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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Participants Required: Autism Comes to the Hospital

We are looking for families and health care providers to participate in a study called Autism Comes to the Hospital: Experiences of Hospital Care from the Perspective of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, their Parents and Health Care Providers.
 
In this study we are trying to learn more about what it is like for children and teens with an Autism Spectrum Disorder to spend time in the hospital due to a medical condition. We want to hear how it is for the kids themselves, for their parents/family members, and for the staff who take care of them while they are in the hospital.
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Volunteers Needed for Study on Teens' Media Use

Have you wondered how teens (12-19 years old) with an autism spectrum disorder use media such as TV, video games and the internet? We want to understand how media use influences development, and teens' and parents' perspectives related to media use. 
 
Teens and the parents will fill out surveys and teens will also have a short phone interview. Both parents and the teens will receive a gift card to thank them.
 
For more information visit http://www.teensmediause.ualberta.ca
or contact Melissa Kuo at melissa.kuo@ualberta.ca or phone (780) 492-3877.

Communication Study And A Chance to Learn About Your Child

Dr. Steven Shaw’s Connections Lab at McGill University is conducting a study that examines communication differences among Canadian children diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome. The anonymous, online survey takes less than 20 minutes to complete.

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Connecting the Dots: Navigating Systems of Care for Young Persons with Autism in Alberta

Dear Families,

We are conducting a province-wide survey about supports and services for families with children, teens or young adults (to age 30) with autism in Alberta. The purpose of this survey is to better understand the strengths and gaps of current supports, services and resources to ultimately improve outcomes for persons with autism and their families.

To learn more, click on the poster below to see a larger version.


 

Does Your Child with Autism Struggle to Understand the Facial Emotions of Others?

If the answer is yes, then please volunteer to participate in this research study!

Your child's participation in this study would be greatly appreciated if he/she:

  • Has a recognized diagnosis of autism
  • Is aged 4-8
  • Has verbal language skills
 
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Do you have a child with Aspergers Syndrome, High-functioning Autism or PDD-NOS?

We are two families who are currently home educating our children who have Asperger's Syndrome. We are hoping to build a network of parents who want to advocate for change, and create a better learning environment for our children - at home or at school.

We have created a survey to try and gather information on the educational experiences of children with HFA/Aspergers or PDD-NOS.

Please take the time to complete the survey (less than 5 minutes!) and pass it on to any other families in Edmonton and area that are homeschooling children with HFA/Aspergers and PDD-NOS.

You can find the survey on our blog at http://aspireparentgroup.blogspot.com/.

If you would like more information about the Aspire parents group you can reach us by email at aspireparents@gmail.com. 

Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,
Cathy Girard/Kelly Sheehy

Parents: Can You Fill in a Survey to Help Other Parents?

Regarding: Parent Tip Sheet on Immunization

Dear Parents,

We are asking for your help in developing a Parent Tip Sheet on Immunization. We are third year Community Health Nursing Students from Grant MacEwan University working in partnership with the Autism Society of Edmonton Area. Our goal for the project is to provide parents of younger children with information and strageties for making the trip to the public health unit or doctor's office as smooth, stress-free and pain-free as possible. 

 
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Is PDD's New 70 IQ Eligibility Requirement Affecting You? We Want to Know!

Are you a person with a disability or family member who is receiving or has applied for PDD funding?  Have you been affected by the new requirement that individuals who receive funding have an IQ of less than 70?

Are you a staff member of a community agency?  Has your work been affected by PDD's new eligibility rules?

If you are, then you can help with a new study being conducted by Dr. Tania Smith and research students at the University of Calgary.  The study will find out how the new PDD funding requirements are affecting the lives of persons with disabilities, their families, and community agencies.

Click here to read more about the study and how to apply.  Please sign up and make your voice heard!

The Autism Research Centre Needs Your Help!

The Autism Research Centre at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton is always looking for individuals with ASDs and their families to participate in autism research studies. By participating, you will be helping to create a brighter future for individuals with autism.

For complete descriptions of all the studies and information on how to participate, please click here to download the brochure (Adobe PDF format).
 

NEW - Understanding "Figures of Speech" in Children with Communication Disorders

Dr. Joanne Volden is examining communication skills in children with ASD. We need children with ASD who are 6, 9 or 12 years old. Children with autism frequently have difficulty understanding figurative language, like “skating on thin ice”, but we don’t know exactly why. This study examines how understanding figurative language develops in children with ASD. We also want to know what factors make figurative language easier to understand.
 

NEW - Examining the Experiences of Mothers and Fathers of a Young Person with Autism

Dr. David Nicholas and Dr. Lonnie Zwaigenbaum are examining the shifting experiences of parents of a child with autism (up to age 25 years) and their families over the journey of ongoing care provision, development of the young person with autism, and changing resource needs. The study also examines how parents – both individually and together as a couple or co-parents – navigate care for their child.
 
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Autism Society of Edmonton Area and are published for information only
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