Fall 2011 - Inspirations

Transcription

www.inspirationsnews.com
INSPIRATIONS
FALL 2011
WINTER 2012
A Snapshot of Our Special Needs Community
Vol. 4 No. 1
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DundeeWealth Teacher of Inspiration
Chrissy Mohammed: “Making a difference one face at a time”
“
By Wendy Singer
My M.Ed is about seeing a student with special needs first as an
individual and second as a
student with a learning disability.” Chrissy Mohammed, The Faces along the
Road to My Masters of Education.
Chrissy Mohammed is an
innovative, forward-thinking teacher who can’t imagine doing anything else but
teaching. She began her career seven years ago at St.
Johns Elementary School
in Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu,
Riverside School Board.
Five years later, she spent
one year at St. Mary’s Elementary School. One particularly chaotic day when
her students presented challenges beyond her grasp,
she came to the realization
that she needed and craved
to learn more.
Chrissy Mohammed and some of her students at St. Johns Elementary School in Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Inspirations Notebook..…………..............Page 2
Caregiver of Inspiration………….............Page 3
St. George’s School Success Story….........Page 4
Wheelchair athlete Chantal Petitclerc…...Page 6
Relationship Development Intervention….Page 7
Learning Potential Program………….......Page 9
Constance Lethbridge…………………......Page 10
Marlene Jennings and her battle ………...Page 11
Centennial College coaches students….....Page 16
Mental Health Resource Centre................Page 17
The Endeavor Program.............................Page 18
A mother and her son………………….......Page 21
Adapted Travel…………..........Pages 25, 26 & 27
(Continued on page 21 )
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INSPIRATIONS - Fall 2011/Winter 2012
Wendy Singer
Inspirations Notebook
INSIDE THIS EDITION: I had the privilege of meeting Chantal Petitclerc when she
recently addressed EMSB students at Adult
Learners Week. During the course of the
event, Inspirations editor Mike Cohen and
I noticed that the word “inspirations” was
repeated over a dozen times. We shared a
contribute to a full range of health, education, arts, social welfare and community reinvestment activities with a special focus on
supporting at risk youth in Canada.
We are pleased to be one of the many
community groups and organizations that
DundeeWealth sponsors,
sharing their dedication to
youth and individual opportunity. This group includes
the Toronto Children’s
Aid Society, the Hot Docs
Documentary Film Festival
youth education program
Docs for Schools and various national and international relief efforts with the
Canadian Red Cross.
DundeeWealth is committed to helping the communities in which they do business provide young people
the freedom and opportunities to experience life fully.
By building relationships
Chantal Petitclerc is thanked for addressing an English Montreal
School Board event by Director of Adult Education and Vocational based on mutual commitServices, Rosario Ortona.
ment, they aspire to provide
others with the opportunity
nod in silent agreement, “Yes indeed, this to succeed. They believe in rising to the expectations of their stakeholders and worknewspaper is aptly named!”
ing with them to create healthy communities
We’ve had a tremendous year at Inspira- across Canada.
tions and enjoyed meeting so many of you at
several events catering to the special needs WALK FOR AUTISM: On Father’s Day,
community. Our distribution numbers are over 1,500 people participated in Montreal’s
on the rise, we introduced a new website, inaugural Walk Now for Autism Speaks at
added French language content, and are now Stade Uniprix. Families affected by autism,
on Facebook. This fall 2011 edition is jam- friends, teachers, therapists, and corporate
packed with inspiring stories and timely partners raised awareness and an impressive
information. Don’t miss parent and teacher $185,548. Inspirations was proud to host a
Stephanie Winterford’s two outstanding ar- table and support the important work that
ticles about her experiences placing her son Autism Speaks Canada is doing. The morning was organized so that kids with autism
in school and the search for a diagnosis.
could just be kids, and families could enjoy
We welcome our advertisers and govern- the community event. Walk Now for Autism
ment sponsors, both returning and new, and Speaks is sponsored by Toys “R” Us and
urge you to explore the outstanding resourc- Babies “R” Us, and holds events in over 80
cities across North America including five
es they have to offer.
Canadian cities.
NEW SPONSOR: We extend a special
welcome to DundeeWealth, sponsor of the
Fall 2011 Teacher of Inspiration. Collaboration and innovation are part of the culture
of success at DundeeWealth. They actively
OUT AND ABOUT: The first annual Montreal Special Needs Fair, held on September
22, 2011 at Ruby Foo’s Hotel, brought the
best available special needs resources together under one roof while giving the pub-
2
lic the opportunity to come and learn about
a large variety of resources and services.
There were many interesting presentations
on relevant and timely topics. This was a
must-attend event for anyone caring for
a disabled person. Inspirations was one of
over 30 participating exhibitors who greeted hundreds of fair-goers. For information
about upcoming events contact specialneedsworkshop@gmail.com.
On June 16, 2011, The Eleanor Côté Home
proudly opened its doors. This brand-new
specialized children’s respite home is located behind the West Montreal Readaptation
Centre’s (WMRC) Department of Child and
Family Services in Beaconsfield. It is the result of two years of hard work by a devoted
community including The Taylor Birks
Foundation, corporate donors, WMRC,
Centre Marc Vanier and the community at
large. The facility will provide much-needed respite to parents of children with an
intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and/or severe behavioural disorder. It
can accommodate up to six children at once,
including those with physical disabilities.
aspirations), an overview of intellectual
and developmental disabilities in Canada,
a DVD discussion guide, activities and assignments grouped by subject areas, noting
the competencies addressed from the Quebec Education Program. For information or
to purchase the toolkit, contact the Centre
at 514-848-8619, or email cahd@alcor.concordia.ca.
BRIEFLY NOTED: Share Learn Grow is
a collaborative venture involving the Giant
Steps Resource and Training Centre in Autism, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board
(SWLSB) and LEARN. The project aims to
share resources, expertise and knowledge
developed over the years by these three organizations, as well as promote the use of best
practices in their communities. The primary
goal of the Task Force Team, established in
2011, is to meet the training needs of parents, teachers, professionals and eventually
students, throughout the large SWLSB territory, particular those living far from Laval
and have little opportunity to attend training
sessions. LEARN will facilitate the accessibility of workshops, conferences, tutorials
and consultations through
the Internet in the form of
webinars, videos, teleconference or other modes.
‘Get Involved in Parasport’
is a new portal that the Canadian Paralympic Committee
recently launched on their
website (www.paralympic.
ca). It helps connect people
to parasport (a sport for
people with a disability) by
highlighting the many ways
to participate, from athlete
to coach, official, volunteer,
or helping to connect someone to parasport. Each role is
This EMSB group participated in the Walk for Autism
Photo by Lisa Wedmann
equally as important and critical to the successful growth of
The Centre for the Arts in Human Develop- the parasport movement in Canada.
ment has created The disAbility Awareness
and Empathy Building Toolkit, for use in Check out the ‘Community News’ section
both elementary and high schools. The pur- on the Inspirations website for not-to-bepose of the toolkit is to develop increased missed upcoming events including The
empathy and understanding of the lives of Friendship Circle’s Walk4Friendship and
people with intellectual and developmental the sixth Annual Autism Awareness Gala,
disabilities. The concept emerged from re- both taking place on November 6th, 2011.
search in performance ethnography funded
by the Social Sciences and Humanities Re- We would like to extend a big ‘THANK
search Council of Canada, and a project in YOU’ to Jesse Heffring and the wonderful
elementary and high schools.
students at Summit School’s T.E.C.C. ProThe toolkit has several components including a copy of the DVD “In Their Own
Voices,” (a documentary that warmly presents how a group of performers with intellectual and developmental disabilities view
themselves, their interactions, dreams and
gram, who distributed this edition of Inspirations to you!
If you have comments or tidbits to share,
send them to info@inspirationsnews.com.
Fall 2011/Winter 2012- INSPIRATIONS
3
Planet Sheldon
By Jason Goldsmith
INSPIRATIONS
Caregiver of Inspiration 2011 Award Ceremony
Celebrating Special Education Technician Sherri MacCallum
By Wendy Singer
I
nspirations Newspaper recently honoured the 2011 Caregiver of Inspiration
recipient Sherri MacCallum at Lakeside
Academy in Lachine of the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB).
with personal interaction, demonstrating
the special relationships she has with each
student.
Vice Principal of Rosemont Technology Centre Danica Lewington presented a
beautiful hand-made bench, crafted by her
students and which MacCallum sunk into,
expressing her gratitude. Special thanks to
Jason Goldsmith, founder of the Big Blue
Hug autism awareness project, presented
a stained glass painting titled “Together.”
He explained, “This painting was chosen
specifically for you, because what you do
is bring people together.” Goldsmith demonstrated his son’s original drawings which
form the basis of this painting, showing the
evolution of thought and communication.
After our editor Mike Cohen described the
raison d’être for Inspirations,
Principal Michelle Harper took
the floor, sharing that MacCallum is Lakeside Academy’s inspiration. While holding back
emotions, Harper told MacCallum, “I always think about you
as mother earth. We all know
that we can go down to Resource
any time and you are there with
a hug or a smile, embracing everyone. You are the embodiment
of generosity and kindness. I believe that you make us all better
people, teachers, administrators,
commissioners, no matter what
our role is, because of who you
are and how that rubs off on everyone.”
Sherri MacCallum and her adoring students at Lakeside Academy at a ceremony organized by Inspirations.
MacCallum’s colleague Sandra
Mill-Phillips added: “We work in a most
amazing department. The thing that binds it
is patience and humour, and it is embodied
right here. We’re so happy for you today.
You couldn’t be more deserving.”
To applause and music, some 20 students
slowly filed in, presenting MacCallum with
a poster, individually hand-made cards, and
an original rap performed by student Wazim
Myer. MacCallum accepted each gesture
Principal of Rosemont Technology Harry
Michalopoulos for sponsoring the award.
In my capacity as coordinator of operations
for Inspirations, I presented a $50 gift card
from Tim Hortons with a message from
Regional Marketing Coordinator Patricia
César congratulating MacCallum on her
achievements and wishing her the best with
her ongoing work.
LBPSB Regional Director
Dave Meloche spoke on behalf of the school board and
the director of Complementary Services. “You’ve done
so much Sherri,” he said.
“You don’t only provide a
voice, you allow students to
grow their own voices. You
are so deserving. Thank you
for empowering these students to be so much more
than many people thought
they could be.”
Patrick
Whitham,
LBPSB Commissioner for
Lachine, provided concluding remarks to MacCallum,
“Thank you for all the work
you do for these students.”
MacCallum thanked her colleagues for
nominating her and thinking she is deserving, saying, “I’m not nearly as good as I am
by myself. It’s working with you guys that
makes it easy for me every day.”
Submissions are now being accepted for
the Caregiver of Inspiration award at
mcohen@inspirationsnews.com
Inspirations is produced by the
Communications and Marketing Division
and the Student Services Department of
the English Montreal School Board
in collaboration, and distributed across
the Greater Montreal, Laval-Laurentians
and South Shore areas.
Editor
Mike Cohen
Consulting Editors
Lew Lewis
Julie René de Contret
Copy Editors
Stuart Nulman
Irene Miller
Daniel Smajovits
Special Advisor
Nick Katalifos
Principal, Pierre de
Coubertin Elementary School
Coordinator of Operations
Wendy Singer
Coordinator of Educational Outreach
Linda Mahler
Layout & Design
Yibing Shen
Phone: (514) 483-7200 ext. 7245
Fax: (514) 483-7213
E-mail:
info@inspirationsnews.com
mcohen@inspirationsnews.com
Website:
6000 Fielding Ave.
Suite 109
Montreal, Quebec,
4
St. George’s School of Montreal helps visually handicapped student thrive
By Stuart Nulman
F
or more than 80 years, St. George’s
School of Montreal has operated under six main principles. One of those
is to “adapt education to the differences of
the individual child.”
And that principle is best exemplified in
the case of Gregory Krychman, a Grade 8
student at St. George’s. Gregory was born
visually impaired, and throughout his elementary years, attended schools that were
geared specifically towards children with
similar challenges.
“I called Kathay and she said to me ‘I’ve
been waiting to hear back from you since
November; where have you been? You
come in and we’ll sit down and talk’,” said
Nancy. “From that moment on it was ‘yes
we’re going to do this, we’ll put him into
international French, he can do this, etc.’”
“Grade 7 is the perfect time to reintegrate;
that’s the time all kids are in a new situation. So instead of being one new person
in the class at Grade 6, it was better to go
into Grade 7 and work from there,” added
Steven. “And the school thought this was
going to be great for their school and teachers; the teachers were going to
learn so much about how to teach
and it was going to be an incredible and enriching experience for
them.”
From that point, everyone at St.
George’s – staff, faculty and students – were ready to meet the
challenge and welcome Gregory
into Grade 7 and beyond. Also,
they made sure that measures
would be taken so that he could
easily integrate into the high
school milieu like any other student. It began just before Gregory
started his Grade 7 classes, when
Gregory goes over science class notes with teacher StephaLinda Small, who’s in charge of
nie Blum (left) and integration aide Michelle Deutsch.
student support for Grades 7 and
8, arranged a meeting with Nancy
At the end of the 2008-2009 academic year,
and
Steven,
all of his teachers, and Michelle
Gregory’s parents – Nancy and Steven KryDeutsch
(Gregory’s
integration aide), where
chman – decided that they wanted to have
they
talked
about
him
in an open forum, in
him integrated into a mainstream school environment. They did the open house circuit, order to get a better understanding about
and had him analyzed and tested and were him, what his needs would be and how they
eventually given the go ahead to search sev- could help.
eral high schools to see which one would
give him a solid education and accommo- “At the end of the meeting, all of them said
that this experience is going to make them
date his special needs as well.
better teachers and they look forward to
“The list of recommended schools that meeting Gregory and working with him,”
we got did not include St. George’s,” said said Nancy.
Nancy. “The problem was that many of the
listed schools didn’t have the expertise in Starting at a new school and especially first
teaching and they were afraid of the pos- year of high school, can be a scary challenge
sibility of Gregory getting hurt and were for any student. Luckily for Gregory, his
worried how they would handle the physical older sister Hailey was about to start Grade
11 and was more than happy to look out
environment; would he be safe there?”
for her brother during this transitional year.
By May of 2010, after many open houses, “I was overjoyed that Gregory was going to
interviews and plenty of back and forth, the same school as me,” she said. “I knew
without a school in mind that met their from the get go that he would be comfortsatisfaction, Nancy and Steven decided to able there. I looked out for him everyday
contact St. George’s Director of Admissions at school, particularly the first few days. I
Kathay Carson, whom they previously met talked to him about who his teachers were,
at an open house event at the school’s el- and what activities he was interested in. It
was really helpful that I was there for him
ementary facility.
during his first year of high school. I definitely think he needed it.”
Hailey also helped him out with how to do
actual homework assignments, book reports,
and to write structured English assignments
that he wasn’t familiar with beforehand.
And now that Hailey’s graduated from St.
George’s, she and Gregory still talk about
what’s going on at the school, which keeps
her up to date about the latest happenings.
Gregory goes to school accompanied by
Michelle, who is at his side throughout the
school day, five days a week. They use a
laptop computer that contains soft versions
of all the class material (which are given to
all the students), which goes along with a
software called Jaws 11.0, which gives an
audio version of not only the class material,
but also any notes that are taken in class.
Michelle usually takes the notes, while
Gregory listens to what the teacher has to
say in class. “It makes him a better listener,
and he could benefit more from what’s being taught,” she said. “Sometimes I ask him
a quick question to make sure that he is listening.”
It is nice to note that Gregory’s classmates
are very helpful as well. During a science and technology
lab experiment dealing with
energy and collision conversions, Gregory’s lab partners
explained to him what the
experiment was, what has
to be done and what his role
would be in the experiment.
class), the purchase of special volleyballs
and basketballs with bells attached to them,
so that Gregory can be an active participant
in different sports.
“And with sports that he wasn’t able to
adapt to, the gym teacher enlisted one of the
Grade 11 students to train with him, such
as jogging, push ups and sit ups, in order
to help keep him physically fit so he wasn’t
just sitting on the sidelines. There was no
such thing as ‘sorry Gregory, you can’t participate’,” said Nancy.
Jim Officer, St. George’s Head of School,
is proud about how the entire school community has joined together in a group effort to adapt to Gregory’s needs and enable
him to become a St. George’s student with
confidence and fluidity in an inclusive atmosphere. “It’s a fine example on how we can
live with dignity and grace in spite of one’s
physical challenges,” he said.
And the results of this group effort have been
tremendously positive. Gregory has worked
hard and succeeded academically. He has
made new friends and easily interacts with
his classmates (not to mention any faculty
or staff whom he passes by in the hallways).
Between classes, Michelle
and Gregory discuss matters
such as homework, assignments, material and equipment requirements for upcoming classes and school
trips. “I also teach him how
to use his cane more often, Gregory works with classmates on a lab experiment.
so that he could eventually
get to classes on his own
and would give him much more indepen- He is a cast member of the school’s Glee talent show, participates in all the school trips
dence as possible,” she said.
and volunteers at different community and
Other accommodations that St. George’s is charity events that the school is involved
offering to ensure Gregory’s smooth transi- with (including the Shrine Bowl football
tion into mainstream high school include game, where he gives out candies and toys
using special materials like textbooks in to the young patients from the Shriner’s
Braille, educational aides like “Math Win- Hospital. As an active member in the Studow” (which has magnetic number and dent Council, he served as the Grade 7 class
mathematical symbol tiles in Braille), flex- representative, and was recently elected to
ible travel times between classes, and in fulfill the same role this year.
gym (which Gregory admits is his favorite
(Continued on page 17)
5
Don’t be fooled: tutoring does not
solve most learning problems
a nightmare. Sam needed
a lot of support to concentrate on his assignments
and he was always finding
excuses to avoid work – he
had to sharpen his pencil or
he needed a snack. While it
wasn’t easy, Sam made it
through elementary school
with tutoring support and
a great deal of help from
mom.
But then Sam started high
school. The classes were
larger and there were more
teachers to cope with. The
subject content was more
demanding and there were
those dreaded mid-year and
final exams. The teachers
noticed that Sam lacked
concentration and would
fidget in his seat. He reKaren Foley B, Ed,; M. Ed.
quired a lot of supervision
Director, Strategic Learning Centre and help to do his homework. Mom studied with
ast week, I was again
reminded that tutoring him and, despite studying long
alone cannot solve learn- and hard for his Christmas exams,
ing problems. A mother came Sam still failed them all. What had
in to see me about her son, Sam, worked in elementary school was
who is now in his first year of not working any more.
high school and failing several
subjects. Sam’s mom was very Sam’s mother knew her son needworried that Sam would con- ed more help. So she brought him
tinue to struggle for the rest of to a qualified psychologist for a
comprehensive learning assesshis life.
ment. The psychologist discovWhile Sam’s problems in ered that Sam did in fact have an
school are not new, only one attentional problem and required
of his elementary school teach- medication in order to focus.
ers ever expressed any concern about his performance at Further testing by an audiologist
school. Unfortunately for Sam, revealed another problem. Denothing was ever done about it. spite having good hearing, Sam
was found to have difficulty unOver the years, homework was derstanding lengthy explanations
L
or directions. Sam was described
as an “inefficient listener.” This
was likely impacting his ability to
learn effectively in the classroom,
and was also contributing to reading comprehension problems.
What Sam’s mother learned, like
many other parents I see, is that tutoring alone cannot solve learning
problems. Sam will need programs
that help him change the way his
brain processes and understands
information. He will also require
structured remedial programs that
will teach him how to understand
and retain what he reads. And he
will need help filling in any gaps
in knowledge he has missed along
the way.
If your child only needs extra instruction or practice, then tutoring
can help. But, if your child has
learning or attentional issues, tutoring will only mask the problem.
And eventually your child will
reach a roadblock, just like Sam
did.
So what can you do if your child is
continually struggling at school?
Contact a qualified learning centre that offers a wide range of
programs that can address your
child’s specific needs. And trust
your instincts. If they suggest only
tutoring at your first meeting, keep
looking until you find a centre that
really understands your situation.
Your child’s future depends on it.
For more information or to set up
a free consultation, call Strategic
Learning Centre at 514-631-9745
or go to www.strategiclearning.ca
Special Needs
Datebase
T
he Inspirations special
needs database is available on our website (www.
inspirationsnews.com), listing over 400 resources in
and around the city of Montreal for children and young
adults. The table of contents
will guide you through various therapeutic, counselling
and support services from
recreational activities, tutoring and vocational services,
medical clinics, adaptation
and social integration to resources for parents and professionals. This database is
meant to be used as a guide.
The English Montreal
School Board recommends
that you research these resources to determine if
they are appropriate for the
care of your child or young
adult. If you would like to
add your resource to the database, contact us at info@
inspirationsnews.com.
“Being disabled should
not mean being disqualified from having
access to every aspect
of life.”
--actress Emma Thompson
6
Chantal Petitclerc’s race to the top
“Determination, attitude and passion” lead to golden career
By Wendy Singer
C
hantal Petitclerc is the most celebrated track athlete in history, having
won gold medals at the Olympics,
Paralympics, and Commonwealth games.
She recently addressed 350 EMSB students
at Adult Learners Week – Proud to Learn
2011, sharing her story with great poise, and
softness merged with a magnificent force of
strength.
Chantal Petitclerc is a regular
contributor to French Chatelaine
magazine. In a recent edition, she
shared her thoughts on where she
finds her motivation to train.
P
etitclerc remembers the words of her
trainer, “In life, if you don’t know where
you are going, there is little chance that
you’ll get there.” Chantal’s sports psychologist pushed her to define what she wanted to
achieve and how she was going to do it.
Petitclerc lost the use of her legs following
an accident that occurred in an abandoned
barn while on summer vacation. Only 13
years old at the time, she was left with a
broken spinal cord, and the realization that
her life would never be the same due to this
life-altering moment.
This future star had no choice but to adapt
quickly. “I learned that in a situation where
you lose control over everything, the only
control you have left is over your attitude
and your emotions,” she recalled. “We
don’t choose everything that happens to us,
but we always choose how we are going to
react to it.”
When Petitclerc and her family returned
from vacation to their home in Saint-Marcdes-Carrières, Québec, her high school had
been adapted to be wheelchair friendly, and
her community was rallying to help her return to a normal, active life. “Because I had
amazing people around me, I was able to
choose to not be a victim of this accident,”
she declares.
It was Petitclerc’s high school physical education teacher Gaston Jacques who had a decisive impact on her life path. Insisting she
stay fit, he suggested she take up swimming.
Even though she was not an athlete prior to
the accident and Jacques had never worked
Erratum
In the last edition of Inspirations,
an article on So You Think You
Can Dance Canada Judge JeanMarc Genereux’s story of love,”
the term Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual (DSM-IV-TR) was incorrectly identified.
Chantal’s advice:
How to achieve
your goals
She built a strategy based on the following
components:
Chantal Petitclerc displays her copy of Inspirations.
with someone with a disability, he chose to
spend three lunch breaks per week training
her. She refers to the expression “fighting
fire with fire” when speaking of this period in her life, recounting, “I went from a
place of weakness and vulnerability to being
stronger and independent in my wheelchair.
My life didn’t stop. My life took a new direction with more potential than limits. After those five years I was ready for the next
challenge, which was wheelchair racing.”
When Petitclerc discovered wheelchair racing, she immediately knew it was her passion. She was not a winner from the start,
having come in “dead last” in her first official race. However, she describes her huge
goals and dreams, “I knew I wanted to be
a wheelchair racer, on a national team and
representing my country. I felt in my heart
that I’m the best in the world. I just had to
go faster.”
Faster she went! Petitclerc teamed up with
trainer Peter Eriksson, which led to her
decorated career, including winning 21
Paralympic medals (14 gold medals) in five
Paralympic Games, setting many records,
and winning one Olympic gold medal in
the 800 meter demonstration sport. She has
received numerous recognitions including
Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec, Personality of the Year by La Presse Newspaper,
Companion of the Order of Canada, and a
star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
She was the first female paralympian to be inducted into Canada’s
Sports Hall of Fame.
Canada’s golden girl retired from
competitive wheelchair racing after the 2008 Beijing Games, but
continues to train and participate in
road marathons. She enjoys sharing her story as a speaker, contributing to Quebec’s Chatelaine magazine, and hopes to write another
book to accompany her first one
titled 16 jours à Pékin. Recently
married at an intimate ceremony in
Cape Cod, she lives in Montreal, is
sponsored by Rio Tinto Alcan, and
is looking forward to being a part
of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Petitclerc’s story of strength resonates with everyone. She concludes, “No matter who we are,
where we come from or what we
try to accomplish, one thing we
can be certain of is that we all will
have to face obstacles and challenges. I believe that facing these
challenges in a positive and constructive manner is really what
makes the difference.”
Is your goal realistic? Be specific, but don’t
set the bar too high.
Write down a detailed, measurable time line.
This is a crucial step in turning dreams into
reality.
Stick to your timeline. It will motivate you
and assure you that you’re on the right track.
Circle those important goal dates in red on
all of your calendars.
Don’t stop there! If some goals will take
months or years to achieve, set intermediate
benchmarks by dividing each section of your
timeline into steps. This facilitates planning
and keeps you motivated.
Analyze each phase of your timeline to be
sure you’ve set realistic goals. Celebrate
each achievement.
Petitclerc stresses that like in life, sometimes we achieve our goals early, sometimes
later. Using this method of planning, there is
much less risk of losing your way.
For more information visit http://
fr.chatelaine.com/sante/santeforme/article.
jsp?content=20100512_152505_7284&PA
GE=2
http://www.marathondemontreal.com/en/
faq/faq.html for marathon programmes
adapted to 5 km, 10 km, half-marathons and
full marathons.
7
Relationship Development Intervention® and ASD
R
elationship Development Intervention (RDI)® is a parent-based program initially developed for children
1
with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
It is based on behaviour modification through
positive reinforcement. RDI was developed
by Dr. Steven Gutstein, a psychologist, and
2
his wife, Dr. Rachelle Sheely. The goal is
to improve difficulties in core social areas
related to the six RDI objectives: emotional
referencing, social coordination, declarative
language, flexible thinking, relational information processing, foresight and hindsight.3
The approach involves trained consultants,
training seminars for parents, support networks, and publications.4
According to Dr. Gutstein, instead of relying on “static intelligence” (one’s ability
to memorize facts and retain information),
a strength for individuals with ASD, RDI
teaches them to rely on their “dynamic intelligence” (the ability to respond to novel situations with flexibility and creativity). RDI
takes into account the typical developmental
process in which children learn to develop
emotional relationships; parents are taught
By Tania Piperni M.Ed
to motivate and teach skills by focusing on
their child’s current developmental level of
functioning. 5
RDI aims at helping children to interact
positively with other people, regardless of
the child’s expressive language ability. According to the program, children will find
it easier to learn language and social skills
once they learn the value of developing
personal relationships. RDI is based on the
notion that children with ASD have missed
some of the typical social developmental
milestones and thus, need to be taught these
skills through play and activities directed by
parents in a one-to-one situation. Therefore,
RDI is typically initiated at home.6
Nick Katalifos and his wife, Mary Gouskos,
have been using RDI at home with their nine
year old son, Manoli, for one year. They are
supervised by their Montreal based consultant, Maria-Niki Bartzakos. They have seen
small changes that have had a great impact
in how Manoli responds to them and others
around him. After Manoli received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder at the age
of three, the family tried other therapies; but
Nick Katalifos, Mary Gouskos and their son Manoli.
only since starting RDI has Manoli made
great strides in developing relationships.
The Katalifos family incorporates the long
term goals of therapy into their daily life.
Ms. Gouskos explains, “We try to teach
Manoli the element of danger through
cooking. We also involve him in doing
things like laundry and grocery shopping.
We want to teach him daily living skills so
that he can become more independent.”
Families using RDI need to videotape these
lessons at home so that their consultant can
review and evaluate them in order to offer
the family constructive feedback. This is
one element of the process that is proving
to be challenging for the Katalifos family;
according to Ms. Gouskos, “it is difficult
to have someone film the session while
someone else is intervening with Manoli.
We have to do more filming so that we can
get additional feedback from Maria-Niki.”
The Katalifos family recognizes they still
have a long way to go with RDI; as Ms.
Gouskos explains, “We are in the infancy
of the therapy.” Nevertheless, they believe
Manoli is becoming more of a “thinker”
and is filling in the gaps in his development. Manoli is learning life lessons and
achieving milestones by building upon the
strengths and skills he already possesses.
Previously, he had limited communication
skills; now he is using more declarative
language, makes more spontaneous requests, and communicates his needs more
readily. Although expressing his emotions
is still a challenge, Manoli has become
more aware of his surroundings and continues seeking out family members in order to
interact together.
The Katalifos family is encouraged by
Manoli’s progress with RDI which has created opportunities to share new experiences
as a family. Ms. Gouskos poignantly sums
it up, “Every child has a different journey.
This is our journey with Manoli right now
and the family is enjoying the quality of the
interactions we are sharing.”
Tania Piperni is the Autism Spectrum Disorder consultant at the English Montreal
School Board.
1 rdiconnect.com
2 autismweb.com
3 autismspeaks.org
4 about.com
5 autismspeaks.org,
6
about.com
autismweb.com
RDI aims at helping children to interact positively
with other people, regardless of the child’s expressive language ability.
8
Inspirational Movies
Julie René de Cotret
By Andrea Di Tomaso
S
Les Olympiques spéciaux
Saviez-vous qu’il existe des programmes d’activités sportives, diversifiées et adaptées,
pour les jeunes ayant une déficience intellectuelle?
P
endant plusieurs années, nous avons
tenté d’intégrer notre garçon dans diverses activités sportives. Il est certain
que lorsqu’il était petit, il était en mesure de
suivre les autres enfants sans trop de difficultés. Toutefois, avec le temps, l’écart est
devenu de plus en plus évident. Les consignes verbales devenaient trop complexes,
ce qui entravait son attention et son intérêt.
Tout allait trop vite pour lui. Avec le temps,
il perdait plaisir à participer aux activités.
Nous avons donc décidé de nous tourner
vers les Olympiques spéciaux. Cette organisation qui offre des programmes sportifs conçus pour les jeunes et adultes vivant
avec une déficience intellectuelle.
Grace aux Olympiques spéciaux, les jeunes
ont la possibilité de pratiquer un sport ou ils
ont l’opportunité d’évoluer selon leurs capacités. Les entraineurs savent adapter leur
langage et les exercices afin que tous, sans
exception, puissent développer leurs aptitudes sportives en lien avec le sport qu’ils
ont choisi. Les jeunes et adultes sont regroupés selon leurs habiletés. Il n’est donc
pas rare de voir des jeunes et des adultes
dans la même équipe. Cette façon de faire
permet aux jeunes de vivre une compétition
juste et équitable. Tout en pratiquant leur
sport, les jeunes ont la chance de développer
des relations interpersonnelles et de vivre un
dépassement de soi.
The Black Balloon (2008)
différents tournois et compétitions aux quatre coins du Québec. Certains ont même
l’opportunité d’accéder à des compétions de
haut calibre. Ils peuvent vivre comme les
autres athlètes, la frénésie des tournois et les
remises de médailles tant attendues.
Les Olympiques spéciaux sont répartis dans
toutes les régions du Québec et offrent programmes d’entraînement et de compétitions
dans 14 disciplines sportives officielles; de
quoi intéresser nos jeunes. Que ce soit pour
les sports d’été ou d’hiver, les Olympiques
spéciaux offrent un vaste choix.
Cet hiver, notre garçon désire intégrer
l’équipe de ski alpin. Il aura également
l’occasion de participer à de petites compétitions dans différents monts de ski, un rêve
qu’il veut réaliser depuis longtemps.
Murderball (2005)
Julie René de Cotret est la directrice adjoint des services aux élèves à la Commission scolaire English-Montréal.
Simon Birch (1998)
Rent it at:
Buy it on:
T
homas (Rhys Wakefield), a typical teenager about to turn
16 has just moved into a new home and started a new
school. Thomas is put in-charge of his older autistic brother
Charlie (Luke Ford), while their father (Erik Thomson) is
occupied with his career in the military and mother (Toni
Collette) endures a difficult pregnancy. Thomas, who desperately wants to fit-in at his new school, tries to keep his
brother a secret from the world. When one of his classmates,
Jackie, (Gemma Ward) accidently meets Charlie, Thomas
has to learn to deal with his sometimes not-so-nice feelings
about his brother and family.
Rent it at:
Pour de plus amples information sur les
Olympiques spéciaux, je vous invite à consulter le site www.olypiquesspeciaux.qc.ca
L’été dernier, mon fils a intégré l’équipe de
soccer de notre région. J’ai eu l’occasion
d’assister à quelques pratiques. J’étais
vraiment surprise de constater le calibre de
certains joueurs. Ces jeunes avaient énormément de talent et le calibre de leur jeu
était vraiment élevé. Les entraînements
sont bien organisés et permettent aux jeunes
de développer leur plein potentiel tout en
s’amusant. Les parents de leurs côté participent tout en encourageant leur enfant.
Ces rencontres hebdomadaires sont également l’occasion pour les parents d’échanger
et de partager leurs expériences communes
tout en célébrant les exploits sportifs de leur
progéniture.
Les jeunes ont également la chance de vivre
it back, grab some popcorn and lose yourself in these amazing
films that feature inspiring and heart-warming characters with
special needs or disabilities. All movies can be downloaded through
iTunes.
T
welve-year-old Joe
Wentworth’s (Joseph
Mazzello) best friend is
Simon Birch (Ian Michael Smith) who is much
smaller than all the other
children in their tiny New
England Town. He also
believes that God has
made him small for a reason, to be a hero. When
their friendship is put to
the test with a cruel twist
of fate, Simon and Joe set
out in search of Joe’s real
father.
Your local video store or library
iTunes
Your local video store or library.
M
urderball is the name for the fast-paced and ferocious
game of full-contact wheelchair rugby. Leading up to
the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, this unique documentary focuses on three wheelchair rugby athletes. Mark
Zupan, the current captain of Team USA, paralyzed from an
almost fatal car accident, Keith Cavill, a former motocross
daredevil and Joe Soares, a Paralympic gold medalist who
is now coaching the Canadian team after being mysteriously
cut by Team USA. We learn how these three men join together through a mutual love of this adrenaline packed and
ultra-competitive sport.
Watch it on:Netflix
Rent it at: Your local video store or library.
Buy it on: iTunes
The Aviator (2004)
L
earn about the story of Hollywood movie director, pilot and engineer Howard
Hughes (Leonardo Di Caprio) and his life-long
struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, an unknown condition in the early 20th
century. Hughes makes breakthroughs in film
and commercial air-travel and falls in love with
Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) who is the
only person close enough to Hughes to help
calm the symptoms of his OCD. This unique
insight into mental illness gives us a perspective into how this disease is more than just a
need to keep things in order.
Rent it at:
Buy it on:
Your local video store or library.
iTunes
9
A motion picture event
The Mackay Centre School Film Festival
T
By Wendy Singer
he Mackay Centre School in NDG
held its first film festival recently and
received spectacular reviews. Transforming the gymnasium into a movie theatre
set the perfect scene, decorated with stars,
glitter, and a good old-fashioned popcorn
stand. Staff were donned in black and white,
conceived by first grade teacher Jessica
Palmer and computer teacher Gaye McConnell after Palmer’s class made the movie
School Rules. “Movie-making captured our
students’ attention,” Palmer explains. “It
was such a success that I thought it would be
a great school wide event. Gaye supported
me, the teachers jumped in, and it becamewhat it is.”
McConnell
adds,
“I’m
blown away
by how the
festival came
together. The
committee
was amazing.
They just ran
with it. The
kids are having so much
fun.”
Making movies is a stellar
way to learn.
Palmer
and
M
c
C
o
n
n
ell
Vice Principal Joe Anne Desire, computer teacher Gaye McConnell, Grade 1 teacher Jessica
describe, “It
Palmer, Principal Patrizia Ciccarelli and students Jason, Shadow, Jennifer and Shyheim.
encompasses
(Photo by Debby Colton)
everything
from
language
classes,
speaking
and seeing
and Pre-kindergarten to Grade Six students
were abuzz with anticipation for their mo- themselves speak, artwork, creating their
own stories and working with the program
ment in the spotlight.
Movie Maker to choose special effects. StuPrincipal Patrizia Cicarelli delivered wel- dents are excited about it and take it very
coming remarks which described how seriously.”
Mackay strives to empower students by
providing opportunities for the children to Captivated by each movie, the students
develop self-reliance, academic success and watched attentively and cheered on their
self-esteem. Cicarelli explained, “The film- classmates. Ten-year old student Jason De
making project has supported the school’s Biasi starred in the movie Happy Country,
mission by allowing students to learn in an based on the book Sarah Plain and Tall. His
active and independent way and to develop thoughts were clear, “I enjoyed the moviea positive attitude towards themselves and making process, but I am most excited to
see myself on screen!”
the school community.”
Movie-making celebrates the exceptionalities of the student population while introducing new classroom technologies. Each
class produced a movie on the topic of their
choice, covering themes such as yoga, nursery rhymes, and cooking demonstrations.
After months of writing, filming and editing, the day had arrived where the students’
voices would be heard.
The concept of a school-wide film fest was
Parent Ann Paraskevopoulos’ 13 year old
son Philip starred in Aug.Com Rocks. Paraskevopoulos couldn’t say enough about the
spirit of Mackay School, “I love the fact that
the staff do so much to make the kids feel
special. It’s fantastic. The kids are going to
the movies, and they’re all stars.”
In preparation for the second annual Mackay Film Festival, Palmer and McConnell
plan to link the movies with the curriculum,
The Learning Potential Program (LPP)
Linking movement and learning
T
he Learning Potential Program (LPP) enhances both movement
and learning strategies in all
children. It is based on the understanding that it is with the
physical body, and not just the
mind, that movement and learning take place.
The first step of the process is
the optimization of the child’s
body. The use of a revolutionary technique called Posturology allows us to calibrate (or fine
tune) the senses such as touch
and vision. This improves how
the child perceives himself and
his environment. This sets the
pace for improved movement
and learning efficiency.
Step 2 utilizes exercises that
target mobility, manual competence and balance. These physical abilities are the key to opening up specific channels in the
brain. This leads to an easier,
more natural learning experience.
This program is intended for
any child that can benefit from
developing more effective strategies for movement and learning purposes.
For more information about the
LPP, visit MatBoule.com and
click on LPP.
10
A smooth transition from pediatrics to adulthood
School to Active Life Transition Sector- Constance-Lethbridge Rehabilitation Centre
By Wendy Singer
W
hen teens approach adulthood,
career aspirations start to develop, they crave independence,
be it living on their own or learning how to
drive. For those with disabilities, the dreams
may need adjusting in order to be realized.
With the guidance of the professionals behind School to Active Life Transition sector,
these dreams are being realized.
The Constance-Lethbridge Rehabilitation
Centre (CLRC) began offering transition
services to young adults with spina bifida
in 2004 with the assistance of referring establishments. In September 2010, the CLRC
formally grouped together services that were
being offered to youth between the ages of
16 and 18 years of age in some of the Centre’s programs, resulting in the creation of
the School to Active Life Transition sector
for clients with spina bifida, cerebral palsy,
and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
“When teens turn 18, they realize they want
to be independent,” says Clinical Coordinator of the School to Active Life Transition
Sector and Vocational Counselor MarieClaude Saindon. “This can be scary. We reassure them that they are not alone. The services we offer open up a whole new world
for them.”
The objective is to evaluate the client’s
needs as a whole, including daily and leisure activities, studies, work, transportation, home environment, communication.
The program prepares clients for adult life,
motivating and empowering them to take on
adult social roles and encouraging integration into the community, assuring the coordination and access to rehabilitation, health,
education, community and social services,
and helps therapists in the pediatric and
adult milieu to work with this clientele.
Saindon’s first step is to meet with the client
and their family to create a transition plan.
Once needs are assessed, the CLRC identifies partners or resources that will implement each of the plan’s objectives.
Should the client require vocational counseling, Saindon will involve the Work Evaluation and Orientation program. She explains,
“Many young clients aren’t aware of what
they can do. My role is to see what job suits
them best. It is important that they choose
a career that suits their physical capacity.”
Work orientation can cover a range of issues, including office set-up, how to tell an
employer that you have a disability, software to use a keyboard with one hand, etc.
After her first year of studying commerce
at Marianopolis College, 18 year-old Lisa
Alinauskas completed an administrative
stage with The School to Active Life Transition Sector. This Mackay Centre School
alumni learnt how to work with any obstacles due to her cerebral palsy. She explains,
“I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to do, if I can
sit, stand, do all the tasks. They told me I’m
actually pretty efficient. They really helped
me see what my strengths and weaknesses
are and what I like to do. They have a lot
of resources and are very helpful. I think I
might be able to get a job soon.”
Other arms of the sector include the Driving Evaluation and Vehicle Adaptation program, Technical Aid Services program, Assistive Technology program, Rehabilitation
Services. For clients who live outside of the
CLRC territory, partnerships are established
with the appropriate resources.
Referrals are currently made by the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the MAB-Mackay
Rehabilitation Centre and the Shriners Hospital for Children. The program welcomes
referrals from schools, CSSS and some associations.
Clients must be followed by a pediatric
health establishment. For information, contact Marie-Claude Saindon, 514-487-1891
#349.
The CLRC is a public establishment which
offers individualized interdisciplinary rehabilitation services of a specialized or highly
specialized nature. These services enable
adults with motor and/or speech and language disabilities to improve their quality of
life. For information, visit www.constancelethbridge.com.
Client Lisa Alinauskas works at her internship. (Photo courtesy of the Constance-Lethbridge Rehabilitation Centre)
11
Marlene Jennings and the fight to save her vision
A politician like none other
I
By Jeff Bergman
first met Marlene Jennings in the fall of
2007 for an interview to work in her parliamentary office. As of that moment, we
established a strong relationship and it has
not wavered since. When I found out she
had severe eye problems, I was extremely
concerned; however, she reassured me that
she was going to fight
this, and it would not
hold her back. It has
not.
Ms. Jennings was first
elected as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for the riding
of Notre-Dame-deGrâce—Lachine in
1997 and was subsequently elected four
more times until her
loss in the spring
election of 2011. During her accomplished
14 years in elected
office, she fought
hard for the improvement of her constituents and Montrealers
alike, unaware of a
personal fight that she
was about to encounter.
Marlene Jennings
In January 2010, Ms.
Jennings was first diagnosed with acute
degeneration of both
retinas. Her first reac-
tion was that of disbelief. “I became quite
frightened due to the thought of living the
rest of my life with low-vision, or worse,
blindness,” she expressed to me after hearing the news.
Her frst concern - a nightmare scenario for
her - was that she will never be able to read
again; she has been an avid reader since
childhood. After she processed the shocking
news, she quickly told herself to calm down
and remain positive and that this was not the
worst thing she has experienced in life. “As
long as I remain in good health, I could continue to live an active, productive, and rich
life,” she said. Furthermore, she told me
she was fortunate to be diagnosed last year
because if this problem occurred 20 years
ago, there was not the same technology to
combat her eye degeneration.
Ms. Jennings underwent a total of seven
surgeries to both eyes throughout 2010 and
2011. The final surgical procedure took
place over this past summer (a removal of
a cataract of the left eye) and it was a resounding success. The vision in that eye
has improved from a pre-surgery 20/300 to
post-surgery 20/40. As a result, she no longer needs to use a white cane.
As of now, her specialist may be able to
sufficiently refract both eyes to find a prescription that will improve her eyesight for
distance. “As you can well imagine, I’m
Vulnerable children and bubble wrap
P
rotect your child. It is a fundamental instinct for parents. For parents
of children with special needs, this
instinct is often evoked and heightened as
they mostly hear from professionals about
all of the challenges and vulnerabilities
their children have. Fueling this need to
protect are all of the dangers in the world, no
matter how small or great, that are reported
in the media. The market too is cashing in
on these dangers by bombarding us with
commercials for antibacterial soaps, nanny
cams, and other child safety products.
With all of this information regarding the
dangers our children are in, parents are reporting feeling peer pressure as well to be
constantly protecting, monitoring and help-
By Despina Vassiliou, Ph.D.
ing their children. In turn, there has been
a great deal of recent discussion about
overprotecting children, with terms such as
“bubble wrapped” children and “helicopter
parents” becoming the latest buzz words.
fine line between protecting and encouraging the child to try new things, even in the
face of potential failure. As parents, how do
we decide where that line is? How do we
ensure that we do not push or overprotect?
On the flip side, more recent breakthroughs
in technology have shown us that the brain
continues to develop as we grow for at least
up until age 25. It is believed that our experiences shape our brain development. In
addition, there is irrefutable evidence that
self-esteem, and resilience of an individual comes from knowing and experiencing
what they can do. Accomplishments make
a person feel good. Each accomplishment
strengthens the child, especially if their efforts are recognized. Therefore, there is a
The truth is that black and white rules do not
exist for such matters. The key is to know
your child and most importantly for your
child to learn to know him or herself. Take
an inventory with your child of all the things
that they feel that he or she can do or would
like to try. Your child may need help and
encouragement to see all of their actual and
potential strengths. Indeed, there may be
some limitations due to his or her needs, but
the question then is how do you get around
that? What adaptations can be made to help
simply delighted as none of the experts had
envisioned such an improvement,” she said.
Throughout her ordeal, she discovered the
many wonderful visual aids, advice, training, and other services that exist for the
visually-impaired at Montreal Association
of the Blind (MAB)-MacKay Rehabilitation
Centre. These services permitted her to continue to work full-time as an MP throughout
2010-2011. Ms. Jennings was able to fulfill
all of her responsibilities as an MP and her
duties related to the last general election,
albeit with some adjustments. I witnessed
first-hand throughout the past campaign her
perseverance and determination to not let
her handicap slow her down. It was impressive to watch.
Ms. Jennings advice to anyone who is diagnosed with significant vision problems is
not to despair and to immediately ask for
information from local healthcare providers
about the services available for the visualimpairment in their local community. As
for her future, Ms. Jennings accepted an
invitation to join the Board of Directors of
the MAB-MacKay Rehabilitation Centre
in which she looks forward to volunteering
with this great organization. As well, we
can all hope that Ms. Jennings remains involved in our community, because when she
was an MP, she had passion and integrity
like no other.
your child at least attempt a new activity or
endeavor. Most importantly, it is alright to
let them fall and fail. Similar to an old proverb, it is better to have tried and failed versus never to have tried at all. Children also
learn from mistakes and become stronger
just as our immune system strengthens after
fighting off an infection. Our role as parents
at these times is to be a support for our children, to let them know that everything will
be alright and to help them find ways to get
through whatever barrier is in front of them.
Without that, we risk bubble wrapping our
children and encouraging them to be fearful
and ill-equipped to face challenges in life.
They would become more vulnerable than
others.
Yes, special needs children have different
challenges, but they have great and numerous strengths to share. Allowing them to
find what these are, even if they fall and fail
sometimes, will make them more resilient
and self-sufficient for when we are not there
– what a gift!
Despina Vassiliou is an EMSB school psychologist and coordinator of the EMSB’s
Mental Health Resource Centre (MHRC).
12
The placement process
Finding the right school for our child
By Stephanie Winterford
S
ending your child to school or daycare for the first time is a struggle for
any parent; when you know – or even
suspect – that your child has special needs,
this milestone can be frightening.
As a special education teacher myself, I had
suspected from very early on that my son
was autistic, but by age three we had no formal diagnosis. Being new to Montreal, I had
no idea where to find the services we needed, how to get a diagnosis, or what kinds of
educational programmes were available to
kids with needs that were still pending diagnosis. The next two years were turbulent at
best, horribly frustrating at worst, but have
finally led to a point where Zachary has
been diagnosed and is attending a school
with an outstanding programme that meets
his needs. The following is a summary of
the steps we had to take to get there, which
I hope can provide some guidance for parents who are getting tangled up in the often daunting process that is finding the right
classroom for their child.
Upon registering Zach for kindergarten, I
told the school board that he had needs, but
that we had no diagnosis. Like many par-
Stephanie Winterford with her children Sophie and Zachary.
ents, I’m sure, I was hesitant to throw him
into a special education program without at
least trying a mainstream class first. Maybe
– just maybe – he would be okay. The principal phoned on Zachary’s second day of
school; he wasn’t coping.
We contacted Complimentary Services at
our school board and met with a consultant
and an educator who observed Zachary at
an intake meeting and confirmed that his
educational needs were, in fact, substantial enough to require an adapted/modified
classroom setting. From here, we had to
wait to find out which class had room for
Zachary. The wait was shorter than I had
anticipated and Zach was admitted on a temporary code, which entitled him to services
such as speech and occupational therapy at
school while a diagnosis was still pending.
This code guaranteed Zach’s place at school
while we waited for a clinic specializing in
the diagnosis of developmental disorders
to take us on for assessment. Wait lists are
very long, but virtually all of the clinics will
provide parents with confirmation that their
child is on the list; this generally suffices
for the board as far as requirements are concerned for provision of special services.
So much of this procedure involves waiting,
which is unbearably frustrating – especially
with the urgency of early intervention being
emphasized from all sides. I cannot stress
enough the incredible resources that can be
provided by your school board in the mean
time. Your board is accessible, qualified,
and experienced. Procedures may vary from
board to board, but had I known what an
incredibly valuable resource we would find
Lakeshore Super Sonics Soccer without limitations
A
s far as we’re concerned, there are no limits when it comes to learning basic soccer skills, getting fit and having fun while
discovering a healthy appetite for competition, whether it be during a game of soccer or our fun filled mini skill challenges; which help strengthen the children’s cognitive and gross motor skills. Our ambitions are to fine tune each individual
child’s abilities and develop them further so that they may discover their inner athlete and live life to the fullest.
Our teams are built on a foundation made of basic soccer skills and a strong sense of pride.
Our program is open to all children aged 5 - 15 years who are intellectually challenged, or who suffer from poor social skills or
low self-esteem due to behavioral or learning difficulties.
Summer outdoor season takes place on Saturday mornings from May through August, and the winter indoor season takes place
on Saturday mornings from January through April. The cost for each season is $50, and the ratio of coaches to children varies
between 1:2 and 1:4 – depending on the needs of the participants.
In conjunction with our commitment to player development, we’ve also developed a Young Coach Mentoring Program; for aspiring young coaches aged between 14 - 20 years. This unique program was developed and is run by the Super Sonics Head Coaches Martin and Barbara Cheetham. We find that an extraordinary relationship
between these young coaches and their players quickly develops, which radiates confidence, mutual respect and an equal footing. Coaches and players alike learn valuable life skills
sharing an appreciation for the great effort needed to overcome any challenges life has to throw at them.
Getting involved with Super
Sonics is when the magic begins!
Kelly-Anne Soutter – Club Manager
www.lakeshoresoccer.ca or info@lakeshoresoccer.ca
514-697-6973 or 514-943-9868
What is school phobia?
13
By Lori Rubin
*C
Once the student is assessed and diagnosed,
there are several methods in treating school
phobia, such as behavioural strategies (desensitization and gradual exposure to the
school environment, relaxation training, social skill training), and family intervention
(conflict resolution, marital counselling and
family therapy). In certain cases, medication is prescribed to the child (anti-anxiety,
anti-depressants). The treatment goal in all
therapies that are designed to treat school
phobia is to get the student back to school
on a regular schedule, as soon as possible.
It is known that the longer the child stays
away from school, the harder the disorder
is to treat.
arolyn is an eight-year old shy
girl in Grade 2. Whereas most
of her classmates enjoy coming
to school each day, participating in the lessons and activities that their teacher, Miss
Wendy, prepares, and engaging in the many
social activities that the school has to offer,
Carolyn is usually miserable.
Starting midway through kindergarten, Carolyn refused to get on the school bus and
still has to be driven to and from school each
day. She frequently complains about stomach aches, headaches, and a number of other
physical ailments, resulting in the teacher
or a “buddy” bringing her to the office in
tears, and the secretary calling her mother
to come and take her home. Mrs. Morrison, Carolyn’s mother, claims that as soon
as her daughter enters the house, she is no
longer “ill,” and she happily plays with her
two-year old sister, has a snack, or watches
her favourite shows on T.V. Mrs. Morrison
says she is absolutely baffled by her daughter’s behaviour and is at a loss as to how to
change it.
Three years ago, Mr. Morrison was diagnosed with leukemia. Although he appears
to be “winning the battle,” the long bouts
of chemotherapy and blood transfusions,
and the intermittent hospital stays have left
him fatigued and depressed. Mr. Morrison
is an aircraft mechanic, but has not worked
since his initial diagnosis. Carolyn’s parents
bicker quite often and on at least one occasion, Ms. Morrison took Carolyn and her
sister to stay with her grandparents for a few
days until things cooled down. Carolyn has
School phobia is a serious, but highly treatable condition.
always been very attached to her father and
she often draws pictures of him at school
and is never far from his side when they are
home together. She is often reduced to tears
when her parents argue, fearing that they
will divorce.
Carolyn was eventually evaluated in the
Child Psychiatry Department of the hospital, and was diagnosed with school phobia
(a.k.a. school refusal), an extreme separation anxiety disorder of children. A serious, but highly treatable condition, children who suffer from school phobia often
present themselves with physical symptoms,
depression, an irrational fear of being in a
school-like environment, an intense worry
about what is going on at home while they
are at school, and feelings of disengagement
with their peers. Frequently, as in Carolyn’s
case, family issues or an extreme attachment
to a parent, play an important role, as do
biological predispositions such as timidity,
emotional immaturity, and oversensitivity.
About one to five percent of all school-aged
children have been diagnosed with school
phobia, the most common anxiety disorder
of that age group. Symptoms often increase
when the student returns to school following
weekends or vacations.
Vocabulary development: it’s all in the words
V
ocabulary development is an important lifelong process. During the
pre-school years, children acquire
vocabulary through daily activities and experiences. New words may be learned from
songs, storybooks and daily routines, such
as bathing and dressing. Shared reading of
favourite storybooks is a great way to support word learning at this stage of development. By kindergarten, a child should have
solid knowledge of the words that are part of
his/her everyday environment.
During the early elementary years, a child’s
vocabulary expands to include words that
matter for school and the classroom (e.g.,
recess, assembly). From Grade 3 and onward, most new vocabulary is learned
through reading. During the high school
years, word knowledge becomes specialized
for certain subject areas, such as science.
Adolescents also become aware that words
can have more than one meaning.
What is the impact of vocabulary delay on
daily functioning? Your child may be unable to follow directions. For example, he
may not understand words related to space
(under, on) or time (before, after, last). Your
child may often use words like thing and
stuff, instead of using specific words. She
may not be able to answer homework questions because she doesn’t understand what
is meant by the words where, why or how, or
the terms explain and describe.
Carolyn’s parents agreed to go for family counselling and she began weekly appointments with a therapist who was very
skilled in this area. She was taught some
deep breathing and guided imagery techniques to help her relax. A new member of
the family (Pluto – a black Labrador puppy)
helped Carolyn to focus her attention on
someone other than her father. Within six
weeks, Carolyn was back on the school bus
and came home from school each day with a
big smile on her face. There were no more
phone calls home in the middle of the day
(except for real illnesses) and with strong
support from her family and school, Carolyn finally began to look forward to going to
school on Monday mornings!
*Carolyn Morrison is a fictional name.
Lori Rubin is a behaviour management
specialist at the English Montreal School
Board.
By Susan Waite
If your child struggles with vocabulary,
ensure exposure to good quality television
programs and books. If reading is a challenge, provide audio books and rich learning experiences whenever possible. Walks
around the neighbourhood or a trip to the
playground, pet store, or museum are ways
to offer a fun opportunity to label and discuss objects. Cooking, home repair projects
and board games can also provide meaningful opportunities to learn new words and
concepts in an enjoyable way.
The key is to make word learning meaningful and motivating. Having youngsters
memorize dictionary definitions is not recommended because the new words are be-
ing learned outside of a meaningful context.
In addition, the definitions themselves may
be difficult to understand and remember!
Pre-teaching of new vocabulary can be
helpful. Ask your child’s teacher to inform
you about classroom themes so that you can
explore the meanings of new vocabulary in
advance. This will put your child in a better
position to understand and use new vocabulary in the classroom. Keep in mind that
many children require plenty of practice to
learn new words, so frequent review may be
necessary.
Susan Waite is a speech-language pathologist at the English Montreal School Board.
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14
15
(
' Everything we do at Centennial Academy is designed to help teenagers who are not thriving in school learn to succeed. We recognize that learning is a partnership and that teachers, parents and students can work together to shape a learning environment ""!%# !(!& We emphasize basic literacy and numeracy, teaching all our students learning strategies that serve them in high school and beyond. We provide more time on task for reading, writing, math and science and enrich the core curriculum with athletics and creative arts. Our Student Success Team tracks the performance of each student and provides continuous feedback on a weekly basis. $% & we get schooling done in the classroom and with an appropriate amount of homework. Students need a balanced life and school should be a source of satisfaction, not frustration, for a teenager. With our approach, 98% of students complete the regular Quebec high school curriculum with most going on to CEGEP and university. We have continuous admission throughout the year at all grade levels; we also admit Francophone students who have diagnosed learning disabilities. # ('
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parents have to help a young person persevere and develop the skills to learn effectively. CALL Andrea Burdman at 514-‐486-‐5533 for an appointment with the Head of School, Angela Burgos, to discuss what we can do to help your child thrive at school. A DIFFERENT WAY ' The stark reality is that most young people fail their first semester in CEGEP) level academic program. Generally speaking high school !("## %#$"" """%
require for success at college and university. The academic skills """%#" (""!!!%# !
needs to get a DEC done on time and to secure entrance to university. At Centennial College, we see ourselves as coaches, creating good student behaviours and building the self management and study skills that are needed for post-‐secondary success. We emphasize planning, perseverance, and hard work to get successfully through college. For example, we add an additional hour of classroom time to all first semester courses that focuses on learning strategies, problem solving, and self-‐management across all disciplines. We want young people to strive for their personal best& whether that means $% kind of person who lives to learn and to succeed. We provide students with continuous evaluation and feedback and, unlike every other college in Quebec, ##-‐level education. Centennial College offers three DEC programs in Social Sciences, Social Sciences for Commerce, and Creative Arts as well as a one year, Bridge to Science Program $%
high school prerequisites while studying core DEC subjects in languages and humanities. We accept applications through the fall and winter. More than 90% of our students finish their DECs and almost all go on to university programs of their choice. We meet in small classes in a friendly college environment where a student is always a name and never just a number. LEARN MORE About a different way to do college at Centennial visit: http://college.centennial.qc.ca/how_we_do_things www.centennial.qc.ca INSPIRATIONS - Fall 2011/Winter 2012
16
Centennial College coaches students to become learners
By Morgan Lowrie
kids flounder. There has to be a better way.
There is a better way.”
or many students, the transition from
high school to CEGEP is an exciting
one, represented by increased personal freedom, new friends and teachers, and
the chance to study what interests them.
Burgos believes that Centennial, a private
300-student high school and college, represents this better way. The school prides itself
on taking students who aren’t thriving elsewhere and giving them the tools and support
they need in order to manage Quebec’s rigorous high school and CEGEP curriculum.
F
Unfortunately, many new CEGEP students
struggle: only 40 percent of them graduate
on time, and only 50 percent have completed their programs after four years.
“Often CEGEPs can be ‘sink or swim’
for many students,” explained Centennial
College Director General Angela Burgos.
“And they’re letting a lot of really bright
They can do this, Burgos explained, by understanding how students learn, and using
that knowledge to offer students what they
need, including more in-school time, different pedagogical strategies, on-site coaching
and support and a lot more practice time and
personal attention than other schools.
According to
Burgos,
students who enter
CEGEP fail to
thrive for three
main reasons:
lack of perseverance
and
motivation,
poor planning
strategy, and
the failure to
develop effective approaches
to learning.
“A lot of kids
have no idea
how to study,” she explained. “You can’t
just take a textbook
and read it like a novel.
But so many kids have
been tutored to death or
spoon-fed the material,
and they’ve never been
taught to become learners themselves.”
Burgos explained that
Centennial
addresses
these problems with a
coaching approach. At
the CEGEP level, that
includes an extra hour
of instruction per course
per week, designed as a
supervised study hall to
teach students how to set
aside time to get work
done.
“Students don’t routinely go home and do an
hour of work, so we’re
providing that hour for
them with a learning
coach and a teacher,”
Burgos explained. “It
helps them wrap their
head around what’s expected of them.”
Extra time is just one
of Centennial’s tools to
ensure that their high
school and college students get the help they
need. Teachers collect
data on students every
day, making sure they know who is doing
well and who is struggling, in order to address problems as they come.
“There’s always a reason why someone’s
not thriving and it’s not usually because
they’re lazy; I haven’t met a lazy kid yet,”
Burgos explained. “When kids continually
make the same mistakes they need some
help and guidance to do better and have an
opportunity to be coached without moralizing and judgement.”
The school reads all the latest research on
learning, to make sure they offer students
the best pedagogy possible, and the best
way of delivering the material.
An example is the school’s Bridge to Science program, offered at the CEGEP level
to students who want to study math and science-intensive programs in university, but
who never took the advanced high school
classes they needed to qualify.
The program provides multimedia lectures
taped and viewed ahead of time in study
groups, so that class time can be spent on
what’s important: practice time. That way,
by adding a semester of time to CEGEP, students who were eliminated from advanced
high school math streams at the age of 15
can now qualify for programs like pure and
applied science, engineering or pre-med.
“If they want to do it, with the right kind
of coaching and a whole lot of practice
and feedback, they can do it,” Burgos said.
“They can all be superstars, if they put the
time in.”
17
EMSB Launches Mental Health Resource Centre
By Despina Vassiliou, Ph.D.
T
he Student Services Department
of the English Montreal School
Board (EMSB) has established a
Mental Health Resource Centre (MHRC)
in response to school reports of an increasing incidence of mental health issues that also tend to occur at younger
ages. The main objective of the MHRC
is to better equip schools to promote and
improve the mental health of students
within the EMSB community, with the
secondary goal of enhanced understanding and acceptance of mental health issues.
The MHRC is composed of a diverse and
experienced team of professionals and
specialists (e.g. psychologists, counsellors, consultants, behaviour specialist, etc.)
whose role is to disseminate information
in a fashion that is tailored to the needs of
individual schools and circumstances. In order to do so, the team will gain input from
members of the EMSB community and the
community at large to help direct the services offered in a more specific and individualized manner.
Some of the particular features of the MHRC
include the provision of educational opportunities for teachers and professionals such
as in-service workshops, consultations with
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W
hile hard copies of Inspirations continue to
be popular at schools, CEGEPS, universities
community centres, health, and special needs institutions and multiple dropoff points, we are also
pleased with the feedback we have received from
our website, which was relaunched last spring at
www.inspirationsnews.com. It contains all
of our online editions, a special needs database, and
much more. You will find photos, information on
how to advertise, activity listings, news clippings
and updates on our Teacher and Caregiver of Inspiration recognition awards. We will post your events
and accomplishments in our Community News section and publish special stories between editions. A
new Facebook site has also been launched at www.
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provide us with an opportunity to post interesting
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the MHRC team member(s) and/or a psychiatrist, and a resource information centre
with materials related to mental health promotion and interventions for schools. As a
result, the parents of our students may expect enhanced support at the school level as
they will have access to more information
on mental illness. For instance, they will be
able to obtain definitions, symptomatology,
and general information regarding psychiatric disorders (such as anxiety, depression,
eating disorders, etc.) as well as a list of resources from the MHRC.
The MHRC is beginning its program with
elementary and high schools, and will func-
tion with current and new partnerships
with local CSSSs (i.e., Health and Social
Service Centres), hospitals, and community organizations. The MHRC website
should be available for administrators,
teachers, professionals and parents by
January 2012. The MHRC is there to educate and support our EMSB community
to enable us to better address children’s
mental health needs. For further information, a member of the MHRC team can be
reached via e-mail at: mhrc@emsb.qc.ca
Despina Vassiliou, Ph.D. is the coordinator of the MHRC Team.
(Continued from page 4)
“I hope to be elected student council president one day,” admitted Gregory.
in the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, our
wait would have been shorter, and far less
discouraging.
“Usually, we see Grade 7 representatives
not as vocal, they want to see how student
council works,” said Brian Foote, a Grade
10 and 11 social studies teacher, who also
serves as the Student Council’s faculty supervisor. “When Gregory was elected last
year, he started right away to contribute regularly to the council. He attends our weekly
meetings regularly, is a creative thinker, and
adds a positive attitude to the council.”
Now in his second year as a St. George’s
High School, Gregory has enjoyed the experience and how helpful and supportive the
entire school community has been to him.
“My fellow students and teachers were a big
help,” he says. “They went around talking to
me and treated me like any other student. I
made a lot of new friends and no one asked
me about being visually impaired. They
treated me like one of the guys.”
“Steven, Hailey and I couldn’t have been
happier,” says Nancy. “Not only did Gregory do so well academically, but he did extremely well socially. He made new friends
and got involved in student life; it far surpassed our expectations. He worked so hard
and was always very motivated. We are indebted to the school and it’s what we wanted
for him.”
“The thing that we wanted more than anything, was for Gregory to be a regular kid in
a school, getting into trouble, taking exams
and getting good marks and bad marks be-
Our search for a diagnosis of autism
When my son was three years old and still
not speaking, I had become so distressed
by the common reaction “he’ll learn” that
I began to take an extremely guarded approach when speaking to other people about
Zach. I mentioned the regular things: how
tall he was, how he slept through the night.
I stopped sharing that he only wore one yellow shirt, day after day; that he screamed at
the noise when a car drove by. We finally
booked a session with a speech and language pathologist. Astonishingly, Zachary began to speak. Just as importantly, the
speech therapist was the first professional
to actually say the word “autism” and acknowledge my concerns.
You can read extra stories at www.inspirationsnews.com.
Stephanie Winterford is a teacher and the
mother of Sophie (1) and Zachary (6). She
has taught both mainstream and adapted
curriculum in Canada and throughout
Europe and now lives outside of Montreal
with her partner and two children.
cause we all live in a regular world,” added
Steven.
18
West Island’s best kept secret
Unique program for special needs adults excels
By Daniela Scoppa
K
nown as the West Island’s “best kept
secret,” Place Cartier Adult Education Centre prides itself on providing excellent education in a student-centered and respectful environment for adult
learners.
Once one enters the
bustling Beaconsfield
school, they will find
the student-centered
philosophy adopted
by the adult centre
not only extends to
the students who are
working towards their
high school diplomas,
obtaining necessary
pre-requisites or improving on a language
but it also extends
outside the regular
curriculum to the
school’s special needs
adults.
Place Cartier has a
very unique approach,
the Endeavour Program, a training and
social integration program for adults with
special needs. What
makes it so different is that the special
needs adult students
share the centre with
other students who
are completing their
adult education courses. Because of this integration, the Endeavour Program is the
only one of its kind in
the English sector, according to coordinator
Ruth Schwarcz.
The program allows
the special needs
adults to participate in all of Place Cartier’s
social events, including BBQs, Intercultural
Day, Earth Day celebrations, guest speakers and any other activities planned for the
general student body. “Having the special
needs students at Place Cartier is a won-
derful experience,” said Veronica Johnson,
former assistant director of the centre. “It
makes a big difference for the special needs
students because social integration is at a
much higher level.”
The Endeavour Program began in the mid1980s and has become a big success, with a
waiting list in place for students wishing to
join the program. With 65 students aged 19
to 40-plus, the
program runs
from September to June and
offers academ-
Students generally stay in the Endeavour
Program for three to four years and once
they leave, most go on to find jobs using the
skills they learned during their years spent
at the centre. “The students who leave
the program after a few years are socially
very advanced,” said Schwarcz, who has
been working with the Endeavour Program
for seven years. “Even the lower functioning students get work placement once they
leave.”
Schwarcz credits the program’s success with
having the special needs adults integrated
into the centre’s daily life. “Having the stu-
The students in the part-time, evening Endeavour class also make cookies and coffee
for the evening adult students because the
centre doesn’t have cafeteria service outside regular school hours. All the money
collected by the Endeavour students is used
as a donation to a scholarship for a graduating Place Cartier student. “These students
make this centre a livelier place. They’re
a big part of Place Cartier,” said Maclean.
“The social integration offered here helps
them achieve more in the future and everyone who is a part of this centre benefits from
their company.”
Daniela Scoppa is the communications
officer for the Lester B. Pearson School
Board
The Dr. John A. Bryant
Memorial Award and
the Butters Foundation
T
The Endeavour Program is so successful that it has
a waiting list in place for students wishing to join.
dents integrated teaches them social skills
and what is accepted appropriate behaviour
in public,” she said. “It’s quite remarkable
to watch the interaction between the special
needs students and the adult learners – some
of Place Cartier’s ‘toughest’ students melt
when they see the Endeavour students.”
ic classes (literacy skills, Math, Science,
French, computers) and daily living skills
classes (community awareness, personal
hygiene, cooking, yoga/relaxation, exercise,
swimming).
As part of the Endeavour curriculum, students are also given work to do around the
centre such as clear off tables in the cafeteria, maintain the kitchen, empty recycling
bins in each class as well as a number of
other tasks. Every Friday, Endeavour students host a communal lunch with one another. They make lunch as a class and then
eat together. “They always offer some of
their food to the staff,” said Place Cartier
Director Marilyn Maclean. “They’re so kind
and helpful. It’s such a pleasure to have
them around.”
he Dr. John A. Bryant Award is
an annual bursary program given
to graduate students in the Masters
of Education in Educational Counselling and Psychology, Inclusive
Education Stream at McGill University. It started in the late 1980s
to commemorate the work the late
doctor did for the Butters Foundation and for the cause of intellectual
disability. This project has helped
many post-graduates earn advanced
degrees in Education and go on to
serve intellectually disabled students
across the country and beyond.
The Butters Foundation is dedicated
to the promotion of the legacy of Mrs.
Lily Butters. Mrs. Butters supported
the families of intellectually disabled
children by providing a home for disabled children in need in the Eastern
Townships and a lifeline for parents
with nowhere else to turn. She welcomed children into her home which
grew to a six-building campus along
the shores of Lake Memphremagog.
The Butters Foundation continues
her legacy by providing timely support to families confronted with the
challenge of raising a disabled or
autistic child. Projects include the
Farm Respite Project and Maison
Lily Butters.
Info: www.buttersfoundation.ca
19
He’ll never be a hockey player: a father’s inspiring story
T
By Robert DiRaddo
tion to the group environment a miracle; although I must say that it succeeded primarily because of the instructor and the diverse
composition of the group.
wenty-five years ago, I went for a
curling evening with school buddies
at the Montreal Curling Club on Fort
Street. Most of us had never curled and it
was of course very fun, beer and all. After an evening of trying out something new,
we were in the locker room changing and I
obnoxiously said out loud, “I wonder why
people bother doing this sport week after
week – it must get boring!’’ In the locker
room was a discreet young man, who answered calmly with humbling words I’ve
remembered all my life. “Curling gives a
chance to people like me, who are not very
athletic, to be good at something.’’
Our son has autism. When David was four
he would often bump into the furniture or
fall down as he walked around the house.
When he started running, he would run
across our backyard, awkwardly with his
arms glued to his sides. We tried soccer and
couldn’t understand why he didn’t run after
the ball, preferring to stand in the middle of
the field while looking at the other children
running by. We tried karate and golf and
those also didn’t go over very well. When
David was seven, I put up a basketball net
and Eureka; he actually was outstanding at
free throws and three-pointers. I was encouraged. “Was basketball a sport he could
excel at?,” I asked myself as I thought about
the famous autistic boy in the U.S. that hit
all those three-pointers at the end of the
school game. I decided to bring David to see
a boys’ basketball game. We lasted five minutes, before a majestic temper tantrum set
in. He just couldn’t handle all the sensory
stimulation and unpredictability of a team
sporting event. I was beginning to accept
that sports would not be his thing.
I remember when I first learned about his
autism, I called a mother in Ottawa whose
son with autism had just graduated from
giving teachers the opportunity to integrate
movie- making into their unit planning.
Congratulations to Mackay’s budding writers, directors, producers, set designers and
actors for their Oscar-worthy performances.
Look out Hollywood!
Mackay Centre School is devoted to students who are deaf, have communication
disorders or delays and are physically disabled.
David can now do backflips, double front
flips, hand springs and much more. We decided that, although he was good enough to
compete, the benefits of gymnastics as a recreational activity were more than sufficient.
In particular since there was so much else
to work on.
David and Vanessa Crepeau-Turgeon at the gym ( Robert DiRaddo, photo)
Carleton. I had a nice chat with her and at
the end of the conversation, as we were saying our goodbyes, she said to me twice, “Get
a trampoline!’’ I didn’t understand. Years
later I would.
to run without gluing his arms to his sides.
When it was time for Marie-France to move
on, she suggested we explore a gymnastics
club in the next town, assuring us that David
was talented enough to compete.
When David was eight he started a habit of
doing handstands against the kitchen wall
and then proceeded to walk on his hands in
the living room. At first I was quite nervous,
but my wife was adamant that he could handle it and that it calmed him down. “Sends
blood to the brain and washes things up,’’
she used to say. We were starting to consider
gymnastics for David. We knew he would
still have issues with group lessons, so we
started thinking about alternatives. One
valuable life lesson we learned is to not rely
too much on the establishment in helping
our son; it was necessary to be creative and
tenacious.
The new gym club had a Sunday evening
free period that seemed perfect as an introduction to the new environment, as there
were few people and I was allowed to come
in and supervise him. We tried it out and I’ll
never forget the look on David’s face the
first time we walked in, when he saw the
huge linear trampoline and numerous mats
in the gym. He had a great time and I made
an appointment to meet the head of the
club the following Sunday evening. I met
Isabelle the week after and she was very accommodating, arranging for one of her best
coaches for my son. She then stopped to
evaluate David as he was doing his rolls and
said, “He’s good,’’ and then again, “He’s
very good!’’
I proceeded to call a young fellow that runs
the city’s recreation department and asked
him to post a position for a private gymnastics coach. Three days later a young lady in
her mid-twenties called me. Marie-France
went on to teach my son, every week, for
close to a year. She was articulate and spoke
in a deliberate tone, which was perfect for
David’s receptive language issues. David
progressed tremendously, learning forward
rolls, backward rolls, cartwheels, handstands and of course she taught him how
Vanessa, a university student, started with
David the following week. The chemistry
was good and she had the skill-sets to manage him as he progressed. She taught him
one-on-one for close to two years and subsequently integrated him into her gymnastics
group, which consisted of two individuals in
their twenties, two 16 year olds, one 14 year
old, two 10 year olds and David, who was
now 12. We consider the successful transi-
I’m writing this on a sunny afternoon, while
David is doing private track and field lessons with his coach, Sylvain, a 20-year-old
university student. They’re on the track at
David’s new high school. Last year I noticed
that David could stand long jump close to
two metres and I’ve been looking for someone like Sylvain ever since. Through tenacity and good luck, we finally succeeded and
David is learning how to run long distances (easily 5km), how to sprint and how to
triple jump (he’s now at well over six metres). Maybe one day, he’ll join the track
and field club at his new high school. While
he’ll never be a hockey player, he’s in better
shape than I’ve ever been in and he seems to
have found his way, for sports he could call
his own. The road was longer and initially
had more obstacles than for most other children, but he is now on his way on that journey. We remain confident that he will also
find his way in life and I am fully committed
to do what I can to help make that happen.
Creativity, tenacity and a little luck are the
tools that we hope to rely on; and bringing
in the right people at the right time.
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20
Inspirational Book Review
By Stuart Nulman
Bad Animals by Joel Yanofsky (Viking Canada, $34)
“on the spectrum,” Jonah is considered as
high-functioning, who has problems with
communication and social interaction, and
is prone to repetitive – or self-stimulatory –
behaviour (which is also known as “stims”).
While going to school on a regular basis,
Jonah goes through an intensive therapy for
about 40 hours a week called applied behavioural analysis (ABA). This type of therapy
establishes a more structured environment,
so that children with autism can learn the
same skills that typical children acquire on a
more “natural” basis.
T
owards the end of his recently-published memoir Bad Animals, Montreal journalist, book reviewer and
author Joel Yanofsky writes the following
passage about how he handles life raising a
son with autism: “…a life with autism is a
life lived out of proportion, a life lived, at
the best of times, slightly askew. The stress
involved in going to a family gathering or
the corner store or just being out in public
can be extraordinary. So, as a consequence,
can the feeling of accomplishment that
comes when your child does something other children do so matter-of-factly and other
parents take so much for granted. There are
always a disproportionate number of disappointments to deal with throughout my long
day with Jonah, but there are also a disproportionate number of moments when I find
myself thinking: This really is a big deal.
Matter-of-factness is sweet. I’m only sorry
it has taken me so long to realize it.”
This year-long journey to self-realization
and acceptance of the disorder that Jonah
has, and how it has enveloped (and will
continue to envelop) Yanofksy and his wife
Cynthia, forms the crux of this book.
It focuses on that one-year period when Jonah is 10 going on 11. Described as being
Although his wife Cynthia is familiar with
psychological childhood disorders and
how to approach them (she works as an art
therapist), it’s the untrained Yanofsky who
approaches the concept of how to raise and
deal with an autistic child with a great deal
of hesitancy and reluctance. And that sense
of reluctance is prevalent throughout the
book. There are times when he is more than
happy to allow Cynthia to assume many
of the caretaking responsibilities in order
to accommodate Jonah’s needs; that same
sense of unloading
continues when there
are the occasions that
he hands Jonah off to
his in-laws to babysit
him; Cynthia gives
him certain books to
read that deal with
autism that end up
unread and piled up
besides his side of the
bed; and most of all,
his major reluctance
of trying to write this
very book, which
gives him a big case
of writer’s block and
is shunted aside for
many years.
But as you read the
book, you have to
give Yanofsky a
great deal of credit for two things. First of
all, how he diligently delves into his “accidental education” about autism, the symptoms, effects and how it affects both child
and parent. Being an avid reader, he buries
himself into practically all the major lit-
erature dealing with both the medical and
human side of autism. This literary self
education ranged from the first books that
seriously dealt with the subject (Barry Neil
Kaufman’s 1976 book Son-Rise and Clara
Claiborne Park’s 1982 memoir The Siege,
which both are highly recommend by him)
to feel good memoirs (such as Rupert Isaacson’s The Horse Boy) to brutally honest and
angry first-hand accounts (Susan Rzucildo’s
memorable essay about parents and autism
called “Welcome to Beirut”). Yanofsky not
only has absorbed these written works, but
like the book reviewer he is, gives honest
and thoughtful mini reviews of them, that
double as a valuable resource for those
readers of this book who want to read more
about the subject.
Second, through all the reluctance and selfeducation, Yanofsky gives a great deal of
himself to not only understand how and
why Jonah has such a complicated relationship with the outside world, but also to
create the strong, familial bonds that a father and son should enjoy and cherish. And
amazingly, Jonah
shares many interests with his
dad, such as classic rock music
(particularly the
Rolling Stones),
telling jokes and
above all, writing. The latter is
exemplified in an
illustrated book
that Jonah puts
together
called
“Bad Animals,”
which interprets
how Jonah copes
with
everyday
life through the
wildly imaginative animal characters that he has
created such as
Moe the Yak, Rooney the Camel and the
Worst-Monkey-Ever. In fact, Yanofsky was
so impressed with Jonah’s version of “Bad
Animals,” that he further strengthens the
father-son bond by working with him to create a sequel.
Of course, like any memoir dealing with
the subject of parents and autism, it is filled
with plenty of descriptions of the struggles,
challenges and difficulties of raising an autistic child. There are the temper tantrums,
the examples of baffling behaviour, the
quest to find the means to provide a good
education (especially the pitched battle the
Yanfoskys go through with the administration at Jonah’s school, in order to allow
them a shadow to accompany him in grade
5), the countless, cold, harsh advice from
countless medical experts and professionals
(including one whom Yanofsky facetiously
refers to as “The Consultant”), and the sacrifices that go with such an upbringing (in
which the Yanofsky’s dining room is converted into Jonah’s own therapy room).
But through all the ups and downs, the joys
and struggles, Yanofsky chronicles this
story with a great deal of heart, honesty …
and not to mention healthy doses of his dry,
self-deprecating sense of humour. He may
admit to being imperfect when it comes to
how he should ideally confront and handle
the hold that autism has on his son Jonah;
however, with a great deal of humour and
willingness to educate himself, it has constantly made him into a more understanding and loving father. And after reading this
book, it’s an example that a lot of fathers
can follow.
21
A mother’s tribute
Student with Asperger Syndrome set up to succeed
parties is essential for compatibility. Incredibly, when bridges were built between the
rom this parent’s perspective and from Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, the school
the viewpoint of both the valleys and principal, this parent, the teachers and the
the mountaintops it has become clear school staff, Jeremya was consciously “set
up” to succeed.
to me that life is all about the climb!
F
By Lis Taylor
This is a story about a 12-year-old boy who
desperately wants to fit into a high school environment. Jeremya has Asperger Syndrome.
Simply put, his brain is wired to function in
a literal and direct manner. He is not wired
to understand nuances; he does not function
with an analytical mind. His social skills
need to be registered in form of data entry;
in other words, data must enter his brain in
a literal and direct manner, like a computer.
Motion to understand began to happen not
only for the student, but for all those challenged by his potential. Jeremya’s experience at Mother Teresa Junior High School
developed into a success story for reasons
far beyond this parent’s control. Teachers
and support staff at the high school rose up
to the challenge of a rocky road less travelled!
It quickly became evident that Jeremya did
The necessity of building bridges between not fit into a box; his form was different from
the norm, but not less. I liken this appre-
hensive
student
to a wild
horse:
for when
f a c e d
with social situations he
needs to
be reined
in
and
flooded
with the Jeremya in his school’s production of the Lion King.
data entry
nuances. I am sitting in my office with my
of appropriate behaviours. He must always son as I write and he has just used an inapbe kept busy.
propriate tone. I impatiently say, “Jeremya,
how many times have I said to you to not
In addition, the challenge is to speak the lan- respond in this manner?” He pondered beguage of factual data, not the language of
DundeeWealth Teacher of Inspiration
Inspired, in 2009 she began her Masters
of Education in Educational Counselling
and Psychology at the Inclusive Education
Stream at McGill University. “In class I
learned new techniques and theories,” she
said. “ It made my work so much more relevant because I could walk into my classroom, try what I learned and discuss the results with my professors.”
Colleen Lauzier, currently the principal at
St. Lawrence School, was vice-principal at
St. Johns when she nominated Chrissy for
the DundeeWealth Teacher of Inspiration
Award. “Chrissy uses creative and engaging methods to ensure that students with
special needs receive maximum support and
equal learning opportunities,” she wrote.
“She is the first one to raise her hand and
say, ‘I’ll take them.’ She can be counted on
to develop positive parental relationships.
The classroom environment is welcoming
and students become risk takers because of
the inclusive atmosphere.”
This Cycle 1 teacher creates a safe, secure
atmosphere, and has captured the hearts of
her students. The feeling is clearly mutual.
When I visited Chrissy’s classroom, they
were creating a list of “feel good words” to
describe a loved one.
Student Jonathan Couture used these words
to described his teacher. “She’s enchanting
and very patient,” he remarked.
Student Charles Sandall added, “Miss Mohammed is a good teacher because she tells
me that I have to listen. Sometimes that’s a
big help.”
Chrissy does not hesitate to introduce tools
for better learning and behaviour. Her classroom consists of tables instead of desks and
she uses a self-regulating point system for
behaviour management. A self-soothing
calm down chair, with a box of calm down
props is voluntarily used by students when
they feel sad, frustrated, or don’t feel right
in their heart. Chrissy explains. “When they
feel better, we talk about how they felt and
what they could do the next time they feel
that way.”
Speaking highly of her colleagues, Chrissy
believes that collaboration and the sharing
of ideas is key. “This school is amazing,”
she said. “We are known for our teamwork.
People complain that our school is too far,
but they don’t realize what they get when
they get here!”
Co-teacher Veronique Lemay shares Chrissy’s enthusiasm. “I asked that my daughter
be placed in Chrissy’s class because she has
severe anxiety,” she explained. “Chrissy is
excellent at adapting for special needs and
creating visual cues. She loves the challenge
of the special needs kids, she loves their
uniqueness.”
Chrissy’s interests reach beyond the physical classroom, including LEARN Quebec’s
initiative, Building Communities Through
Telecollaboration (BCT) - creating communities of teachers using the internet. Her
Masters special project focuses on enhancing social and emotional learning through
technology, mainly SMART Boards, and
she hopes to pursue her Masters in Educational Technology. She affirms, “Technology motivates and engages learners. Students
need it for life skills, for their futures.”
Colleen is proud of the St. Johns school
team. “I could have nominated all the teachers,” she said. “But Chrissy needs to be
recognized for the work she does outside of
school.”
In 2010, Chrissy won The Dr. John A. Bryant Memorial Award (see page 18), given
to graduate students pursuing their Masters
of Education in Educational Psychology,
Inclusive Education Stream at McGill University. The basis of her nomination was her
poignant article The Faces along the Road
to My Masters of Education, which highlights her unwavering compassion, insight
and goals for teaching children with special
needs.
This teacher loves her job and shares,
“There is always something we can learn
from a student. I want the students to love
school, know what their strengths are and
know that they can do anything if they have
choices and try their best.”
For information about LEARN Quebec or BCT, visit www.learnquebec.ca or
bctcollaboration.wikispaces.com.
Read Chrissy’s article The Faces along the
Road to My Masters of Education online at
www.inspirationsnews.com – online extra
stories.
DundeeWealth is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scotiabank and part of the Bank’s
Global Wealth Management division. With
a network of over 950 independent financial
advisors, they offer innovative investment,
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through distribution platforms in Europe
and the United States.
Submissions are now being accepted for
the Caregiver of Inspiration award at mcohen@inspirationsnews.com.
A
22
s we grow, the importance of
individual difference is in a constant state of flux. There are
times in our lives where we strive to fit
in, and others where we wish to stand
out. The challenge, for those with disabilities, stems from the very reason people choose to stand apart from the crowd.
cause it singles us out for the wrong reason.
The difficulty with having a disability, particularly a visually identifiable one, is that
there is always an attribute differentiating us
from the crowd - and not one we’ve chosen
ourselves. The question then becomes “how
does having a disability affect one’s ability
to stand out in a socially desirable way?”
To stand out is to be seen; to be seen is to
be evaluated; and to be evaluated is to be
judged. When people choose to be seen
as “other,” it is because they wish to
signal something. People usually highlight a particular attribute of social value:
athleticism, attractiveness, intelligence,
altruism, or other characteristics that can
increase one’s social status. This is why
we get embarrassed when something
unflattering happens to us in public; be-
In my experience the answer is a deceptively simple combination of several factors.
Firstly, how personable you are. One of the
most important skills that anyone can master is how to relate to others. Once mastered
many barriers that face most people – disabled or not – simply fall away. Secondly,
what you project. Simply put, people will
only be as comfortable with you as you are
with yourself. We’ve all met people who
exude a kind of confidence that is both mag-
netic and inspiring, and as a result there is
a natural desire to interact with them. This
confidence is what attracts people, and it
can thrive irrespective of physical appearance. Being happy is attractive, as is being
comfortable with yourself as an individual
– ironically, they often go hand in hand.
Lastly, a healthy sense of understanding that
nobody is perfect.
Everyone, disabled or otherwise, will run
into uninformed people at one point or another. Sometimes people don’t understand
and simply don’t know how best to react,
and on rare occasions someone will act unintelligently. The thing to remember is that
their inappropriate reactions are a reflection
of their own personal inadequacies, not a
reflection of yours. If they aren’t intentionally offensive, it can be exceptionally empowering to take a moment and explain the
situation to them. In essence you are not
only improving your own experience but
also that of all future disabled individuals
that person will meet – talk about paying it
forward!
ing yourself as you are and deciding
that your personal growth will not be
stunted by what you assume others will
think is perhaps the single most important step you can take. I think the following quote sums up my thoughts on
the matter quite concisely:
“We ask ourselves ‘Who am I to be
brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’
Actually, who are you NOT to be?”
Jay Jones-Doyle has cerebral palsy. He
is pursuing his M. ScA at Concordia’s
John Molson School of Business
Being different is normal. We are all different, and that’s what makes life fun. Accept-
CELEBRATING
THE EXCEPTIONAL
POWER OF ONE
23
Linda Mahler joins Inspirations team
By Wendy Singer
I
nspirations is pleased to announce the
addition of long time educator Linda
Mahler to our team. “For the past 36
years, I have had the best career I could
ever ask for,” she says. “I worked at the
EMSB and the former PSBGM with pride
and dedication. I loved what I did each
and every day. I have had wonderful opportunities teaching at the elementary
level as a homeroom teacher, as well as a
resource teacher. I have also given numerous workshops through the years for our
board on integration, literacy and ethics.”
As Linda explains, 30 years ago she was
fortunate to be the first special education
facilitator for a remarkable pilot project
that integrated children with Down Syndrome. The former PSBGM was the first
school board in Quebec that welcomed
special needs students into the regular
classroom. “I am so honoured to have
been involved in this noteworthy initiative,” she beams. “Over the years, our
educational system has opened its doors
and hearts to special needs students who
are now successfully integrated into our
schools.”
“This past June I made the decision to retire, however, I know that I will continue
fore he answered and then responded, “Let
me see mother, I do believe it has been 11
times.”
Language for Jeremya must be direct and
literal, followed by options.
One evening I told Jeremya that it was time
for bed. I then found him standing in front
of a clock waiting. “What are you doing?”
I asked.
“It is not yet 21:00 mother, it is 20:57; you
told me to go to bed at 21:00 so I am following your directives and waiting for the
big hand to touch the 12.”
I received a call years ago from a math
teacher who was extremely annoyed at Jeremya. She had asked him how he had figured
out a very complex math problem. His answer was, “With a pencil and paper.” The
teacher was furious and deducted 50 percent
of his grade. “I want to know how you did
it!,” She inquired.
When I questioned Jeremya on this issue
I inquired about the specific steps he had
How Concordia and McGill sensitize
staff to the needs of the disabled
O
By Jay Jones-Doyle
ne’s comfort level in an environment
is directly related to what one gains
in that environment - and university
is no exception. For individuals with disabilities, the degree to which one feels understood and accepted by faculty and staff
can be crucial to successful development
in academia. To this end, it is important to
evaluate what steps are taken to sensitize
staff to the needs of the disabled populations within universities. This article will
focus on two Montreal-based universities:
Concordia and McGill.
to be involved in education. I am looking forward to many new challenges in
the future and I am so delighted to be ‘on
board’ with Inspirations. I feel privileged
to get back to my roots and continue to
advocate for special needs kids.”
We are thrilled and delighted to welcome Linda to our team as coordinator
of educational outreach.
taken to solve the problem he responded,
“I don’t know mother, the answer was just
there in my brain so I wrote it down with
a pencil on a piece of paper. I don’t understand why the teacher is so upset.”
Life with this young chap became an amazing ride for me when I learned to speak his
language. I now accept that his brain is not
wired to comprehend mine. I must speak
his language if he is to understand my messages. Magic occurs when Jeremya’s mind
is harnessed with the literal and direct approach versus the ‘”how and why” do you
feel method.
Every spring since he was four; my son has
performed piano pieces at a yearly concert;
and every year during his performance my
eyes fill up with tears. “Why are you so sad
when I play the piano?” he asked with exasperation.
“Oh baby,” I replied, “when I am deeply
moved by your playing I feel so proud of
you that my heart fills up with joy and it
pushes water out of my eyes!”
“Oh.” he said. “That’s pretty strange moth-
Both universities have an Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD - or “Access
Center” at Concordia) dedicated to their
special needs populations, and take their
own approaches toward enabling employees to best handle diversity. Both universities hold optional workshops / orientation
sessions to raise awareness about the special
needs requirements of the members of the
university. Once a student registers with the
OSD, both universities provide letters informing professors that they have a student
in their class with special needs. At McGill,
this letter will not divulge the nature of the
special need – nor will the professor be given specific information even if requested;
the aim of this policy is to encourage faculty
members to focus on accessibility rather
than on the specific nature of the disability.
At Concordia, with the student’s permission, a fact/tip sheet specific to the disability
will be included to facilitate the professor’s
adaptation.
In response to an increase of 280 students
with disabilities for requesting services in
the past year, McGill’s OSD has launched
a new initiative around the concept of Universal Design as it applies to learning. The
aim of this pilot program is to demonstrate
to professors how to structure the learning
experience in such a way that it is made accessible to all, regardless of disability. Additionally, McGill is shifting to an inclusive
model encouraging the development of
resources within faculties; this lessens the
growing burden currently shouldered by
the OSD but also promotes more integrated
practices. The changes will enable professors to better understand the need for a variety of delivery formats, as well as stress
the need to structure lectures for maximum
retention across the increasing wide spectrum of learning profiles that are present in
the modern classroom.
Given the staggering increase in the number of McGill students requesting services
from the OSD this past year, it is extremely
positive to see new strategies being set up to
efficiently manage the situation. If this initiative is successful, it may very well lead to
a widespread change of how disabled individuals are supported in academia.
er, it is anatomically impossible! Anyways,
I thought that people only cried when they
were hurt or sad!”
when bridges are built and a team responds,
the output of child development and behaviour modification becomes perpetual.
Just today coming home from a rehearsal
Jeremya pointed out a woman who was
standing at the corner with a friend, laughing and smoking a cigarette. “Mother,” he
said, “Smoking is so not cool but look at that
woman, smoking makes her happy!”
I do not consider Jeremya a contentious boy.
I leave my ego at the door and I attempt to,
comprehend and enter his world. There is
no malice here, simply a brain wired differently. Social opportunities have been
presented to Jeremya at school this year primarily because there are teachers, educators
and staff who are courageous, open minded
and motivated; they are fuelled by kindness
and hope.
I began to learn acceptance; to allow the
beauty of difference to stretch my understanding. I now recognize and look for the
brilliance hidden in the quirks; I’ve stopped
fighting difference, choosing rather to have
fun with it. In the process, I became a creative parent.
I have learned to guide my child with social
options. He shows me the way by literal and
detailed explanations. Jeremya enriches my
life with laughter; and with the reflection of
endless possibilities. It is my opinion that
“We grow because we
struggle; we learn and we
overcome”
--Elise Ellen
24
Emmanuel Dubourg
MNA for Viau
Parliamentary Assistant to
the Minister of Finance
(514) 728-2474
Gerry Sklavounos
MNA for
Laurier-Dorion
Chairman of the
Committee on Health
and Social Services
(514) 273-1412
Kathleen Weil
MNA for
Notre-Dame-de- Grâce
Minister of Immigration
and Cultural Communities
(514) 489-7581
Geoffrey Kelley
MNA for Jacques-Cartier
Minister Responsible for
Aboriginal Affairs
(514) 697-7663
Pierre Marsan
MNA for
Robert-Baldwin
Chair of the Committee on
Culture and Education
(514) 684-9000
Yvon Marcoux
Nicole Ménard
Lawrence S. Bergman
Vice-chair of the Committee on
Public Administration
Minister of Tourism
Minister responsible for the
Montérégie region
Chairman of the
Government Caucus
MNA for Vaudreuil
(450) 424-6666
MNA for Laporte
(450)-672-1885
MNA for
D’Arcy McGee
(514) 488-7028
“ We are proud to support Inspirations Newspaper,
which is fulfilling an important role in our community ”
25
Adapted Travel by Mike Cohen
Smugglers’ Notch Resort strong on
special needs
S
mugglers’ Notch Resort (www.smuggs.
com) is a year round mountain vacation
resort, located 30 miles east of the Burlington International Airport and about two
hours from Montreal. This piece of paradise
offers a complete Mountain Village with
convenient restaurants, lounges, entertainment, sport shop, 10 tennis courts, a driving
range, multiple and magnificent pools, Rum
Runners’ Hideaway reservoir, playgrounds,
woodland miniature and disc golf courses,
a full service conference and banquet center, a U.S. Post Office, a real estate office, a
country store, TREASURES child care center, a welcome and reservation center, and
two teen centers.
Summer programs go from June through
bedroom townhouses with fully-equipped
living spaces and kitchens. Lodgings and facilities are all located in the walkabout Village. A free on-demand shuttle service also
runs daily throughout the Village. We stayed
in a beautiful two bedroom slopeside condominium which can easily accommodate
anywhere from seven to 10 people if you
use the hideabed and request a cot. Homes
are prepared for your arrival with bath towels, linens, blankets and pillows. Your condominium will also have hotel size bars of
bath soap, toilet paper, paper towels, dish
towels, dish soap, sponges and trash bags.
The kitchen in your village home includes
pots, pans, plates, glasses, silverware, cooking utensils, a toaster and an auto-drip coffee maker. All homes have a stove, refrigerator, a stacking washer and dryer or access
to a washer and dryer in the building. There
were four flat screen tv’s in our condo, one
with a VCR/DVD combo and a stereo sys-
One of the magnificent pools at Smugglers’ Notch.
zler and the vice-president of new marketing opportunities, information technology
and full owner contracts.
Mountain Camp on selected summer weeks
includes these activities, plus rock climbing,
horseback riding and tandem biking.
Howe told me how her start at the resort
was interrupted by a previously planned six
week trip to Kazakhstan, where she had
arranged to adopt a four year old hearing
impaired child she named Claire. Howe already had a biological daughter, Lauren, of
the same age.
In winter, half and full day lessons in skiing and snowboarding are available. The
instructors will evaluate each individual’s
needs and goals to determine what equipment is necessary. The SNAP maintains an
inventory that includes mono-skis, bi-skis
and a slider. A special Snowman Camp expands the experience by including dog sledding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing,
ice skating and more.
“Claire had been abandoned at birth by her
mother and left in an orphanage,” Howe
said. “All she could do to communicate was
point. I brought her back to Vermont and
one of the first things I did was put her on
skis at Smugglers.”
Through a cochlear implant, Claire gained
the ability to perceive sound. She communicates mainly through sign language. “Claire
hit the jackpot,” says proud grandfather
Stritzler. “She went from an orphanage in
Kazakhstan to a beautiful life in Vermont.”
tem. Private rooms do not have a kitchen.
The Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program
(SNAP) provides year-round therapeutic
recreation to support vacationing guests children and adults - with special needs. The
program has been in existence for a number of years, and is all about offering these
guests a fun experience in a supportive environment.
SENSITIVITY TO SPECIAL NEEDS: In
terms of sensitivity and compassion for individuals with special needs, look no further
than Lisa Howe. She is the daughter of resort managing director and owner Bill Strit-
During the summer, SNAP may include
swimming with use of the pools and waterslides, hikes, sing-a-longs, arts and crafts,
canoeing and kayaking, nature discovery
and use of their climbing wall. A special
At Smugglers’ Notch the adaptive program enables the physically handicapped to ski.
September. If you are like me and plan
ahead, then pencil this place in for next
summer and don’t be shy to book your
choice dates in the winter.
All accommodations are mountainside condominiums ranging from studios to five
The winter and summer SNAP are tailored
to meet the needs and goals of the individual. Some participants may require two
counsellors, while others may be appropriately paired one-on-one. “We also offer an
inclusion program, which gives a child with
a special need the opportunity to socialize with their peers in our award-winning
children’s programs while still maintaining
the support of the SNAP counsellor,” says
Karen Boushie, head of media relations.
“Consultation between the family and the
program manager before arrival helps ease a
child’s adjustment to the program by outlining what the family can expect from their
child’s SNAP experience.”
For guests with special access requirements,
the reservations staff may direct inquiries
to condominium homes that suit individual
needs. SNAP web pages are at http://www.
smuggs.com/pages/summer/kids/adaptive_
programs.php and http://www.smuggs.com/
pages/winter/kids/adaptive-programs.php.
Alisa Anderson is the program manager
for SNAP. “The SNAP program has served
people with Cerebral Palsy, Autism, developmental disabilities, spinal cord injuries,
26
an adaptive swing safely. He was also able
to experience many summer camp activities such as painting, bounce house, hikes,
included in the FamilyFest and Adventure
Connection Vacation Packages: Discovery
Dynamos (for 3-4 year olds), Trail Blazers
(5-6), Adventure Rangers (7-10), the Notch
Squad (11-15), Mountain Explorers (16-17),
and Adult Adventures. Dozens of family activities spanning the ages are also included.
Following a mountain brook from high
above Smugglers’ Notch Resort Village, the
ArborTrek Zip Line Canopy Tour at Smugglers’ descends through mature stands of
hemlock, white birch, and sugar maple. The
two and a half to three-hour tour includes
riding down more than 4,000 feet of zip
lines, crossing sky bridges, and rappeling
from trees, offering a memorable and thrilling experience for ages eight and older. The
tour is included in the Adventure Connections Vacation Package. It just opened last
December. Other unique fee-based programs include fishing and paddling adventures, golf instruction, health and wellness
offerings, arts and crafts classes, and more.
The Alpine slide in Stowe is a major attraction in the spring and summer.
visual impairments, seizure disorders, Fragile X, Bi-Polar, Down Syndrome, Diabetes
and more,” she noted.
Here are a few examples of some success
stories.
Last winter there was a three year old girl
with Down Syndrome who was registered
for the learn to ski program. “The only
hang-up was when the mom made the reservation months earlier, she informed us
that the daughter was still not walking,”
Anderson explained. “I assured her that
that was fine and we would be able to work
with the skills that she does have. Once
they arrived at Smugglers’ Notch this young
lady had started walking. The next day
was her first ski lesson and she skied. We
used a piece of adaptive equipment called
a snow slider to assist with her balance and
strength. By the end of the week she was
able to make a few runs in the morning and
a few runs in the afternoon, all while waving to everyone she saw. Needless to say
her family was thrilled to see their daughter
enjoy the sport they love.”
This past summer Smuggs had a family visit for the first time from Florida. This family
has four sons and their second to oldest has
a rare condition called Dravet Syndrome.
This child has seizures often, which limits
the activities that he can do. With the help
of the SNAP program this young man was
able to participate on the playground with
swimming, and other art projects.
THE PROPERTY: Smugglers’ Notch currently has 660 units, with a new phase of 35
on the way.
Smugglers’ has four water playgrounds
with eight pools and four waterslides. At the
Mountainside Pool there is the Giant Rapid
River Ride, the Turtle Slide, Little Smugglers’ Lagoon, bathhouse, snack bar, and sun
decks. Over at the Courtside Pool, you can
enjoy the Flume Waterslide, wading pool,
Olympic-sized pool, two 14-person jacuzzi
tubs and a bathhouse and snack center. Rum
Runners’ Hideaway features 10-acres of natural water, Fidget Ladder, Aqua Jump, fishing, canoe and paddleboat rentals, a picnic
pavilion and changing room, with spectacular mountain views. Then there is Notchville
Park, a family playground amidst towering maples with the Giant Swing, Raven’s
Roost Climbing Tower, three terraced pools
with nearly 5,000 square feet of water area,
Peregrine’s Picnic Pavilion, sand volleyball
court, croquet, tumbling brook, frog pond,
and bathhouse. Notchville also features the
Twister, a 140 foot body flume waterslide.
FALL OPPORTUNITIES: An AutumnFest package offers Smugglers’ exceptional
lodging and programming at the lowest rates
of the year! The package includes lodging
and use of the pool and hot tubs. Guests also
have the opportunity to enjoy Smugglers’
woodland miniature golf, shuffleboard, basketball and volleyball. The cost for Autumn
Fest for a family of four staying two nights
in a two bedroom condominium is $410;
other lodging sizes and stays are available.
With stays of three nights or more, an additional night is free.
WINTER FUN: Ski and snowboard season
is from late November until mid-April. Three
interconnected mountains comprise northern Vermont’s biggest vertical drop at 2,610
feet. Skiers and snowboarders are welcome
on all trails. Morse Mountain, the beginners’ haven, rises directly out of the Resort
Village. Sterling Mountain’s terrain appeals
especially to intermediates, while Madonna
Mountain is the expert skiers’ mountain.
The Village and Sterling Ponds provide
great trout fishing, and the Lamoille River
and Lake Champlain (the “Sixth Great
Lake”) are nearby.
SNOWFALL: Smugglers Notch averages
316 feet of snow per season (based on a
five year average). Snowmaking covers 62
percent of total terrain. The $2.5 million in
improvements over the last several years include a 20 million gallon reservoir and additional pumps and guns. More than 100 snow
guns are water and energy efficient. Grooming capabilities are enhanced by a winch cat
groomer, power tiller, and Zaugg groomer to
maintain and contour terrain park features.
Each family member is entitled to join in
the daily Summer Fun University programs
THE VILLAGE OF STOWE: Only Stowe,
Vermont combines a classic 200-year-old
village with Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. This unique juxtaposition imbues
Stowe with a character reminiscent of great
European mountain resorts. Just log on to
www.gostowe.com, where you will find a
chalk full of ideas to enjoy at this year-round
vacation spot. You can also call 1-877-GOSTOWE.
My family and I recently spent some time
in the area. It was in fact our first visit there
in a decade. Though Stowe enjoys an international reputation as a winter destination,
it is just as exciting in summer. Sparkling
streams attract anglers, splashers, and paddlers. Horseback riders gallop through wildflower strewn meadows. Bikers and hikers
take to the recreation path and to more challenging mountain trails as well. Stowe’s golf
and tennis offer challenges for newcomer
and old pro alike or enjoy a glider ride soaring above Stowe’s spectacular terrain.
It is never too early to plan ahead for the
summer of 2012. If your trip is targeted for
late July try and sample The Taste of Stowe
Arts Festival (http://craftproducers.com).
This is an unusual event, combining a market for handmade crafts, original art, music,
and an array of gourmet edible treats. A colossal 100 foot wide tent houses the artists
and artisans and other smaller tents host the
culinary components.
You can also take the easy way up the mountain in the famous Stowe gondola. Spectacular views await you near the peak of Vermont’s highest mountain. From the gondola,
access hiking trails or stop for a bite in the
lift summit snack bar. This runs daily from
mid June until mid-October. Stowe Mountain has an adaptive skiing program in the
winter. There is also a wheelchair accessible cabin to ride the Gondola in the summer
and winter.
The historic Green Mountain Inn (www.
greenmountaininn.com) has been offering
travellers respite for over 175 years. Located at 18 Main Street, it features 107
accommodations, ranging from traditional
guest rooms to luxury suites and townhouses. If you need wheelchair access, it is
recommended that you call in advance so
that the appropriate room location can be
reserved. There is an elevator.
Last year a major renovation project completely refurbished nearly a quarter of the
historic hotel’s Main Inn room inventory.
Twelve of the hotel’s second floor rooms
within the property’s central Inn building underwent a substantial revitalization.
27
huahua served with a side of quacamole.
The barbeque ribs are slow roasted for 12
hours, Memphis style, and slide right off
the bone. I combined my order with chicken, garnished in fabulous bbq sauce, along
with wild rice and cole slaw. The bar steak,
a six ounce filet mignon, is another house
favorite. All steaks here are handcarved in
the kitchen by Gracies’ chefs. This facility
is completely wheelchair accessible, including the outdoor terrace. Reservations are accepted at 802-253-8741.
BACK TO BURLINGTON: If you are
going to be spending time in Smugglers’
Notch or Stowe, then it makes a lot of sense
to book a few nights either before or after
that trip in Burlington where great shopping
opportunities await you.
The indoor pool at the Doubletree Burlington.
There was a complete remodeling of bathrooms, air conditioning system improvements, floor plan readjustments to maximize
space, the installation of new high grade
noise-dampening windows and the addition
of new large screen plasma TVs.
The Inn is also home to the wonderful Whip
Bar and Grill (http://www.greenmountaininn.com/whipbarandgrill.html). This spot
provides travellers respite, refreshment,
and fine dining in a casual atmosphere. It
features an extensive menu full of flavorful
food prepared with Vermont products and
the freshest ingredients from local farmers.
There are fresh homemade breads and incredible desserts. It is open for lunch, dinner
and Sunday brunch. The bar offers a great
selection of Vermont and New England microbrews on tap and a newly revised wine
list sure to tempt occasional wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
I would strongly recommend the grilled
swordfish, which cuts like butter. It comes
with vegetables, but you can switch this for
the mashed potatoes.
We shared some garlic shrimp as an appetizer. It came with two sliced baguettes.
You can order a half Caesar salad here to
save more room for the entrée. There is a
kids menu, but the younger ones might want
to try the delicious flatbread pizza from the
main selections. This is the place for fish –
salmon, tilapia, wild striped bass and oven
roasted Boston cod. There are also steaks,
chicken, burgers and sandwiches. For
wheelchair access, you must enter through
the main hotel door.
DINNER AT GRACIES: Many veteran
Stowe vacationers also strongly recommended Gracie’s Restaurant (www.gracies.com) at 18 Edson Hill Road. Owners
Paul and Susan Archdeacon are wonderful hosts. Paul, known simply as “Archie,”
came here in 1972 from Boston to ski and
never left. This is where he met Sue. In 1991
the couple opened the restaurant, naming it
after their new shelter rescue dog Gracie,
a Yellow Lab Air Dale mix from the South
Burlington Humane Society. The name
stuck and the restaurant took off. Right from
the start Gracie’s was committed to producing as much of their menu as possible themselves. All the breads, rolls and desserts are
made on the premises. This led to the introduction of Gracie’s “Doggie Bag.” A penny
candy bag painted on the inside with white
chocolate, frozen and filled with chocolate
mint mousse. When ordered the paper bag is
peeled off and the chocolate sack is served
over double boil hot fudge. The “Doggie
Bag” is garnished with fresh baked sugar
cookies cut to look like milk bones. I have
not tasted such an exceptional dessert in a
long time.
The doggie theme carries throughout the
menu with all the burgers, made with Boyden Farms all natural ground beef, named
after particular breeds. There is some type
of canine logic to the names with the Chi-
WHERE TO STAY: The Doubletree Hotel Burlington (www.burlington.doubletree.
com) is located just off I-89 on Williston
Road and near the airport. This is a large and
attractive property. All standard guestrooms
include the Sweet Dreams bed, coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, refrigerator, easy chair, in-room remote printing,
Lodgenet with web access and Game Cube,
speakerphone and complimentary wireless
high speed internet access. In the suites
there is a main bedroom with a king size bed
and flat screen TV, separated by a door to
spacious living room area featuring a pullout couch, a working desk with two chairs
and another flat screen televisions. The
bathroom is conveniently accessed from the
living room area, which is especially convenient for families with small children who
needn’t wake up parents as they charge to
use the facilities early in the morning.
The hotel has a nice pool, connected to an
outdoor patio and an amazing workout gym
open 24 hours a day. Its stairmasters have
small television monitors attached, with
headphones, making one’s workout so much
more pleasant. There is an onsite restaurant
called Trader Duke’s.
The hotel has five handicapped accessible
rooms, two with roll-in showers.
All of the necessary equipment for the hearing impaired is in place. Both the main and
banquet entrances are fully wheelchair accessible, with wide sized elevators to transport those booked on the second floor.
DINING OUT: We were thrilled to find an
Outback Steakhouse (www.outback.com)
only minutes from our hotel at 150 Dorset
Street. This has always been one of my fa-
vorite chains. Montreal’s West Island had a
franchise for about a two year period which
we happily frequented. Why it shut down I
still do not understand.
Well, if you want to experience this spot,
best known for grilled steaks, chicken and
seafood, then Burlington represents the
closest opportunity for Montrealers.
The Outback also offers a wide variety of
crisp salads and freshly made soups and
sides. New creations and grilled classics
are made from scratch daily using only the
highest quality ingredients. We had a superb meal. I would recommend the clam
chowder, the lobster tails and of course the
steaks – either the rib eye or Victoria’s filet.
The new menu actually has a calorie count
in brackets for every single item, which is
great for folks who are watching what they
eat. This Outback is opened seven days a
week. Call 802-862-0003 for reservations.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible.
SHOPPING: The Church Street Marketplace pedestrian mall is an amazing place to
shop. With over 100 retail shops, restaurants
and street vendors, this a popular destination for shopping, dining and people watching. A recipient of the prestigious Great
American Main Street Award, the Marketplace is recognized as one of the most successful pedestrian malls in the country.
Burlington Town Center is considered Burlington’s premier indoor shopping center,
featuring an exciting retail mix including
J.Crew, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma,
Ann Taylor Loft, Abercrombie & Fitch,
Aéropostale, Gap/Gap Kids/Baby Gap,
Crabtree & Evelyn and Macy’s Department
Store.
Then there is University Mall, Vermont’s
largest enclosed shopping center, with over
70 shops and services. Here you can choose
from a major selection of major department
stores like JC Penney, Sears and the BonTon. Within walking distance you’ll find
HomeGoods, Hannaford Food & Drug and
the Sears Automotive Center. Plus, there
is plenty of free parking and wheelchair
access!
Mike Cohen is the editor of Inspirations.
Email him at info@mikecohen.ca, follow
him on Twitter @mikecohencsl and log on
to his travel advice column at www.sandboxworld.com/travel.
Wealth is giving
back to the
community.
At DundeeWealth, we believe wealth is more than individual financial security. It is also about
being content and confident within a strong, healthy community that provides families with
the freedom and opportunity to experience life to its fullest potential.
Congratulations to Chrissy Mohammed, recipient of the 2011 Teacher of Inspiration Award.
dundeewealth.com
®
Registered trademark of its owner, used under license.
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Fall 2011 - Inspirations

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