Autism Now Spring 2010 Volume 23, Number 2
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Autism Now Spring 2010 volume 23, number 2 OPENING DOORS GALA SPONSORS AUTISM SOCIETY OF EDMONTON AREA www.autismedmonton.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS AUTISM SOCIETY OF EDMONTON AREA AUTISM SOCIETY OF EDMONTON AREA EXECUTIVE #101, 11720 Kingsway Avenue Edmonton, AB T5G 0X5 PRESIDENT Ryan Guenter 780-453-3971 / 780-447-4948 VICE PRESIDENT Arif Khan email: [email protected] TREASURER Jackie Ryan website: www.autismedmonton.org SECRETARY Jean Ashmore DIRECTORS PLEASE PHONE THE SOCIETY FOR AD PLACEMENT AND RATES Karen Bain Holly Brown Marcy Henschel Mark Lynch Layout by Backstreet Communications Shane Lynch David Nicholas Printed by McCallum Printing Group Inc. Terri Robson Alan Wagner PM# 40020698 Articles, opinions and events in this publication do not necessarily imply the endorsement of the Autism Society of Edmonton Area and are printed for information only. The editors of Autism Now are Deborah Barrett and Roman Sokolowski. The Autism Society of Edmonton Area is a non-profit organization founded in 1971 by a concerned group of parents and professionals. The Autism Society of Edmonton Area helps families and communities embrace and support people on the autism spectrum throughout their lives. Spring Fever 2 AUTISM SOCIETY OF EDMONTON AREA www.autismedmonton.org President’s Message Ryan Guenter ASEA continues to work on ways to support individuals and families affected by autism throughout their lives. On a Besides the regular executive and board recent Saturday afternoon, the entire board and several of our meetings for the Autism Society, it is fine staff had a visioning session to plan out what our priorities always nice to get out and do other types of as an organization are going forward. While it is a somewhat volunteering for ASEA. For example, last year daunting task to take on, it also provides a framework for what ASEA was lucky enough to work with the needs to be accomplished. As we looked back on the notes from Oilers Community Foundation to sell 50/50 our 2008 session, we realized that many of our goals had already tickets at an Oilers v. Atlanta Thrashers game in April. For that come to fruition – but there’s still plenty of work to be done in event we had to gather 65 volunteers, who graciously gave up an the coming year! evening to sell tickets to the Rexall faithful. For those who are unaware, my wife Heather and I had our first This January, I worked my second casino for ASEA, and it child on February 13th – a beautiful baby girl named Danika. turned out to be another successful night for our group. By far That said, it is with sadness that I have to announce this will be my favourite part of volunteering is meeting different people my last message to the Autism Now readers as President. Before who genuinely just want to help out. At the casino I was able to I accepted the request to become President of ASEA, I made a sit and talk with a father of an autistic girl who is a member of clear caveat that if Heather and I were lucky enough to start a one of our social groups, which are open to ASEA members. By family it would mean me stepping away from the position and speaking with these people, I not only get a real story of how we the board entirely. I will remain part of ASEA fundraising efforts, are helping, but also ideas on where we can fill gaps to serve the but it will no doubt be in a reduced capacity, as Danika has Edmonton autism community better. become the focus of my life. I also had the pleasure of working with Vicky and Gerry It is with great excitement that I pass on the Presidential Beauchamps for the second time. Vicky and Gerry are retired torch to our current VP, Arif Khan. Arif has become an integral Edmontonians who graciously spread their time between part of the organization in very short order, and I have the different organizations who work casinos to raise money for their utmost confidence in his abilities to take this organization cause. To my knowledge they don’t have a direct link to autism, to the next level. but that hasn’t stopped them from being a part of the last two casinos we have had. In fact, when I asked Vicky just how many casinos they work, she quickly pulled out her monthly calendar to show me that nearly every day had an X marked, indicating they were volunteering their time. It was a real inspiration for me, as they have no doubt contributed to many different causes in the Edmonton area without ever asking for anything in return. I will make sure a copy of Autism Now gets to them as a small gesture of our gratitude for helping the Autism Society of Edmonton. They are true volunteers in every sense of the word. 3 Education Matters: Positive Inclusion Karen Bain and used consistently V Value of an inclusive philosophy is understood and Recent discussions related to best practices for inclusion have shared by all again challenged me to consider how to best support school staff E Engagement for the student is arranged around both social as they increasingly work to include students who may display and academic tasks and across school experiences seriously interfering behaviours. Although inclusion continues to ___________________ be a positive choice for many students having autism, parents and school staff share concerns about behaviours that disrupt teaching I Individualized planning establishes and accepts unique and learning, create unsafe situations for the student, or place strengths and needs, and assessment information others in the school at risk. provides information N Need for extra reinforcement and environmental Education Matters has previously reviewed Positive Behaviour planning is understood Support programs, reinforcement, and many behaviour strategies C Collaboration between home, school, consultants, over the past few years. The following is an attempt to list strategies wraparound services, and opportunities to meet individual and techniques that appear in schools where inclusion and positive interests is established programming seem most successful. Although the process of L Language level and addressing the ongoing needs for setting up an individual behaviour support plan remains most instruction related to interpersonal communication is clear critical, the following is an attempt to list some of the features U Utilize the whole school by sharing responsibilities of school programs where students are more likely to participate S Staff skill and supports for professional development and successfully, in spite of challenging behaviours. ongoing learning are provided I Intervention is rapid when behaviour and/or collaboration changes Positive Inclusion for Having Severe Interfering Behaviours O Ongoing needs for direct instruction of social skills, as well as P Positive Behaviour Support models are in place, and a communication and academic achievement, are planned for behaviour support plan has been written as part of a team N Natural learning opportunities are supported by immediate effort to make inclusion work well feedback and appropriate levels of prompting O Observations and objective data-based decisions are being made, rather than relying solely on anecdotal Remember: it takes a whole school to support a student notes or personal opinions. Documentation is maintained having severe interfering behaviours. and relevant. S Supports and supervision necessary for a student are [email protected] identified and established in advance. I Investigations regarding history of past programs and successes are completed before the student begins school, and a good transition process is in place with dates and follow-up expectations T Time is provided in a fair and respectful way to the learning team I Interactions between school and family are positive, and communication practices are agreed upon 4 AUTISM SOCIETY OF EDMONTON AREA www.autismedmonton.org CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: ADMINISTRATOR, TEACHER AND Successful Transitions to EDUCATIONAL AIDE OF THE YEAR 2010 Adulthood: Learning from the Autobiographies of People with Did your child have a good year at school in 2009/10? Was there a teacher, educational assistant or principal Autism Spectrum Disorder who made a big difference to your child’s learning Katrina Kully-Martens and school experience? In recognition of their efforts, nominate the staff – administrator, teacher and/or A longer version of this article is available online at ASEA’s educational assistant – who made school the positive, enriching experience it should be for children with website. To read it, please visit www.autismedmonton.org/ autism spectrum disorders. Educational placement is not resources/ and click on “Successful Transitions to Adulthood”. restricted – district sites, community school placements, colleges and home schooling are all acceptable. Most people’s transition from adolescence to adulthood is Nomination forms are available from the ASEA office at marked by changes and challenges. One might expect that 780-453-3971, or on the website www.autismedmonton. the transition into adulthood of people diagnosed within the org. Deadline for nominations is Monday, May 17, 2010. autism spectrum would be uniquely challenging, considering Awards will be presented at the Autism Awards Evening the prevalence of symptoms like marked impairments in social interaction and communication. Few studies, however, on Tuesday, June 8, 2010. have concentrated on the internal states and points of view of individuals with ASD. The increasing number of autobiographies written by people with ASD represents a virtually untapped resource of insight into the personal Thank You experiences of people with ASD. This study qualitatively analyzed autobiographical material written by people with To Our Autism Now Contributors! ASD to shed light on their distinctive experience, and to identify traits associated with a successful transition from Jean Ashmore Cathy Lamoureux adolescence into adulthood.