“Planning for Success: at Home, in School, and in the Community”
Leslie Cohen, PhD, BCBA & Antoinette Falco, MFA
Presented by the Realize Community Potential Program and Autism Ontario
Toronto Sessions:
Session 1: Thursday, May 15, 6:30pm-9:30pm
Session 2: Saturday, May 31, 9am-12pm
Session 3: Saturday, May 31, 1pm-3pm
Who Should Attend? Parents, family members, educators, and other support staff are invited to join us for workshops on positive effective supports that reduce problem behaviour. The focus of this series is on school–aged children with ASD, but all are welcome.
Session 1: Supporting Social Interactions. Does your child “drift” away from favourite activities when other children are present? Are you frustrated because you are not sure how to help your child beyond the most basic social greetings and interactions? Would you like to see your child approach others and join social activities more frequently and with greater confidence? Learn powerful techniques to support your child’s positive social skill development.
Session 2: Behaviour Plans that Work, Part 1. Do you feel as if tantrums, meltdowns and disruptive behaviour are leaving you exhausted--unable to cope and unable to interact positively with your child? Are you afraid got to the park or the store as a family because you feel out-of-control? Learn how to make an effective plan to reduce and minimize problem behaviour while supporting self-esteem, independence, and competence.
Session 3: Behaviour Plans that Work, Part 2. Practice basic planning and behavioural techniques with typical problem scenarios. During this session we will provide time for people to discuss individual problems and explore potential strategies.
Leslie Cohen is a psychologist licensed in the state of New York and a board-certified behaviour analyst who has worked with children with autism for 11 years. Antoinette Falco is a clinical supervisor who specializes in the use of technology to support learning. To register, contact Ethel Berry at 416-246-9592 x226 or ethel@autismontario.com.
The AGM and Conference is fast approaching, June 13th -14th, 2008. Information on Speakers and the Registration form are now posted on our website.
Please book your hotel room by May 20th to receive the conference discount of $109.00 per night.
Call the Delta Markham Hotel directly at 905-477-2010 or 1-888-890-3222 to reserve now. Quote “Autism Ontario.”
Passport Funding
An Invitation To: Ontario Families to Respond and Participate
The Issue:
Thousands of Ontario Families are supporting an adult at home with a Developmental Disability. In May 2007, the Minister of Community and Social Services announced a $200M budget for Developmental Services. Out of that budget only $9M went to people with developmental disabilities and their families to hire support workers to enable their child to participation in community life. The remainder of the funding went to the "revitalization of traditional agency infrastructure and wages." The Minister promised a "transformation" of developmental services to enable people with developmental disabilities to live more meaningful lives of independence and citizenship. Pouring millions of dollars into the old system and then allowing the largest provider of support in this province ‘the family’ to reach a crisis will not accomplish ‘transformation’.
The Passport Program, the only program that provides direct funding to persons with developmental disabilities and their families to hire support workers to enable participation in community life, has been devastatingly under funded. Across the province the statistics are available, in Toronto 400 families applied and there was funding available for 33 people. Our children are leaving high school at age 21 and ending up at home on the couch. Parents are quitting jobs and redirecting respite funds and retirement funds to hire support to insure their sons and daughters have some meaningful daytime activities or are simply ‘safe’ at home on the couch.
The Response:
Christine Elliot, M.P.P. Whitby-Oshawa has listened to our concerns and will enlist the support of Sylvia Jones, M.P.P. of Dufferin-Caledon and opposition critic, to bring this crisis up with questions during the morning session of the Ontario Legislature on Monday May 26, 2008. There will be a press release prior to the session to inform the broader community of this crisis and to encourage public support for thousands of Ontario families who simply want a life for their children when high school ends. Support to help insure they are off the couch and out in the community and participating.
The Invitation:
Families are invited to come to Queens Park on May 26, 2008 at 10:00AM to fill the gallery at the Ontario Legislature and support Christine and Sylvia in raising questions about the issues related to the Passport Program.
Please RSVP your attendance at Queens Park by May 19th.
RSVP to:
Cindy Mitchell Helen Dionne
Passport Funding Action Group Durham Family Network
(905) 723-8111 (905) 436-2500 ext 2222
E-mail cmitchellworks@rogers.com e-mail hdionne@dafrs.com
Government makes landmark commitment in response to I Exist campaign in the UK
http://www.autism.org.uk/dh
Good News! A Report we’ve been waiting for:
CIHR's Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (INMHA) has posted the
Report on the National Autism Research Symposium, Toronto, Ontario. November 8-9, 2007
http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/27131.html
Autism 2008 - Geneva Centre for Autism International Symposium
Call for Abstracts
Geneva Centre for Autism is now accepting proposal submissions for research poster presentations at the Symposium on October 24, 2008
Deadline for submissions is June 1, 2008
Click here for more information
Poster Child Competition
Please visit www.autism.net for information on how to apply
Exhibitor Space Selling Fast
Visit our website for new exhibitor options
Over 1800 participants expected to attend
On-Line Registration
March 2008 Draw winner is Linda Merling-Brown
Register on-line now for your chance to win a free
"one day" registration at Autism 2008
Next Draw - May 21, 2008
Tracking ASD’s in Canada/Surveillance des TSA au Canada
Choose an icon above or visit our website at www.autismontario.com for more information on this very important project.
Disclaimer: It is important to do your own research and make your own informed decisions. Please note Autism Ontario does not endorse any specific therapy, product, treatment, strategy, opinions, service, or individual. We do, however, endorse your right to information.