Celebrating inclusive communities / Célébrons nos communautés inclusives Vol. 9 No. 2 INSPIRATIONS Follow us on Spring / Summer 2017 Printemps / Été 2017 www.inspirationsnews.com Suivez-nous sur LOOK who’s reading Inspirations! Senator Chantal Petitclerc competing “Facilitating a better quality of life for all our residents is a constant concern for me and my administration. in the Rolling Rampage 2016 on This is why we adopted the Municipal Universal Accessibility Policy - to create an inclusive environment for Parliament Hill. Read our one-on-one everyone. Giving proper consideration to those with disabilities, while recognizing their personal contributions to with the Senator on page 13 of this the development of our community, is a way of showing respect for differences while underscoring each person’s edition. (Photo credit, Peter Thornton ability to participate fully in the life of their city.” - Mayor Denis Coderre Communications) Read about our highlighted Montreal organizations on pages 25 and 26 of this edition. (Photo credit, Green Apple Studio) Epilepsy: Research and awareness ------- Page 3 Mental fitness tip: Unplug! ------------------------------------Page 18 Inside Quebec’s Autism Action Plan ---------------- Page 12 Les Femmes Asperger ---------------------------------------- Page 27 How to avoid burnout when raising The transition to high school for students with ASD --- Page 31 this a child with special needs -------------------- Page 14 Adapted Travel with Mike Cohen --------------------------- Page 34 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de edition Montréal’s adapted classes ------------------ Page 17 Spring / Summer 2017 - INSPIRATIONS 2 Marlene & Joel King SPECIAL NEEDS Special Needs Department Family Camp KOULEINU YACHAD: WE ALL BELONG dŚŝƐŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞŝƐďĂƐĞĚŽŶƚŚĞŝĚĞĂƚŚĂƚĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͕ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂŶĚůĞŝƐƵƌĞĂƌĞĨŽƌ ĞǀĞƌLJŽŶĞ͕ƌĞŐĂƌĚůĞƐƐŽĨĂŐĞĂŶĚĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ͕ĂŶĚƚŚĂƚĞǀĞƌLJŽŶĞďĞůŽŶŐƐƚŽƚŚĞz͘ tĞƐƚƌŝǀĞƚŽĞŶƐƵƌĞĂŵĞĂŶŝŶŐĨƵůĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞƚŽĂůůŵĞŵďĞƌƐŽĨƚŚĞĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚLJ dŚŝƐ ϰͲĚĂLJ ĐĂŵƉ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ǁŝƚŚ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚĂů ĚŝƐŽƌĚĞƌƐ ĂŶĚͬŽƌ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ĂŶĚĞŵďƌĂĐĞƚŚĞǀĂůƵĞŽĨƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐĞĂĐŚŽƚŚĞƌ͛Ɛ͘ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐĚŝƐŽƌĚĞƌƐ͕ƚŚĞŝƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ĂŶĚƚŚĞŝƌƐŝďůŝŶŐƐǁŝƚŚthe unique opportunity to experience the magic of summer campŝŶĂǁĂƌŵ͕ǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚĂƚƚŚĞ ͞/ŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶŝƐǁŚĂƚǁĞĚŽ͘/ƚ͛ƐƚŚĞĂƫƚƵĚĞǁĞŚĂǀĞ͘/ƚŝƐƚŚĞǁĂLJǁĞƚƌĞĂƚŽƚŚĞƌƐ ,ĂƌƌLJƌŽŶĨŵĂŶzŽƵŶƚƌLJĂŵƉ͘dŚŝƐŝƐƚŚĞŽŶůLJĐĂŵƉŽĨŝƚƐŬŝŶĚŝŶĂŶĂĚĂ͘ ĂŶĚƚŚĞǁĂLJƚŚĞLJƚƌĞĂƚƵƐ͘/ŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶŝƐƚŚĞŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJƚŽůĞĂƌŶƚŽŐĞƚŚĞƌĂŶĚ ŚŝůĚƌĞŶŽĨĂůůĂŐĞƐĂŶĚƚŚĞŝƌƉĂƌĞŶƚƐĂƌĞƉĂŝƌĞĚǁŝƚŚĂĐĂƌŝŶŐĂŶĚǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐĐĂŵƉ ĨƌŽŵŽŶĞĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ͘ŶĚǁĞĚŽŝƚďĞĐĂƵƐĞŝƚŝƐƚŚĞƌŝŐŚƚƚŚŝŶŐƚŽĚŽ͙/ŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶ ƐƚĂīŵĞŵďĞƌ͘dŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ͕ƚŚĞLJĐƌĞĂƚĞĂƐƉĞĐŝĂůďŽŶĚ͕ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐĨƌŝĞŶĚƐŚŝƉƐĂŶĚĐĂŵƉ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ Ă ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͕ ƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ Žƌ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵ͙/ŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶ ŝƐ Ă D/E^d͟ ďLJ >ŝƐĂ ŵĞŵŽƌŝĞƐƚŚĂƚǁŝůůůĂƐƚĂůŝĨĞƟŵĞ͘ &ƌŝĞĚŵĂŶ͕ϮϬϭϯ͘ Private family cabins • All meals included • Hayrides • Parent peer nights Children, Teens & Young Adults SUNDAY FUN IN THE GYM/SWIM 4 - 12 years Ride for Special Needs! LEGO BUILDING 4 - 12 years SENSORY ART 4 - 12 years September 17, 2017 YCC DAY CAMPS (SPECIAL NEEDS SPECIALTY) 4 - 12 years MULTIMEDIA CLUB 16 - 25 years CHAVERIM 20 - 35 years MISCHAKIM 30 - 45 years Adults CLUB RENDEZ-VOUS DROP-IN CENTRE 18 years + KOULEINU YACHAD: WE ALL BELONG 16 years + SUNDAY LEISURE TIME 50 years + FAMILY OUTREACH PROGRAM VISUAL ART FOR ADULTS 20 years + • MIXED MEDIA 60 km • OPEN STUDIO 100 km INFO: 514.737.6551 Special Needs Family Camp ext. 267 WƌŽĐĞĞĚƐĨƌŽŵŽƵƌĂŶŶƵĂůY Cycle for Special NeedsĂƌĞƵƐĞĚƚŽƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƚŚĞ Special Needs Programming ext. 235 ^LJůǀĂŶĚĂŵƐzDͲzt,^ƉĞĐŝĂů EĞĞĚƐĚĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚ͕ǁŚŝĐŚƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͕ ĂĚŽůĞƐĐĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂĚƵůƚƐ ǁŝƚŚ ŝŶƚĞůůĞĐƚƵĂů ĂŶĚ ƉŚLJƐŝĐĂů ĚŝƐĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ Y Cycle for Special Needs ext. 228 ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJƚŽƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞŝŶƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐƚŚĂƚƚĂŬĞƉůĂĐĞĂƚƚŚĞz͘ /ŶƐƉŝƌĂƟŽŶƐͲĨƵůůƉĂŐĞͲϭϬ͘ϯϳϱ͟džϭϬ͘ϭϲϳ͟ ^ƉƌŝŶŐDĂƌĐŚϭϱϮϬϭϳ 3 Spring / Summer 2017 - INSPIRATIONS Epilepsy: Canadian organizations support research and raise awareness INSPIRATIONSInspirations is produced by the Communications and Marketing Division and the Student Services Department of the By Elaine Cohen A spokesperson for the foundation recently English Montreal School Board pointed out, Savoy is the only private Ca- and distributed across the Greater Montreal, Laval-Laurentians and South Shore areas. he odds are you know someone with nadian foundation that distributes large amounts specifically for epilepsy research at epilepsy. The seizure causing dis- Editor order affects one in 100 Canadians. hospitals and universities in Canada. Close T to $400,000 are dispersed annually in stu- Mike Cohen About 15,500 Canadian cases of epilepsy are diagnosed annually. There is no cure dentships, fellowships and grants. Managing Editor and for the condition, but medication allows up Coordinator of Operations to 70 percent of those living with epilepsy Since the 1930s, family members George Wendy Singer to manage the seizures and live productive Arthur Savoy, Paul Savoy, Harolde J. Sa- lives. voy, George M. Savoy, Caroline Savoy and Layout & Design Sophie Savoy, along with generous donors, Yibing Shen have consistently supported research in Gary Collins, president of Epilepsy Canada, Consulting Editors one of the leading advocates for epilepsy the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. For information, visit www.savoy- Lew Lewis research, says, awareness of epilepsy and Julie René de Cotret foundation.ca. its effects on families has been muted by George A. Savoy Copy Editors the historical reluctance of patients to talk (Photo credit, The Savoy Foundation) about their disorder. “When a person is di- Emmanuelle Assor Parents share stories and offer advice Elaine Cohen agnosed with epilepsy they are immediately Kate Marien subjected to a series of restrictions. Their Quebec in 1921 to manage his ledger busi- JoAnne Mosel and Johanne Gaudet are sav- Randy Pinsky driver’s license is suspended, they can lose ness. In the early years, Savoy was called vy parents of children with epilepsy. They their standing at school, and in many cases upon to supply items Dr. Herbert Jasper, a share their experiences with readers and of- Sports Editor become subject to job discrimination.” The pioneer in Electroencephalogram (EEG) fer practical tips. Daniel Smajovits fears of others and the stigma that accom- testing, needed at the Montreal Neurologi- Coordinator of Educational Outreach panies epilepsy has, until recently, discour- cal Institute (MNI). Dr. Jasper and MNI JoAnne Mosel’s adult son has a neurologi- Linda Mahler aged people with epilepsy from speaking founder Dr. Wilder Penfield used EEG tests cal disorder that manifests mainly in sleep out. to pinpoint the source of seizures in epilepsy issues, traits of autism spectrum disorder Special Advisors and other brain disorders. Savoy developed and seizures. “The seizures and side effects fan-folded and EEG lined paper first used at Joanne Charron It is interesting to note that Epilepsy Canada of the medication he takes to control them Nick Katalifos was founded in Montreal but is now head- the MNI. He also empathized with the needs impact his gait and energy levels,” she said. quartered in Markham, Ontario. Epilepsy of people with epilepsy and immersed him- Ottawa Bureau Chief self in several organizations and fundraising Hayley Chazan Canada is an important funder of epilepsy Mosel believes Richard was probably hav- programs. To counter sectarianism, Savoy research at Canadian hospitals and uni- ing absence type seizures most of his child- built Dieppe House, an inclusive institution Advertising & Sponsorship versities. It is celebrating its 50th anniver- hood. “We only began to medicate him at 13. Rikee Gutherz-Mado that served as a home for individuals with sary and assists those with epilepsy to tell At 18, he experienced his first generalized Leonard Rauch epilepsy. Subsequently, renamed Foyer Sa- their stories. You can read some of them at tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure. Richard voy, the facility was sold in 1988. Proceeds Administration www.epilepsy.ca. has been on many different medications.” were used to increase the endowment of the Carole Gagnon Savoy Foundation. Epilepsy is characterized by sudden, brief Mosel encourages parents not to hesitate changes in how the brain functions. It is a Phone: (514) 483-7200, ext. 7244 when it comes to questioning pediatricians. Fax: (514) 483-7213 symptom of a neurological disorder that af- “I wish I knew then what I know now. Young fects the brain and results in seizures. The E-mail: [email protected] parents today are still unsure of how to pro- Website: www.inspirationsnews.com latter is an outward sign of a temporary ceed when they suspect their child may be electrical dysfunction of the controls of the seizing.” 6000 Fielding Ave. Suite 109 brain. A seizure may appear as a convulsion, Montreal, Quebec, H3X 1T4 a brief stare, muscle spasms, odd sensations Gaudet, a resident of Saint-Lin, is the mother or altered consciousness. Although many of Emma, five-and-a-half. Emma has Shaaf- people can be successfully treated, research Yang syndrome, which is caused by hetero- is needed to find a solution. Drugs are not a “Do not despair,” she advises parents. “It’s zygous mutation in the MAGEL 2 gene. Al- cure and work better for some than others. a long process and very frustrating but there though Emma has faced multiple challenges is hope. It takes time.” Several caregiv- since birth, she did not have a seizure until ers interviewed expressed similar views. The Savoy Foundation July 2016. “Emma’s absence (petit mal) sei- Although it took time to find the right pre- zures tired her