[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

[Julie Ng]

I found this interesting tidbit while surfing the BC Education website for information on getting better support for my child who requires an Lovaas ABA Trained SEA.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/performance.pdf

Number of Students Special Needs Category
2001/02 – 2005/06 Province – Public Schools Only
Provincial Overview Comments

• Between 2001/02 and 2005/06, the number of students with Autism (G) increased by 70%. In 2002/03, the Ministry of Education
revised its identification criteria for these students to be more aligned with BC Ministry of Health Standards and Guidelines for the
Assessment and Diagnosis of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Also, I haven't heard anything back regarding parents who have been successful with getting better support from the Vancouver SD#39 – I guess everyone has been experiencing similar problems with them.

Joachim Pang

[Julie Ng]

Attention: Vancouver School Board SD#39

We are looking for feedback from parents who have been sucessful in getting the Vancouver school board to assign a Lovaas ABA experienced SEA to their child's classroom.

We are unsatisfied with our child's current support level (1/2 Day Non Lovaas ABA Trained Aide) at school and want to setup a better home/school support program for our child next year. Our child has been doing ABA for the last 4 to 5 years and has consistantly fallen short of meeting his grade level for the last 2 years because of "lack of Instructional control" and "meaningful consultation" with the school.

As a starting point we are reviewing the Hewko ruling to compare how it relates to our situation and to see if we need to follow this route to help our child.

Any and all information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Joachim Pang

Please contact us:

email: pangmail@shaw.ca
phone: 604#253.1725

[Brad & Roxanne Black]

Looking for an energetic individual to go into the school system with our son. It will be a full time position in the South Surrey/Crescent Beach area, under the supervision of our Consultant Sharon Baxter. You must be willing to join our home team and train for all or part of the summer. We are willing to train the right individual, this is a opportunity for earning great wages with benefits and paid holiday time. Please contact me at bradrox@shaw.ca

[Dione Costanzo]

ps – also looking for any feedback/experience with the Good Start program.

Thanks
Dione

dionec@shaw.ca

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for any advice or experience anyone has with the Surrey School System (SD36) with regards to obtaining special services such as speech and language therapy and OT.

My 4 year old son is entering K in the fall and we had our transition meeting the other day. It was made very clear to me that resources are spread thin and not always available. Language and communication development are one of his top priorities and a big part of his home program.

We are advocating for an ABA Support Worker and putting procedures in place to ensure close communication between the school and home team (we are in week 5 of our home based program). Agsin, it was made clear to me that supply and demand are not equal at this time and we might not get what he needs.

I am feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to navigate the public school system and would appreciate any advice. I have considered holding him back for another year of preschool (he's a December baby) but was told that there would be no funding for support for him there.

Thanks for any input.

Dione
dionec@shaw.ca

[Nancy Walton]

The Special Education Panel sessions in Langley School District have been CANCELLED or postponed because of the strike by BCTF employees.

They hope to have them again in Sept.

[Kandi Kilgour]

I spoke to the Langley Teacher's Association "Gail" yesterday and she said that it was being postponed until fall because a union was on strike and they can't get the work done because of it.

Has anyone else contacted them and heard this?

Kandi Kilgour

[Pam Browne]

For anyone in the Langley School District. The upcoming meetings put on by LTA, CUPE and Langley DPAC are coming up. It is really important that we have parents come and speak to the panel about their childs need for ABA integrated and supported in the classroom. ABA trained TA's and support for Home Consultants. THis is a great opportunity to be heard and if we don't speak up The school district will believe that what they are doing is enough. You can call Susan Fonseca or Gail Chaddock-Costello at 604-533-1618 to book a time to speak. You can prepare a written submission and present it or if you cannot make it you can email your submission to specialed@langleyteachers.org. Please take the time to be heard!

May 23 George Preston Recreation center
May 24 Aldergrove Legion Hall
May 29 Fort Langley Lions Seniors Hall
all meetings are 3-5pm and 7-9pm
Your school should have passed this out to you. If not you can inquire at your school for the flyer.

[Nancy Walton]

There will be six meetings in Langley School District to discuss how to improve Special Education in Langley schools. The meetings are May 23 at George Preston Recreation center, May 24 at the Aldergrove Legion Hall and May 29th at the Fort Langley Lions Senior Hall. All meetings on these days are 3 – 5pm and 7-9pm. Please attend if you would like to give input on how you think services could be improved.

[Nicole Kaler]

Harmony House: new preschool

Due to the nature of inquries we wanted to post additional information.

Harmony House's focus is continuity between home and school. Therefore the goal is to provide an in home ABA programme in conjunction with the preschool services.

Our school will be staffed with qualified ABA personnel to supervise your home programme.

Please send any additional questions to nicole@harmonyhousebc.ca or bohdanna@harmonyhousebc.ca

[Author]

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