ASEA's Holiday Hours


The Autism Society office will be closed for the holidays from December 23 until January 2. The office will close on the evening of Thursday, December 22 and reopen on the morning of Tuesday, January 3. We wish you a joyous holiday season, and look forward to serving you again in the new year!

A New Way to Give for the Holidays

 

Tired of giving socks and sweaters as gifts? Want to give a really special Christmas present this year, or make your next holiday gathering an event to remember? We've got two new ways to help!
  • You can give a donation to the Autism Society as a holiday gift to a loved one. Open up our online donation form and dedicate your donation to someone special, including a customized message. Your dedication and message will be e-mailed to them - you can choose whether to send it immediately, or wait until December 25th. Plus, we'll print your dedication the next issue of our quarterly magazine Autism Now!
  • Make your next holiday or birthday party a charitable event. Instead of bringing gifts or food or drinks, encourage people who attend to make a donation to the Autism Society. Contact the Autism Society to set up your event, and guests will be able to choose it from a drop-down list in our online donation form. It's a great way to bring out the giving spirit in your friends and family!

Either way, you'll be showing your generosity while helping us to provide critical programs and services for people with autism and their families. 

 

SleepRight: Sleep Resources for Youth with Chronic Health Conditions

A team of researchers from the University of Alberta has completed a critical review of the evidence for non-pharmacological sleep interventions for youth with chronic health conditions. The review was supported by the Health Research Transfer Network of Alberta (RTNA) and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. The full report is available on the website http://www.SleepRight.ualberta.ca. The website contains a collection of evidence-based sleep resources for youth with chronic health conditions, their families, healthcare providers. Downloadable patient education brochures about evidence-based sleep interventions are also provided.

Beyond Behaviours: Supporting People with Complex Support Needs

The Persons with Developmental Disabilities Program (PDD) and Alberta Association for Community Living are pleased to present:

Beyond Behaviours
Supporting People with Complex Support Needs
Presented by David Pitonyak, Ph.D., Imagine Consulting, Blacksburg, Virginia

Workshop dates: February 21-23, 2012, 9 am – 4 pm

Beyond BehavioursFREE! Space is limited so register early
Lunch and refreshments provided

Ramada Conference Centre, 11834 Kingsway, Edmonton, AB

Difficult behaviours result from unmet needs. This workshop examines strategies for supporting not only an individual who experiences disabilities, but also the needs of his or her caregivers. This three-day event will explore:
 

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Upcoming Sibshops for Children Ages 9-15

 

The City of Edmonton is offering workshops for siblings of children with special needs!

Join us! These workshops will provide opportunities for brothers and sisters of children with special health, mental health and developmental needs to obtain peer support and education within a recreational context.

Sibshops are lively, pedal-to-the-metal celebrations of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of kids with special needs. Sibshops acknowledge that being the brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, others a not-so-good thing and for many somewhere in between. They reflect a belief that brothers and sisters have much to offer one another, if they are given the chance.

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2012 Graduate Student Pilot Grants

The 2012 Graduate Student Pilot Grants (minimum of two in a 12 month period) will support individuals conducting graduate research in any field related to Autism Spectrum Disorders to begin  May 2012. These scholarships are jointly funded by the Autism Society of Edmonton Area and the Autism Research Centre at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital (affiliated with Alberta Health Services and the University of Alberta). Each pilot grant (maximum $5,000.00) is to be applied towards the operating costs of the successful applicants’ graduate research project. Applications will be judged on the quality and originality of the proposed project, and on the potential of the research to contribute to the well‐being of persons with ASD and their families. 
 
Each successful applicant will provide a written progress report at 6 months and a final report and presentation of study findings (see below) at the conclusion of the project.
 
Deadline to apply: April 1, 2012. Funding for May 15, 2012 to May 15, 2013.
 

"On the Job" Conference - Now with Subsidy Opportunities

The "On the Job:  Advancing Vocational Opportunities for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders" conference is fast approaching! If you have not yet registered, please do so quickly, while space is still available. As a reminder, the Conference is being held on February 2 & 3, 2012 in Toronto. Click here to download the conference brochure.
 
You can also click here to download an application form for a subsidy grant for conference attendance, thanks to the generous support of Autism Speaks Canada. Subsidies of up to $1000 are available.
 
If you have any questions, feel free to be in touch with Esther Ko at esther.ko@sickkids.ca or (416) 813-7654 x28004.

Are You an Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

We need YOU to help us find out if difficulties with communication make it harder to get a job.
 
We need adults who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to volunteer for a research study. We want to know why some adults with ASD get good jobs, while others are unemployed. Some people say that communication impairments make it hard to get a job.
 
  • Are you an adult with ASD?
  • Are you 18 - 25 years old?
  • Have you graduated from high school?
  • Could you come to the University of Alberta for 2 sessions where you would meet with a job consultant, do a practice job interview, and complete some language tests?
 
We will provide compensation at each visit to thank you for your participation. If you wish, you can talk to a speech pathologist about your communication skills.
 
If you can help, please contact Wendy Mitchell at wendy.mitchell@ualberta.ca or at 780 492 9050 for more information.
 
Thank you for considering participating in this research.

Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta 2012 Program Schedule

The Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta is offering some great programs in the Edmonton area for 2012! Their programs are available for individuals with all types of disabilities, and not just cerebral palsy! Here's just a few of them:

For adults:

  • Yoga (day program)
  • Computability: Offers persons with disabilities the chance to learn computing skills while having fun at the same time
  • Art Expressions: An integrated community-based creative arts program for persons with disabilities.
And more!

Click here to download the Adult Program brochure

For children and youth:

  • YogaBees
  • Children's Art Program: This six week children’s art program is open to children of all disabilities. The adapted program is
    designed to enhance children’s physical, mental and emotional well-being through the exploration of various art forms such as painting, clay and much more!
  • Ballerina Dreams: The Ballerina Dreams program allows children with disabilities to truly feel like ballerinas.

Rink of Dreams to Raise Money for ASEA

This year, the ATB Financial Charity Shootout on CTV Rink of Dreams will be raising money for the Autism Society of Edmonton Area and other charities in our community! It's a charity hockey shootout, with Josh Classen in net, and participants competing to see who can raise the most money for their charity of choice. Every charity will get at least $1,500, and the winner's charity will get more than $3,500. Plus, there will be a bonfire, hot chocolate, big sky, and lots of smiles and laughs! 

The first round is starting at 11 AM on Sunday, January 15 at CTV's Rink of Dreams on 18520 Stony Plain Rd. Good luck to John Windwick of ATB Financial, who will be shooting to raise money for the Autism Society! Go John go! So why not come out and join us, have a great time, and cheer John on!

You can read the full information below:

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Autism Society of Edmonton Area and are published for information only
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