Transitions: Into a New Year, Into a New Stage of Life.

By Isabelle St-Jean, RSW.

As 2011 comes to a close we are wise to devote a few moments to the process of integrating the growth, the learning, and the highlights of 2011.  By placing some conscious attention to this process, we are effectively expanding our resourcefulness.  In a few moments of reflection, you may be able to recall how you and or other members in your family surmounted some challenges during this year.  The more we identify specifically what strengths, qualities and resources we used to overcome difficulties, the more we build our resilience and ability to later retrieve those strengths when the need arise. 

Our school-aged children, typical or with special needs, can also be supported to reflect on the learning they have acquired this year, aside from was taught in school.  Here are some specific questions you can ask your children in a conversation at the end of this year or the start of 2012.

-          What did you learn about yourself this year, in terms of new strengths, talents or abilities?

-          What good habits (such as sleep patterns, studying habits, eating habits) did you  develop this year that you want to keep or even improve on in 2012? And what not-so-good habits would you like to change?

-          What might be a good theme to focus on for you next year? For example, a child with difficulties in social skills might decide to make 2012 the year of growing social skills and making new friends.  Another child may want to take a certain course to develop a talent that is an increasingly becoming a passion.  

Perhaps your family has some unique ways of welcoming the New Year and bringing a given year to a close in a positive manner?  If so, please make a contribution to this blog so that we can all benefit and perhaps achieve a better transition into 2012.

Speaking of transition, we are now spreading the word about the Transition Fair for Youth which will take place at the Jewish Community Centre on February 26, 2012.  This day will be filled with useful information and inspiration for you to help your adolescent with special needs to transition into adulthood.  The poster for this event will soon be posted on the JFSA website. I am particularly pleased to let you know that with the help of the Jewish Federation, we have invited Dr. Thomas Armstrong to come and offer a great keynote on the subject of his new book: The Power of Neurodiversity.

On behalf of the JFSA staff, we wish you and your family a 2012 that is filled with a multitude of blessings, with numerous moments of good learning and growth as well as plenty of love and wellness.

We look forward to hearing back from you, and if there are specific subjects you would like to see explored on this blog in 2012, we welcome your suggestions.

Isabelle St-Jean, RSW.

Drama therapy: Because Life is Not a Rehearsal

By Isabelle St-Jean

Following up from the last article posted here on films featuring people with disabilities, I am now sharing what I have discovered about drama therapy for people on the Autism spectrum. 

According to Cindy Schneider, a pioneer in drama therapy, and author of Acting Antics: A Theatrical Approach to Teaching Social Understanding to Kids and Teens with Asperger Syndrome, theatre and movement classes can offer multiple benefits. Through such programs for children, teens and adults with autism the benefits include increase in self-esteem, creativity, self-expression, and spontaneity. What’s more, participants in these programs also gain a new leisure activity in a group where they can be successful as they develop new skills for functioning as part of a group.

I have observed those benefits personally when my teenage son with Asperger’s attended, for 3 consecutive years, a 2 weeks summer day-camp offered by the Vancouver Theatre Sports League.  Through this experience he benefited as mentioned above; he enjoyed expressing his creativity while interacting with others and collaborating on team efforts as organized by the leaders of the program. 

As some of you may have noticed, there seems to be a shortage of opportunities for teenagers on the spectrum to practice social skills while enjoying fun-filled recreational activities. If you have a teen or young adult child with Asperger’s who could be interested in participating in a drama therapy or theatre sports program in the coming year in Vancouver, please post your comments on this blog or contact Isabelle at JFSA: istjean@jfsa.ca     

And, with a new year just around the corner, parents can take the opportunity to have a conversation with their children about what they wish to do more of in the coming year.  You may choose to make this kind of conversation a year-end ritual in which reflecting on the year can help each family member to identify what they are grateful for and what their hearts desires in the coming year. This also provides great encouragement for everyone to live more fully with clear intentions linked to their most cherished values in the context of their developmental stage and level of ability.  Speaking of “stage”,

 let us all remind ourselves that life is not a rehearsal and that we must strive to keep taping the wealth of potentiality that resides at the heart of each and every one of us.

Happy Hanukkah

In the Spotlights: Abilities as Featured in Films

By Isabelle St-Jean, RSW

Inclusion and Abilities Consultant

 

As the Vancouver Jewish Film Festival recently came to a close following screenings of captivating films, we are reminded of the power of films to entertain, inform, convey engaging ideas and pose good questions.  This year the Festival’s opening featured The Flood which included a character who has autism.  Some of you will recall last year’s VJFF opening film Anita depicting a touching story in the life of a young woman with Down’s syndrome.  With increasing awareness of the importance of inclusion as well as the gifts of people with disabilities, we see that they are now more often represented in film.

Have you seen the variety of current films about people with disabilities?  Here are 3 award-winning films you may like to see and the links to their websites:   

    Autism: The Musical  

Following five LA children over the course of six months, director Tricia Regan captures the struggles and triumphs of their family lives and observes how this musical production gives these performers a comfort zone in which they can explore their creative sides.

www.autismthemusical.com

                                                                                                 Fly Away

 

A powerful film directed by Emmy Award® winner Janet Grillo (Autism: The Musical), FLY AWAY narrates the story of Jeanne (Beth Broderick, Bonfire of the Vanities, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and her autistic teenage daughter, Mandy (Ashley Rickards, One Tree Hill). Jeanne has cared for Mandy since the day she was born, growing closer every day to a child who is charmingly offbeat one moment and nearly impossible to manage the next. In the dog park, Jeanne encounters Tom (Greg Germann, Ally McBeal, Friends with Money), an easygoing and accepting neighbor who sparks a romantic interest, but she finds juggling Mandy’s care and her own career leaves little room for a new man. As the pressures of work and her child’s needs increase, she must decide whether or not to enroll Mandy in a therapeutic residential facility. Over the course of a few weeks, Jeanne is confronted with the most difficult decision a parent can make: to let go, allowing her child to grow, but also grow apart; or to hold on tight and fall together.

Statement from the Director

As the mother of a child with disabilities, I was immediately thrust into the challenge every parent must face at some point: meeting the needs of your child when it is at great cost to yourself. Perhaps the very measure of love is what and how much we are willing to sacrifice. Although parenting someone with Autism is particular, the primal drive to do the best for oneʼs child is universal. FLY AWAY tells this story.

www.flyawaymovie.com

 

Loving Lampposts Directed by Todd Drezner, 2011

As autism has exploded into the public consciousness over the last 20 years, two opposing questions have been asked about the condition: is it a devastating sickness to be cured? Or is it a variation of the human brain — just a different way to be human? After his son’s diagnosis, filmmaker Todd Drezner visits the front lines of the autism wars. We meet the “recovery movement,” which views autism as a tragic epidemic brought on by environmental toxins. Operating outside the boundaries of mainstream medicine, these parents, doctors, and therapists search for unconventional treatments that can “reverse” autism and restore their children to normal lives. We meet the ‘neurodiversity’ movement, which argues that autism should be accepted and autistic people supported. This group argues that the focus on treatments and cures causes the wider society to view autistic people as damaged and sick. Acceptance is the better way, but how do you practice acceptance of autism in a world where the very word can terrify parents? And we meet a too often ignored group: autistic adults. It’s these adults who show just how tricky it is to judge an autistic person’s life. Is an autistic woman who directs academic research about autism recovered? What if the same woman has trouble speaking and uses text-to-speech software to communicate? Is an autistic man who lives in his own apartment recovered? What if his mother must hire people to do his laundry and take him out in the evenings? This wide angle view of autism makes clear what’s at stake in the autism wars. Will we live in a world dominated by autism conferences where vendors hawk vitamins and hyperbaric chambers to parents desperate for a cure? Or will we provide the support that autistic adults need to lead the best lives they can? And can these two worlds possibly co-exist?

www.lovinglampposts.com

 

Do you know of a film about persons with disabilities that our community would like to see?  Please respond to this blog article and let us know.

 

For further information about the services offered by Inclusion and Abilities Coordinator Isabelle St-Jean, feel free to contact her at 604 257-5151 ext. 223 or e-mail: istjean@jfsa.ca

 

 

 

 

November: Remembering to Reach for Inner Peace at the Heart of our Families

By Isabelle St-Jean RSW

Having just honored the veterans of wars on Remembrance Day, we are all reminded of our individual responsibility to participate in the creation of a peaceful world.  In our family homes, we, as parents, can model ways of returning to inner calm and resourceful states in times of stress or in the midst of challenging times.  As we teach core values that foster a harmonious atmosphere we are also contributing to growing the seeds of a more peaceful future.  In the Jewish culture, when core values such as community, friendship and hospitality are put into practice, they predispose our social environments to thrive. At the heart of each family, thriving also means that family members take action towards maintaining their wellness of body, mind and spirit according to their abilities and developmental stages.  

As part of a holistic approach to health, physical activities serve many functions; they contribute to our physical and mental health and, depending on the activity, can also provide avenues to developing friendships.   At this time of year – with increasingly inclement weather – most children have fewer opportunities to enjoy the calming effects of outdoor activities such as cycling or spending hours enjoying their neighborhood playground.  Among children with special needs such as learning disabilities, attention deficit or ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), most seem to require regular engagement in physical activities in order to improve their quality of presence and social connectivity. 

Although some sports are enjoyed year-round in the general population of typical children, those with neurological and developmental disabilities such as ASD may experience difficulty enjoying and do well in organized sports.  The subtle rules of conducts and expected behaviours associated with team sports may be challenging for such children to decipher and follow.  Alternatively, there is an increasing awareness of other types of activities that can positively affect a child’s nervous system and provide a conduit to resourceful states and inner calm. 

 

If you reside in the BC lower mainland, for example, Sirota’s Alchymy offers Martial Arts and Life Skills training to families and children including those with various types of physical or developmental disabilities. The website for this Centre is www.sirotasalchymy.com

In recent years, yoga is increasingly recognized as having positive benefits for children with ASD. In the Yoga Journal magazine, a recent article features yoga as a therapeutic intervention that helps such children to “relate better to themselves and the world.” To read the article entitled Breaking Barriers, click on, or copy and paste the link below.

http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/780

In my own family home, I have observed the benefits of yoga in my son who has Asperger’s syndrome.  From the age of 10 to his late teens, he has enjoyed doing yoga on a weekly basis as part of stress and anger management strategies.  Increasingly, yoga is also being taught in a few public schools of the BC lower mainland. 

Beyond November and throughout the year, let us remember in each and every moment, that we can choose a peaceful way to respond to any given situation thereby helping our children to embrace the enduring values of community and wellness of body, mind and spirit.

 

Please feel free to respond to this article – we would like to hear back from you.

Focus on Abilities: It’s Down Syndrome Awareness Week!

By Isabelle St-Jean, RSW

Special Needs Coordinator at JFSA

 

 

All around the world, this week, various events are helping to raise awareness about Down syndrome.  As people create community around those events, more gets to be known about the gifts and abilities often associated with people who have this syndrome.

In BC, the Lower Mainland Down Syndrome Society in collaboration with the Down Syndrome Research Foundation are celebrating this special awareness week with a wonderful family event including Rick Scott on Sunday, November 6^th, 2011. Rick Scott is a wonderful musician, song writer and grand-father of a much cherished grand-child with Down syndrome.  For information about this event, please visit the DSRF website www.dsrf.org  and look up the event by clicking on the Event tab and DSRF events.

If you were among those who viewed the film Anita last year as part of the Jewish Film Festival, you would recall being touched by the sweet innocence and candour of Anita, the young women with Down syndrome in the lead role.  Indeed, as psychologist Elisabeth M. Dykens wrote in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, “…persons with Down syndrome have been consistently cast as friendly and charming, with disarming smiles.” 

In his book Neurodiversity: Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Other Brain Differences, author Thomas Armstrong, PhD points out that we have much evolved with respect to including people with Down syndrome in all aspects of society.  He recounts Emily Pearl Kingsley’s past story of being told by the obstetrician in the hospital: “Your child has Down syndrome and the common practice for these children is to place them in an institution immediately .  Go home and tell your friends and family that your child died in child-birth.”  The Kingsleys refused to do this; they decided to love and raise their son wholeheartedly.  By the time he reached nineteen years of age, this child, American Jason Kingsley, had acted in a major television series and had co-authored a book entitled Count Me In.  There are countless similar examples throughout our continent of people with Down syndrome who have refused to focus on limitations and assisted by their parents, have surmounted obstacles to lead a worthwhile and meaningful life.

Evidently, in the spirit of inclusion, we are wise to “count in” people with Down syndrome, to help them feel that they belong.  Let us be aware of the importance of appreciate them for their strengths and to focus on the abilities they can grow and contribute to our world.

Please feel free to respond with your comments to this blog; we would like to hear from you.

Isabelle

 

 

We All Belong: October is Community Living Month

By Isabelle St-Jean

As part of Community Living Month, numerous events are occurring in October to celebrate, educate and inspire a greater sense of inclusiveness in our communities.  On October 6^th, I took part in one of the events sponsored by British Columbia Association for Community Living www.bcacl.org.  Every One Belongs featured American author, consultant Peter Bock.  With his warmth and ideas about the essence of community making, Peter generated a sense of connectedness and inclusiveness in the large audience at the Maritime Labour Centre in Vancouver.  Together, participants explored ways of thinking that are conducive to creating authentic communities in which people discover each other’s gifts and build associations that shift the focus from need and deficiencies to engagement and possibility.

 Through that day, Peter Block defined and demonstrated the inner dynamics and actions of leadership as listening, convening, inviting and allowing curiosity and the power of questions to triumph over ready-made answers. Being part of the Jewish community, Peter’s professional orientation and body of work is certainly in alignment with a dominant value and obligation, as set by the Torah, which states that one must never let another to feel isolated or without support.

There are still worthwhile events you may wish to attend this month on the theme of community living and you could learn about those by looking at the event calendar of the bcacl website (as above). In my personal and professional experience, most parents of children with disabilities are acutely aware of the need for their children to feel they belong and have a place in their neighborhood, their schools and hopefully in a future workplace.  It is important for each one of us to ask ourselves from time to time what we can do to help generate a sense of community within our neighborhood.  Certainly, if we want a future that is more welcoming of everyone’s uniqueness and contribution, we all need to participate in taking different actions and shifting our attitudes so that we can create a different future.

In accordance with this quote…As long as one lives, one should hope. (Talmud; Brachot), the program Navigating Toward Hope has been designed to help and support parents of children who have a diagnosis of a disability.  This 8 weeks series on alternate Tuesdays evenings, at the JFSA, beginning on October 25^th, will assemble a small group of parents to come into community.  As participants learn and discuss the topics, the program will serve to:

-          Help parents come to terms with their child’s condition.

-          Assist parents in learning to become resilient and accepting.

-          Improve parents’ ability to support and advocate for their child.

-          Promote and/or further develop parenting skills and enhance attachment between parent and child with special needs.

 

 

In addition to the above, there will be guest speakers included in some of the evening sessions.

 

For more information or to register, please contact Isabelle St-Jean, RSW, facilitator of this program at 604 257-5151 ext. 223 or by e-mail: istjean@jfsa.ca

 

 

 

Dyslexia:

Coping with the Challenges, Recognizing the Gifts

By Isabelle St-Jean, RSW

 

As the school year builds its momentum in classrooms in North America, approximately 1 out of every 10 children will be diagnosed with dyslexia this year.  However, in different parts of the world, this rate may be significantly different.  For example, according to research quoted in Scientific America in 2001, the number of 10 year-olds dyslexic children in Italy was found to be half of that in the U.S.  With further studies into the root causes of dyslexia it was found that there is a common neurological cause across borders, but that complexities in certain languages can make the problem worse.

For people with dyslexia, it is much harder for the brain to organize all the tasks involved in reading. This is especially true with a complex language such as English, where letters often have varying sounds. English-speakers suffer a higher rate of dyslexia - as many as 10 percent to 15% – than do speakers of less complex languages.

With the basic premise that the ability to learn better enhances one’s quality of life, Jerusalem-based www.CogniBeat is launching, this year, www.AgileEye. This a new Internet-based software tool to boost reading skills for children and adults with dyslexia and other learning disabilities affecting their reading, writing and spelling skills. 

AgileEye aims to stimulate autonomic nervous system processes, based on the theory that shortcomings in early sensory-motor development underlie dyslexia and certain other reading difficulties. The visual stimulation and hand-eye exercises are supposed to improve reading from the bottom up, rather than from the top-down phonics approach.

While neurologists strive to discover new solutions for people with dyslexia others are helping us to acknowledge the strengths implied in these brain differences. In his book Neurodiversity Dr. Thomas Armstrong speaks about one of the remarkable abilities that have been consistently observed in the research on dyslexia; the ability to think in 3 dimensions and in pictures rather than words can be greatly valued in many disciplines as well as new technological fields. You will soon have the opportunity to hear Dr. Armstrong speak about the gifts of dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other brain differences in Vancouver.  Indeed he will be the keynote speaker at the Transition Fair being planned for February 26, 2012 by Jewish Federation in collaboration with JFSA and the Bagel Club. 

In the meantime, if you have a child who has been diagnosed with dyslexia, you are invited to attend the JFSA parent educational support group Navigating Towards Hope which will begin on October 25^th at 7:00pm (on alternate Tuesdays) for 8 sessions ending on January 31^st, 2012.

For more details please call or e-mail Isabelle St-Jean, RSW, Special Needs Coordinator and facilitator of this group: istjean@jfsa.ca, 604 257-5151 ext, 223.

 

 

 

Back to School – Advocating for your Child at IEP meetings.

By Isabelle St-Jean

For most parents September is closely associated with education.  Many adults also look forward to continuing to learn whether through courses, seminars or even just reading.  For parents of children with learning disabilities, the start of the academic year might be accompanied by concerns or even a sense of dread. Naturally, every parent wants their child to succeed and achieve good grades. Depending on the nature of the disability and the level of support a child requires and receives, it is generally more challenging for such children to do well in school.  

If your school-aged child has special needs, you will most likely be part of and IEP (Individual Educational Plan) meeting in the next few weeks.  In most schools, an IEP is intended to be created in collaboration with parents, teachers and the teacher’s assistant.  But depending on how the meeting is structured, the parent might be told about the plan but not always given adequate time to voice their opinion regarding their child’s specific educational needs. 

As a caring parent and advocate on behalf of your child, it is important to know that you have the right to contribute to your child’s educational plan and to speak to his/her particular needs especially during the meeting.  The IEP should be a living comprehensive plan that is responsive to the particular abilities, disabilities and sensitivities of the child. And especially when the child reaches high school, it is essential that the plan includes more of the skills that will be necessary as the teenager approaches transition into adulthood.

If your child has a learning disability, you can read guidelines for parents about IEPs on the website of the Learning Disability Association of Vancouver:

http://www.ldav.ca/ed_plan.shtml

To read the policy positions of the BC Association for Community Living on IEPs, click on the link below:

http://bcacl.org/about-us/social-policy-positions/individualized-education-plans

I wish you well as you launch into another year for your child to learn in a hopefully inclusive school environment.  If you experience difficulties regarding your child’s IEP and would like some support, remember that the special needs department at JFSA includes providing help to parents in their advocacy roles.   For more information you may contact Isabelle St-Jean on Tuesdays or Thursdays at JFSA 604 257-5151, ext. 223

 

 

 

 

 

 

Navigating Towards Hope: A Parent’s Adaptation to her Child with Special Needs.

By Isabelle St-Jean, RSW

Sometimes, the diagnosis of a neurological or developmental disorder comes, initially as a relief for the parents of a child with such special needs.  Most often, parents have been suspecting that their child exhibits behaviours which are out of the “normal” range.  Upon receiving the diagnosis of a disorder such as autism or Asperger’s, parents also wonder about their child’s future.  All at once, their minds might be flooded with a myriad of worries and questions such as, “will he ever live independently?”  “Will he be able to attend university”? “Will she be capable of engaging in long-term relationships?”

The journey of adapting to a child’s diagnosis is complex and it takes time.  I still recall the turmoil I experienced when my son, who is now 19, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at 6 years of age.  It certainly helped to explain why he preferred solitary play at school and why he reacted unpredictably and angrily in certain social situations and environments. Now, having worked in the field of disabilities including autism for many years, I better understand why he sometimes struggled to achieve emotional regulation within himself.

In more recent years my son has grown remarkably with respect to his social skills and he has been able to enjoy good friendships.  But because he is so methodical and detail-oriented in everything he does, it usually takes him longer than most to complete a task or project. As he approached adulthood I have wondered if he would be able to keep up with the workplace demands of doing things quickly and efficiently.  But recently, I saw him complete an awesome drawing in 15 minutes after he was inspired by the sights of – his major passion – collectors’ cars a car show he had just gone to. I concluded that when he enthusiastically taps into his imagination and talent for drawing, an amazing flow takes over and he smoothly and quickly glides into the completion of an amazing art piece.  As you likely know, many remarkable and talented people in history, including Albert Einstein, were suspected to have, or were diagnosed with, Asperger’s syndrome.

While this is encouraging for parents of children with Asperger’s or other special needs, there is no question that support is needed in order to take on the journey from sorrow, grief and denial to acceptance matched with a focus on possibilities. If you reside in the lower mainland of B.C and are the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia or other forms of disabilities, you will soon have the opportunity to partake in a supportive and educational group for parents.  

Beginning on Tuesday evening October 25, 2011 and every other week for 8 sessions, JFSA will offer (at the offices: 1985 West Broadway) the Navigating Towards Hope parent support group facilitated by myself, Isabelle St-Jean, Registered Social Worker, family counsellor and inclusion/ability consultant at JFSA. This small group is designed to help parents:

-         Come to terms with their child’s condition

-         Assist in the process of resolution and growth of resilience.

-         Improve their skills in supporting and advocating for their child.

-         Further develop parenting skills and enhance the attachment between them and their child with special needs.

For more information and details, please contact Isabelle at JFSA on Tuesdays or Thursdays by e-mail or phone: istjean@jfsa.ca or 604 257-5151 ext. 223.

Summer as a Festive time:Community Building through Festivals and Block Parties

By Isabelle St-Jean

In many areas of Canada summer time abounds with festivals of all kinds.  They are usually accessible to most everyone including people with disabilities.  As such, festivals then to be wonderfully inclusive events that attract people of all generations to gather, celebrate and enjoy a colorful array of music, art, culture, sports, special interests, etc. 

Most relevant to this blog, if you reside in the B.C. lower mainland, you may want to attend this upcoming festival. Organized by the Open Door Group and sponsored by the TD Bank, Picture This…International Disability Film Festival 2011 will take place on August 25^th at District 319 venue which is located at 319 Main Street near Cordova in Vancouver.  The festival entry is by donations, and the event begins at 5:30 with an art exhibit and some mingling and networking for the first hour and then film presentations will be from 6:30 to 9:00pm.  For more information you can e-mail Alona at events@opendoorgroup.org

As an alternative to attending or volunteering in a summer festival, you may think about the possibility of organizing a block party in your neighborhood.  With relatively little effort, block parties can also offer a great opportunity to meet and chat with neighbors whom you may have few opportunities to converse with in daily life.  This kind of community building helps to augment a sense of safety and belonging among those who reside right in your home area.  Given the commonly experienced sense of isolation that many people feel these days, a block party can help to establish great connections that could last throughout the year ahead and more.  If you are Jewish, you might consider creating a theme that celebrates diversity by encouraging others to bring decorations and foods associated with their cultural or religious orientation.

If you are the parent of a child with special needs who is challenged in the area of social skills, you may find that a block party could facilitate some contact with other children that may develop into friendship.    For practical ideas about how to launch a block party, check out this link below:

http://www.ehow.com/how_135596_throw-block-party.html

If you have ideas to contribute to the theme of this blog, to enjoy festivals or block parties, please your comment below on this blog so we can share it with others.

 Isabelle St-Jean RSW is the Abilities and Inclusion Consultant at JFSA. The next article of this month will include introductory information to a support group for parental adaptation to their child’s diagnosis of a disability.