism’ and ‘Positive Behavior Support in Home, School, and Community’ learning streams, and a preview of new videos being released later this Spring.
Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel, respected internationally for her research and clinical practice, discusses various intervention procedures for decreasing challenging behaviors.
Dr. Kern Koegel also provides many example of how challenging behaviors can be avoided in the first place. This presentation will appeal to both professionals and families for its reliance on important research as well as respect for individuals with autism and challenging behaviors.
Problem behaviors are one of the greatest barriers to student learning and is a significant problem for school staff and parents alike. Understanding why they occur is critical to developing preventative and educative solutions in-order-to benefit students and those who support them.
Dr. Richard Stock will dispel myths about why students engage in problem behaviors and teach participants about the four functions of behavior.
Thanks to funding from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration (CIRCA) at the University of British Columbia, ACT is able to provide an edited version of the 2018 Setting the Stage for Success: Positive Behavior Support in School, Home and Community conference.
Welcome summer 2019 at the Vancouver Rowing Club, with a very special evening of music and friendship to benefit ACT – Autism Community Training. Featured artists include: Melanie Dekker, Yvonne McSkimming, and Mark James Fortin.
June 4th is an opportunity for the autism community and its friends to join with us for a fabulous evening in support of ACT’s free online resources. Organize a table or attend on your own. Either way you will meet old friends and make new ones.
Tickets for the evening are $50 – a $30 tax receipt will be provided. Demonstrate your support for ACT’s free online resources – sponsor a table – contact ACT for details.
ACT thanks the Synergy Collective Society, a community-based organization that blends art with social responsibility to support and create cooperative community programming.
Kari Zweber Palmer from the Social Thinking Speakers’ Collaborative is back in Vancouver with two days of training focused on younger learners. This is the fourth time ACT has presented this training and it always sells out! Save money and register by April 4th!
Day 1 – Teaching Social Thinking through Stories and Play
Day 2 – What Does Play Have to Do with Classroom Learning? Exploring Social Executive Functioning and Social Emotional Learning for Early Learners
Event Details & Registration
Register by April 4th to save $50!
Please note that this training is geared for children with ASD who have age-appropriate language but struggle with social/emotional engagement. It is also effective for children with ADHD.
You may email ACT before registering if you have questions: info@actcommunity.ca
Special group rates of $150 per person for 3 or more people watching via web-streaming on the same screen – a great team-building opportunity for schools and clinics to train staff. Contact us to learn more.
Summer Camps are a hot topic!
It is time to plan for summer camps! Parents are welcome to search ACT’s BC Community Listing for camps. We have 100 listed but you can narrow down the results by adding the name of the community where you live.
Are you a camp provider? You can submit your camp here!
If any listing is out of date please let us know or send us an update using the handy alert function on each record.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, including a $50,000 matching fund provided by the Ross-Dwyer family, our fundraising campaign for 2019 is off to a strong start – we raised over $10,000 over the past week. Blair Dwyer, a lawyer based in Victoria explains why his family is prepared to double the contribution of individual donors – right up to December 25th.
“The reason for the gift is really quite simple. We feel a tremendous debt of gratitude for all the help that ACT gave to us in raising our two children. They are both doing better than we could have thought possible after we learned of their diagnosis. ACT is a big part of that.” Blair’s gratitude to ACT was echoed by our donors:
“Thank you infinitely for all that you have provided to the Autism Community. I have been using your website and going to your events since 2015. It helped me in managing the challenges of having a child with autism.”
“Everyone at Constructive Pathways and I have appreciated everything that ACT has provided to the community over the years. Here’s a small contribution for the future. Here’s to many more!”
“Thank you for your excellent evidence-based resources and events! Keep up the great work – quality, up-to-date, freely accessible educational resources are vital for families of individuals with ASD, support personnel and professionals alike! “
“Amazing resource to families – keep up the great work!”
“We need your services…Thank you!!!”
“This is such a fabulous resource for both families and practitioners. Thank you.”
“In recognition of our grandson Adam who has brought us such great joy.”
“It will be a very sad if you are unable to continue the good work you do in the way you currently do it!”
“Keep up the great work! Especially the live/streamed workshops.”
“Thank you for everything you do and all the support that you provide to our families!”
“I am very happy to donate to ACT! ACT was central to my learning about ASD and so much more.”
“ACT is an amazing resource for our province and a precious gem for our country. We must keep ACT doing what it does best. . . training, advocating, sharing and providing the facts.”
Two new free videos –
ACT’s Online Mental Health & Autism Project
The Relationship between Anxiety and Social Competence – Grace Iarocci, PhD, RPsych
The relationship between the symptoms of anxiety, depression and social functioning among children, with and without ASD, are poorly understood. In this 25 minute presentation, Dr. Grace Iarocci presents a study into whether generalized anxiety and depression symptoms, were associated with social competence. gender. Dr. Iarocci discusses the importance of assessing both internalizing symptoms and social difficulties in children with ASD and the implications for treatment.
Implementing Modified CBT in a Group Format to Treat Anxiety in Children with ASD: Insights for Parents, Clinicians, and Researchers
In this 20 minute presentation, Dr. Johnson highlights the growing evidence that group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatments to address mental health issues, such as anxiety, are promising alternatives to standard individual CBT treatments for children with ASD. The presentation includes information to support parents in recognizing anxiety and seeking appropriate services as well as information for professionals interested in learning more about clinical and research efforts related to increasing community accessibility of group treatments targeting mental health concerns.
Volunteers needed: Herring Fundraiser
January 12, 2019
We’re looking for volunteers to help out at the 2019 Herring Sale! Meet sea lions and help raise money for autism training at this one-day fundraiser in Steveston, Richmond. Email info@actcommunity.ca for details or visit Volunteering for ACT.
Problem behaviors are one of the greatest barriers to student learning and is a significant problem for school staff and parents alike. Understanding why they occur is critical to developing preventative and educative solutions in-order-to benefit students and those who support them.
