This past week, Inclusion BC released a message related to going back to school. We wanted to share it with you as we believe it sends a great message out to our community.

Inclusion BC noted that –

\”The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time, full of new promise and new challenges for students, families and educators.

Around our province, committed educational leaders are helping their schools and districts move towards ensuring that all students, including those with special needs, feel welcomed and valued as unique individuals, not just defined by their differences. BC\’s new curriculum and new provincial investments to address chronic staffing gaps present an opportunity to reshape school culture, making schools more inclusive, with new teaching models that better support diverse learners and indeed all students. We will continue working to ensure BC\’s educators are fully supported to achieve that promise.

Full access to education and inclusive learning with same-age peers is a right for every BC student, though it\’s a right that has not always been honoured. During the 2017/18 school year, Inclusion BC heard from many families whose children with special needs were denied a full-day at school due to staffing shortages. This partly stemmed from challenges implementing the 2016 Supreme Court of Canada decision reinstating BC teachers\’ 2001 contract. But Inclusion BC has clearly stated that selectively denying access to students with special needs for any reason is discriminatory and unacceptable.

In May 2018, we also published an updated report documenting shocking incidents of restraint and seclusion that continue to occur in schools. The Education Minister and BC Teachers Federation joined us in denouncing such practices and committed to working to eliminate them. We are recommending stricter policies and reporting requirements, along with more staff training on violence-free ways to support student behaviour.

Inclusion BC has also expanded our provincial advocacy team to help families of students with special needs resolve challenges, strengthen home/school partnerships and advocate when necessary for their child\’s rights to access, support and inclusion.

We hope that this year will bring further progress towards building an inclusive public education system that better serves the needs of all BC students, and look forward to working with families, educators and the provincial government on these challenges, opportunities and common goals.\”

Community Ventures Society fully supports Inclusion BC\’s message as we work towards more inclusive schools ultimately to a place where our education system is teaching to diversity.

CBC posted a great article to help kick off the new school year today. Transitioning from summer to school routines can be a big change for kids and parents. However, for children with with anxiety or autism who struggle with transitions it may amplify those feelings. They may be both excited about the school year and anxious about it, especially if it is their first year attending school.

Here are 9 tips to help deal with the new school year ahead and tame those anxious feelings for both student & parent –

1. Your own social story – find or write your own social story about going to school and read it through with your child. A social story can be a great way to introduce them to school expectations and routines.
2. Introduce yourself & your child – write a letter or email to your child\’s teacher to explain your child\’s diagnoses, strengths, weaknesses and interests. An Inclusion and Intervention Plan/Individualized Education Plan (IIP/IEP) meeting will likely not be scheduled right away so this tip is a great way to help your child\’s teacher know what to expect or how to best help your child.
3. Update the school – make sure your child\’s school is aware of your child\’s diagnoses, especially if it is your child\’s first year of school or if it is your child\’s first year in a new school.
4. Sensory tools – if your child has strong sensory preferences, then be sure to include a favourite sensory tool or two (such as a chew necklace or noise-reducing earmuffs) in your child\’s backpack. Think of it like having a calm-down toolkit for on the go! It can be a lifesaver to have those calm-down tools handy on field trips throughout the school year!
5. Open communication – talk to your child about the upcoming school year, explain the routines, discuss all the fun new things he or she will learn, etc. Engaging in an open dialogue with your child can help ease any anxiety they may have and get them excited for the school year.
6. Read – read books about going to school, especially if it\’s your child\’s first year of school, to help prepare them for the school year.
7. Establish an after school routine – so your child knows what is expected of him or her as soon as they return home from school. It can be things such as emptying the backpack, having a snack, doing their homework and/or having some quiet unwinding time. I highly suggest offering your child some time to unwind after school to reduce the likelihood of an after-school meltdown.
8. Establish a bedtime routine – in order to have your child waking up on time every school morning, getting them to bed at a regular time is important. So be sure to establish a consistent bedtime routine for the school year in the days or weeks leading up to the new school year.
9. Pick-up and drop-off – discuss the school drop-off and pickup procedures with your child. Will they be picked up and dropped off by someone? Will they be walking to and from school by themselves, or with a friend or with a parent? Make sure your child knows how they will be getting to and from school safely for the duration of the school year.

To read the full article, click here. We hope you found these tips useful. Most importantly, here\’s to another great school year ahead!

Do you know someone with complex health needs that needs support from an understanding family doctor? The Asante Centre in Maple Ridge and Surrey has just announced that it is offering primary healthcare with specialized family practitioners.

Services are covered through MSP and available in our Surrey or Maple Ridge offices, with virtual care options across BC. Please share this information onwards to help people with developmental diversities access healthcare that’s designed to meet their needs!

Check out the flyer below more information. To make an appointment, call 778.564.7101 or email [email protected].

Do you have room in your home and heart?

Do you have 1 free weekend per month?

Looking to earn a little extra $$ from home?

We are currently looking for respite caregivers in the Burnaby or Tri Cities area to care for children with developmental disabilities. Respite care primarily takes place in the caregiver’s home.

This is a contracted position, and will require a current First-Aid Certificate and clear criminal record checks through MCFD’s HUB. All applicants must complete our screening process.

If you have a stable and caring home, a combination of relevant education and experience in the areas of childcare, rehabilitation, special education, or recreation and live in the Burnaby / Tri- Cities area, please submit your resume by email.

Hours of work: Hours may include a four-hour period leading up to a full weekend based on the needs of the child’s family.

Email your resumes to:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Or Call: 604-939-8070 ext 2024, ext 2014 or ext. 2029 for more information.

Please note: We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Morrison\’s in the United Kingdom is leading the way for making grocery shopping a little less overwhelming for individuals with autism. This story is a great example of community inclusion because it demonstrates a business who is thinking about the needs of consumers in its community.

As the story goes, Morrison\’s will dedicate an hour every Saturday (from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.) to dim the lights, turn off music and announcements and turn down checkout beeps and other electronic noises. This can significantly reduce the stress associated with shopping for individuals with autism. The grocery store chain will also invest time to train staff on how to interact with individuals with autism so they can assist customers to the best of their abilities. The initiative is in collaboration with the U.K.\’s National Autistic Society.

The article mentions that some similar programs have been introduced in Canada as well. Autism Speaks Canada partnered with Cineplex to provide regular sensory-friendly movie screening for families. Toys R Us has also held a handful of sensory-friendly shopping hours and plan to hold more in the future.

All of these steps is a real advancement in creating more inclusive communities. We invite you to read more about Morrison\’s and what they have done in the U.K. The more that industry assists in building inclusive communities, the better we will all be in creating a society where we can all live as one.

In an editorial published in the National Post, it was highlighted that Canada’s 2018 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, published by the national non-profit organization ParticipACTION, gives Canadian children and youth an overall D+ grade for physical activity. It calls for Canadian kids to get up and move.

For the first time, the report makes specific mention of the importance of physical activity to children with disabilities. This report card focuses on the connection between exercise and brain health, not for the sake of fitness alone, but for the health of their developing brains. However, if all Canadian children are to enjoy their rights to play and participate, that call needs to be supported and amplified by voices at all levels.

The editorial discusses how multiple, well-identified barriers stand in the way of children and youth with disabilities who want — and absolutely need — to be active. Research, commentary and coverage have yet to uproot those obstacles.

Strategy and policy are important promoters of physical activity and sport, but when it comes to adapted programming for kids with disabilities, they are distinctly lacking. Most extracurricular physical activity programming in Canada is offered through city and community organizations. There are many excellent accessible sites, but not enough to meet the need, and there is little or no coordination of efforts or offerings. A lack of appropriate equipment, coupled with a lack of professionals trained to support physical activity among children and youth with different ability levels, discourages participation.

Early, positive exposure to sports and physical activity encourages children to try and not give up. But negative experience is a significant deterrent — especially to ongoing participation for children with disabilities.

A significant step towards inclusion came last week, with the tabling of the federal Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada. The Act proposes to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers in areas of federal jurisdiction. This long-awaited legislation addresses federally-run programs and built environments, but it remains to be seen whether it will address or remove barriers to participation in sport and leisure activity.

Please take the time to read this editorial and understand why we should all be advocating for greater access to sports for children with disabilities. Community Ventures Society fully supports increasing access to sports and sports equipment for all children, particularly those with disabilities.