Summer 2012 - Autism Services

Aug. 2012 E Issue 4
Autism Services, Saskatoon
Kick off in Saskatoon on World Autism Awareness Day
O
n 2 April 2012, Autism Services was delighted
to kick off World Autism Awareness Day
(WAAD) at the Glen Scrimshaw Gallery in
Saskatoon.
affects 1 in 88 children (USA, 2012 statistics). Our
little office windows were lit up blue and the media
was in attendance at the Glen Scrimshaw Gallery’s
event. We want to thank Glen Scrimshaw for his hosThis was the fifth annual World Autism Aware- pitality and for donating a percentage of his sales for
ness Day, which is celebrated globally. On this day, April to Autism Services.
countries from afar afield as Dubai and Nepal to Editor’s note: check out the Glen Scrimshaw Gallery at
Mexico and USA participate in fundraising and 165 3rd Ave. S, Saskatoon, SK.
awareness-raising events.
http://www.glenscrimshaw.com
One event is the Global Light It Up Blue Cam- phone (306)668-2226
paign. Places like the Sidney Opera House, Australia,
the Empire State Building, USA, and the Pyramids
of Giza, Egypt illuminate prominent buildings with
blue lights to raise awareness about Autism.
And Autism Services, Saskatoon was no exception to raising awareness about Autism which now
Above: Johnny Thiel,
guest of honour, cuts the
ribbon with Jeff Rogstad,
CTV, and Shirley Kloeble,
Autism Services.
Left: Glen Scrimshaw
surveys the scene
1
A Message from the Executive Director
by Shannon Friesen-Zook
W
elcome to another Puzzle Pieces. This
issue focuses primarily on siblings who
have a brother or sister with Autism. The
stories that follow are both heart-warming and heartwrenching. What is most evident is the resilience of
the siblings, parents and caregivers. This life journey
has its joys and challenges.
Sibling groups, week end retreats, camps and recreational activities can be healthy outlets for the sibling
who will value that break.
Over time, brothers, sisters and parents not only
learn to cope, but also to reflect on how much the
child with Autism has taught them about themselves
and about life.
Autism, as we all know, affects the whole family.
Autism Services’ family support groups, mom’s
For the most part, the child with Autism takes up and dad’s nights and sibling groups are open to you.
a lot of the parents’ time and attention, which can Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anybe very draining emotionally and physically. The sib- thing we can do to help your family.
lings may be as overwhelmed and show some resentTCU Place, Saskatoon, 25-29 September 2012.
ment to their brother or sister with Autism, their
Taste some excellent foods and wine at one of the hottest events in town.
parents, and even the world in general.
It is important that these siblings do not feel
alone, so having the opportunity to meet other siblings who know what it is like to have a brother or
sister with Autism can be very reassuring. They also
need a safe and neutral place to share their feelings.
Autism Services is the Benefit Charity for the Premier, a festival of fine wines,
spirits and specialty foods. The festival is sponsored
and organized by the SLGA, Saskatchewan Wine &
Spirits Association, and TCU Place.
Please consider joining Autism Services as a
volunteer for the Premier Festival. We also welcome prize donations for the
auction and balloon pop to be held each evening. For more information,
contact Bonita or Pat at 665-7013, Ext 0.
Contents
2
Take Time to Get to Know my Brother. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Growing Up With Danielle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A Parent’s Perspective: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Fundraising Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Autism Services’ Annual Gala a Huge Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Social Skills from a Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
A Therapist’s Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Book Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Ask Aspie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Take Time to Get to Know my Brother
I
by Paige Dixon
am a sister, an auntie, a cousin, a niece and a daughter. A big part of my life is my little brother, Josh,
who is eleven years old and has Asperger’s.
If you didn’t know Josh very well, you’d see a
crazy little boy who doesn’t behave very well. He can
destroy things in a matter of seconds. But if you took
the time to get to know my brother, you’d see a little
boy excited by the world. He is eager to learn, fun,
very loving and kind-hearted. It doesn’t take a day to
understand him: it takes years.
Having Josh in our family is never going to be
easy because we can’t pretend that Josh is just like any
Josh with his sister Paige
other kid. We can’t treat him the same as everybody
else; we have to go slower. We have to be patient, take face. The many times that I stood up for him or asked
our time, and listen to what he is trying to tell us.
people to leave him alone just made things worse;
As a sister, the hardest thing in my life is to stay then they would bully him even more when I wasn’t
calm and listen to what he is saying. Some days I for- around. Even when I didn’t back him up, it was still
get that he isn’t an ordinary kid. I have to push down terrible. He’d go through the same thing every day
the urge to fight with him. He’ll demand things from and still come home with a big smile and a new story
me, and I have to put my foot down. It’s so hard not to tell. I still don’t know how he can find light in so
to get annoyed with him. Other days, I feel sad for much darkness. I’m happy he can do that.
Josh. When I see other kids playing together and havEach day with Josh, we are faced with a different
ing fun, I know Josh can’t do that.
challenge. And we choose to keep going, even if it
I have seen people bully Josh because he is dif- means we have to give some things up. Having a little
ferent. I was in the same elementary school as my brother with Autism is a struggle, but Josh is a unique
little brother for four years. During that time, I’ve little boy who sees the world in a different way. He
heard people call Josh rude, mean and hurtful names. sees things more creatively and puts a little piece of
I’ve watched them laugh and make fun of him to his himself into everything he does.
3
Growing Up With Danielle
By Mathew Bakken
Y
ears ago, Danielle would slam her head
through a wall when she was mad. Our walls
were full of holes. My mom would say to my
dad, “Murray, we’re fixing the walls; I refuse to live in
a house with holes in the walls. We can’t have company over.” It’s lucky Danielle didn’t get invited out
or we’d have to show up with drywall and mud. This
is one of the challenges living with a sister who has
Autism.
I was fourteen years old. The camp was for children
who had intellectual and other disabilities, including Autism. Working there showed me that I wasn’t
alone. There were other brothers and sisters who felt
like I did but they had come to terms with it; they
embraced their siblings. I realized I had work to do. I
started reading, researching, reaching out to friends,
and drawing upon the wealth of knowledge I had
stored in my own memory.
I remembered asking my mom, “How come you
aren’t getting mad at Danielle every time she puts a
hole in the wall or wrecks my stuff? Why won’t she
act normal?” My mother would say, “Your sister
bangs her head: that’s just what she does; you play
hockey; you don’t see us getting mad at you for that.”
My sister’s behavior was something that came along
with her, and as much as she annoyed me, I needed
to separate Danielle from her behaviour.
Danielle with Daiquiri
In September 2008, my sister moved into Autism
Services’ group home. I remember the day clearly. I
was back in school and stopped at my parents' house
to visit. I opened the door and stood in the front
entrance. I felt sad, confused and lost. The house was
silent. There weren’t three stereos playing simultaneously the Macarena, the chicken dance and The Little
Drummer Boy. My mother and I just looked at each
other; we didn’t know how to have a conversation.
My parents and I didn’t have a traditional family
life. Sometimes Danielle bites, bangs her head and
hits out aggressively. As a result, when she lived at
home, she demanded a lot of my parents’ time. There
was little time and energy left for me; I was soon
My parents had become very fragile; Danielle’s
filled with anger. My sister’s behavior was driving a
behavior had drained them mentally and physically.
wedge between me and my parents. All I wanted was
They were struggling to find their way back. We had
normalcy.
dedicated our lives to the demands of a sister and a
After years of resentment, things started to daughter with Autism and lost so much of ourselves
change for me after a job at a summer camp when in the process.
4
Danielle joins Mathew and Kayla for
the wedding recessional
Today, Danielle has been living in the
group home for four years. Because of her living situation, we are able to fully embrace the time we have
together. We are blessed to share Danielle and her
personality with my new wife’s family. Danielle was
bridesmaid at our wedding.
Every part of my life has been untraditional
and unconventional. However, when I look back, I
wouldn’t change a thing. I can say with 100% certainty that my sister is the most influential person in
my life.
5
A Parent’s Perspective: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
by Shannon Hill, BA, BCaBA
W
a daily basis, Colton is different. He knows that every
moment is precious and values the special time we
share together.
One of my biggest challenges in life is finding
the right balance in bringing up my two boys. I have
to make sure that I nurture a special relationship with
Colton, who is aged 8 years, so that he feels valued
and not less than Colby, who consumes so much of
the family’s time due to his high needs.
I have to guard myself not to overcompensate
with Colton. I used to give him “things” to make up
for "having a brother with Autism.” I’ll be honest and
say that there have been and still are days when I am
completely drained and have nothing left to give to
anyone. On those days it was easier to give a toy or
a video game, but Colton began to develop a sense
of entitlement that I knew I could not keep up with
long-term. I just had to nurture each child’s strengths
and build on them in the moment.
When Colton was younger, he didn’t understand
anything about Autism and just saw Colby as the big
brother who got a lot of attention. It didn’t take long
for him to act out and throw some bigger tantrums
of his own in order to get some time from me or his
dad. Now that he is older and is more cognitively able
to process some of the challenges that Colby faces on
Colton and I share the same sense of humour.
This is “our special thing”: something I do not share
with anyone else in the family. When it is time for
bed, we cuddle up on his bed and read his favourite
book, laughing and giggling about the story line. He
is good at art, and I make sure to frame it and hang
it up in the house.
hen Colby, who has Autism and is aged
11 years, runs out into the street to play
basketball with his brother, Colton, without his pants on, I shake my head and smile, glancing over affectionately at Colton. These moments of
panic are typical in our household, but it is what we
make of them as a family that counts the most.
Some of what I have shared above is what parents tend to do to make each child feel special in a
typical family. As much as each child with Autism
is unique, so too is each family configuration. What
works for one family may not work with another. If
I could give out any advice, it would be not to sweat
the small stuff. Keep a sense of humour about your
child with Autism and share the absurdities of some
situations with his or her sibling. So what that Colby
shoots hoops in his underwear?
Colton and Colby
6
Editor’s Note: Shannon Hill is a private behaviour consultant and can be reached by phone at (306) 270-2852.
Fundraising Report
Autism Services gratefully acknowledges the following donations received between
25 October 2011 - 16 July 2012.
General Donations
Gerald & District Donors Choice Appeal
Carlton Donor’s Choice
Glentworth Donor’s Choice
The Marketing Den
Morris Interactive Inc.
Nokomis Donor’s Choice Committee
Order of the Eastern Star Saskatoon Ch #4
Saskatoon Light & Power
Saskatoon Parrot Head Club
Strasbourg & District Combined Appeal
U of S employee campaign
Subtotal
9,725.00
Individual Donations
Rob McGrath
Gail Duncombe
Danny Anderson
James & Deborah McIntyre
Elemental Spa Corporation
Reagan & Stephanie Baliski
Karen Fradette & Ronald Morris
Tammy Fleming
Leslie Bull
Tom & Lorie Ratzlaff
Garnett Francis
Marie Calder
Gina Rayburn
Yvonne & Gordon Friske
Mike Calow
Jamie & Trish Reeve
The Glen Scrimshaw Gallery
Devin Carter
Lorette Ross
Wayne Handfield
Kelly & Robert Caruk
Shawn & Janice Sanford Beck
Tracy Hogan
Mathew Cey
Bob Schmidtke
Derek & Shirley Kloeble
Dave & Joanne Chartier
Sharon Schneider
Kelly Kosowan
Ngat Choo
James & Chelsea Sparks
Glenda Kpelly
Lesley & John Courtney
Beth Treleaven
Pat & Claude Kuechle
Steve Dahl
Jeremy Zakresky
Marianne Leier
Steve Dale
Shannon Friesen-Zook
Geoff Luczka
Avrum Dalfen
Jaime & Bryan DeKelver
Doug Manning
Lawrence & Rhonda Dowe
Charlotte Nijman (In Memory of John Matushewski)
Subtotal
4,790.40
Grants
Community Initiatives Fund
SACL
Jumpstart Charities
Saskatoon Community Foundation
Muttart Foundation
Student Summer Works
31,230.60
Total raised during this period
$55,781.00
7
Autism Services’Annual Gala a Huge Success
Another astounding success! Thank you to our
volunteers, sponsors and donors for your valuable
contributions to Autism Services’ 14th Annual Gala,
which was held at TCU Place, 14 April 2012. This
year we raised $44,977 for children and youth with
Autism.
Once again, our superb MCs for the evening
were Monica and Johnny Thiel. After a wonderful
Title Sponsor
Wheaton GMC Buick
Cadillac Ltd.
Silver
Medical Arts Pharmacy
L & L Gravel & Ranching Co. Ltd.
Bronze
Dwayne & Eileen Dahl
HJR Asphalt
PIC Investment Group Inc.
Saskatchewan Blue Cross
SaskTel
Drs. Lorrie Hansen and Martin Stockwell
meal catered by TCU Place, the guests browsed the
silent auction items and listened to the music of The
Ladies and Gentlemen of Jazz.
Our guest speaker for the evening was Mathew
Bakken, who shared his experiences about living with
a sibling with Autism.
List of Sponsors:
PriceWaterhouseCooper
Rëdl Kitchens
Betty Reynolds
Teresa Schmautz
Sentinel Foundation Corp.
Marion Smith
Tetra Tech Wardrop Engineering
Dr. Sharon Wiens
Corporate tables
Areva
Ashmeade & Low Investigations Ltd.
BHP Billiton
Capital G Communications
Morris Industries
Safeway
Theraplay
Friends
Ashmore Family
Dr. Brian Brownbridge
Richard & Jean Cassidy
David Denny & Genevieve Dessommes
Leslie and Irene Dube Foundation
Dr. Iain & Shirley MacLennan
Herb McFaull
Miners Construction
Morris Industries
8
Shannon Friesen-Zook and Ross Wheaton at the Gala
Spot
t
ed at
Top: Sheila Buhler
and Bonita Harman
Above left: Ladies &
Gentelemen of Jazz
Above right: Twyla
Reynolds & her
husband, Aaron
Right: David Ambrose,
his wife, Sherrie, and
Erron Anderson
t
he
Gala
9
Below: Vanna White,
eat your heart out:
Shannon Friesen-Zook
and Shannon Hill
Above: MCs Johnny & Monica Thiel
Right: Volunteers make up the
floral table arrangements
10
Left: A selection of items from
the silent auction table
Above: Kayla, with guest
speaker Mathew Bakken
Below: A bevy of beauties
11
11
Understanding “Why”: Social Skills from a Relationship
Development Intervention (RDI) Perspective
by David Ambrose, BTO (OT), OT Reg (Sask), SIPT
He always stands too close to people, making them are core skills: being able to receive information communicated from a social partner, and then modify the
uncomfortable, and he doesn’t even know it!
performance based on that information.
When he is playing, there’s always some sort of incident.
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)
He can’t seem to tell when a bump is an accident, thinkis a method of intervention designed to help remeing he’s been hit on purpose.
diate the core deficits of Autism, as identified in the
It’s like she talks at me about the details of the things that
anecdotes listed above. RDI approaches remediation
interest her, not with me. She wouldn’t notice if I started
in several ways: It uses the parent-child relationship,
reading a book during these “conversations.”
and through careful application of parent commuWhen we go for a walk to get the mail, he just can’t seem nications and mental preparation for engagement,
to stay beside me, no matter how many times I tell him. transforms everyday parent-child interactions into
Even if we’re holding hands, he’s either dragging behind focused opportunities for learning and discovery, targeted at a specific aspect of the core deficits of Autism.
or running up ahead.
It carefully stages the progressions in skill acquisibviously, these anecdotes present some comtion, ensuring that there is a “just noticeable differmon challenges experienced by individuals
ence” between one progression and the next, with the
with Autism. Equally obvious is the fact that
next progression always requiring a slightly new way
they revolve around social skills development. Absent
of thinking about the problem. And, perhaps most
importantly, it emphasizes the “Why bother?” aspect
of learning, instead of “how to” do a skill.
O
Helping individuals with Autism learn the “Why
bother” of social skills is critical to success. If, cognitively and emotionally, the person with Autism
understands why it is important not to get too close
to others when talking, it will be infinitely easier for
that person to think of and use whatever technique
is used to teach appropriate spacing. Teaching the
“Why bother” is not as simple as having a conversation or telling the individual “This is why we…”
They must be learned through personal experience,
carefully constructed and spotlighted, to make the
information meaningful to the individual. These per-
12
sonal experiences are crafted within the context of the
parent-child relationship.
Learning spacing, knowing how to interpret
ambiguous behavior, learning how to modify your
participation in a conversation based on your partner’s feedback, and even staying close during a walk
are relatively high level skills. In RDI, the basic
skill—the fundamental prototype for all other social
skills—can be summarized as an action sequence
described by four words:
YOU DO, I DO
The first skill to learn in RDI is learning how to
stay together, physically and mentally, to participate
with a partner in the “you do, I do” sequence. In this
sequence, the focus is not on the activity being performed, but rather on the process of alternatively taking action and then monitoring the partner’s action.
In this sequence, the parent must allow wide latitude
for children in what is considered “correct” in their
actions: the child’s actions cannot be random, but
they must not be entirely predicted or constrained by
the parent’s actions. One partner’s actions must be
related to, but not predicted by, another’s.
Once this first skill is mastered and performed
in a number of environments with different partners,
the child is ready to begin working on progressions
derived from the skill until skills such as those in the
opening anecdotes are addressed.
As an example, consider an activity framework Theraplay is Saskatoon’s first private occupational
in which a child and parent are playing with a ball,
therapy clinic dedicated to the assessment and
facing each other while seated on the floor, rolling the
treatment of children.
ball back and forth. In this situation, if the child were
Occupational Therapists at Theraplay receive
post-graduate continuing education in the
to bounce the ball, rather than roll it to the parent,
specialty area of sensory integration.
this must be seen as correct, as the process of taking an
Theraplay’s Occupational Therapists are skilled
action and monitoring the partner’s return action is
at meeting the sensory integration needs
preserved. Similarly, throwing, kicking, bouncing the
for children and young adults on the Autism
ball off the wall, carrying it over and handing it off
Spectrum. Theraplay also offers Relationship
and any other variation would be acceptable, while
Development Intervention (RDI) consultation
unilaterally leaving the ball to independently look at
under the guidance of David Ambrose, O.T. and
a book would not.
Certified RDI Consultant.
Location: 2414 8th St E, Saskatoon, SK S7H 0V6
Contact: David Ambrose at (306) 668-0066
Email [email protected]
13
What Do “Jane” and “John” Think about their Brother
with Autism? : A Therapist’s Perspective
By Cassandra Phillips, PhD
"My brother can jump over the fence…"
"Well, my brother climbed onto the shed…"
"Yeah, well my brother can beat that: he jumped right
off the roof!"
T
hese are some of the ways that siblings
described each of their brothers in the opening of one of my sibling groups. So often, we
hear about how much anger and resentment siblings
feel about having a brother or sister with Autism that
it can overshadow some of the genuine caring and
affection that might also be present.
A sibling group can be a safe place for a child
to share his or her feelings about having a brother or
sister with Autism. In the group, the child may present as the caregiver who tries to ease the workload
of his or her parents; he may be the clown, always
putting his needs last; or he can be the angry sibling
who tantrums as loud as his brother with Autism to
get the attention he needs. These are different coping strategies. What joins these children together is a
sense of isolation and the
need to vent.
14
A cognitive behavioural approach helps the child
to identify his feelings and develop more effective
coping strategies he can carry from the group into his
home and school. Topics such as what is Autism, how
does Autism affect my family, how does Autism affect
me, and what can I do about it ease the child into
opening up a dialog. One child was amazed to find
out he was not alone since he knew nobody “in his
school or neighbourhood” who had a brother with
Autism. Adding strawberries and candy to his bowl
of ice cream, he quietly shared how much he wanted
to go, “just once,” with his dad to the Dairy Queen.
Depending on the age and needs of the children,
coping strategies can range from creative visualization
to exercise or creating “secret boxes” of affirmations.
And what do the siblings want? Unanimously, in
my experience, they ask for quality not quantity time
alone with one or the other parent. They want “to
go paintballing with dad”, “fishing with dad” or on
a “car ride with mom, playing our ‘special song’ real
loud!” These things are possible and will be treasured
in the years to come.
Book Reviews
By Cassandra Phillips, PhD
Siblings of Children with Autism: A Guide for Families
by Sandra L. Harris, PhD & Beth A Glasberg, PhD,
2003. [There is a third edition to this book but only
the second edition is available in Autism Services’
library.]
This compact, accessible little book is crammed with
useful information that targets parents and caregivers of children with Autism. It discusses how Autism
impacts siblings in the family, offering some techniques for helping families learn, grow and express
their emotions in ways that strengthen and respect
the family unit.
opinion, one of its strengths are the words of the
parents, sharing their experiences and giving tips on
how to make little things better in the context of each
family’s lived experience.
Score:     (out of 5)
Sibling Stories: Reflections on Life with a Brother or Sister on the Autism Spectrum by Lynn Stern Feiges, Esq.,
& Mary Jane Weiss, PhD, BCBA, 2004.
This book is structured around commentaries from
siblings of individuals with Autism, with a profesDo you think your child’s siblings know what sional summary at the end of each chapter. Topics
Autism is? How you get it? Why their brother or sis- covered include the sibling connection and integrater has it? You may think you have explained things tion of Autism into family life. in an age-appropriate way, but research presented in
The target audience is professionals and older
this book indicates that typical siblings are not pro- siblings of youth and young adults with Autism. It
cessing that information, and are filling the gaps in is a good backgrounder for planning sibling support
their understanding with misinformation and magi- groups to generate discussion. However, the comcal thinking. The authors recommend discussing the mentaries are from adult
topic gently and often, opening up the lines of com- siblings so there is a lot
munication to allow the sibling to ask questions or of reflection surroundshare concerns.
ing the “then” and “now”
Some of the tech- experiences of living with
niques the authors rec- a sibling with Autism.
ommend to help facilitate
play between the child
with Autism and his or
her sibling, for example,
are from an ABA (Applied
Behaviour Analysis) perspective.
I was not a fan of the
format since it jumped
back and forth between
the siblings on each topic.
I would have preferred to
read the experience as a
whole to engage more with the sibling at a deeper
Scattered through- level.
out the book, and in my Score:  
15
Ask Aspie
Do you have a question that you want to ask Aspie? Please
forward it via email to care of [email protected].
So when Jim hits out, it isn’t because he
doesn’t love Alex; he just doesn’t have the
When should I tell my son, “Alex,” that his
words to express himself. Alex may be
older brother, “Jim,” aged 9, has Autism?
afraid of Jim, so you need to ensure safety
He knows that Jim is different. My wife
for Alex. Assure him that it is not his job
wants to wait, thinking that Jim, who has
no speech, may learn to speak and become to intervene when Jim is aggressive. You
less aggressive with Alex and others when or another adult will do that.
he is older.
If Alex is around six or seven years
Dear Aspie:
Concerned Dad
Dear Concerned Dad:
old, he may have his own erroneous
explanations for Autism and will need
reassurance. Make sure he knows that
Autism isn’t contagious and that it isn’t
because Jim (or anyone else) did anything
wrong.
This question is difficult to answer
because each child with Autism is unique,
so there is no measure of when or if Jim is
going to speak. Putting things on hold may
Focus on the similarities that Jim has
not appease the situation, particularly
with other children and what he can do
since Jim is aggressive toward Alex.
rather than on what he cannot do. For
First, I want you and your wife to read example, “Jim knows all about Batman
and is really good at drawing animals, just
some books on Autism and how it affects
siblings, such as Siblings of Children
like you’re good at music.” It is important
with Autism (2003) by Sandra Harris
to nurture their relationship.
and Beth Glasberg. Then you may be
Alex is going to need his own support
able to anticipate some of the questions
system, such as a sibling group, so that
or misconceptions Alex may have about
he knows he is not alone. If he hears that
Jim and Autism. You don’t tell me how
other brothers are mad at or sad about
old Alex is, so what you say will depend
their big brother with Autism too, he may
on his developmental level. Generally,
be more open to share his own feelings,
the younger the child is, the simpler the
fears and expectations.
explanation.
Alex needs to know that because Jim
has no speech, he may get frustrated.
16
Hope this helps,
Aspie
Join us for some fun
in Autism Services'
recreational programs!
17
Autism Services has developed
a Parent Planning Guide for
families and caregivers of
children and youth with Autism.
This tool stores medical reports,
agency reports and funding
documentation in one easy-to
find place. It is available through
AS for $20.
Autism Services, Saskatoon is a non-profit organization
that provides programs and services to families and caregivers
of children and youth with Autism up to aged 19 years.
Membership to Autism Services is $20 per annum.
Fees are waived for the first year to all new families or
caregivers. Puzzle Pieces and the Program Guide are provided
as part of the membership fees. For more information on
membership, please visit Autism Services’ website.
Puzzle Pieces
Editorial Team
Shannon Friesen -Zook
Cassandra Phillips
Pamela Giles
Carole Rae
Our major funders include…
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Autism Services' interpretation of
Rodin's The Thinker.
From left: Pamela, David, Janelle,
Shamima, Alex, Melissa and Ashok.
The opinions of writers in this issue are not
necessarily those of Autism Services.
609 25th Street East
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0L7
Phone: (306) 665-7013
Fax: (306) 665-7011
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.autismservices.ca