SOCIAL COMMUNICATION GROUPS Held in Richmond, BC Serving Children from Preschool to High School To develop social language around play/recreation, problem solving and small group routines
2010 Spring Social Communication Group For Autistic children 10:30 – 12:00 PM Time subject to change due to group availability April 10, 17, 24, May 01, 08, 15, 29, June 05, 12, 19, 2010 Note: No session April 4th - Easter, May 24th - Victoria Day $800.00 includes 10 sessions Unit #210 - 3671 Chatham Street Richmond, BC Additional services, i.e. screening, follow up, reporting, etc. will be charged at the rate of $115.00 an hour
2010 Spring Saturday Teen Group For Autistic children Grade 6 through High School Please check times with Dianne Milsom April 10, 17, 24, May 01, 08, 15, 29, June 05, 12, 19, 2010 Note: No session April 4th - Easter, May 24th - Victoria Day $800.00 includes 10 sessions Unit #210 - 3671 Chatham Street Richmond, BC Additional services, i.e. screening, follow up, reporting, etc. will be charged at the rate of $115.00 an hour
2010 Spring Friday Night Fun Group For Autistic children Grade 3 through Grade 7 Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM April 09, 16, 23, 30, May 07, 14, 28, June 04, 11, 18, 2010 Note: No session April 4th - Easter, May 24th - Victoria Day $800.00 includes 10 sessions Unit #210 - 3671 Chatham Street Richmond, BC Additional services, i.e. screening, follow up, reporting, etc. will be charged at the rate of $115.00 an hour
All groups not scheduled on Statutory Holidays
Group Composition The ratio of students to staff is 2:1
Placement/Registration Students are grouped according to age and compatibility with other members of the group. The grade levels indicated above serve as a guideline for group arrangement. Registration forms are available on the Social Group Registration page and need to be completed for each new 10 week session.
Program The program and activities have been designed mainly for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder but may also be appropriate for children who are diagnosed as having Non Verbal Learning Disabilities, Language Learning Delays, Asperger’s and children who may not have a specific diagnoses but have social/emotional areas of need.
A variety of opportunities and activities are planned to maximise social interaction between and among group participants. Activities in the community are planned for the older students. Behaviour support is provided through the use of Visual Schedules, Visual Routines, Social Stories, Social Scripts and Carry- over Activities which may be supplied for home practice. Individual programs may be designed for older students to work with the younger students as volunteers with the purpose of learning basic work skills and responsibilities.
The Staff Dianne Milsom, M.S., S-LP(C) is the Program Director.
Our Social Communication Group lead facilitator is Sarah Hudson, in her 7th year of teaching in the Richmond School District. She currently enrols a grade 6/7 class at Walter Lee Elementary. Sarah's teaching experience ranges from grades K - 7, including teaching ESL and band. In addition to tutoring school age children with a spectrum of needs, Sarah has been working with the Saturday Social groups for approximately 4 years. Mark Badenhorst also facilitates this group as well as the Friday Night Fun Group. Mark holds a variety of certificates in child management.
Our Friday Night Fun Group facilitators are Doug Protz, David Denyer, Taucha Gretzinger and Mark Badenhorst who also works in the Social Communication Group. For ten years Doug has been working with Autistic children on a one to basis for the Ministry of Children and Families. During the same time Doug has supported special needs children in out of school care settings. Mark has worked in childcare-based programs for the past eight years. Mark holds a variety of certificates in child management ranging from inclusion to non-violent crisis intervention. He is currently working towards his BA in ED. David has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, he also attended a Vancouver Art Therapy program and The Gateway Society Training for Persons with Autism. David currently works as a behavioural, education consultant for a consulting company. Taucha is originally from Southern Ontario where she completed her B.Sc. in Psychology at the University of Guelph. She moved to Vancouver to begin a graduate program in Neuroscience at UBC only to discover that she was more drawn to Speech Pathology. Currently, she is completing a Diploma in Applied Linguistics, and she will begin her M.Sc. in Speech Language Pathology at UBC in September of 2010. Taucha began as a volunteer at the clinic in January of 2009. Now, she enjoys working with groups of autistic children of various ages that focus on facilitating appropriate social communication. In her spare time, she loves snowboarding, skimboarding, yoga, and singing in her car.
Our Saturday Teen Group lead facilitator is Katherine Lunggren who has been working as an Educational Assistant with Richmond School Board for 10 years. Katherine also is the site leader at Delta Lifeskills Summer Fun program for school aged kids with disabilities for the last 5 years. Katherine is currently signed up for the Autism Certificate Program offered by POPARD. Yolandi McCarthy who completed the SETA program in 2002 has been working as an Educational Assistant with Richmond School Board for 5 years. Yolandi is currently on maternity leave. Leslie Chan is filling in for Yolandi. Leslie holds a Bachelor of Music Therapy degree from Capilano University and a diploma in Recording Arts from Grant MacEwan in Edmonton. Her clinical experience involves working with children and youth with autism and developmental disabilities in private practice as well as school environments. Leslie is able to apply her knowledge of musical interventions, such as non-verbal improvisation, music and movement, and the integration of creative arts to the sessions.
Our Language Booster group facilitators are Lynette Lumbuan, and Megan Blackford. Lynette worked as a Speech Language Pathologist in the Philippines. She has extensive background in working with children and adults with communication problems. She has recently immigrated here and is working in the North Vancouver School District as a Special Education Aide and at Surrey Memorial Hospital as a Hearing Screener. She is also currently working on her certification as a Speech Language Pathologist in Canada. Megan has attended UBC specializing in English literature.
Each group is staffed by Interventionists who have backgrounds such as Classroom Teachers, Educational Assistants, Behaviour Interventionists and University of BC Students. We also welcome volunteers.
Funding For funding information please see Resource page.
Speech and Language Services and its instructors do not assume any liability for any injuries incurred as a result of activities.