[Dione Costanzo]

Another anniversary – 2 years ago FEAT of BC issued a press release about the AFU's inefficiencies in processing payments and the effect that is was having on autism service providers, families and ultimately children with autism were the ones put in jeopardy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/11/23/bc-autism-payments-delayed.html

2 years later nothing has really changed. Government inefficiency is not news but our kids and their right to medical treatment is!! Please join me in contacting Christy Clark and Stephanie Cadieux (and your MLA and the press) in keeping the pressure on them:

Email Address
premier@gov.bc.ca

Mailing Address
The Honourable Christy Clark
Premier of British Columbia
Box 9041
Station PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC
Canada V8W 9E1

Phone Number
(250) 387-1715

Stephanie Cadieux:

E-mail: stephanie.cadieux.mla@leg.bc.ca
Web site: http://www.stephaniecadieuxmla.bc.ca

Office:
Room 236
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
V8V 1X4

Constituency:
120 – 5455 152nd Street
Surrey, BC
V3S 5A5

Phone:
604 574-5662

Both are also on Facebook.

[Dione Costanzo]

Here is an article highlighting the success of ABA in schools. Edcom is a Surrey district publication. The link to the edition containing this article is here https://www.surreyschools.ca/ParentServices/EdComParentNewspaper/Documents/Edcom_November_2012.pdf

Edcom NOW – Volume 8, Edition 4
November 2012

When Nic Robins was in Grade 5, something happened that would change his life forever. He met applied behaviour analysis (ABA) support worker Craig Rudder. “Craig changed Nic’s life, and ours, too,” says Nic’s mom, Nancy Robins. “If it hadn’t been for ABA, Nic would probably be in an institution.”
A student at North Surrey Secondary, Nic is among a growing population of Canadian children with autism spectrum disorder, a neurological condition resulting in developmental disabilities. Autism affects communication, social understanding and behaviour and is the most common neurological disorder of childhood.

In Nic’s case, he used to scream all the time and spoke only a handful of words. Although he went to school and was cared for, he wasn’t learning anything. Robins believed Nic’s experience at school was the one step back to the two steps forward he was making with the behaviour interventionists Robins had hired to work with Nic at home.

“The last thing a parent of an autistic child wants to do is lose progress,” says Robins.

Applied behaviour analysis is the process of breaking tasks into small teachable parts and then reinforcing the learning and demonstration of those parts. This is done for life skills and academic work.

While Nic’s homebased specialist employed ABA, there were no such specialists working in public education in B.C. The Surrey School District recognized the value of ABA back in 2001 by providing training in applied behaviour analysis to education assistants. But that was only an interim measure as the district soon began working on a specific ABA training and certification program to be delivered by Surrey College. By September 2006 the first 20 dedicated ABA support workers were hired in the district. Today, the district has more than 100 ABA support workers, each working one-on-one with a child who has autism. So sought-after is their expertise that parents from Langley and Delta cross boundaries to send their children here.

“Nic’s not just going to school; he’s actually learning,” says Robins. “I know it sounds odd but because of Craig, he’s actually able to learn at school.”

At North Surrey Secondary, Nic learns functional and daily living skills with Rudder and also participates in the BASES (Building Academic, Social and Employment Skills) program as well as parts of the regular classroom curriculum.

“He’s leaps and bounds different from when fi rst met him,” says Rudder. “Socially is where he’s made some of the highest gains.” ABA is considered one of the most effective evidence based therapeutic approaches to treating children with autism, yet the Surrey School District is the only district in B.C. that has dedicated ABA support workers and offers training certification through its adult education arm, Surrey College.
“ABA is an evidence-based approach to teaching children with autism. The district supports this and parents have the choice of whether or not they wish to ask for this service,” says Cory McLaughlin, District Principal in Education Services.
Autism is on the rise and the Surrey School District is leading the way in accommodating the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders. Students in the ABA support worker program at Surrey College must have 500 documented hours of home-based ABA experience under an ABA consultant prior to entering the program, and another 500 hours before they can achieve their ABA certification to work in the school system.
“It’s a behavioural and academic program based on data collection and the observation of children,” explains McLaughlin.
Robins, who chairs the district ABA Advisory Committee, credits ABA for giving her son his life back and revealing him to be not just a boy with autism, but an artist, a conversationalist and a well-mannered teen who always holds the door for people at the grocery store.
“I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without ABA,” says Robins.
For his part, Rudder’s biggest reward is seeing Nic succeed. “Yes, my job is awesome.”
For more information, contact the District ABA Advisory Committee at ABAAdvisory@gmail.com.

[Dione Costanzo]

Here is an article highlighting the success of ABA in schools. Edcom is a Surrey district publication. The link to the edition containing this article is here https://www.surreyschools.ca/ParentServices/EdComParentNewspaper/Documents/Edcom_November_2012.pdf

Edcom NOW – Volume 8, Edition 4
November 2012

When Nic Robins was in Grade 5, something happened that would change his life forever. He met applied behaviour analysis (ABA) support worker Craig Rudder. “Craig changed Nic’s life, and ours, too,” says Nic’s mom, Nancy Robins. “If it hadn’t been for ABA, Nic would probably be in an institution.”
A student at North Surrey Secondary, Nic is among a growing population of Canadian children with autism spectrum disorder, a neurological condition resulting in developmental disabilities. Autism affects communication, social understanding and behaviour and is the most common neurological disorder of childhood.

In Nic’s case, he used to scream all the time and spoke only a handful of words. Although he went to school and was cared for, he wasn’t learning anything. Robins believed Nic’s experience at school was the one step back to the two steps forward he was making with the behaviour interventionists Robins had hired to work with Nic at home.

“The last thing a parent of an autistic child wants to do is lose progress,” says Robins.

Applied behaviour analysis is the process of breaking tasks into small teachable parts and then reinforcing the learning and demonstration of those parts. This is done for life skills and academic work.

While Nic’s homebased specialist employed ABA, there were no such specialists working in public education in B.C. The Surrey School District recognized the value of ABA back in 2001 by providing training in applied behaviour analysis to education assistants. But that was only an interim measure as the district soon began working on a specific ABA training and certification program to be delivered by Surrey College. By September 2006 the first 20 dedicated ABA support workers were hired in the district. Today, the district has more than 100 ABA support workers, each working one-on-one with a child who has autism. So sought-after is their expertise that parents from Langley and Delta cross boundaries to send their children here.

“Nic’s not just going to school; he’s actually learning,” says Robins. “I know it sounds odd but because of Craig, he’s actually able to learn at school.”

At North Surrey Secondary, Nic learns functional and daily living skills with Rudder and also participates in the BASES (Building Academic, Social and Employment Skills) program as well as parts of the regular classroom curriculum.

“He’s leaps and bounds different from when fi rst met him,” says Rudder. “Socially is where he’s made some of the highest gains.” ABA is considered one of the most effective evidence based therapeutic approaches to treating children with autism, yet the Surrey School District is the only district in B.C. that has dedicated ABA support workers and offers training certification through its adult education arm, Surrey College.
“ABA is an evidence-based approach to teaching children with autism. The district supports this and parents have the choice of whether or not they wish to ask for this service,” says Cory McLaughlin, District Principal in Education Services.
Autism is on the rise and the Surrey School District is leading the way in accommodating the needs of children with autism spectrum disorders. Students in the ABA support worker program at Surrey College must have 500 documented hours of home-based ABA experience under an ABA consultant prior to entering the program, and another 500 hours before they can achieve their ABA certification to work in the school system.
“It’s a behavioural and academic program based on data collection and the observation of children,” explains McLaughlin.
Robins, who chairs the district ABA Advisory Committee, credits ABA for giving her son his life back and revealing him to be not just a boy with autism, but an artist, a conversationalist and a well-mannered teen who always holds the door for people at the grocery store.
“I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without ABA,” says Robins.
For his part, Rudder’s biggest reward is seeing Nic succeed. “Yes, my job is awesome.”
For more information, contact the District ABA Advisory Committee at ABAAdvisory@gmail.com.

[Dione Costanzo]

Tuesday, November 20 – ABA Support Network Special Presentation

Topic – The iPad : Getting Started!

Guest Speaker – Amanda Raichelle, http://www.iempoweru.ca

Amanda Raichelle, also known as “Gadget Girl”, is our Special Guest Speaker. Amanda has a background in Early Childhood Education, Applied Behavior Analysis intervention for children with autism and support work in schools.

Amanda will be presenting information on getting started with an Ipad for those considering getting one and those that have taken the plunge!

This workshop will focus on areas of interest to the participants as well as opportunities to try out apps.
Topics include:
– purchasing and protecting
– goals and uses of the iPad apps as well as limitations
– restricting your child's use and locking apps
– simple ways parents can use the iPad to help their child.
– iEmpowerU's favorite apps
– managing the iPad

If possible please being your iPad updated with the current version of iOS 6 (back up! then go to settings –> general –> software update).

Feel free to email Amanda with any questions or topic requests gadgetgirl@iempoweru.ca

This will be a great presentation as well as an opportunity to network with other parents, including some of the fabulous facilitators of our Neighborhood Network parent groups.

Please RSVP to dione@abasupportnetwork.com and pass this on to your own network!

Date: Tuesday, November 20
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Best Western Peace Arch Inn
2293 King George Hwy, Surrey

(NOT the Pink Palace – on the right hand side of King George heading south past 24th)

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone! Here is some updated event information for the iPad presentation this Tuesday Nov 20:

Tuesday, November 20 – ABA Support Network Special Presentation

Topic – The iPad : Getting Started!

Guest Speaker – Amanda Raichelle, http://www.iempoweru.ca

Amanda Raichelle, also known as “Gadget Girl”, is our Special Guest Speaker. Amanda has a background in Early Childhood Education, Applied Behavior Analysis intervention for children with autism and support work in schools.

Amanda will be presenting information on getting started with an Ipad for those considering getting one and those that have taken the plunge!

This workshop will focus on areas of interest to the participants as well as opportunities to try out apps.
Topics include:
– purchasing and protecting
– goals and uses of the iPad apps as well as limitations
– restricting your child's use and locking apps
– simple ways parents can use the iPad to help their child.
– iEmpowerU's favorite apps
– managing the iPad

If possible please being your iPad updated with the current version of iOS 6 (back up! then go to settings –> general –> software update).

Feel free to email Amanda with any questions or topic requests gadgetgirl@iempoweru.ca

This will be a great presentation as well as an opportunity to network with other parents, including some of the fabulous facilitators of our Neighborhood Network parent groups.

Please RSVP to dione@abasupportnetwork.com and pass this on to your own network!

Date: Tuesday, November 20
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Best Western Peace Arch Inn
2293 King George Hwy, Surrey

(NOT the Pink Palace – on the right hand side of King George heading south past 24th)

[Dione Costanzo]

Tuesday November 20 in Surrey!!

An ABA Support Network Presentation

the IPad – Getting Started!

Amanda Raichelle, also known as “Gadget Girl”, is our Special Guest Speaker. Amanda has a background in Early Childhood Education, Applied Behavior Analysis intervention for children with autism and support work in schools.

Amanda will be presenting information on getting started with an Ipad for those considering getting one and those that have taken the plunge!

This will be a great presentation as well as an opportunity to network with other parents, including some of the fabulous facilitators of our Neighborhood Network parent groups.

Please RSVP to dione@abasupportnetwork.com and pass this on to your own network!

Date: Tuesday, November 20
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Best Western Peace Arch Inn
2293 King George Hwy, Surrey

(NOT the Pink Palace – on the right hand side of King George heading south past 24th)

[Dione Costanzo]

Tuesday November 20 in Surrey!!

An ABA Support Network Presentation

the IPad – Getting Started!

Amanda Raichelle, also known as “Gadget Girl”, is our Special Guest Speaker. Amanda has a background in Early Childhood Education, Applied Behavior Analysis intervention for children with autism and support work in schools.

Amanda will be presenting information on getting started with an Ipad for those considering getting one and those that have taken the plunge!

This will be a great presentation as well as an opportunity to network with other parents, including some of the fabulous facilitators of our Neighborhood Network parent groups.

Please RSVP to dione@abasupportnetwork.com and pass this on to your own network!

Date: Tuesday, November 20
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Best Western Peace Arch Inn
2293 King George Hwy, Surrey

(NOT the Pink Palace – on the right hand side of King George heading south past 24th)

[Dione Costanzo]

****Date Correction for ABA SUPPORT NETWORK Presentation****

Tuesday October 16th at 7pm

[Dione Costanzo]

****Date Correction for ABA SUPPORT NETWORK Presentation****

Tuesday October 16th at 7pm

[Dione Costanzo]

****date correction for ABA SUPPORT NETWORK Presentation****

Tuesday, October 16th at 7pm

[Author]

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