Autism+Spectrum+Disorder

=Autism Spectrum Disorder=

=Description of special need:=


 * __Definition__** - "a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally before age 3" (**Peterson, Hittie, 2003; 311**).

__Autism Spectrum Disorder:__
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain. It is a lifelong developmental disability that is characterized by impairments in communication and social interaction, and by restricted, repetitive, and stereotypic patterns of behaviour, interests, and activities.
 * Source**: www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/aut/


 * __Characteristics__**

Characteristics and Causes Presentation by Nicole:

Symptoms of autism come in a variety of forms and variations depending on where you are on the spectrum. Some of these symptoms can be noticed during infancy and autism is usually diagnosed by the age of three. One of the symptoms that is seen in infants with autism is the over or under sensitivity of their senses. For example, loud noises and bright lights may cause the child to cry and being touched may be considered painful. Other symptoms of autism include: Ø Appears indifferent to surroundings Ø Appears content to be alone Ø Happier to play alone Ø Displays lack of interest in toys Ø Displays lack of interest in others Ø Does not point out objects of interest to others (called protodeclarative pointing) Ø Marked reduction or increase in activity level Ø Resist cuddling.

Autism symptoms if undetected as an infant can also start developing in small children. Impaired language development is one of the most severe of these symptoms. Some examples of this are the child has difficulty expressing themselves appropriately, for example if they laugh, cry or get angry for no reason. In addition, abnormal patterns of speech, lack of intonation and expression, and being repetitive with words and phrases can develop. Having trouble starting or carrying on with a conversation are also symptoms. Other symptoms found in small children are: Ø Resisting change in their routines Ø Repeating actions over and over, such as rocking and hand movements Ø Engaging in behavior that is hazardous to their health, for example biting and scratching themselves Ø Frequent behavioral outbursts or tantrums Ø Inappropriate attachments to objects Ø Maintains poor nonverbal communication such as little or no eye contact, facial expressions and poor posture Ø over-or under sensitivity to pain, or no fear of danger Ø Sustained abnormal play Ø Uneven motor skills Ø Unresponsiveness to normal teaching methods and verbal cues,may appear to be deaf despite normal hearing Ø Echo words and phrases Ø Inappropriate response or no response to sound Ø Spins objects by him or her self Ø Fails to develop friendship with people their own age Ø Lack of interest in sharing things about themselves such as enjoyment, interests and achievements Ø Trouble understanding that other people have feelings such as pain and sorrow Sources: (**Peterson, Hittie, 2003; 311**) http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-symptoms http://www.autismsocietycanada.ca/understanding_autism/characteristics_of_asc/index_e.html


 * __Causes__**

There is no known cause for autism although there are multiple theories out there for such things as genetic, environmental factors, metabolic disorders, viral infections, complications during pregnancy, and nutrition.

Many scientists agree that there is a genetic component to autism. For example, according to scientist Melke and associates, "Melatonin is produced in the dark by the pineal gland and is a key regulator of circadian and seasonal rhythms. A low melatonin level has been reported in individuals with **//autism//** **//spectrum//** **//disorders//** (ASD), but the underlying cause of this deficit was unknown. The ASMT gene, encoding the last enzyme of melatonin synthesis, is located on the pseudo-autosomal region 1 of the sex chromosomes, deleted in several individuals with ASD" ( Melke, 2008;9).

However, it is not just one gene that is the problem; it seems that different genes play a role in different individuals. According to a study performed by Dr. J. Sebat, 15% of children with autism have genetic mutations that are not inherited by their parents. It is unclear why these spontaneous mutations occur, but it is known that they occur in autistic children more often. Heredity is also being looked at as a cause of autism. If your first child is autistic you have a 10% chance of having another child with autism. Compare this to the percentage that your child will have a spontaneous mutation and it is a lot higher (Rudy 2007).

Another possible cause of autism that has gained much debate is environmental factors. Children who have been exposed to toxins such as thimerosal, which contain 50% mercury, have been at risk of autism. This toxin is found in most single shot vaccinations. There seems to be a correlation of increased autism with the introduction of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella vaccine that was introduced in the United States in 1978. Also, mercury intake by the pregnant mother by eating fish and seafood that is high in mercury is also being looked at. Other environmental factors that are being considered by scientists are pesticides and food preservatives. One reason that environmental factors are being considered is because of the rise in autism diagnosis over the last few decades that increase the likely hood that the environment is playing a role.

Other factors that are being considered for causing autism are a poor immune system due caused by either genetics, infection, or environmental factors, complications during pregnancy, nutrition, and people with certain medical conditions. Some children with autism show signs of inflammation of the brain that makes you believe that their immune system is not working normally. Research is also ongoing in relation to the health and life style of pregnant women. In addition, it is believed that people with the medical conditions Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, congenital rubella syndrome and untreated phenylketonuria (PKU) are at a higher risk of developing autism.

http://autism.about.com/od/whatisautism/p/autismcauses.htm http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/newmutations.htm


 * __Assessment__**

Assessing Autism Spectrum Disorder is not always an easy task. There are many different symptoms of autism and not all autistic children show all the symptoms. There are multiple tools that doctors and psychologist use for assessing ASD, however, most of the time the symptoms are obvious for both the parents and the professionals involved. These tools are symptom checklists, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-G), The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and The Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI-R). The ADOS-G is when professionals observe standard activities and look for the occurrence or non-occurrence of behaviors that have been identified as important for the diagnosis of autism. The key to the administering of this tool is that it needs to be standardized. That is the professionals that are administering the activities need to observe in the same manner for every individual that they are observing and look for the same behavior in each person. ADI-R is a clinical diagnostic instrument for assessing autism in children. This instrument is concerned with three different characteristics. These are qualities of reciprocal social interaction; communication and language; and restricted and repetitive, stereotyped interests and behaviors. Questions based on these three areas are administered to the guardians of children who are suspected of having autism. Since the answers to these questions will be subjective, this instrument requires substantial training in administering and scoring. CARS is a scale that helps diagnose autism in children. There are 15 sections of the scale and each is child is given a score of 1-4 on each section. These fifteen sections are: Relating to people; Imitation; Emotional response; Body use; Object use; Adaptation to change; Visual response; Listening response; Taste, smell, and touch response and use; Fear or nervousness; Verbal communication; Nonverbal communication; Activity level; Level and consistency of intellectual response; General impressions. Each child will be scored a 1 for being normal for one’s age, 2 for mildly abnormal, 3 for moderately abnormal, and 4 for being severely abnormal. A score of 30 is considered the cutoff point for determining if the child has autism.

DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria is a set of criteria used to determine if a child has autism. Follow the link to Appendix A of the Supporting Inclusive Schools: A Handbook for Developing and Implementing Programming for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder  [|DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria]

Sources: http://www.agre.org/program/aboutadi.cfm http://www.agre.org/program/aboutadosg.cfm


 * __Incidence__**

In Canada there is very little in the way of statistics or research about Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, it is estimated that more than 1 in 200 people in Canada have a form of autism. In addition, .6% of children in Canada or 1 in 165 has some form of autism. Autism is believed to be the most common neurological disorder affecting children, and some scientists are evening mentioning the word epidemic when talking about autism. Autism also seems to have a strong male predominance as boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls are. It is believed in the US that 10% of people with autism have some form of savant skills-special limited gifts such as memorizing lists, drawing, or musical ability. Sources: http://www.autismsocietycanada.ca/asd_research/research_prevalence/index_e.html

__**Trends**__

According to Autism Society Canada, there has been a significant increase in the number of children with the disorder in the three provinces of Saskatchewan, Quebec and BC where reliable statistics are available. There has been much discussion about why these trends are heading north. Some of the reasons being discussed are that the definition of autism is being broadened, there is an increase in public awareness, and an improvement in symptom recognition and diagnosis.
 * Source:** http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0593-e.htm

One of the big issues in Canada regarding autism is the fact that Stats Canada is not providing any statistics on autism. The number one reason for this is the fact that Canada does not want to fund the costs that this would create during the census. However, it is important to for research to understand the trends and prevalence of autism in Canada so that we can understand what kind of issue we are dealing with. Another issue being dealt with is the debate about the causes of autism. Many studies are being conducted as to what causes autism, and many of them are contradicting and take into account large assumptions. It is hard to come up with a solution or a cure to a disorder if you do not know what is causing it. There are a number of therapies available for people with autism, however, there is no argument that the Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention is the therapy of choice. This is the only treatment that has been empirically shown to help children with autism. This treatment teaches ASD children small measurable tasks systematically through the use of the Task Analysis teaching strategy. The issue with this treatment strategy and that of any treatment for autism is that it needs to be properly funded. There is an enourmous cost in keeping this program up and running. The St. Amant Centre preschool program costs $57,000 per child per year. In most provinces, the provincial government has partially funded these programs. However, because families still have to bare the majority of the burden, families who cannot afford this opt for a less intensive program. This is a major issue, because there are some treatment options for autistic children, however they are so expensive that many young children are going untreated. **Source:** http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0593-e.htm
 * __Issues__**

Connection to learning
Ø Autism Spectrum Disorder is lifelong disability that impairs learning. Ø A lack of language development may hinder learning Ø Some individuals may be nonverbal, Ø Some may not be able to comprehend or express abstract ideas Ø Some individuals may use words incorrectly, and may not be able to understand multiple meanings of words.
 * __Impact on Development and Learning__**

=__**Strategies**__= __**Learning Characteristics**__ Like any student, ASD students learn best when educators select instructional strategies that fit the students strengths and needs. For example, if a child’s strength is his reading ability and he does not understand oral language well then incorporating written language into instruction would probably aid development of comprehension skills. Another characteristic of ASD students is that you need to incorporate their interests and things that motivate them as it will most likely be different from other students. Another characteristic of ASD student learning is that they respond well to structure, routine, and predictability. One of the ways that you can get ASD students to adhere to structure and routine is with visual aids. Visual support is another characteristic of learning for ASD students. With visual support, students can examine these aids until they have process the contents of the message. Visual supports come in many different forms such as pictures, books, checklists, schedules, social stories, written instructions too name a few. These aids provide many functions such as:
 * Organizes the students activities by using daily schedules, activity lists and choice boards
 * Provides students with instruction through the use of visually displaying classroom assignments, and pictographs with written instructions
 * Assists in illustrating the organization of the environment using signs, lists, charts, and labeled objects
 * Supporting appropriate behavior by using posters with the rules of the classroom
 * Teaches social skills through the use of pictorial social stories
 * Teaches self-control—pictographs, which provide a cue for behaviour expectations

__** There are huge amounts of instructional strategy ideas for teachers teaching students with autism. These strategies can be applied not only in the classroom but at home and in the community. Some of these strategies include:
 * __ General Instruction Strategies
 * **Task Analysis** - This involves breaking a complex task down into smaller sub tasks. These smaller steps can then be taught and reinforced in the correct order allowing students to eventually meet the more complex task.
 * **Prompt Hierarchies –** Prompts are cues that help students remember while training to complete a desired behavior. Prompt hierarchies are the ranking of cues in order of most intrusive to least intrusive
 * **Encourage Independent Effort –** Some of the strategies to get to independence are the use of visual aids to decrease reliance on verbal prompts, use peers to help, plan ways to decrease prompts, teach in an environment that remains constant, ensure teachers are not too close to the student, and reward on task behavior.
 * **Use Meaningful Reinforcement –** Some ASD students may not be motivated by the reinforcers that are used for other students.
 * **Use Concrete Examples and Hands-On-Activities –** ASD students learn by seeing and doing, for example, when doing an activity show the student an example of a finished product.
 * **Plan for Transitions –** ASD students have difficulty coping with the unknown. As a result, transitions often cause anxiety and sometimes violent behaviors and should be carefully planned.
 * **Schedules -** These provide a visual means of outlining events of a particular day, week, or month. This allows students to anticipate what will happen at a given time and decreases the anxiety level when a transition happens
 * **Checklists –** These provide step by step instructions on what needs to be done to complete a particular task
 * **Choice-Making Tools –** ASD students often have trouble in making decisions. Having tools such as choice boards, which is a board with pictures of the different choices these students have.
 * **Post Classroom Rules –** It is important to post classroom rules as illustrations to help ASD students process them.
 * **Task Boxes** - single, organized activities with a clear beginning and end. Each task is presented with visual organization and clarity. These emphasize ASD students' visual learning characteristics

Teachers should try to incorporate social skills guidance into part of their daily classroom routines ( Koegel, 1995; Wagner, 1999; Peterson, Hittie, 2003; 313). For example, try incorporating 'one skill per week such as a 10 minute lesson on Monday that the class refers to each day that week. Then, there is a 10 minute discussion of the skill on Friday' (Peterson, Hittie, 2003; 314). Other strategies that teachers could use to help ASD students improve social interaction are: (Peterson, Hittie, 2003; 315) and
 * **Direct Instruction** – this is a good way to develop social play, social communication and school interaction and school management.
 * **Teacher Mediation** – This is when a teacher or adult prompts the student to engage in an interactive behavior which is received positively by their peers.
 * **Structured Play Groups** – These provide students with ASD natural situations where they can use language to express wants and practice being near other students
 * **Social Stories –** A social story is a story written at an appropriate comprehension level and from the perspective of the student, and includes descriptive, directive, and perspective statements.
 * **Cognitive Picture Rehearsal –** These are stories or scripts presented in sequence as pictures or pictographs with an accompanying script.
 * **Self Monitoring Skills –** These skills allow ASD students to become more actively involved in the intervention process and more involved in the educational environment.
 * **Peer Mediation and Peer Support –** This is when certain students are taught how to initiate and encourage social interactions with their ASD peers in natural settings.
 * **Picture exchange system (PECS)** - A communication system. For example, a child exchanges a picture for something he/she needs.
 * **Redirect -** A teacher instructs 'other students to redirect the attention of a child with autism when the child is doing something inappropriate. For example, they might point at something else, or take the child's hand.
 * **Hurt Feelings -** Educate other students that 'when a child with Autism says "no" meaning they do not want to play or do an activity, the refusal is not something that should be taken personally. Explain that the child fears the activity or does not understand why playing with someone is fun.
 * **Eye Contact -** Eye contact is important, since people with autism are visual learners. Say "Look at me" or 'position yourself in the child's line of vision.
 * **Smiling and Laughing -** Instruct other students to smile or laugh to communicate that playing and working with others is fun or enjoyable.
 * **Vocalizing -** Instruct other students to say what they are doing as they are doing it. For example, "Look how I can help Martha fix her spelling".
 * **Lunch Bunch -** Plan or make a time for a circle of support with classmates and teacher present to encourage social interaction. In addition teacher and classmates may discuss issues related to of student with autism as well as ideas about a subject or topic they are learning which may be made in to a class activity.
 * **Class Jobs** - Students with autism can be responsible for class jobs that involve and facilitate social interaction, such as passing out papers, doing role-call, delivering messages with a fellow student, and working with another stident to file papers.
 * **Calming-down time** -Teach children with autism to self-regulate using calming-down time when they are upset. Explain that it is O. K, to feel upset and talk about acceptable ways to respond to these situations. Also, as a teacher, write down strategies and make a visual sign for the student that says "Stop activity; I can see that you are becoming upset. Use your coping skills. Examples of coping skills include taking a walk with the student, bringing them to have a seat in the hall, and reading a book or playing with a particular object.
 * //Note://** It is important to set a time limit for **calming down**, to prevent this coping strategy from becoming an all day escape.

Teachers should also try and incorporate some strategies to improve ASD students communication skills such as: Sources: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/aut/ = =
 * **Learning to Listen –** it is important for teachers to have structured lesson plans that teach ASD students listening strategies. It is also important for the teacher to reinforce listening efforts, rather than assuming that listening is an automatic behaviour.
 * **Developing Comprehension -** It is important that ASD students learn to develop focus and attention which are imperative to comprehension.
 * **Developing Expressive Communication –** a strategy to develop expressive communication is to use communication temptations to encourage students to communicate. An example of a communication temptation is eat a desired food item in front of the child without offering any to him or her.
 * **Developing Conversation Skills**
 * **Alternative Communication –** The most commonly used alternative communication strategies involve using an object, a picture, a line drawing, or a word to represent a spoken word. Students point to the symbol to communicate with their peers and adults
 * **Echolalia –** This is the literal repetition of words or phrases they have heard other people say. This can be immediate or delayed. This is a part of how young students with ASD develop their language skills

Services and Supports
= =

__*Roles and Responsibilities - Support__
“Effective planning for supporting students with autism and their families are important. The student’s needs for support may go beyond the mandate of the school system. The following roles will be important in this planning:

education programs for all students in the school; assigning staff; allocating resources within a school; and ensuring that teachers have the information they need to work with students assigned to a class or program. Principals can facilitate the collaboration of school-based teams in supporting students with special needs.
 * //School principals//—**The duties of principals include implementing

programs of all students in their classes. When a student with autism needs specialized programming and instruction, teachers need to work collaboratively with available specialists to ensure that there is a well planned, co-ordinated approach.
 * Classroom teachers**—Teachers are responsible for the education

students who have complex special needs support classroom teachers. Specialist teachers have expertise in behaviour management and development of social skills. In some cases, the specialist teacher may be a resource teacher with special training in behaviour or communication. For some students with autism, the resource teacher may provide direct instruction, while in other cases, specialist teachers provide consultative support for classroom teachers who have a student with autism in the regular class.
 * //Specialist teachers//—**Teachers with special training in working with

have specialized training in assessing communication needs and designing programs to improve communication. Because communication difficulties are such a significant problem for students who have autism, SLPs can play a critically important role in the collaborative effort to decide on appropriate goals and strategies for meeting the needs of individual students.
 * //Speech and language pathologists (SLPs//**//)//—Speech and language pathologists

//**Parents**//—The families of students have knowledge and experience that is valuable in developing an effective program at school. This knowledge is of critical importance in answering the fundamental question: What skills are most important for my child to develop in order to enhance his or her life now and in the future? Parents have worked out ways of communicating and managing the student at home that can be helpful in the school setting. When families and schools work together to make the student’s program compatible at home and school, the student benefits from the resulting consistency.

work in classes with students with autism. Across British Columbia, this educational employee group is described by a variety of titles, including teachers’ assistants, paraprofessional workers, learner assistants, student assistants, or special education assistant. Teachers are expected to design programs for students with special needs; however, teachers’ assistants play a key role in many programs for students with autism, performing a variety of functions from personal care to assisting with the instructional program. Working under the supervision of teachers or principals, teachers’ assistants are often involved in shaping appropriate behaviours, developing independent living skills, facilitating interactions with others, or stimulating communication.
 * //Teachers’ assistants//**—In some cases, teachers’ assistants are assigned to

provincial resource program provides school districts with assessment support and training for staff who work with students with autism. Outreach staff assess the communication, educational, and behavioural needs of individual students with autism and may assist the school staff in designing an IEP with positive behaviour support plans to meet the needs of each student. Outreach staff also provide professional training for educational staff who work with the students in their home classroom ( B.C.MOE, 1996, pg .23). .
 * //Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders//**//—//This

British Columbia Ministry of Education. Special Programs Branch (2000). //Teaching Students With Autism: A Resource Guide For School.// From: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/docs/autism.pdf
 * References**

Every student that is diagnosed with ASD has their own support team that is comprised of and In-School Team and a Spport team. A case manager oversees the work of the entire team. The first step the team will take is to create a student profile, which is te foundation for the student's individual planning and should reflect the student's needs. Parents and school staff are a part of the In-School Team and all play a vital role in implementing various parts of the student's profile and linking school to home. The Support Team is comprised of professionals who may be asked to consult with the In-School Team as required. For more detailed information on how these teams work, please see Chapter 2 of Supporting Inclusive School: A Handbook for Developing and Implementing Programming for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Oher than in-school supports, there are a number of organizations that offer various types of services and supports both for people with ASD and for the people surrounding people with ASD, i.e., family, teachers, etc. The following lists and describes some of these organizations.

**__Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth__**
MECY provides funding for different levels of special needs support in Manitoba Schools. "Funding for [|Level 1] Special Needs Support is calculated according to the information provided in the document [|Funding of Schools]. The funding support is provided to school divisions/districts as part of their Base Support and used by school divisions/districts to provide special education staffing such as resource teachers or special education teachers. Support for Counselling and Guidance, Grades 5 to Senior 4, is also provided as part of the Base Support.

Special Needs Categorical support is provided to school divisions/districts through the Funding of Schools Program in accordance with the formulae and conditions outlined in the [|Funding of Schools] document. [|Level II and III] funding is part of the Special Needs Categorical support provided through the Funding of Schools Program. The process for determining eligibility of students requires the department to consider students on a student by student basis. The Student Services Administrator together with resource teachers and other division-based personnel identify those students requiring exceptional supports who meet the [|Guidelines for Level 2 and 3 funding support]. Applications are completed and submitted to Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth's funding review team to determine eligibility. The process for application and determination of eligibility are outlined in the link to the right. School divisions/districts are required to provide specific information regarding student need and programming when applying for [|EBD Level 3] support and the [|Unified Referral and Intake System] (URIS) support for students with Group A complex Health Care needs. Students with profound emotional/behavioural disorders require Multisystem treatment plans. For students who are medically stable due to technology, the URIS application process is used. Eligibility for funding is determined by Multisystem Teams that have representation from Education, Citizenship and Youth, Family Services and Housing, Health, and, in the case of EBD Level 3, Justice." http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/funding/process.html

More specifically, funding for students with ASD is available under the following guidelines:

"The student has a diagnosis of an ASD that is expressed in significant difficulties with social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and a narrow pre-occupation with a fixed range of interests and activities. Secondarily, the student may have a significant cognitive disability or delays in adaptive skill development and require assistance with activities of daily living during the school day. The student also demonstrates persistent patterns of behaviour that interfere with his/her ability to learn. The student requires specific adaptations and instruction for a major portion of the school day."
 * Source:** http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/funding/asd_II.html

The following information is required when applying for funding from MECY for a student with ASD:

Student Profile

 * A diagnosis of an ASD by a qualified clinician (summarize diagnosis or description of other co-existing conditions) including dates and evaluator.
 * Confirmation of cognitive ability/potential (including adaptive sills)
 * Concrete and concise descriptions of the student's abilities in the areas of
 * Social skills
 * Communication (verbal and non-verbal)
 * Academics
 * Self care/independent living
 * Concrete and concise descriptions of behaviour(s) that limit the student's potential to learn or participate in school or community activities.

Resource Profile

 * Specify student's programming needs throughout the day (i.e. adaptations and/or modifications or individualized programming).
 * Specify training or intervention required for self-direction, independent skills, behaviour, communication and academics. Indicate roles of support personnel (e.g., clinicians, specialists, teacher assistants).
 * Identify Division, school and/or outside supports needed. Indicate nature of support, including amount of time, types of materials (e.g., respite, therapy).


 * Source:** http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/funding/asd_II.html

**For info on funding process and step by step instructions on how to apply, app deadlines, list of contact information, etc. see the [|Special Needs Categorical Funding Booklet]**

OVERVIEW (of the booklet) The material provided in this booklet is designed to provide Student Services Administrators with reference and support materials for the Special Needs Categorical Funding Level II and III process. The booklet includes the following: a) Detailed Description of Processes b) Time Lines c) Forms d) Supporting Documents (e.g. Guidelines, Protocols, etc.) e) Contacts f) Glossary of Terms The funding process is divided into three funding periods: - September 30th Funding (both Spring and Fall Funding Periods) - January Additions/Deletions - June Additions Additional copies of the booklet are available by contacting the Funding Review Team, W310 - 1970 Ness Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3J 0Y9 or telephone 945-6064, fax 945-1254 or e-mail jalamoureu@gov.mb.ca.

=Contacts=

Co-Leads, Funding Review Team

 * Funding process
 * Eligibility
 * Request for changes to funding date
 * Information on re-reads, Additional Information

W310-1970 Ness Avenue Winnipeg MB R3J 0Y9 Telephone: (204) 945-2757 Fax: (204) 945-1254 email: allan.hawkins@gov.mb.ca**Tim Thorne** W310-1970 Ness Avenue Winnipeg MB R3J 0Y9 Telephone: (204) 945-1732 Fax: (204) 945-1254 email: timothy.thorne-tjomsland@gov.mb.ca
 * Allan Hawkins**

Support, Funding Review Team

 * Funding history information
 * Funding re-read dates
 * Verification of receipt of divisional information

W310-1970 Ness Avenue Winnipeg MB R3J 0Y9 Telephone: (204) 945-6064 Fax: (204) 945-1254 email: jacynth.lagace@gov.mb.ca
 * Jacynth Lagacé**

Multi-system Submissions for Students with Profound Emotional/ Behavioural Disorders (EBD Level III)
W310-1970 Ness Avenue Winnipeg MB R3J 0Y9 Telephone: (204) 945-2757 Fax: (204) 945-1254 email: allan.hawkins@gov.mb.ca
 * Allan Hawkins**

Unified Referral and Intake System Group A Applications
W130-1970 Ness Avenue Winnipeg MB R3J 0Y9 Telephone: (204) 945-7921 Fax: (204) 945-1254 email: marilyn.taylor@gov.mb.ca
 * Marilyn Taylor**

**__Autism Society Manitoba__**
__Mission Statement__

"Autism Society Manitoba is dedicated to the promotion of quality of life for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. Our educational resources, advocacy, and structured social opportunities are a benefit to families and professionals and make a significant contribution to our community.

We focus on promoting full inclusion, dignity and development of personal skills and abilities of our members. Key to our efforts is the commitment of the Executive Board to strict financial controls and operating efficiency. To be the best for our members, we are team players who show respect for our colleagues and members and commit to the highest standard of quality and professionalism while fulfilling our mission and goals."
 * Source**: http://www.autismmanitoba.com/

The Autism Society Manitoba focuses on helping raise awareness about ASD and supporting persons with ASD in various ways. This organization has a support group for parents of children with ASD. The group provides for parents and caregivers to connect with other families of children with ASD, allowing them to share knowledge and tips. This groups organizes presentation with guest speakers to increase community awwareness about ASD. They hold monthly meetings establishing a resource network of available services and equipment. This group aids in the development of a networking forum for families of children and adult children with autism spectrum disorders. Parent support group meetings are held on the first Monday of every month from 7:00pm-9:00pm, except when the Monday is on a long weekend in which case the meeting will be on the following Monday.

SMD Building 825 Sherbrook Street Winnipeg, Manitoba Plenty of parking at the rear of the building To register, please call ASM @ 783-9563 or email asm@mts.net

For those living in rural areas of Manitoba, the society makes the same supports and information available through a broadcast known as telehealth. Telehealth allows the areas of Rural Manitoba to be linked to a broadcast of a live and interactive session to anyone attending. Every month is a topic and guest speaker. Topics range from Toileting issues to Employment Assistance. The sessions are advertised via email to Family Services Staff, schools, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, resource teachers, schools and directly to parent members of ASM. There is no charge for these sessions thanks to membership dollars and the dedicated volunteers in these towns who operate the equipment.

Autism Society Manitoba works closely with Autism Society Canada to meet the following objectives:
 * To raise public awareness concerning persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
 * To advocate the needs of persons with ASD in the areas of health, education, and labour.
 * To foster and encourage the inclusion of persons of ASD into the community.
 * To act as a resource to parents and interested professionals and organizations.
 * To establish a supportive network for parents/families of persons with ASD.

For more information see http://www.autismmanitoba.com/
 * Autism Society Canada's website lists a large number of online support groups and organizations for people with ASD, everything from blogs to self-help supports. The site also lists a large number of online supports for families, etc. of people with ASD. For help finding local resources the site states that one can local Autism Societies, provincial and territorial autism societies. Resources provided by these local Societies may include:
 * Self-advocacy and peer support groups
 * Post-secondary education support: university/college programs, planning, classroom accommodations, new technologies
 * Life-skills programs
 * Vocational training and job placement services, workplace supports and accommodations
 * Health, counselling and behavioural consultant services
 * Residential Services: affordable housing registries/placement services, residential service providers, home support service, Community Living services
 * Sports, recreation and social programs
 * Legal resources

__Manitoba Family Services and Housing__
Manitoba Family Services and Housing is a branch of the provincial government that offers various services to those in need of support of all kinds. Children's Special Services provides support to families with children who have physical and/or medical disabilities. This type of support is there to reduce the amount stress that the family suffers and helps them to care for and support their child and/or children with disabilities in their own home. Family supports include: Community Service Delivery staff in district offices throughout the province deliver the services to eligible families.
 * counselling;
 * information and referral;
 * respite care;
 * child development;
 * therapy services;
 * supplies and equipment;
 * home modifications;
 * transportation; and
 * training.

Families (those who have that legal authority as parents or guardians) who have a child 17 years of age and under living with them are eligible if a child has one or more of the following:
 * Who is eligible to receive these supports?**
 * a mental and/or physical disability;
 * a developmental delay;
 * a risk of developmental delay;
 * a pervasive developmental disorder such as autism; or
 * lifelong extreme complex medical needs which result in a dependency on medical technology.

Community Service Delivery staff work closely with the [|Manitoba Child Care Program], [|Child Protection], [|Healthy Child Manitoba], the voluntary sector, hospitals, schools, and agencies. As well, Community Service Delivery staff work cooperatively with the provincial departments of [|Education and Youth], and [|Health] to coordinate programs and activities.
 * Source**: http://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/pwd/css.html

Children's Special Services is also responsible for the development of policies and program guidelines for the delivery of services to Manitoba children who have disabilities. CSS also provides consultation and funding to non-government agencies that deliver therapy, respite, and family support services. Some of these non-government agencies include the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities, St. Amant Centre, Community Respite Services, and Open Access Resource Centre. Children's Special Services are responsible for ensuring that the demands and needs of children with disabilities and their families are met.

The support that families of children with disabilities receive, depends greatly on the needs and circumstances of the family and of the child. Things that might affect what kind or how much support a family is eligible for are the amount of support is available from extended family, the community, and the school. After discussing such circumstances with a Family Services Worker, it will be determined what support services are available to the family. These services include:
 * Besides counselling, information and referral, what kinds of support are available?**
 * **Respite**: short-term, regular relief for parents caring for a child with disabilities.
 * **Child development**: early intervention by trained child development counsellors to help children reach normal development stages. Families are mentored to develop their skills to care for, teach and maintain their children in the home and community. This is often provided in the child's home, but can be done in a child care, nursery school or other setting.
 * **Supplies**: special supplies such as formula and diapers that are above and beyond the usual costs for raising a child and that are a result of the child's disability.
 * **Equipment**: usually one-time purchases such as seizure helmets, bath lifts, and lifts for vans.
 * **Transportation**: assistance with extraordinary costs associated with transportation to medical appointments, primarily for residents of rural and northern Manitoba.
 * **Therapy**: speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and behavioural or developmental therapy for preschool children with lifelong disabilities.

Families and Community Service Delivery staff responsible for the Children's Special Services Program work as partners to develop a family support plan that addresses each family's individual needs.


 * Source:** [|Connecting with Children's Special Services: Answers to questions families often ask.]

__Manitoba Families for Effective Autism Treatment__
Manitoba Families for Effective Autism Treatment (MFEAT) was incorporated in Manitoba on May 1, 1997. MFEAT is a non-profit, registered charity. The mission of MFEAT is to ensure Manitoba children with autism spectrum disorder have access to effective autism treatment. The organizations list of values and objectives is as follows:


 * We value our children's right to access the best treatment.
 * We value the right of parents to make informed decisions about their child's treatment.
 * We value empowered parents involved in and responsible for all aspects of their child's life.
 * We value inclusion for children in classroom and community.
 * We value best practices in treatment and education that lead to best outcomes.
 * Source:** http://www.mfeat.ca/index.htm

MFEAT's main objectives are to promote quality Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) treatment, to develop ABA resources, and to support families to provide quality ABA treatment. MFEAT assists Manitoba parents of pre-school and school-aged children diagnosed with autism. MFEAT also offers assistance to the professionals who play a vital role in the education and care of these children, i.e., teachers, educational assistants, developmental specialists, social workers, and paediatricians. Untreated, most individuals with autism will require a lifetime of supervision and care. With the help of organizations such as MFEAT, these individuals may be able to lead relatively normal lives by learning how to be independent.

Membership is required to take advantage of the services offered by this organization. It is stated on the application form that //"Membership in the Association is open to any person interested in the objectives of the Association and whose application for membership has received the approval of the Directors."// Membership is open to the parents and professionals of children with autism, but may also be available to anyone else who has an interest in the objectives of MFEAT. Both types of membership, ask for a statement of interest wherein the applicant states why they are requesting membership. Members receive quarterly newsletters that inform them on current information and news about any projects that the organization has in the works.

Manitoba Families for Effective Autism Treatment is not legally affiliated with any national, provincial or local organization. However, we share many common goals and objectives with other provincial and state FEAT organizations.

Projects
The organization has a number of what they call projects on the go. The following is a list and description of three projects the organization is currently working on.

**Pre-school ABA program**
The [|St. Amant ABA Preschool Program] is funded to provide 31 hours per week of one-to-one instruction for three years. Parents are trained and supervised to implement a minimum of 5 additional hours per week. It currently serves 58 families, in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. MFEAT members worked hard to establish this program in 1999. Together with its partners, MFEAT continues to provide guidance to the program. For more information, contact the St. Amant ABA Pre-School Program:
 * By phone: Cheryl Bartel - 256-4301 Ext. #3442
 * By email: abaprogram@stamant.mb.ca

School age ABA funding
For many children, the need for ABA treatment does not cease when the child enters school. Parents must organize their own home-based ABA treatment program, as there is currently no program in Manitoba for school age children. MFEAT currently is seeking funding to support these families. For more information, contact MFEAT at 487-1685 or info@mfeat.ca

Autism research
Since autism was first described in the 1940's, research into the causes and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has made some progress. There are still more questions than answers, and that is where the [|Autism Spectrum Disorders - Canadian American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC)] comes in. The ASD-CARC includes more than 50 investigators, with complementary expertise, including medical geneticists, molecular and cyto-geneticists, clinical psychologists, neurologists, developmental pediatricians, clinicians, speech and language pathologists, developmental psychologists, experts in imaging techniques, basic scientists, behaviour specialists, and parents of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders. By combining our expertise, they hope to answer questions about the nature of ASDs and their causes, in order to identify individuals at risk at a very early age - between birth and 6 months of age - so that treatments can be introduced early, maximizing the potential of each child with ASD. MFEAT continues to support the work of the ASD-CARC in Manitoba. For more information, contact ASD-CARC:
 * Phone: 1-866-273-2272 (voicemail only)
 * Email: autism@post.queensu.ca


 * Source:** http://www.mfeat.ca/projects.htm

__Comunity Living - Manitoba__
Community Living Manitoba is an organization that offers help to understand what kinds of supports are available to people living with disabilities and the families of these individuals. Information on their website includes understanding the National Agenda for Supporting Families of Persons with Disablilities, information about various tax benefits, reforms to the Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, and the like. This organization states there mission as: "Community Living - Manitoba is dedicated to the full inclusion in the community of persons of all ages who live with an intellectual disability." The organization aims to make it easier for people living with disabililities and their families not only to be included, but also to be active members of their community.


 * Source:** http://www.aclmb.ca/

 British Columbia Ministry of Education. (1996). Teaching Students With Autism: A Resource Guide For School. From: [|�57�]http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/docs/autism.pdf
 * References**

Melke, J et al ; Molecular Psychiatry; (2007). Jan2008, Vol. 13 Issue 1, p90-98, 9p DOI: 10.1038/sj.mp.4002016; ( AN 27948485 ) ; published online 15 May 2007.

Peterson, J. M., and Hittie, M. M. (2003). Inclusive //Teaching: Creating Effective Schools for all Learners. //Pearson Education Inc., 2003; Boston , MA