Speech and Language Services

SOCIAL
GROUPS

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

Summer 2010 Boosting Language Skills
For early elementary children who need support with communication skills
To develop expressive language skills
Expressing opinions, strengthening conversational skills
Individual and small group interaction – field trips
Tuesday and Thursday
10:00 AM – Noon
July 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29, 2010 August 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31, 2010 September 2, 2010
$80.00 per 2 hour session
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 Fall Social Communication Group
For Autistic children
10:30 – 12:00 PM
Time subject to change due to group availability
September 18, 25, October 02, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20, 27, 2010
October 11th – Thanksgiving
$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 Fall Saturday Teen Group
For Autistic children Grade 6 through High School
10:00 – 11:30   11:45 – 1:15PM
Time subject to change due to group availability
September 18, 25, October 02, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20, 27, 2010
October 11th – Thanksgiving
$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 Fall Friday Night Fun Group
For Autistic children Grade 3 through Grade 7
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 PM
September 17, 24, October 01, 15, 22, 29, November 05, 12, 19, 26, 2010
October 11th – Thanksgiving
$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 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 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., RSLP 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, skim boarding, 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.

Consultation, screening, follow up, reporting, etc., will be charged at the rate of $115.00 an hour.

Speech and Language Services and its instructors do not assume any liability for any injuries incurred as a result of activities.

2009 Groups - Directions to Chatham Clinic: