Mar
1
2012
Please find this youtube video of an 11 year olds perspective on Asperger Syndrome as well as this video: I am greater than Asperger Sydnrome
Mar
1
2012
With the release of the Office of Attorney General Report in January 2012, the Children’s Coalition, of which AMI is a member of, has written a response to the Minister of Education stating the concerns of stakeholder agencies, as well as a proposed course of action, that would involve parents and caregivers of children with exceptional needs. Please find a copy of this letter here. AMI is continuing to advocate with the government regarding the needs of all individuals with Asperger Syndrome as they work through the education system, to ensure that all students receive an inclusive education.
Further, Community Living Manitoba has also completed a report based on a 2011 survey based on parents and caregivers of Manitoba Students with disabilities, where the results are in line with the OAG report. Please see this report here.
Feb
24
2012
Please find this article that was published the New York Times about navigating a relationship between two individuals with Asperger Syndrome.
Feb
22
2012
Join speaker Lianne Belton (Occupational Therapist & RDI certified Consultant, Children’s Rehabilitation Centre (specialized Communications Resources for Children)) present about Emotional Regulation in children and youth with Asperger Syndrome
Date: Thursday, March 15th, 2012-1:00 to 2:30 pm
Location: St. Aidan’s Church (274 Campbell St. (at Kingsway)), Use side-door entrance on Kingsway
Babysitting available during session – please call the office 489-3390 for arrangements.
For more information please see the poster here.
Admission Free and All Are Welcome
Feb
21
2012
If you haven’t already heard the GREAT news….Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP) now offers drama courses designed to meet the specific needs of children on the autism spectrum. The instructor uses lots of visual cues (including a photo lesson board) and breaks down tasks using best practice teaching for children with ASD. The result is an electric fun-filled hour of imaginative team-building play! We are currently taking registrations for spring session (first class is on April 14, 2012).
New!
We now train and provide one-on-one assistants for each student in the class (at no additional cost to families). Our classes are also capped at 8 students to provide optimal programming.
About our Instructor:
Demetra Hajidiacos has a Masters degree in Education. Her thesis work focused on teaching imaginative play skills to children on the autism spectrum, a project that was piloted at MTYP. She is a seasoned drama educator, published author, and the proud parent of a beautiful and unique child on the autism spectrum.
I CAN PRETEND: DRAMA FOR 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!
Space is limited.
For more information, please contact MTYP’s Theatre School at
947-0394 extention 230 or log onto www.mtyp.ca.
For detailed information about the content of this course, please email instructor Demetra Hajidiacos directly at demetra_hajidiacos@yahoo.com.
I Can Pretend!
5 – 7 years
Imaginative play, turn-taking, listening and sharing will be the main focus of this class.
Spring Session/10 weeks $180
SIPA/Saturday 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
First class April 14
I Can Pretend Too!
8 – 10 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.
Spring Session/10 weeks $180
SIPTA/Saturday 3:45 – 4:45 p.m.
First class April 14
Here’s what parents are saying about our program:
“Our son is loving the program. He’s been doing great at playing with other kids at school and doing more pretending and using his imagination. Last night he wanted to play dress up for the first time ever and had a great time.”
Father of student, Age 6″While our son could sometimes do well previously with imaginative play in short doses,
Father of student, Age 6″While our son could sometimes do well previously with imaginative play in short doses,
I have seen a change in his stamina and interest for pretending.”
Mother of student, Age 5
“We just wanted to let you know how much our son is enjoying the classes. We have noticed a tremendous growth in his imagination…stuffed animals watching him perform concerts, going to the doctors etc. Thank you for your enthusiasm you bring each week”
Mother of student, Age 7
“My son’s imagination has really been flourishing before our eyes and we are so excited to see that.”
Mother of student, Age 5
Feb
20
2012
The winter 2012 edition of the Successabilities newsletter can be found here.
Feb
15
2012
Just a reminder of our winter potluck coming up on Friday. If you are bringing food to the event, please provide a list of ingredients for individuals with allergies. Thank you.
The annual AMI Winter Potluck will be held on February 17 from 6-9pm at the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (825 Sherbrook). Come out to socialize with individuals and families who’s lives have been touched by Asperger Syndrome. Come out to meet some of the members of the board of directors and talk to us about what our plans are for the upcoming year. Everyone is welcome to come out and visit with us!
This year, we are having a potluck, with dessert and beverages provided courtesy of AMI. Your contribution of either a salad, appetizer or main course would be gratefully appreciated and should be enough for 8 to 10 people. Some ideas could be meatballs, pizza, pasta salad, perogies, veggies and dip, bruschetta or anything similar.
RSVP HERE and help us to plan more effectively for the event!
Feb
15
2012
Please join the River East Parent Support Network (REPSN) for a presentation on “Promoting Independence: Teaching Your Child Daily Living Skills” with Linda Harrison.
Date: Monday February 27, 2012
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Place: Access River East (975 Henderson Highway), Room 117
Please RSVP to Dawn Gates at repsn@shaw.ca
For an event poster please click here.
Feb
15
2012
SpeechWorks is excited to announce our winter Conversation Skills group programs for Tweens and Teens. These 5-week programs develop social communication skills such as introducing, greeting, starting, maintaining and ending a conversation, as well as cognitive flexibility and emotional expression. Target skills are selected based on the participants’ needs. Programs are led by a Speech-Language Pathologist with 16 years’ experience working with children and a special interest in Autism, especially Asperger Syndrome. Skills are presented using visual supports, modelled, and then practised in fun activities. Learning is enhanced by the small group size (4 to 6 participants) and by the participation of neurotypical volunteers.
Groups run Thursdays 4:30 to 6:00 (February 23 to March 22 / April 5 to May 3 / May 17 to June 14), Saturdays 10:30 to 12:00 (alternate Saturdays April 7 to June 2). To register, please call Stephanie at 231-2165 or email speechworks_inc@live.ca.
Feb
13
2012
Last year, the committee working on revisions to the DSM V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition) released draft changes to the criteria used in diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The DSM is used by professionals all over the world to diagnose ASD, including Asperger’s Syndrome.
The revised criteria eliminates Asperger Syndrome as a label, and instead rolls up many of the Asperger characteristics into a larger ASD definition. The same has been done for PDD-NOS. Many children and adults who qualified for the old Asperger Syndrome diagnosis will still meet the definition of ASD under the revised criteria. However, several studies have run statistical analyses using the revised criteria, and they have shown that significant numbers of people will no longer qualify for an ASD diagnosis when assessed using the new criteria. The recent media coverage of this issue was triggered by one of these studies.
AMI has been closely monitoring this issue since the initial revisions were released last year, and we are concerned about the impact these changes may have on adults and children in our community. There are still many unanswered questions, including how these changes will affect the provision and funding of supports and services. AMI will continue to advocate for these supports and services, regardless of any changes to the DSM. We will also pursue greater clarity on the impact of these changes, if and when they are made final.
We encourage members and interested/affected parties to review the revised criteria here You can email the DSM committee at dsm5@psych.org to let them know your immediate concerns, although it is unclear whether they are registering these unsolicited comments at this time. In spring of this year, the DSM committee will reopen their site to officially receive comments from the public, and AMI will post a link to the comments area of the DSM site at that time. In the meantime, we encourage affected individuals and families to discuss any specific questions you have with your health care provider, psychologist or psychiatrist. You can also leave a comment here to share your concerns or comments with AMI.
Please find some additional information that has been published by various media sources:
A Specialists’ Debate on Autism Has Many Worried Observers
New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests
Experts Consider Changing Definition of Autism
