[FEAT BC Admin]

In this discussion area, please feel free to share your experience in implementing A.B.A. programs in the school system. We would particularly like to hear from those parents who converted their school teams to A.B.A. We’d like to hear the nightmares as well as the success stories.

Any insight that can be shared by school-based special education assistants to help parents would also be very meaningful.

Topic

[Dione Costanzo]

Any awesome BI's out there that are interested in working in a school setting?

In SD#36 (Surrey), a model has been developed where special education assistants can get an ABA designation by completing a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised experience on home based teams plus completing the ABA Support Worker course at Surrey College. An ABA Support Worker becomes child specific.

A home-school collaboration agreement exists and the goal is to keep ABA programming consistent between home and school.

FREE INFO SESSION about the course at Surrey College on Nov. 18:
https://www.surreycollege.ca/programs/educational-services/applied-behaviour-analysis-support-worker-certificate

Watch this board for posts by families in Surrey looking for someone to join their home team and go into the system with their child.

[sabennam]

Hello,

We are looking for a Behavioral Interventionist to work with our seven year old son.
Location is North/West Surrey (Newton area).

ABA-SW or eligible to be according to Surrey district is desirable.

Requirements:
At least 19 years old
Cleared criminal record check and references
Fluent in English

For more information, please contact Salim at sabennam@yahoo.ca

Thank you

[Maureen Robertson]

I have a 4.5 year old with Autism who will be starting kindergarten next September; We are moving from Vancouver to South Surrey and trying to decide on an area/school. Does anyone have experience with any of the following schools? I'm not getting much information from the schools themselves…thank you so much!

South Meridian, Peace Arch, Bayridge, Ray Shepherd
White Rock, Ocean Cliff, Jesse Lee, Thrift, Crescent Park

Thank you so much! you can email me at: maurmail@gmail.com

[Dione Costanzo]

Hello North Vancouver and Burnaby parents!!

I have been contacted by parents in both of these districts that are interested in forming parent groups to meet and discuss ABA support in their school districts.

If you are in one of these districts and are interested in connecting with other parents please email me asap at dione@abasupportnetwork.com

Thanks!

[Wen Ting Go]

Fellow Parents

Re: Holding back a child

If somebody experienced to held back their child in school specially grade 7,please give me feed backs. What are the pros. and cons. Also please let me know the right time to request or to inform the school for holding back a child.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Please e-mail me at: smartaba@telus.net

Thanks.

[Jodie Wickens]

Dear Families,
My name is Jodie Wickens. I am the parent facilitator for the Tri-Cities ABA neighbourhood network. I have an 8 year old son in the Coquitlam school district, who lives with autism. I am writing you today for a very specific request, we need help!
You may or may not know that we are lobbying for SD 43 to adopt an ABA support worker program in Coquitlam, similar to what exists in Surrey. We have been told by the district that this program is in direct opposition to SD 43’s philosophies. We have a district here that is putting bandages on single family experiences and ignoring the needs of a large group.
There are no guarantees under the current system, for my child, or anyone’s. The ABA SW program would ensure that my child would pull out of a pool of SEA’s that have specific and supervised training in ABA. These SEA’s would more likely to be invested in using the principles and understand how to use these principals under the guidance of our Behaviour Consultants.
Right now, we need parents willing to talk about their experiences; willing to go public. We have a school district that is stating that they are the most inclusive and have the best graduation rates. We parents are liars!
Please think about sharing your story if you have one and joining us on this journey.
I thank you in Advanced! A fellow loving parent, Jodie Wickens jbtwickens@gmail.com and the Tri-Cities ABA support Network!

[Dione Costanzo]

MEDIA RELEASE

ABA Support Network
Surrey, BC
http://www.abasupportnetwork.com
Louise Witt, Media Contact
Phone: 604-538-1370
abarocks@gmail.com

Sept 21 Conference Provides Hope for Children with Autism in BC’s Education System

Parents want evidence-based learning programs and supports established in all B.C. school districts according to the Hewko precedent

For Immediate Release September 18 2013, Surrey, BC: The Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Support Network is hosting a one-day conference in Surrey on September 21, 2013 for more than 100 parents, educators and other professionals to raise awareness about the current state of ABA in B.C. schools and develop a plan to further the implementation of ABA programs in our districts.

The event – ABA in Schools Workshop – will be held at the Surrey SFU campus from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. this Saturday and will feature four presentations and a networking lunch.

ABA is a structured teaching method in which functional skills are broken down and taught one step at a time. That means that children with autism can learn and flourish in all areas including language and communication, play and leisure, self help, life skills and academics.

Families of children with autism often put ABA teams together to work with their children at home. Dione Costanzo, director of the ABA Support Network says that the results are worth the emotional and financial stress.

However, once a child with autism enters school in a district that does not have supports for ABA programs, the results achieved at home can be severely compromised, says Costanzo. “All the successes achieved can grind to a halt and often the child regresses.”

ABA is widely considered to be the most effective, evidence-based learning approach for children with autism yet Surrey is the only school district in B.C. that has an established system for hiring ABA-trained teaching aides.

Costanzo says that the ABA Support Network and parents are on a mission to change this.

“Children have a right to an education and ABA is the best method to achieve this for children with autism,” says Costanzo. “Implementing these programs, and training and hiring more ABA teaching assistants is the right thing to do, and it's the law.”

According to the landmark Supreme Court of BC ruling – Hewko v. B.C., 2006 BCSC 1638 – what is required for children with autism to access an education is adherence to their established ABA programs, and the availability of teaching aides that are trained to carry it out. In most B.C. school districts, ABA programs are not accommodated nor do teaching aides have the proper training to support these programs.

Costanzo says that implementing the ABA programs is a cost-neutral exercise, it just requires the political will.

“Getting an appropriate education system for children with autism in place with ABA-trained teaching aides requires political will and leadership,” she says. “It will not increase costs but it will be utilizing existing funds more effectively, and will save tax dollars in the longer term.”

The ABA Support Network is a parent-led, non-profit organization whose mission is to improve access to quality ABA support and services for individuals with autism.

For information about ABA in Schools Workshop contact Dione Costanzo at dione@abasupportnetwork.com or 604-817-1526. Anyone interested in learning more about autism and ABA can visit the ABA Support Network website at http://www.abasupportnetwork.com

Link to this release is here – http://abasupportnetwork.com/docs/ABA%20in%20Schools%20Media%20Release%20Sept%2018.pdf

[Dione Costanzo]

Here is the response from the SD43 Board last night. There was also a brief conversation with the Assistant Superintendent after the meeting.

The board made it clear to parents and professionals attending last night that they feel they are providing appropriate education for all of our children, and we were invited back to listen to them and learn more about the education services that they offer (yes they really said that).

It was abundantly clear that they did not really do their due diligence in preparing their response nor did they fully understand what was requested in the first place.

Also – as you will see at the end of this video – the board was not interested in having a dialogue or even listening to questions from the gallery.

All of our children have a right to an education and one that is based on their individual ABA protocols. It is the right thing to do for them and it is the law and SD#43 parents will continue to fight for what their children are entitled to.

Next up – Bill Good tomorrow (Thurs Sept 12) at 11:05am.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrjUOPbn9qI

[Jodie Wickens]

Please come out tonight to show your support for Tri-City Parents. We will be waiting for a response from the school Board Trustees in regards to our June delegation. The presentation can be watched here:
http://youtu.be/xMOdlJGVYXY

Meeting will be held at:
550 Poirier Street Coquitlam, BC V3J 6A7
Everyone is meeting at 7:15pm

See you there!
Thanks for your support!
Don't forget to sign our petition!
http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/sd-43-provide-aba-trained-at-least-1000-bcba-supervised-hours-sea-s-to-students-that-have-asd

[Super Dad]

North Shore ASBC Lecture Series

The North Shore ASBC Support Group proudly presents:

Your Child’s Legal Rights in the BC School System
The School Act and the Hewko Decision

by
Beverley Sharpe
and others involved in the Hewko case

at
7:00pm, Tue Sept 17

in
Welsh Hall West
downstairs in the
West Vancouver Memorial Library

GUEST SPEAKER:

Bev has accumulated years of advocacy experience as a litigant in the Auton/Anderson cases, legal committee member in the Hewko case, and director of FEAT BC. She will be joined by others involved with the various lawsuits.

TOPIC:

The discussions will cover the following:
– Parents’ rights under the School Act,
– Obligations of school boards surrounding IEPs, and
– Implications of the Hewko case.

This session will provide legal information that is particularly useful to those planning to attend the ABA Support Network’s “ABA in Schools” workshop.

DIRECTIONS:

The West Vancouver Memorial Library is at 1950 Marine Drive:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=1950+Marine+Dr,+West+Vancouver,+BC+V7V+1J8

The library is easily accessible via Highway #1 Upper Levels, taking either the 15th Street or 20th St. exits.

Coffee/Tea and snacks provided. Donations are greatly appreciated (but not required).

Please RSVP to <asbcnorthshore@yahoo.ca>.

Carol and Dragos
(Co-facilitators for ASBC North Shore Group)

[Author]

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