[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone

I am starting to compile a resource list of practitioners in BC (or available to residents of BC) who do private ASD diagnosis. Please email me if you have any information or experience regarding this ie/who does them, how much does it cost, are there wait lists, how long does diagnosis take, what are the requirements for completing diagnosis, what were the recommendations if any…

THANK YOU for any feedback it is much appreciated!!

Cheers,
Dione

dionec@shaw.ca

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone

I am starting to compile a resource list of practitioners in BC (or available to residents of BC) who do private ASD diagnosis. Please email me if you have any information or experience regarding this ie/who does them, how much does it cost, are there wait lists, how long does diagnosis take, what are the requirements for completing diagnosis, what were the recommendations if any…

THANK YOU for any feedback it is much appreciated!!

Cheers,
Dione

dionec@shaw.ca

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone

I am starting to compile a resource list of practitioners in BC (or available to residents of BC) who do private ASD diagnosis. Please email me if you have any information or experience regarding this ie/who does them, how much does it cost, are there wait lists, how long does diagnosis take, what are the requirements for completing diagnosis, what were the recommendations if any…

THANK YOU for any feedback it is much appreciated!!

Cheers,
Dione

dionec@shaw.ca

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share some information that was presented to the ABA Support Network in February by Katie Allen, M.S., BCBA during "ABA – How to Be Evidence Based (Looking at Research for Common Problems)".

Thank you Katie!

The techniques that are utilized in ABA are constantly being tested, altered, and improved to find the most effective and efficient way of modifying behavior.

The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) website is a way to look to research about common problems (ie/feeding, choice, reinforcement schedules, waiting).

http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/jabaindx.asp

How to use the website:
• Type in your key word/concern and browse through the abstracts.
• Read abstract first and get a general sense of what they did in the study
• Read the discussion section next…this will actually summarize what they found without too much detail
• If all that looks good, look at the procedure section to see how they did it
• Review with professionals if you have any questions…you should always feel free to bring new information to consultants, OT, Speech
• Have them explain it further to you and discuss if it’s a possibility for your child

Remember the evidence decision tree!!

Select a treatment approach that has evidence to support it might actually work
Select an intervention that has recent or consistent evidence to show this is CURRENT best practices
Monitor and analyze data from that intervention to ensure your child is making progress

Cheers,
Dione

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone

Last month Kathryn Theroux presented "ASD : The Birds and the Bees" for the ABA Support Network.

Thank you again Kathryn for that informative and engaging presentation!

During the presentation we:
* Shared basic information about the sexual needs of individuals with ASD
* Discussed what we can do/are doing to meet those needs
* Discussed ways to replaced fear, uncertainty, and doubt with facts, resources, and recommendations

Kathryn has generously forwarded me an electronic version of her powerpoint presentation for this topic. If anyone would like a copy please email me at dionec@shaw.ca

I would also highly recommend all parents attend this presentation if Kathryn presents it again in the future.

Cheers,
Dione

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi everyone

Last month Kathryn Theroux presented "ASD : The Birds and the Bees" for the ABA Support Network.

Thank you again Kathryn for that informative and engaging presentation!

During the presentation we:
* Shared basic information about the sexual needs of individuals with ASD
* Discussed what we can do/are doing to meet those needs
* Discussed ways to replaced fear, uncertainty, and doubt with facts, resources, and recommendations

Kathryn has generously forwarded me an electronic version of her powerpoint presentation for this topic. If anyone would like a copy please email me at dionec@shaw.ca

I would also highly recommend all parents attend this presentation if Kathryn presents it again in the future.

Cheers,
Dione

[Dione Costanzo]

Save the date May 26 for upcoming ABA Support Network meeting and presentation:

Date: Thursday, May 26, 2011 7-9pm

Topic: Social Skills for Children with ASD – An Inclusive Approach

Guest Speaker: Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam, M.Ed, BCBA

Location: Surrey Sport and Leisure Centre, 16555 Fraser Hwy

This presentation is for parents and educators that are reflecting and looking for basic strategies for an inclusive classroom: therefore benefiting all children!

The presentation will include:

1. What are some different kinds of social classifications
2. What is the 'real' reason for friendships?
3. How can we develop them at school, home and social groups?
4. How do we support our learners to keep on learning and striving for social success?

Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam M.Ed BCBA is a behavioural consultant specializing in Lovaas style ABA for children with autism. She trained and worked with a Lovaas Replication Site for 10 years and was involved in opening clinics in the United States and in the U.K. In September of 2007 Bohdanna and colleagues opened Harmony House Preschool, an inclusive preschool for children with autism and their peers. Currently Bohdanna serves as the Executive Director of Harmony House which has grown into a clinical facility that focuses on families and supports and supervision in home settings, social groups, homeschool club and parent support groups.

http://www.abasupportnetwork.com

[Dione Costanzo]

Save the date May 26 for upcoming ABA Support Network meeting and presentation:

Date: Thursday, May 26, 2011 7-9pm

Topic: Social Skills for Children with ASD – An Inclusive Approach

Guest Speaker: Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam, M.Ed, BCBA

Location: Surrey Sport and Leisure Centre, 16555 Fraser Hwy

This presentation is for parents and educators that are reflecting and looking for basic strategies for an inclusive classroom: therefore benefiting all children!

The presentation will include:

1. What are some different kinds of social classifications
2. What is the 'real' reason for friendships?
3. How can we develop them at school, home and social groups?
4. How do we support our learners to keep on learning and striving for social success?

Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam M.Ed BCBA is a behavioural consultant specializing in Lovaas style ABA for children with autism. She trained and worked with a Lovaas Replication Site for 10 years and was involved in opening clinics in the United States and in the U.K. In September of 2007 Bohdanna and colleagues opened Harmony House Preschool, an inclusive preschool for children with autism and their peers. Currently Bohdanna serves as the Executive Director of Harmony House which has grown into a clinical facility that focuses on families and supports and supervision in home settings, social groups, homeschool club and parent support groups.

http://www.abasupportnetwork.com

[Dione Costanzo]

Save the date May 26 for upcoming ABA Support Network meeting and presentation:

Date: Thursday, May 26, 2011 7-9pm

Topic: Social Skills for Children with ASD – An Inclusive Approach

Guest Speaker: Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam, M.Ed, BCBA

Location: Surrey Sport and Leisure Centre, 16555 Fraser Hwy

This presentation is for parents and educators that are reflecting and looking for basic strategies for an inclusive classroom: therefore benefiting all children!

The presentation will include:

1. What are some different kinds of social classifications
2. What is the 'real' reason for friendships?
3. How can we develop them at school, home and social groups?
4. How do we support our learners to keep on learning and striving for social success?

Bohdanna Popowycz Kvam M.Ed BCBA is a behavioural consultant specializing in Lovaas style ABA for children with autism. She trained and worked with a Lovaas Replication Site for 10 years and was involved in opening clinics in the United States and in the U.K. In September of 2007 Bohdanna and colleagues opened Harmony House Preschool, an inclusive preschool for children with autism and their peers. Currently Bohdanna serves as the Executive Director of Harmony House which has grown into a clinical facility that focuses on families and supports and supervision in home settings, social groups, homeschool club and parent support groups.

http://www.abasupportnetwork.com

[Dione Costanzo]

Hi Everyone,

As a Surrey parent I would like to tell you my perspective of how ABA is working in SD 36.

My son is in grade 2 and has had an ABA Support Worker full time since he entered the system in Kindergarten. His ABA SW is someone who had worked on our home team for almost 2 years before entering the school system.

In the spring before my son was to enter K, I went to an SD36 information session for Kindergarten parents. I met Rick Ryan, President of Student Services (at the time) who explained to me how the system worked in Surrey.

Kids with autism who are in home based ABA programs are eligible to request an ABA Support Worker for school. The requirements for an aide to become an ABA Support Worker are 1,000 hours of experience in home based programs under the supervision of qualified consultants, and they must also successfully complete the ABA Support Worker Program at Surrey College. The courses of this program are taught by experienced professionals and the curriculum was designed through collaboration of parents, professionals and district administration.
Here is a link to the course info:

http://www.surreycollege.sd36.bc.ca/programdetail.asp?programid=8

Note the next free info session is May 12 – tell your therapists!

Once these requirements are met an aide can be hired by SD36 with the ABA SW designation. These workers are in a different "pool" than the SEA's. This is a much smaller pool that has separate postings for assigning ABA SW's to kids that are in home based ABA programs.

SD36 does not offer any behavioral consultants. The consultant from the home based team oversees the school based ABA programs and is under employment of the parents.

As a Surrey parent who has greatly benefited from the work of parents before me, I am dedicated to paying it forward by helping to "feed the system". Many other families in Surrey as well hire and groom therapists to go into the school system as ABA Support Workers. We sometimes lose therapists off of our teams when they enter the school system with another child but it is worth it to strengthen the ABA community and have another child in the district receive appropriate support.

Support and acceptance by individual school administration can vary and I hear stories from Surrey parents about various struggles they have. Much advocating and "paving the way" is still needed in some schools.

The district administration is on board and has been since implementing the ABA Support Worker program a few years ago and watching how ABA works in the schools. They have been quite creative in working with individual cases to create appropriate learning environments for ABA kids.

There is an ABA Advisory in SD36 that works with parents and district administration on key issues that impact the effectiveness of ABA services in schools.

From what I understand, the districts of Langley, Richmond and Burnaby are not willing to listen to ABA parents, and it is possibly time for another lawsuit (?) in order to get a working ABA system into schools there.

I am not an expert in the SD36 school system but am happy to share my experiences, knowledge and contacts with anyone please email me at dionec@shaw.ca

Cheers,
Dione

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