Date: September 27, 2010 7-9pm

Location:  Miles Macdonell Collegiate (Miles Mac)
757 Roch St.
East Kildonan, Winnipeg, Manitoba

For more information please visit the River East Transcona School Division website by clicking here.

• Do you have Asperger Syndrome (or a related diagnosis)?
• Are you 18 years old or older?
• Do you think you would benefit from meeting with a small group of other adults with similar needs to work on skills for living (may include social skills, self-esteem, relationships, communication, non-verbal cues, body language, conversation skills, anger management, anxiety)?

If you answered YES to the questions above please complete the form at http://newsletter.swd.ca/surveys.php?id=10.

For more information click here or visit the AMRC section of our website.

I CAN PRETEND: DRAMA FOR CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

This year, MTYP is excited to offer two new class selections that are designed to meet the specific needs of children on the autism spectrum.

Your children will laugh, learn and rejoice in the power of dramatic play.  Seasoned drama educator and author Demetra Hajidiacos will take your children on a magical journey they won’t soon forget! Dress-up, puppets, crafts, songs and storytelling will nurture creativity and assist children in developing social skills.

Children currently enrolled in an intensive intervention program such as Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) and Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based therapy (DIR/Floortime) will benefit most from these classes.

Weekly lesson plans will go home with families and may be shared with consultants, tutors, therapists and other caregivers to continue the fun at home!

I Can Pretend!

4 – 6 years

Children will learn to use their body and voice to transform themselves into police officers, firefighters, superheroes, doctors and world famous pizza makers! Imaginative play, turn-taking, listening and sharing will be the main focus of this class.

Fall Session/10 weeks $175

FIPB/Sunday 2:30 – 3:30 pm

First class September 19

Winter Session/10 weeks $175

WIPB/Sunday 2:30 – 3:30 pm

First class January 9

I Can Pretend Too!

7 – 9 years

In addition to the skills covered in I Can Pretend!, this course introduces the joy of storytelling and  focuses on imaginative play, cooperation, and idea-sharing.

Fall Session/10 weeks $175

FIPTB/Sunday 3:45 – 4:45 pm

First class September 19

Winter Session/10 weeks $175

WIPTB/Sunday 3:45 – 4:45 pm

First class January 9

For information on how to register log onto www.mtyp.ca

• Do you have Asperger Syndrome (or a related diagnosis)?
• Are you 18 years old or older?
• Do you think you would benefit from meeting with a small group of other adults with similar needs to work on skills for living (may include social skills, self-esteem, relationships, communication, non-verbal cues, body language, conversation skills, anger management, anxiety)?
• Would you be available Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the month of July?

If you answered YES to the questions above please complete the form at http://newsletter.swd.ca/surveys.php?id=10.

If you applied to the first pilot project session but were not accepted into that session, please reapply using the new application.

If you are interested in the group but are not available Tuesday and Thursday evenings in July, please complete the form and ask to have your name put on our wait list.

The ceremony will take place on June 10, 2010 from 7 to 9 pm at the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD), 825 Sherbrook Street – Room 203.

All are welcome to attend. Please RSVP to info@asperger-manitoba.ca.

Print your own invitation here!

Program:

• Report on first adult skills for living group
• Future plans for Asperger Manitoba Resource Centre
• Greetings from our supporters:
  • Investors Group
  • The Winnipeg Foundation
  • University of Manitoba
  • SMD Self-Help Clearinghouse

Bennetta Benson has been working children and teens at all levels of the autism spectrum, for the past 12 years. She received the YMCA/YWCA “Woman of Distinction” Award 2004 for her work in this field. She was a founder and is currently Program Director of the Winnipeg Optimal Health Early Years Sports Club (OHEYS), a registered charity that runs 1-1 summer day camps for children (age 6-12) and teens (age 14-17) with autism/Asperger’s. OHEYS has received numerous awards and recognition for it’s work, including the “Mayor’s Volunteer Service Award”. A major focus of OHEYS programs is teaching free play skills and friendship strategies. Bennetta has also given half-day and full-day presentations and workshops to TA’s and resource teachers in public schools, on issues related to autism and learning. She runs the presentation “Teaching Free Play Skills to Children with Autism” on a monthly basis. It is open to anyone working with children with autism who want to learn more about teaching skills in this area. Bennetta received a BA (Psy) from the University of Winnipeg and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Manitoba.

For details on this session, and how to register, click on this icon.

Posted at 10:39 am, June 17, 2010

The annual AMI Spring Barbecue will be held at Assiniboine Park this year unless bad weather forces us to go in doors at the Assiniboine – Charlswood Community Church. But we are optomistic that the weather will be nice and we can enjoy each other’s fellowship outdoors on June 17th from 6 to 9 at Picnic Spot 13 in Assiniboine Park. Check this map to seewhere we will be. Our spot is circled in red.

Chef Gene will be cooking hamburgers and hot dogs once again this year courtesy of AMI. Please bring either a salad, veggies, desert, or appetizer to contribute to the menu if you are able. Also, bring a chair and beverage for yourself.

We need your RSVP to know how much we need to cook and prepare for.

RSVP here!

Keep checking this page for any changes and new information as it becomes available. If weather forces us to go indoors at the Assinniboine – Charlsewood Community Church we will let you know through this page no later than 3 pm on June 17th,

Asperger Manitoba Inc. (AMI) proudly announces the launch of Phase 1 of The Asperger Manitoba Resource Centre (AMRC). Part of a three phase plan, the AMRC will develop and deliver accessible, appropriate supports for both children and adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) in Manitoba as well as their parents and caregivers.

With grant support from Investors Group and The Winnipeg Foundation, and in partnership with the School Psychology Program in the Psychology Department at the University of Manitoba, and the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) Self-Help Clearinghouse, AMI has begun providing programming aimed at supporting adults with AS, an autism spectrum disorder, who are otherwise ineligible for support services in Manitoba. The services being provided in Phase 1 of the project include a skills-for-living program. Group participants work through curriculum addressing those areas with which they are experiencing the most challenges within their daily lives. These include social skill development, anger management, anxiety, peer relationships, and job readiness. Other services being offered in Phase 1 include a peer support group for adults with AS, a peer social group for adults with AS, a support group for caregivers of adults with AS and an online newsletter and networking opportunities.

On June 10, 2010, AMI will be celebrating the opening of the resource centre with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the SMD Self-Help Clearinghouse. Representatives from Investors Group, The Winnipeg Foundation, University of Manitoba and the SMD Self-Help Clearinghouse will be on hand to bring greetings. The participants and facilitators of the first adult skills for living group will offer their insights into the value of this project and AMI’s future plans for the project will be presented. All are welcome to attend.

AMI hopes to expand the programming offered by the resource centre in Phases 2 and 3, to include more skills for living groups, available on a year round basis for adults with AS, as well as providing increased supports for families of children with AS, skills for living groups targeted to younger children and adolescents with AS and outreach activities throughout the province.

Future phases in the development of the resource centre will also include the creation of a resource library, and the hiring of a staff member to help with the daily inquiries from individuals and families throughout the province. It is hoped that the opening and continued development of the AMRC will fill a void in current programming and services that are available to both the families of and the individuals living with Asperger Syndrome in Manitoba.

To learn more about the development of the AMRC, or to donate towards its ongoing development, please contact AMI at info@asperger-manitoba.ca or call 204-975-3037.

Bev and four other beautiful women including Sharon Taylor, Addie Thoroski, Stacy Boone, and Ruth “Bette” Spence were recognized at a gala event sponsored by the magazine on March 24th at the Delta Winnipeg.

View the magazine here (most beautiful women start on page 25)!

Watch Bev’s interview with Margaux Watt of CBC here!

Watch Bev’s gala speech here!

Follow the link below to view the latest issue (Volume 10 Issue 4 April 2010) of the DRD in PDF format.

Disability Resource Digest