Autism Awareness Centre
56 Sussex Cr. SW T2W 0L5 Calgary, AB, Canada

"Dr. Penny Corkum, a Professor at Dalhousie University, NS and Child Clinical and School Psychologist, has led the development and evaluation of the ASSIST program for the past 15 years. She, along with a research team of health and education specialists, are inviting teachers to register during the month of March for the "ASSIST Sustainability and Implementation Study". We are actively recruiting 300 Canadian teachers in grades 1 to 12 for a study that offers free access to online professional development. "

For those of you who use the Zones of Regulation, here are two new storybooks that were just released. They're on their way into our bookstore.

We have a webinar tomorrow with Maureen Bennie, Director of Autism Awareness Centre. Several topics will be discussed along with suggested resources for deeper dives. If you can't make our live time, the webinar is also available on demand. Hope to see you there!

Kelly Mahler, OT, has put together a great interoception daily activities list encompassing all parts of the body. This is a free download. Kelly's other materials are available on our website.

Getting vaccinated? This document from CAMH gives a great explanation of the process and what to expect in simple language, supported by visuals.

"The Self-help Booklet Series is for people with intellectual disabilities and can be used with the support of family members, friends, staff, and health care professionals."

"Genetic variants that contribute to autism may also be involved in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette syndrome, according to a new study."

"The barriers to diagnosis are especially challenging for women and girls. The research community is recognizing more and more that autistic women and girls are poorly served by the current clinical criteria and typical routes to a diagnosis."

Teaching telephone skills at home - a great skill to be able to do.

We have our Brain and Autism webinar on Thursday with Brenda Smith Myles. This webinar will also be available on demand if you can't make it at 10 am - 11 am MT.

Our study found that children with ASD experienced significant increases in the social skill of empathy, significant decreases in problem behaviors including bullying and hyperactivity/inattention, and also less separation anxiety after the introduction of a shelter cat, said Gretchen Carlisle, PhD, MEd, RN, research scientist at the University of Missouri Research Center for Human Animal Interaction (ReCHAI). Previous research has focused on interactions of dogs with children who have ASD, but dogs may not provide the best fit for all children and their families, especially given the hypersensitivities to sound that are common among children with ASD, Carlisle said.

Disordered sleep during the pandemic. It is affecting so many of us!

A very interesting read on how Australia will address professional development in the area of disabilities for teachers. "...teachers will be required to devote at least 50 hours of professional development training to four priority areas: curriculum delivery and assessment, mental health, disability and Aboriginal education."

Excellent information on shutdowns - "A shutdown essentially leaves someone in a catatonic state or close to it. The person may appear completely dissociated from the environment and withdrawn, not responding to any sort of stimuli. It may look like the person is zoning out, suddenly exhausted or falling asleep, or the person may be in a more obviously distressed position."

A closer look at crisis situations- how and why they happen.

New to our bookstore this week. "Autism and Depression uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to target emotional regulation skills, perspective-taking, acceptance, independent goal setting, and skill-building related to symptoms associated with depression."

Our first webinar for 2021, featuring Dr. Cathy Pratt. Individuals on the spectrum can present numerous challenges to the professionals and family members who support them. However, when an individual also has a mental health issue the support needs can be more complex and complicated. Starting with an understanding and strategies for assessing behaviors, practical strategies will be presented that address the whole child, including the role of trauma and stress in a child’s life and how to promote self-regulation.

Bo Hejlskov Elvén, clinical psychologist from Sweden, will be our webinar presenter on November 19th. He is part of our Low Arousal Approach team.

How can you promote happiness for individuals? Peter Vermeulen has developed the The Autism Good Feeling Questionnaire.

"Just because I don’t feel pain in a conventional way, doesn’t mean I am braver, weaker, stronger, or more sensitive than other people."