celebrate autism awareness and acceptance month with us!...out our social-recreational respite...
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Celebrate Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month with Us!
October is an exciting month that is host to many holidays including Halloweenand Oktoberfest. But did you know that since 1993 October also marksCanadian Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month? While World AutismAwareness Day, declared by the United Nations in 2007, is celebrated on April2, and the U.S.A. celebrates its Autism Awareness Month in April.
We mark this month to encourage everyone to promote the importance oflearning more about autism and foster a greater understanding and acceptanceof the condition within our community. And we invite you to join us incelebration of this special month. Read on to find out how YOU can getinvolved.
Learn More About Autism In the greater Edmonton area, it isestimated that over 18,000 familiesare directly affected by AutismSpectrum Disorder (ASD).Explore our website to learn more.
Share Your Story Do you have a Twitter or a Facebook account? If so, using the hashtag#AutismEdmontonCelebrates, tell us how and why you promote autism awareness, understanding, and acceptance.
Help Us Carry Out Our Mission Donate to fuel supports and servicesoffered by Autism Edmonton forpeople on the spectrum and theirfamilies. All donations receive anelectronic tax receipt, issued in thename of the donor only. Donate now.
Hold a Fundraising Event Want to kick-start your fundraising,but don’t know how? Throwing anevent in support of Autism Edmontonis easier than you thought!
Here are a few ideas for you toexplore:
Have a Sale – Host a book sale or a garage sale to de-clutter your homeand support a good cause at the same time.Make Fun Matter – Host a movie night, BBQ, pub night, potluck or gamesnight. You can raise funds by selling tickets to the event and acceptingdonations during it.Penny Drive – Challenge your family and friends to collect as manypennies and loose change they can this October.
Need support to plan your event? Our team is always here to help – just callour office or email us at [email protected].
We invite you to join our October Community Connections event at the Prairie Gardens’ Haunted Pumpkin Fest.
Start off by joining the warm-up with Autism Edmonton at a greenhouse pavilion where we will have treats, beverages, arts, and crafts. Plus, there will be a bonfire, so make sure you bring your lawn chairs and sticks for s’more making. Then explore over 50 fun activities at the Haunted Pumpkin Festival, which was ranked as one of the top Halloween events in Canada!
When: Saturday, October 21, noon to 3.00 pm. Where: 56311 Lily Lake Road, Bon Accord; 25 km north of Edmonton. (Busing available - please contact Brooke Pinsky at [email protected] for details.) Activity Cost: Treats are on us! For discounted admission to Prairie Gardens Adventure farm, bring this voucher.
As a casual family-friendly event, this fun social outing will be a great opportunity for members of all ages to get together and enjoy Edmonton's countryside. Attendees are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes.
Please confirm your attendance through the Community Connections' Eventbrite page. Don't forget to bring the voucher for discounted admission to Prairie Gardens Adventure farm! We look forward to seeing you atour Community Connections event!
Your Autism Edmonton CalendarAre you familiar with our different meeting groups? Below we have included ahandy list of October activities. Check them out and add any groups of interestto your calendar.
Wed, Oct 4 – Parents of Adults with Autism
Parents and caregivers of adults with autism (of any age) are invited to discussissues, needs and challenges specific to caring for their adult child. Guests areoccasionally invited to present on specific areas of expertise.
This month we will meet to hear an Aspires Housing Group presentation.
Wed, Oct 4 and 18 – The League of Extraordinary Individuals
This group provides adults with autism ages 18-24 with social opportunities,where they can meet and hang out with their peers. The League seeks to builda strong community through activity based meetings; better yet the group isresponsible for activity suggestions.
Sat, Oct 14 – Adults with Autism (25+) Support Group
This social group is open to adults with autism, age 25 or older, who are lookingfor opportunities to share their struggles, experiences and successes in a safespace. Emphasis is placed on self-care, supporting one another and developinga community among members. (An official diagnosis is not required to beincluded.)
Tue, Oct 17 – Adults with Autism (25+) Discussion Group
This discussion group is for adults with autism, age 18 or older, who areseeking opportunities to discuss specific topics of interest.
This month the 25+ Adult Group will meet to hear a presentation concerningAutism, employment, and workplace accommodation. We are lucky to haveLeah Brown talk to us on topics including the duty to accommodate, disclosure,and financial benefits to hiring someone on the spectrum. Location: AutismEdmonton - 101, 11720 Kingsway Avenue.
Thu, Oct 19 – Partners of Individuals with Autism
Partners of all ages are able to learn from each other, talk about how autism affects their relationship, and strengthen their support network. (NOTE: This discussion group is for the partner of the individual only; individuals with ASD may find additional support in any of our Adults with Autism groups.)
Sat, Oct 28 – Adults with Autism (25+) Community Group
This social group is open to adults with autism, age 25 or older, who are looking for opportunities to get out in the community, enjoy the company of others in a group, and try out new experiences. Activities tend to be either low- or no-cost, and are determined by group members. (An official diagnosis is not required to be included.)
This month the 25+ Adult Community Group outing is at the Plaza Bowl (10418 118 Avenue), an old-school bowling alley with a few modern touches. We will be able to bowl, eat and/or chat.
Some of our groups require intakes, while others are “drop-in” meetings. For more info on any group or program, email [email protected] or call
780-453-3971 and press 1 to speak with our Support Services Team. Check out our online event calendar to see even more activity dates.
2017 Opening Doors for Autism Gala
We are less than four weeks away from the 2017 Opening Doors for Autism Gala and Auction. We are so excited about this event, so we couldn’t wait to share that this year’s “Opening Doors for Autism” Award recipient is Isabel Henderson.
Isabel was chosen based on the ongoing significant difference she has made for people with Autism, throughout her leadership as the Senior Operating Officer at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
Get Involved
The Opening Doors for Autism Gala and Auction isyour chance to make a positive difference in thelives of thousands of children, teens, adults, andentire families affected by autism in our community.
To donate, buy tickets, volunteer or get moreinformation, please contact Kate Wallace [email protected] or call 780 4533971 ex 223.
Please help us spread the word about the gala –share this information with your friends, colleagues,and family!
Occasio Fall Program
Are you looking for social opportunities outside of school? Then you might be interested in checking out our social-recreational respite program, Occasio.
Occasio enables participants to practicesocial skills and independence, develop friendships, explore new activities, and be out in the community. Since registering for sessions is based on interest and preferences, this helps make the program unique.
Thankyou!
Special thanks to our majorcommunitysupporters!
Occasio October Schedule
Oct 3: Trampoline Park Oct 5: Pottery Painting Oct 7: Streetcar to Strathcona Oct 10: Modelling Clay South Oct 12: Upcycle "Makerspace"Project Oct 14: Telus World of Science
Oct 17: Lego Night South Oct 19: Terwillegar Swim Oct 21: Prairie Gardens AdventureFarm Oct 24: Arts Night South Oct 26: Overclocked Gaming Oct 28: Galaxy Land's Halloween Oct 29: Pumpkin Patch Pyramids Oct 31: Bonnie Doon Trick-or-Treat!
Annual General Meeting Reflection
We were excited to host our 46th Annual General Meeting on Thursday,September 28. Thank you to the Board of Directors, members, supporters,volunteers, and staff for attending! Special thanks goes to our guest speaker,Avril Frost from the Government of Alberta, who took time from her busyschedule to share valuable insights into services for people on the spectrum inthe Edmonton area.
Sign up for activitieson our website:www.autismedmonton.org
We had a great turnout and a room full of people who came out to celebrate oursuccesses and hear about our plans for the next year. The evening started with sharing success stories about our members’ experiences with the agency and continued with presentations highlighting our accomplishments in 2016/2017. We have elected a new Board; please meet our 2017/2018 directors:
President | David JardineVice President | Kevin PayneTreasurer| Jennifer NealSecretary | Dr. Yun-Csang GhimnDirector | Dr. Keith GouldenDirector | Mohammad RaufDirector | Justin ReynoldsDirector | Luc HeathDirector | Angela KembleDirector | Gabrielle HeseltonDirector | Camila Silvestre
We also took some time to acknowledge the contributions of our outgoingdirector, Andrew J. Ryan. We'd like to thank Andrew for volunteering on theBoard over the last three years and bringing his incredible passion, dedication,and experience to the table.
If you missed our AGM, we invite you to check out the infographic below thatsummarizes the last year’s highlights.
Please download the 2016/2017 Annual Report to read about our accomplishments in more detail (available online). We look forward to another year of providing much-needed services and supports for people in our community.
Donor Highlight
We would like to extend a special thank you to our supporters, whose generosity is helping build and strengthen programs and services for people with autism.
This month, we would like to show our appreciation to the NO MOREEXCUSES fitness studio, Koil Kitties, and Jim Kennedy from Edmonton & Area 567 Club.
Thank you!
Community Corner
Out and About Downtown Evenings Successfully Socializing
C Success SLP Services will be hosting a series of 5 weekly activitiesdowntown this fall. Deadline for registration is Oct 2, 2017. Call 780-495-9544or email [email protected] for more information. View program description.
KARA Family Resource Centre provides a wide variety of programming,services and supports designed to create positive outcomes for children andtheir families in the Edmonton area. View KARA Fall Program Guide. Call 780-478-5396 to register.
Shelley Moore: Meaningful Inclusion in Classrooms, Schools andCommunitiesPlease join us on Monday, November 27 as we enthusiastically welcomeShelley to St. Albert! For individual tickets, please go to our EventBrite link.
4th Annual "In Our Community - Making a Difference" ConferenceTo learn more and purchase tickets, please view the conference's brochure.
Family Futures Resource Network's new Programs & Services guide for Fall2017 is now available. Call 780-413-4521 to register.
The Qi Adventure Club is happy to offer two awesome Odyssey adventures forFall 2017. You can also learn more about Adventures at the Qi AC Website,where we share videos, a calendar of events, and additional information abouteach adventure.
Research Recruitment
NOTE: We do not specifically endorse any research. Our intent is to promote autism research on a locallevel, in order to learn more about how we might best support people in our community who are living withautism spectrum disorder
Invitation to Participate in a Research Study on Autism ServicePreferences
Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) would like to invite you toparticipate in a research study about your thoughts and feelings about autismservices. If you would like to participate, please click on this link.
Challenging the Stereotypes of Mathematical Giftedness and MathDisability in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
4-17-year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are invited toparticipate in a study that aims to understand better the mathematical skills ofchildren with ASD and what factors predict math strengths andweaknesses. For more information, click here or contact Dr. Heather Brown at(780) 492-5363 or [email protected]
Invitation to Participate in a Research Study
MacEwan University would like to invite you to participate in a research studythat is looking at the effects of warnings for a time-out to increase complianceto parent instructions with children with a diagnosis of ASD aged 3-5 years ofage. For more information, please email Miranda Macauleyat [email protected].
Parent's Perspectives on Their Child with Autism Spectrum DisordersTransition to Adulthood
The purpose of this study is to examine which factors predict parent stress andfamily quality of life for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) when that child is making the transition out of high school. Click here tocomplete the survey.
Quality of Life of School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder:Factors that Predict Parents' Perspective
The survey should take roughly 30 minutes to complete. Eligible parents musthave a child with ASD between 8-11 years old.
Transitioning from Early Intervention Services Into the School System
If you choose to participate in this research, you will be provided with asummary of your particular child’s results, which may help you plan for futuretransitions. For more information, click here or contact the primary investigatordirectly [email protected] or at (780) 860-7454.
Social ABCs with Attention Training for Toddlers with Suspected Autism
Are you the parent of a toddler (age 12-30 months) who shows signs of ASD orhas a diagnosis of ASD? The Autism Research Centre is studying an earlyintervention program called the "Social ABCs". To take part, please contactSanne Jilderda at 780-735-6274 or email [email protected]. Click here tosee a flyer with more details.
Early Symptom Development in ASD: Role of Attention Control &Emotional Regulation
The Autism Research Centre is inviting families to participate in an ongoingstudy to examine early signs of ASD in infants and toddlers.
To volunteer for this study, or to learn more, please contact Olivia Conlon: 780-735-7999 ext. 1 5668 or email [email protected]. To learnmore about other opportunities with the Autism Research Centre, please visittheir website or follow their Facebook page.
The University of Alberta invites you to participate in a study on how families of youth with Autism
Developing a Model of Mathematical Ability for Children with ASD
Researchers at the U of A are trying to better understand the mathematicalskills of children with ASD, as well as what factors may predict math strengthsand weaknesses. For more information, please contact Heather M. Brown,Ph.D., Autism Spectrum Disorder and Academic Achievement (AIDAN)lab, Department of Ed. Psych., Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, 780-492-5363, [email protected]
Spectrum Disorder (ASD) decide about vaccinations. To learn more, please
contact Sheetal Prasad at (780) 735-6273 or [email protected].
Autism Research Centre - Genomes to Outcomes
The Autism Research Centre invites families to participate in our research study that finds genes that cause Autism Spectrum Disorder. For more information, please contact Jana Roberto 780-735-6274 ext.1 or [email protected].
The Autism Research Centre invites families to participate in a study that examines the early signs of autism in infants and toddlers. To learn more, please contact Olivia Conlon at 780-735-7999 ext. 15668 or [email protected].
Who is He? The Comprehension of Reference During StorybookListening
The study will be on going until summer 2018. If you’re interested inparticipating, or would like more information, please contact Abigail Toth, Centreof Comparative Psycholinguistics, University of Alberta, 780-994-8647, [email protected]. Please click here to view the poster.
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