Spring 2008 - Autism Ontario

SPRING 2008 volume 5 • number 2 

AutismMATTERS 

A PUBLICATION OF AUTISM ONTARIO

table OF CONTENTS 

What’s Inside 

OUR SPRING 2008 ISSUE 

Board of Directors 

Leslie Broun, Jane Burke-Robertson, Lynda Clayton, Claudio 

Del Duca (Past President), Linda Gibson, Dr. Cynthia 

Goldfarb, Jane Houlden, Deborah Kitchen (President), Leah 

Myers (Chair of Presidents’ Council), Ginny Pearce, Monica 

Richardson, Michael Spicer 

Local Chapters 

To find contact information for your local Autism Ontario 

chapter, visit www.autismontario.com. 

features 

p. 19 

Autism Ontario 

1179A King Street West, Suite 004 

Toronto, ON M6K 3C5 

Phone: 416-246-9592 

Fax: 416-246-9417 

mail@autismontario.com 

Autism Ontario is a registered charitable non-profit organization 

(#11924 8789 RR0001). 

OUR VISION: Acceptance and opportunities for all individuals 

with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Our Mission: To 

ensure that each individual with ASD is provided the means to 

achieve quality of life as a respected member of society. Autism 

Matters is published four times per year. Autism Matters welcomes 

contributions from its readers. Send your articles, reviews, 

letters, comments, announcements, etc., to Margaret Spoelstra, 

Autism Matters Editor. For advertising rates and inquiries contact 

GEPM Group Inc., info@gepmgroup,com. Inclusions of information 

not directly related to Autism Ontario are for information 

only and individuals, events, therapies, treatments, etc., are not 

necessarily endorsed by Autism Ontario. 

A Grandma’s Story, by Vicky Bradford 

4 Protecting Vulnerable Adults, by Gail Jones 

5 A Real Break, by Karyn Dumble 

5 The Alliance for Families with Autism 

6 The Family Study, by Jonathan A. Weiss 

9 Financial Planning for Persons with a Disability, by Christine Dade and 

Ginny Pearce 

12 Safety, Security, Wellbeing, by Margaret Spoelstra 

13 Models of Collaborative Service Delivery for Students with ASD 

14 Research and Best Practices in ASD 

15 Lake Ontario Swim for Asperger Syndrome, by Jay Serdula 

16 Stages of Autism and Beyond – Highlights from the 2nd Biennial 

Conference 

20 Art as an Emotional Expression 

21 A New Stage for Strengthening Our Chapters, by Karyn Dumble 

26 Autism Advisor, a new resource 

book reviews 

24 Three books on autism, reviewed 

by Laurie Pearce 

cover 

Autism Ontario releases its Public Service 

Announcement highlighting the worries of 

aging parents. 

poems 

4 Autism, by Stuart Sokolow 

Editing, design and printing services, GEPM Group Inc. • www.gepmgroup.com

y Margaret Spoelstra, Executive Director 

“What will happen to him 

when we’re gone?” 

We released our public service announcement, 

“ T h e 

Most Beautiful Child,” with some trepidation. How do 

we alert the 

uninformed Ontarian that autism isn’t a challenge that only faces children, while also 

sending other messages about how amazing people with autism are? The new posters 

we released that celebrate the lives of adults on the spectrum are just as important 

as the messages of warning. In listening to the feedback we received from various 

family members, professionals and people on the autism spectrum, we were assured 

that the PSA message was spot on. But that didn’t make watching it any easier. At 

a training event I heard audible gasps from parents of younger children with autism 

and the young and eager professionals watching the images on the screen who are still 

surprised to discover that in spite of the best treatments and supports, children with 

autism still grow up to be adults with autism. 

At a meeting of parents, professionals and provincial leaders who are helping the 

Ontario Partnership for Adults with Aspergers and Autism (OPAAA) write a paper 

about adults on the spectrum in Ontario, people were moved to tears, recognizing 

their own stories on screen. Interestingly, the crowd who seemed most knowing was 

the hundred or so people at Autism Ontario’s presentation at the Stages of Autism 

Conference in Hamilton a few weeks ago. That crowd was already living the reality 

of the grown up “most beautiful child.” 

At the PSA release time, little did we know that a father was about to embark on 

a hunger strike in front of Queen’s Park to draw attention to the needs of his 15-yearold 

son with autism and of thousands of people in Ontario who still do not receive 

the best possible evidence-based treatments and supports at all stages of their lives. 

When parents are driven to such acts of desperation about the present and future of 

their children on the spectrum (and there are many more who share this father’s pain) 

we know that we have not yet come close 

to achieving what is needed to support 

these most vulnerable citizens. 

Together with OPAAA, Autism 

Ontario conducted a survey to find out 

what types of supports people receive in 

Ontario as they transition to adulthood 

and how accessible and appropriate those 

supports are locally. Our paper will be 

released in June 2008 at Autism Ontario’s 

annual conference in Toronto. We 

hope this will be an additional tool in our 

educational and advocacy efforts across 

Ontario. 

message EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

New Kid on the Block 

The long anticipated inaugural 

issue of Autism Research has finally arrived! 

Talk of the new journal for autism research 

has been percolating 

for several years at the 

International Meeting 

for Autism Research, 

but its release to the 

community is a cause 

for both celebration 

and pause. With one 

percent of the American and European population 

affected by ASD, there is plenty of room 

for new ASD research journals. 

In his editorial, Anthony Bailey claims that 

this journal’s new approach, will not only provide 

the usual content one comes to expect, 

but will also “…occasionally range outside the 

field of research to cover areas broadly relevant 

to ASD…and summaries of the most 

important papers to have appeared in other 

journals since the last editions.” Recognizing 

the strong research advocacy efforts of parents, 

they plan to “carry lay abstracts of all 

noneditorial material” in the journal and online 

at INSAR’s publicly accessible webpage, as well 

as “podcasts of interviews with authors.” 

Autism Ontario has publicly supported ASD 

research for 35 years. Since 2001, we have directly 

supported dozens of Ontario student 

researchers on a range of topics relevant to 

ASD. Our Together for Autism Campaign alerts 

the public (particularly educators and students) 

to the importance of ASD research, supporting 

it directly with funds and opportunities for 

knowledge translation of what researchers 

discover to the audience keenly interested in 

those results, and what it means to the ASD 

community. We hope that Autism Research 

will find ways to sustain excellence in research, 

promote a broad range of relevant topics to 

the lives of people with ASD and their families 

and the professionals and communities that 

support them. Finally, we hope that they will 

find ways to challenge the broader community 

to critically assess itself in how it responds to 

the needs of a very heterogeneous group of 

people in communities all over the world. 

SPRING 2008 

AutismMATTERS

feature ARTICLE 

Protecting Vulnerable Adults 

The tragic death of a woman with autism raises 

many questions. 

by Gail Jones 

Tiffany Pinckney was a 23-yearold-woman 

with autism who died of 

starvation in her sister’s home. Tiffany 

was found deceased in the basement 

with a weight of 84½ pounds from her 

previous weight of 180–200 pounds. 

Tiffany’s brother-in-law pled guilty to 

criminal negligence causing death and 

was sentenced to two years’ house arrest. 

Tiffany’s sister was charged with manslaughter, 

criminal negligence causing 

death, and failure to provide the necessities 

of life. On February 1, 2008 Justice 

Joseph Fragomeni found Tiffany’s 

sister guilty of all three charges with a 

conviction on the manslaughter charge. 

This tragedy has raised many questions. 

However, central to all the questions is 

the critical need for (1) increased awareness 

of the issues surrounding abuse of 

adults who are vulnerable, and (2) improved 

mechanisms for the reporting 

and investigation of abuse of adults who 

are vulnerable. Effective models for this 

sort of legislation protecting vulnerable 

adults exist in some other Canadian 

provinces. Further community discussions 

are planned to consider potential 

improvements in reporting mechanisms 

for abuse of adults. Tiffany’s death was a 

tragedy, but it will be an additional tragedy 

if we do not take the issues raised and 

give thorough thought and care to making 

improvements for others such as Tiffany 

who are vulnerable. Those we serve 

deserve the best thought we can bring to 

these discussions. 

Gail Jones is the Director of Community 

Supports with Kerry’s Place Autism Services, 

Central West Region. Gail knew Tiffany and 

has been advocating for community and government 

discussions on the issues relating to 

adults who are vulnerable to abuse. For more 

information contact Gail at 905-457-1130 

Ext. 202. 

Poetry Contest Winner 

Autism 

by Stuart Sokolow, age 10 

I have autism and if you don’t know, 

Into something special I will grow. 

I see the world through different eyes. 

I sometimes have trouble with the world going by. 

Some people think I’m strange and uncool, 

But maybe it’s because I follow different rules. 

Who’s to say that their way is right. 

If people took the time to understand how I feel, 

They might be surprised how my ideas take flight. 

So next time you come across someone like me, 

And you tease and are mean as children can be. 

Imagine how you would feel if you were me, 

And how great it could be 

With a friend like me. 

Community Living Newmarket/Aurora District launched an 

all ages Poetry Contest open to all York Region residents. Stuart 

Sokolow was chosen as one of their poetry winners. Stuart 

has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Individuals 

such as Stuart should be recognized for their achievements. 

Although Stuart is not one of the individuals they support, 

his poem sheds light into what life is like for those living with 

autism. The Poetry Contest was part of Community Living’s 

outreach for their Associate Family Program to bring awareness 

to the community 

for the need 

for more Associate/Foster 

families. 

They support both 

children and adults 

with developmental 

disabilities, and are 

always looking for 

new families to help 

support these individuals 

within York 

Region. 

q Larry Palmer, Executive Director, 

presents Stuart the award for his winning 

entry in the Poetry Contest 

AutismMATTERS SPRING 2008

feature WORKING TOGETHER 

A Real Break 

providing march break options for children 

with asd 

by Karyn Dumble 

The Alliance 

for Families 

with Autism 

Last summer, Autism Ontario received 

funding from the Ministry of 

Children and Youth Services (MCYS) 

to assist parents paying for one-to-one 

workers to accompany their children 

to summer programming. With about 

$40,000 of those funds left at the end 

of the summer, we received MCYS approval 

to use the funds for March Break 

programming. We were very happy to 

think of the big impact we might be able 

to make with that little pot of money. 

A Request for Proposals was issued 

to our chapters in early January 2008, 

inviting them to create activities generated 

by ideas received from families and 

community service providers. Our priority 

was to fund activities or programs not 

offered anywhere else, or not accessible 

for various reasons such as lengthy waitlists 

or lack of adequate funding. The response 

was fantastic. Each proposal was 

developed so that individuals with ASD 

would be included and accepted. In the 

end, 12 proposals from 12 chapters received 

approval for funding. All of the 

programming took place between March 

8 and 16, 2008. Additionally, our Hamilton 

Chapter offered a March Break version 

of their Winners’ Circle camp after 

accessing regional respite funding. 

We created over 400 March Break 

programming spaces with this small sum 

of money. Activities ranged from bowling 

and skating, to more formal day 

camps that focused on life skills. Many 

new partnerships were formed. In several 

cases, staff already familiar with 

programming for youth received training 

in autism. Looking ahead, those local 

programs are now much better equipped 

to offer summer programming to individuals 

with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

This is what is referred to as “community 

capacity building” and we at Autism Ontario 

are proud to be a leader in it. After 

all, our vision is to create acceptance 

and opportunities for all individuals with 

ASD. 

Congratulations to each chapter 

that was successful in obtaining funds 

through this program. While we cannot 

say if we will be able to offer this competition 

again in the future, we do know 

that we made a big impact across the 

province this winter. We will continue 

to lobby on behalf of our members to 

bring worthwhile opportunities, such as 

the March Break program, to your local 

communities. 

For a full list of the activities funded 

through the March Break program, 

visit our website at www.autismontario. 

com and choose “Camp” from the left 

menu. 

MCYS Minister Deb Matthews visited Hamilton 

Chapter’s March Break Camp. 

The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA) 

held their first annual Town Hall Meeting on 

March 18, 2008. The evening was a great 

success with more than 150 people attending. 

People traveled from across the province 

to attend, from as far west as Sarnia, 

as far north as Sudbury and as far east as 

Ottawa. 

Guest speakers included the Hon. Kathleen 

Wynne, Minister of Education and the 

Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Children 

and Youth Services. The event was a unique 

opportunity for the autism community to 

give their input directly to the Ministers on 

how to improve current programs. The discussion 

ran nearly an hour past the time intended. 

The Alliance for Families with Autism 

(AFA) wanted the evening to be a constructive 

event; however, there were no limits to 

the questions and comments directed to the 

Ministers. 

“We have had a lot of positive feedback 

from the community. We hope that next 

year will include the Minister from Community 

and Social Services as we have also 

been advocating for adult services,” said 

Cindy DeCarlo, Co-founder and Executive 

Member of The Alliance for Families with 

Autism. 

The Alliance for Families with Autism 

(AFA) recorded the event. For those who 

were unable to attend or who are interested 

in purchasing a copy of the DVD, please 

contact Lisa Prasuhn at lisa.prasuhn@sympatico.ca. 

For more information regarding 

The Alliance for Families with Autism (AFA), 

contact us at autismafa@yahoo.ca. 

SPRING 2008 AutismMATTERS


The Family Study 

Parents share their experiences of caring for 

people with asd in adolescence and adulthood 

by Jonathan A. Weiss, Ph.D., C.Psych. (supervised practice) 

Parents of individuals with 

autism spectrum disorders are often 

involved in their sons’ or daughters’ 

care in some capacity across the 

lifespan. 

This care is different for every family. It can span from having to find and 

access the right assessments, early interventions, and educational supports during the 

preschool and school age years, to finding the best fit in terms of residential and vocational 

supports after school has ended. Although every situation is unique, there is no 

question that navigating the transitions from childhood to adolescence to adulthood 

presents many support needs, with opportunities for change and accomplishment, 

and with considerable stress. 

The necessity of this care is heightened when the person with ASD has significant 

mental health issues or challenging behaviours, which in Ontario is referred to 

as having a “dual diagnosis.” It is estimated that approximately 40 percent of people 

with developmental disabilities can develop a dual diagnosis at some point in their 

lives, which can lead to a crisis. A crisis occurs when there is a change in behaviour 

(either problem behaviours become more serious or mental health problems become 


worse) and caregivers and/or the person 

with the ASD feels like the supports and 

services they are receiving are not sufficient 

to help with this change. Professionals 

and caregivers alike often think of 

a crisis as a time when emergency care 

is needed, either from a hospital, a crisis 

care centre or police. However, families 

can also live in a situation of chronic crisis, 

when they work very hard to ensure 

that problems do not escalate to a point 

where they have to use emergency services, 

and when their quality of life suffers 

and the problems never really go 

away. 

At the Centre for Addiction and 

Mental Health’s (CAMH) Dual Diagnosis 

Program, we try to understand the 

challenges families face (why so many 

individuals have psychiatric crises), in 

the hope of helping to shape a system of 

health care and community supports that 

can prevent such occurrences. We are 

particularly interested in the experiences 

of families when a family member with 

ASD develops a mental health problem 

or has a crisis; we want to know about the 

services received at the time, what was 

missing, what was effective, and what did 

not work. 

In January 2008, Autism Ontario 

circulated a research flyer called “The 

Family Study,” inviting families of people 

with ASD to contact us if they would 

like to share their stories about crises, 

and their opinions about services and 

supports. We have already spoken to a 

number of families from across Southern 

Ontario, and we want to share with you a 

few of the themes that families are telling 

us are important. The majority of families 

that we have spoken with provide 

care to adolescents or adults with ASD. 

The squeaky wheel gets the grease 

Many families have told us that they feel 

exhausted from having to advocate on 

behalf of their son or daughter. They 

describe a situation where they need to 

have a strong will to be listened to by the 

health, community and education service 

providers. When a person with ASD is 

experiencing challenging behaviours or 

mental health problems, families often 

run out of community options and need 

to resort to calling emergency services or 

going to the hospital to keep everyone 

safe. Although they do not want to see 

their son or daughter admitted to the hospital, 

they feel that community supports 

are not effective in reducing problems or 

preventing them from recurring. They 

acknowledge that service coordinators 

do exist in their communities, but believe 

that their caseloads are too high for sufficient 

individualized attention. Many parents 

describe themselves as unpaid social 

workers or service coordinators, and find 

it challenging to balance all the responsibilities 

of daily life with the added burden 

of having to investigate, learn about 

and access effective supports for their son 

or daughter in crisis. Parents are relieved 

and happy when effective services are 

in place, and describe situations where, 

once proper supports have been enabled, 

they feel they can cope with the ups and 

downs of life and avoid crises. 

Some parents suggest that it would be 

helpful to have a service coordinator or professional 

advocate with very low caseloads, 

who could be able to dedicate a significant 

amount of time educating families and working 

on their behalf to access the right health, 

community and education supports. 

Specialized training for special 

circumstances 

Many parents have told us that they are 

unable to find properly trained professionals 

to work with their child, that the 

supports that they do receive do not help 

avert crises, and that they are unable to 

spend funding in ways that they believe 

will benefit their child best. Families take 

an active role in finding a good fit between 

their son’s or daughter’s needs and 

the skills and personalities of professionals, 

and would like to have more choice 

in terms of options for care. Although 

many families are able to receive funding 

from the government to help support 

their son or daughter with ASD (such as 


special services at home, passport funding, 

etc.), they feel restricted as to how 

they must spend these funds. 

Families have acknowledged the need 

for more specially trained psychiatrists, psychologists, 

and mental health workers, who 

are knowledgeable about autism and are 

able to provide medical, behavioural and 

talk-therapy when needed. It is important 

that professionals are well-trained in how to 

work with people with ASD of all ages and 

are able to see signs of mental health problems 

if they emerge. 

Falling through the cracks 

Families tell us that the crises they experience 

go hand in hand with an experience 

of “falling through the cracks” in 

the system, because of a lack of supports 

to help people along the entire autism 

spectrum. Among the numerous examples, 

families of individuals with Asperger 

Syndrome or high-functioning autism 

express frustration in a generic mental 

health care system that does not understand 

and is not able to work with people 

with ASD, and in a specialized system 

that is focused on supporting people 

more severely affected by autism or developmental 

disabilities. Conversely, 

families of individuals severely affected 

by autism discuss difficulties finding effective 

educational and vocational supports, 

and challenges with successful 

community inclusion as a result. Other 

families describe slipping through the 

cracks during periods of transition along 

the lifespan. They describe that it takes 

a significant amount of time to find the 

appropriate supports and services in the 

educational sector, and unfortunately 



these are lost when their son or daughter 

progresses into adulthood. Families 

struggle to quickly replace supports and 

can experience crises as a result. 

Some parents have suggested that services 

and supports should be especially tailored 

to work with high-functioning individuals 

along the spectrum, and that a continuum of 

services should exist so that there is never 

a time in life with the person is left without 

the appropriate level of supports. 

These are a just a few of the themes 

that have emerged in our discussions 

with families, and we have been moved 

and educated through each and every 

story we have heard. In order to create 

a stronger voice with which to represent 

the needs of families in Ontario, we need 

to speak with many more families. By 

participating in this research, families 

can help community and health services 

provide supports where they are needed 

most. This includes (but is not limited 

to) helping families advocate and find appropriate 

services, providing them with 

the best possible quality of care, and ensuring 

that no individual with ASD is left 

unsupported. In terms of the next steps, 

it is clear that more research is needed to 

understand the causes of crisis. We plan 

to conduct a study using interviews and 

questionnaires to identify these factors. 

It is also evident that supports are needed 

for parents of people with dual diagnosis, 

and we will develop and pilot these 

programs in the near future. As always, 

we cannot conduct research without the 

participation of families and individu- 

als with ASD, and we are very grateful 

to those families that are willing to share 

their time and their experiences with us. 

Together we can make a difference. 

Dr. Jonathan Weiss is a psychologist under 

supervised practice and a post-doctoral fellow 

in the Dual Diagnosis Program at CAMH. He 

conducts research aimed at helping individuals 

with ASD and their families in a variety 

of ways, is currently supported by a fellowship 

from the Canadian Institutes for Health 

Research and is a trainee of the ASD-CARC 

Strategic Training Program. In the past he was 

a recipient of the Autism Ontario Studentship 

administered through the Ontario Mental 

Health Foundation. To learn more about what 

Dr. Weiss does, or to participate in upcoming 

research projects, contact him at 416-535- 

8501 Ext. 2809, or Jonathan_Weiss@camh. 

net. 

CAMH provides other treatment options 

for mental illness or addiction. For more information, 

visit www.camh.net or call CAMH at 

416-535-8501. 

Mom and Dad: 

Encourage your child’s school 

or your workplace to join us! 

TM 

Together for Autism 416-246-9592 email: info@togetherforautism.ca 

Autism Society Ontario Charitable no. 119248789RR000 

1179A King Street West, Suite 004, Toronto, ON M6K 3C5 

www.togetherforautism.ca 

www.togetherforautism.ca 



Financial Planning for Persons 

with a Disability 

know your options when it comes to planning 

for your loved one’s financial future 

by Christine Dade and Ginny Pearce 

On April 1, 2008, Ginny Pearce (Autism 

Ontario) and Christine Dade (Autism 

Society Canada) attended a Canada 

Revenue Agency (CRA) meeting with a 

presentation by the Human Resources 

and Social Development (HRSD) department 

that provided the most current 

news regarding the Registered Disability 

Savings Program (RDSP) and the process 

opportunities and challenges faced 

by families when considering this investment 

for their children with disabilities. 

There was representation from ODI, 

CRA and the Income Tax department to 

help in the understanding of the implementation 

of the program. Much of the 

following information was included in 

the presentation at this meeting. 

The government has recently 

drafted the Canada Disability Savings 

Regulations. The final regulations are 

expected to be completed by June, 2008 

and come into force in December, 2008. 

These regulations are intended to help 

the beneficiary, parents and legal guardians 

to save for the long term financial 

security of a child/person with a disability 

through the RDSP. 

What is the Registered Disability 

Savings Program? 

The Registered Disability Savings Program 

is a new plan that will allow funds 

to be invested on behalf of the beneficiary 

and only the interest earned will 

be taxed at withdrawal. Monies invested 

are not tax exempt. The plan structure 

is similar to a Registered Education Savings 

Plan. 

Contributions to an RDSP will be 

eligible for the new Canada Disability 

Savings Grant (CDSG), and also a new 

Canada Disability Savings Bond (CDSB) 

based on family net incomes. The grant 

is based on the beneficiary’s family’s income 

and the bond is based on family 

income – but is better served on the individual’s 

income. Both of these programs 

are geared to lower family incomes. 

The issuer of the RDSP will apply 

for any applicable grants and bonds and 

they are required to keep transactional 

data available in detail for all accounts. 

Who is eligible for the Registered 

Disability Savings Plan? 

• A resident of Canada who is eligible 

for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) 

and has a Social Insurance Number; 

(SIN) or 

• Beneficiary must be under 60 years of 

age (except for transfers). 

Continued on p. 11 



Navigating the System 

Canada Disability Savings Grant 

• Lifetime CDSG limit of $70,000. 

• CDSG ceases on December 31 the year the beneficiary is 49. 

• Based on contributions made and beneficiary’s family income. 

If family net income is less than $74,357: 

• On first $500 - $3 for every $1 contributed. 

• On next $1,000 - $2 for every $1 contributed. 

If family net income is equal to or higher than, or no income: 

• On first $1,000 - $1 for every $1 contributed. 

Requirements for Payments of Grants 

• Contributions made in 2008 and 2009: Issuer must request grant by June 30, 2010. 

• Contributions made in 2010 and later: Issuer must request grant within 180 days of the contribution date. 

• Grant paid for contributions made by December 31 of the year the beneficiary is 49. 

• Beneficiary is DTC eligible in the year the contribution is made. 

Canada Disability Savings Bond 

• Lifetime CDSB limit of $20,000. 

• CDSB ceases on December 31 the year the beneficiary is 49. 

• No contributions are required. 

• Based on beneficiary’s family income. 

If family net income is less than $20,883 - $1,000 bond. 

If family net income is between $20,883 and $37,178 – bond gradually reduced to nil. 

Requirement for Payments of Bonds 

• Bond requested by holder within the year it is payable. 

• Bond requests made in 2008 and 2009: Issuer must send request by June 30, 2010. 

• Bond requests made in 2010 and later: Issuer must send request within 180 days of the date of request. 

• Bond paid for requests made by holder by December 31 of the year the beneficiary is 40. 

• Beneficiary is DTC eligible in the year the bond is payable. 

Repayments 

• Government Contributions holdback amount: total amount of bonds and grants paid into an RDSP within the last 10 years less 

any of those amounts already repaid to the government. 

• Events that cause the repayment of the government holdback amount: 

• RDSP is terminated. 

• RDSP is no longer registered. 

• Withdrawal from the RDSP. 

• Beneficiary ceases to be DTC eligible. 

• Beneficiary passes away. 

Transfers 

• All amounts of contributions, bonds and grants that are transferred are considered to have been paid to the new RDSP on the 

same date they were paid to the old RDSP. 

Contributions to an RDSP will not be deductible and will not be included in income when paid out of an RDSP. The investment 

income earned in the plan will accumulate tax free. CDSGs, CDSBs and investment income earned in the plan will be included in the 

beneficiary’s income for tax purposes when paid out of the RDSP. Only the plan beneficiary or the beneficiary’s legal representative 

will be permitted to receive payments from the RDSP. 

To ensure that RDSP payments do not reduce federal income-tested benefits, amounts paid out of an RDSP will not be taken 

into account for the purpose of calculating income tested benefits delivered through the income tax system. 

10 AutismMATTERS SPRING 2008

Who can contribute to an RDSP and 

how much? 

Anyone can contribute to an RDSP; 

however, contributions are limited to a 

lifetime maximum of $200,000 in respect 

of the child/person, with no annual limit. 

Contributions are permitted until the 

end of the year in which the beneficiary 

attains 59 years of age. 

What is the Canada Disability 

Savings Grant (CDSG) and the 

Canada Disability Savings Bond 

(CDSB)? 

These two programs are designed to 

add to the RDSP. The government will 

contribute, in the form of Canada Savings 

Grants, funds equivalent to 100 

percent to 300 percent of RDSP contributions, 

up to a maximum of $1,500 annually, 

with a maximum lifetime limit of 

$70,000, depending on the beneficiary’s 

family net income. The government will 

also contribute up to $1,000 annually 

in Canada Disability Savings Bonds depending 

on the beneficiary’s family net 

income/personal income to a lifetime 

limit of $20,000. (See sidebar, Navigating 

the System, on page 10.) 

Summary 

This program becomes an exercise in 

financial planning and timing. It is hard 

to follow and keep track of, as there is 

the 10-year rule, which can subject the 

government monies that have been invested 

in the beneficiary’s program to a 

clawback. There are rules and guidelines 

for these funds, such as if an RDSP is 

terminated, if it is no longer registered, 

if there is a withdrawal from the RDSP, 

if the beneficiary dies, and more importantly 

if the beneficiary ceases to be DTC 

eligible. 

Because this is a federal program, not 

all provinces and territories realize the 

impact that this could have on eligibility 

for provincial subsidies. If not recognized 

properly, persons with disabilities 

could be penalized by opening an RDSP. 


(BC, NFLD and one other province have 

exempted these funds from the asset/revenue 

of provincial applications.) 

There is further consultation to be 

done on these regulations, as some of 

the rules and administration policies are 

excessive and punitive. Extensive educational 

and informational outreach needs 

to be done. 

Autism Awareness 

at the Rogers Centre 

August 20, 7:00pm 

Enjoy a premium game and support 

Autism Ontario. Tickets are $49 each. 

For every ticket sold, the Blue Jays will 

contribute $5 to Autism Ontario. To 

purchase tickets, contact Ethel Berry at 

416-246-9592 Ext. 224 or ethel@autismontario.com. 

Low res ad. 

Need new file 

SPRING 2008 AutismMATTERS 11


Safety, Security, Wellbeing 

When Autism Ontario launched the newest 

section of its website dealing with matters 

that affect older teens and adults with ASD, we 

decided to include a glimpse of one person’s life 

at home with his family. 

by Margaret Spoelstra 

Hayden Kaack of Kingston 

is a young adolescent with autism. In the 

brief video created by journalism student 

Adam Campbell, you will meet two other 

members of Hayden’s family – his mother 

and his sister. 

As with each person with an ASD, 

Hayden’s own way of being in the world 

necessitates that those around him be 

uniquely in tune with his communication 

style and responses to environmental 

conditions. Levels of anxiety can quickly 

escalate if those who support him are 

not informed and sensitive to his learning 

needs and trained to respond accordingly. 

This takes constant educating of 

the general public who come to know 

Hayden, but it also takes professionally 

trained and reliable staff at all stages of 

his life and the life of his family. 

When you click on the video entitled 

Hayden: A Learning Process you will gain 

p Hayden Kaack in a scene 

from the video. 

a greater understanding of one family’s 

life with autism. His parents are among 

those who have “done it all” with regards 

to advocacy, building programs where 

there were none, participating in countless 

committees – locally, provincially 

and nationally – to make a difference, not 

only for their own family, but on behalf 

of thousands of families in Ontario who 

love their children, but who continue to 

worry about the present and the future 

for their soon-to-be-adult children with 

ASD. With her permission, we have included 

a section of a letter written by 

Hayden’s mother, Heidi Penning, describing 

why they should receive additional 

funding to support Hayden in his 

local community. 

“First and foremost, my family thanks 

[staff member] of the [local service provider] 

for her tireless support of our family. It is a 

nice feeling to work so closely with a service 

provider who truly believes in championing 

our cause. For you see, this is the first time 

anyone outside the family has done so. We are 

very perilously near the point of complete and 

utter family breakdown in every sense of the 

word. [This staff member] has picked us up 

with the hope that some day in the not-toodistant 

future we may be able to limp across 

the finish line that looms always just beyond 

our grasp. 

And what is that finish line? What every 

citizen of this province takes for granted. 

Health. The state of physical, mental and 

social wellbeing. Why must our family continually 

fight for this fundamental right? 

Once you read the enclosed package you 

will see that by simply supporting this funding 

request you will have it in your power 

to give our family the necessary tools to adequately 

address its current needs. You cannot 

imagine what a burden will be lifted. 

As I write this letter, it is almost impossible 

for me to imagine a future without fear and 

anxiety. I have spent every day of Hayden’s 

life worried about his future. Worried about 

what would happen to him if I died tomorrow. 

Worried that even as I try so hard to 

move Heaven and Hell for him, it still won’t 

be enough. That he won’t be safe. That he 

won’t be happy. That he will be abused. It’s 

enough to drive any mother crazy. I cannot 

give him what every mother wants for 

her children. Safety. Security. Wellbeing. 

It hasn’t been from a lack of trying though 

– that’s for sure.” 

No one should have to write such a 

letter in order to receive what each child 

needs to live in their local community, 

and yet, that is exactly what families of 

children with autism are called upon to 

do, sometimes with successful or partially 

appropriate outcomes; other times with 

no response at all. Although that level of 

treatment and support varies in its intensity 

and timeliness, it is and will always 

be needed. As towns, cities, a province, 

a country, we are not yet a model for the 

rest of the world to envy in its responses 

to our most vulnerable citizens – individuals 

with disabilities, and more specifically 

with autism. Please take a moment 

to watch Hayden’s video for yourself 

and ask yourself what is needed to help 

Hayden and his family to live with dignity 

in their community. 



Models of Collaborative Service Delivery for 

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder 

(ASD) 

Key Messages 

• In September 2007, a memorandum 

was sent from Philip Steenkamp, 

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education 

(EDU) and Judith Wright, 

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Children 

and Youth Services (MCYS) 

announcing a joint initiative project 

to investigate effective practices of 

Collaborative Service Delivery for 

Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders 

(ASD). 

• In collaboration with community 

agencies that service children and 

youth with ASD, seven Englishlanguage 

school boards (two coterminous) 

and one French-language 

school board have formed Regional 

Leadership Teams (RLT) to oversee 

pilot projects that build upon successful 

service delivery models for 

students with ASD. 

• Regional Leadership Teams began 

to meet in January and have each 

Selected School Boards EDU Field Services MCYS Regional 

Offices 

Durham District School Board (Section 

Barrie Regional Office Central East 

23) 

St. Clair Catholic District School London Regional Office South West 

Board and Lambton Kent District 

School Board (coterminous boards) 

Rainbow District School Board Sudbury/North Bay Northern 

Regional Office 

Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic 

District School Board 

Ottawa Regional Office South East 

Thunder Bay Catholic District 

School Board 

Peel District School Board 

Conseil de district des écoles publiques 

de langue française no. 59 

established a focus for their collaborative 

service delivery model. The 

projects engage partners who support 

or could support students with 

ASD, including parents and a variety 

of sectors that will facilitate the realization 

of this common goal. 

• A Provincial Advisory Team (PAT) 

has been established to monitor the 

implementation of the initiative, disseminate 

the research information 

across all school boards, and make 

recommendations for programming 

and support. Attached is a list of the 

members of the PAT. 

• Through a Request For Proposal 

(RFP) process, an evaluation/research 

team has been chosen for this 

initiative. The successful proponent, 

Ross W. Sandlos International Inc., 

has composed a team, led by principal 

researcher Dr. Shelley Smith, that 

is invested in examining programs 

Thunder Bay Regional 

Office 

Toronto and Area Regional 

Office 

Ottawa and Area Regional 

Office – Francophone 

Northern 

Central West 

East/South East 

and services that assist children and 

youth with ASD in reaching their 

full potential. 

• Dr. Smith will work directly with the 

Regional Leadership Teams along 

with clinical researchers to identify 

the research design that meets the 

needs of each model of collaborative 

service. 

• PAT meetings are to be held on 

April 17, 2008 and June 3, 2008. 

Provincial Advisory Team Members 

include: 

Patrick Cureton, Co-chair, Former 

Director, Bruce-Grey Catholic District 

School Board 

Elizabeth Scott, Co-chair, Vice President, 

Autism Program, Surrey Place 

Centre 

Michelle Murdoch-Gibson, Parent 

representative 

Andreas Trau, Parent representative 

Dr. Monica Gemeinhardt, Bloorview 

Kids Rehab 

Lois Mahon, Executive Director, Child 

Care Resources 

Margaret Spoelstra, Executive Director, 


Lynn Ziraldo, Chair, Ministers’ ASD 

Reference Group 

Cynthia Waugh, Durham District 

School Board 

Renée Zarebski, St. Clair Catholic District 

School Board 

Denise Emery, Lambton Kent District 

School Board 

Jan Heppner, Rainbow District School 

Board 

Lori Bryden, Algonquin and Lakeshore 

Catholic District School Board 

Joel Godecki, Thunder Bay Catholic 

District School Board 

Cathy White, Peel District School 

Board 

Ann Mahoney, Conseil des écoles de 

l’Est de l’Ontario no 59 


noteworthy news + views 

Research and Best Practices 

in ASD 

Autism Ontario is proudly supporting six ASD researchers and one Community 

Leader with a $1,600 bursary (each) to attend the International Meeting for Autism 

Research in London, England on May 15-17, 2008. Successful candidates’ applications 

were reviewed by Autism Ontario’s Research Committee. 

Recipient Research Topic University 

Anita Acheson 

Terry Bennett 

Kelley Drummond 

Joe Hettinger 

Patrick Malenfant 

Community Leader 

Language, Theory of Mind and Adaptive Functioning 

in ASD: Exploring Mediation in a Multiple Regression 

Model 

Varying Pathways to Asperger Syndrome at Age 5: A 

Prospective Case Series 

A PPP1R1B Polymorphism is Associated with Risk for 

ASD in Male-only Affect Sib-par Families 

The STX1A, CYLN2 and GTF2i genes in autism-associated 

7q11.2 microduplication syndrome as candidate 

genes for ASD 

McMaster 

University 

of Toronto 

Queen’s 

Queen’s 

Tracey McMullen Emotion Recognition in Boys and Girls with ASD York 

Jessica Schroeder 

McGurk Effect in Asperger Syndrome and High- 

Functioning Autism 

York 

Positive Screening for Autism in Ex-preterm Infants: Prevalence and Risk 

Factors 

Pediatrics Vol. 121 No. 4 April 2008, pp. 758-765 

“A preliminary study led by Dr. Catherine Limperopoulos showed that one-quarter 

of babies born very prematurely had signs of autism on an early screening test. The 

CIHR-funded preliminary study suggests that extreme prematurity may be a contributing 

factor for autism. The study also underscores the need for early autism screening 

for youngsters born prematurely.” 

Source: Canadian Institutes for Health 

Research, www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca. April 14, 

2008. 

New Guidelines! 

The Miriam Foundation in Montreal 

has released its publication Screening, Assessment 

and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum 

Disorders in Young Children. Canadian Best 

Practice Guidelines, 2008. A downloadable 

“no charge” copy may be obtained from 

their website at www.autismcentral.ca. A 

host of “Who’s Who?” Canadian ASD 

researchers authored this valuable resource. 

 

Jack’s Story 

My 9-year-old son suffers from Asperger 

Syndrome. He attends Fessenden Public 

School in Ancaster and he is in a regular 

class. 

At the school, every month is dedicated 

to a character trait (i.e., respect, responsibility, 

etc.). At the end of each month one 

child from each class is given an award for 

the the individual who best demonstrates 

the character trait of focus. The month 

of February 2008 was devoted to “empathy 

and caring.” My son, Jack McGloin, 

won for his class. 

I just wanted to share this extraordinary 

good news. 

Carolyn McGloin 

P.S. I really enjoy Autism Matters. 



Lake Ontario 

Swim for Asperger 

Syndrome 

by Jay Serdula 

On July 28, 2008, Jay Serdula of 

Kingston will swim across Lake Ontario, 

starting at Niagara-on-the-Lake and 

ending at Marilyn Bell Park in Toronto 

(52km). The swim, estimated to take 

between 30–36 hours, will be a fundraiser 

for Asperger Syndrome (AS), for 

which Jay received a diagnosis at age 26. 

His parents, Kenneth and Ann Serdula, 

knew that there was something different 

about their young son, yet they were 

unsuccessful in getting a diagnosis, as 

AS didn’t even have a name at that time. 

Consequently, Jay was integrated into 

the regular public school system without 

the benefit of people understanding how 

he learned. Most of the time things went 

well, but occasionally, Jay encountered 

unexpected or unpleasant circumstances, 

especially in the social realm, and was often 

picked on because he was different. 

Jay was born and raised in Deep River, 

completed his undergraduate degree 

in Applied Mathematics at the University 

of Waterloo in 1996 and a Masters 

degree in Physics/Oceanography at the 

Royal Military College in 2003. He is 

currently employed as a research assistant 

in the Chemical Engineering Department 

at the Royal Military College. 

Like many people with AS, Jay does 

not view AS as a handicap, disability or 

disorder; only as a difference. Many of 

those around him are unaware of his 

uniqueness or how it affects him. 

AS lies at the upper end of the autism 

spectrum but stands on its own. It 

is typically characterized by taking words 

and phrases literally, picking up social 

skills at a later age than most people, and 

an inability to read facial expressions. Jay 

was unable to distinguish between playful 

teasing and blatant bullying, and has a 

tendency to take greetings such as, “How 

are you?” literally. 

When he was growing up, Jay was 

afraid to try new things, even things as 

simple as going down the slide at Lamure 

Beach. Doing poorly in high school history 

was enough to discourage him from 

joining any school sports teams in fear 

of missing classes. His mother told him 

he’d remember his participation in sports 

teams more than his attendance in class. 

Now Jay pushes the opposite extreme 

and is on the lookout for challenges. 

Several of Jay’s trusted friends suggested 

that he do the swim as a fundraiser 

for a charity instead of simply 

for the challenge. Naturally, Asperger 

Syndrome was his choice. He hopes not 

only to raise money for AS but also to 

raise awareness of what “Aspies” can do. 

Funds raised in excess of event costs will 

be distributed in the following manner: 

40 percent to Asperger’s Society of Ontario 

(www.aspergers.ca), 40 percent to 

Kerry’s Place Autism Services (www.kerrysplaceautismservices.org), 

10 percent 

to Community Living Kingston (www. 

communitylivingkingston.org) and 10 

percent to Extend-a-Family Kingston 

(www.eafkingston.com) with the restriction 

that funds be used specifically for 

AS. 

Jay currently trains 8-12 hours each 

week, which he will increase to 15-20 

hours each week when the warm weather 

comes. On June 22, Jay will undertake a 

16 km. trial swim in Lake Ontario, which 

Solo Swims of Ontario Inc. requires in 

order to assess a swimmer’s capabilities. 

After the swim is sanctioned, online donations 

will be accepted. For more information, 

check out Jay’s website: www. 

swim4aspergers.wordpress.com. 

Volunteers are needed to plan the 

details of the swim, to use the swim as 

an Asperger Syndrome awareness raising 

tool and to help with a celebration of the 

completion of his swim at Marilyn Bell 

Park on July 29. Anyone interested in 

volunteering can contact swim4aspergers@hotmail.com. 

 

Check out “The Most Beautiful Child,” our public service announcement about living 

with ASD across the lifespan. This PSA was produced with generous financial support 

from the Brickenden Speakers Bureau through their annual “Access to Success” event. 

Visit www.autismontario.com/adults to watch a 30- or 90-second commercial. Click on 

“Count Me In” to sign up to be counted as an individual with ASD, a family member, 

or a professional in the field. Check out current issues of Autism Advisor. 



Stages of Autism 

and Beyond 

highlights and excerpts 

from the 2nd biennial 

conference 

Hamilton was the location for 

the Stages of Autism Conference 

on April 23-24, 2008. Focusing 

on the needs of adolescents and adults 

with ASD, the conference drew about 

400 delegates to hear top international 

speakers from the UK, Canada and the 

USA. Keynote addresses were offered by 

highly respected ASD researchers, Dr. 

Catherine Lord and Dr. Patricia Howlin. 

Autism Ontario also formally released its 

public service announcement “The Most 

Beautiful Child,” and together with the 

Ontario Partnership for Adults with Aspergers 

and Autism, also released a new 

section of its website on adult matters. 

Autism Advisors – an information publication 

geared towards this age group 

– were also distributed at the conference 

and are freely available for downloading 

from Autism Ontario’s website. The 

two days were packed with great ideas, 

research and making connections. Useful 

tips and observations from break-out 

sessions are provided here from various 

conference delegates. 

p Patricia Howlin was the keynote speaker 

at the Hamilton Conference on April 23 

16 AutismMATTERS SPRING 2008 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: 

Using Visual Supports with Individuals 

with Asperger Syndrome, April 23 

Presenter: Dr. Pat Mirenda 

Being a parent of a non-verbal adult son 

with ASD and very experienced in creating 

and using visual supports, I was 

surprised at how very important and useful 

these tools also are for highly verbal 

people with Aspergers. 

Dr. Mirenda’s real-life examples 

brought clarity to her research. Many 

types of visual supports are available to 

teach social understanding, self-management 

and emotional regulation. A new 

tool developed by Dr. Tony Attwood and 

colleagues is Cognitive Affective Training 

using their CAT-kit (www.cat-kit.com). 

Based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 

CAT has modified and adapted the abstract 

concepts of CBT into a concrete, 

individualized, visual learning system. 

p L to R: Deborah Kitchen, Autism Ontario Board President,; Patricia 

Gallin, Co-Chair, Ontario Partnership for Adults with Aspergers 

and Autism, Autism Ontario; and Lisa Scarfone, RCP Coordinator, 

Autism Ontario – London Chapter 

When asked how long we should 

keep using a specific visual support, Dr. 

Mirenda replied “until the user decides s/ 

he doesn’t need them.” She took off her 

glasses and held them up asking “How 

long should I keep wearing these? Is two 

weeks enough? How about four months? 

Surely I would have learned how to see 

by then.” Far too often we tend to rush 

to take away the very supports which are 

successful when we think the task has 

been learned. Especially in times of stress 

or anxiety such as transitions to new environments 

and living situations, even 

our most verbal individuals benefit from 

visual supports. 

Dr. Mirenda closed by saying, “Research 

is in its infancy and much more 

is needed with adolescents and adults in 

particular.” 

Lynda Beedham, OPAAA committee 

member 

Striking a Balance Between Therapy 

and Fun in Social Groups for Adults 

and Adolescents on the Autism 

Spectrum 

In this session (3) they talked about how 

the University of Michigan developed social 

skills groups for teens and adults, the 

differences between long term and short 

term groups and the evaluation process 

and what came out of them. Shorter term 

groups serve a larger population but don’t 

have as high quality results; with longer 

term, more friendships are forged and 

more trust is built up. The overall the results/outcomes 

of the social skills groups 

were very positive in that the participants 

forged social connections 

through events 

such as annual picnics 

and variety shows. 

They had Starbucks 

coffee hour before the 

social skills groups, 

and facilitated outings 

to places such as orchards 

or arcades. 

Alana Racicot, RCP 

Coordinator, Autism 

Ontario

Keys to the Studio, April 24, 2008 

Presenter: John Jowett, Key Artistic Director 

Keys to the Studio is an original music 

program for people diagnosed with developmental 

and intellectual disabilities 

in Toronto. Each adult with a disability 

is paired with a professional 

musician in 

order to develop skills 

in singing, musical instruments, 

improvisation 

and composition. 

The only criterion to 

be accepted into the 

program is to have a 

love of music. 

Students are encouraged 

to play and 

improvise without 

judgment. Support for 

skill development is tailored 

to each student. 

Keys to the Studio 

gives emerging 

musicians the opportunity to collaborate 

with professional musicians in one-onone 

sessions. The students rehearse with 

bands made up of peers, make recordings, 

and hold public jam sessions. Regular 

concerts are planned in which the public 

is invited. This helps to raise awareness 

p Dr. Catherine Lord, keynote speaker on 

April 24. 

not only among family and friends, but 

to the community as well. Wouldn’t it 

be wonderful if a music program like this 

could be expanded to other parts of the 

province? 

Lisa Scarfone, RCP Coordinator, Autism 

Ontario 

Autism Spectrum 

Disorders and the 

Social Brain 

Presenter: Dr. Susan 

Bryson 

Dr. Bryson reviewed 

recent findings on the 

“social brain,” and 

how the understanding 

of social problems 

is relevant to thinking 

about treatment. 

She outlined the social 

problems in ASD 

(i.e., difficulty reading 

peoples’ intentions in 

their eyes), and the recent discovery of 

Mirror Neurons (MN), that are activated 

during goal-directed behaviour, whether 

acting or observing behaviours of others. 

• MN provide a 

neural mechanism 

for self, and other 

emotional social 

connections. It 

is thought to be 

crucial to social 

understanding and 

capacity for empathy. 

These are 

located primarily 

in the parietal and 

prefrontal cortices 

with connections 

to amygdale. 

They are related 

to the severity of 

social impairment 

in autism. They are implicated in the 

difficulties of sharing emotional and 

related actions/experiences of others. 

They are the foundation for being 

able to reflect on others and self. 


• There has been a recent shift in understanding 

early development, a 

shift from the focus on cognitive to 

emotional development. Emotion 

plays a critical role in all aspects of 

development, including motherinfant 

attachment, development of 

self-relating to others and learning. 

• Early social emotional development 

is mediated by right versus left brain. 

Right brain undergoes a major growth 

spurt during the first two years of life. 

The right brain controls development 

of early non-verbal communication 

expressed largely through facial and 

vocal emotion. This is critical because 

of the emotional “attunement” 

and mirroring of emotion between a 

mother and an infant. Maternal infant 

“attunement” serves to regulate the 

infant’s emotional state. The goal is 

to optimize the positive affect and the 

development of self regulation. Positive 

emotion is critical for social relatedness 

and learning. It is also critical 

in maternal-infant mirroring of emotion. 

This allows the infant to understand 

the feelings (mental states) of 

others and forms the basis of social 

relatedness. 

In the “Canadian Baby 

Sibling Studies,” prospective 

longitudinal 

study of infants with 

an older sibling with 

ASD/Autism, 300 infants 

were followed, 

starting at six months 

on a regular basis up 

to 36 months of age 

with a diagnostic assessment 

for autism/ 

ASD conducted at 36 

months. The findings 

were that infant 

siblings subsequently 

diagnosed with autism/ASD 

were distinguished by: 

• High fear 

• Reduced positive affect/smiling/increased 

negative affects at 12 months 

• Difficulty regulating emotion at 12 



months of age 

• Difficulty disengaging attention at 

12-18 months of age, gestures aside 

(seen as the most fundamental way we 

soothe, having the ability to distract 

yourself when upset) 

• Delayed communication skills at 12 

and 18 months 

• With some children there was a striking 

plateau in their cognitive development. 

Alana Racicot, RCP Coordinator, 


A Couple’s Guide to Keeping 

Connected, April 24, 2008 

Presenter: Laura E. Marshak, Ph.D. 

Dr. Marshak spoke on marriages and 

children with disabilities. Children with 

disabilities tend to amplify what is going 

on in a marriage – for better or for 

worse. Marriage is more complicated 

but this does not mean it has to be damaged. 

If you spent 20 minutes a day on 

your marriage, it would still be less than 

two percent of your day. 

She suggested that having both 

parents involved for such things as IEP 

meetings and doctor’s appointments 

helps to keep couples on the same page 

and diminishes burnout and resentment. 

Parents need to accept that they are entitled 

to practice self care. Just as the 

flight attendant tells us to put on the oxygen 

mask first before assisting the child, 

we should take care of ourselves and in 

turn this will be good care for the child. 

This seeming inconsistency makes good 

sense. 

Lisa Scarfone, RCP Coordinator, Autism 

Ontario 

In Memoriam 

It is with deep sadness that Autism 

Ontario remembers the passing of 

Simone Lusty on Thursday, March 20, 

2008. Simone was one of the founding 

members of our organization in 1973, 

originally called the Ontario Society for 

Autistic Children. 

Simone’s contribution to making the 

world a better place for people with 

autism is what we are all about today. 

Many years ago, one of Kerry’s Place 

Autism Services’ residences was named 

in honour of her daughter – Melanie’s 

Place. She will be sadly missed by her 

family, friends and those she helped 

along the way. 


A Grandma’s 

Story 

excerpts from Vicky 

BRADFORD’S story 

shared at SIMCOE 

CHAPTER’S EVENING FOR 

AUTISM 


The things my grandson, Griffin 

does, most of the time, can be 

described as being the same as 

other kids, only more so – louder, stronger, 

more rigid, overwhelmingly emotional, 

larger than life. The teacher part 

of me is in awe of his reading skills and 

superb memory. 

As a baby, Griffin let us know early 

on that he had a strong will. He was very 

interested in everything around him. He 

loved being read to and would sit on my 

lap for long periods of time, listening to 

stories or following The Cat in the Hat, 

displayed on the computer. As a toddler, 

he resisted sleeping and was practically 

always still wide awake when Mommy 

and Daddy came home. 

I admit that some of his behaviour 

puzzled me. If I took him for a walk in his 

stroller, he would cry if I stopped even 

for a moment. On the other hand, when 

he fell and obviously hurt himself, he seldom 

cried. He showed a strong dislike at 

being put in the swing at the park, which 

most kids enjoy. 

There were spectacular temper 

tantrums which we now know are meltdowns. 

These often occurred when his 

parents were trying to leave some place. 

Once his Mom carried him kicking and 

screaming from the library. None of us 

were consciously aware that this was any 

different from any other child in the terrible 

twos. Andrea and Jeff spent a lot of 

one-on-one time with Griffin and the 

three of them still have a very special relationship. 

When he was about three, I wondered 

if he might have a hearing problem 

because he sometimes didn’t respond 

when we talked to him. When we did get 

his attention he seemed to be quite aware 

of what we were saying but his own 

words were almost a separate language. 

A hearing test indicated that there was 

nothing wrong. Not long ago, Andrea 

dropped something and without thinking 

she, “Hell!” We both looked horrified at 

Griffin to gage his reaction. He said, “Oh 

Mommy, I used to say that word in my 

head all the time when I was a baby because 

you guys couldn’t understand me.” 

Andrea prepared him carefully for 

his first school experience, taking him 

to playschool, letting him eat his lunch 

from his new lunch box and introducing 

him to his backpack. They talked about 

expected behaviour on a school bus, listening 

to the teacher and all the other 

things that parents do to prepare children 

for school. He went off on the first 

day quite happily. 

Before long the school called my 

daughter to go and get Griffin. He was 

extremely uncooperative and had even 

tried to run away. By the first weekend 

I was incredulous at the changes one 

week of school had produced in this little 

family. Andrea and Jeff felt like failures 

as parents and were imposing very strict 

rules. Griffin was confused and seemed 

relieved to be able to play hotwheels with 

me. 

Griffin had actually been giving us 

little clues as to what made him tick since 

the day he was born, but the school experience 

made these clues fall into place: 

repetitive movements like running back 

and forth which he still occasionally does, 

difficulties in getting his attention, transitional 

problems in arriving at or leaving 

a place, sensitivity to smells, the lining up 

of his hotwheels and “Don’t touch them!” 

the fantastic way he can list the names of 

rocks, insects, birds, hotwheels, etc., and 

the way he focuses totally on any topic he 

is interested in. 

A wise decision was made to enroll 

Griffin into a recommended nursery 

school. He was put under the care of a 

teacher experienced in understanding his 

special requirements. A year later Griffin 

was officially diagnosed with Asperger 

Syndrome. He now attends Grade One 

in his local public school for part of each 

day. The school officials do their best to 

accommodate his needs. Recently Griffin 

told me, “Grandma, I have friends now, 

when the other kids see me coming they 

say, ‘Here comes the Great Griffin!’” 



Art as an 

Emotional 

Expression 

As long as she can 

remember, Pam Button 

has always linked 

emotions and numbers 

to a spectrum of 

colours. 

it wasn’t until Pam Button entered her retirement years that she discovered 

a previously unknown talent for painting with water colours. With the help of artist 

and friend, Patricia White, she began to express herself on paper and canvas. 

Pam has publicly displayed her work at two art shows hosted by the Brant Memorial 

Hospital in Burlington. At the Spring 2007 exhibit, she sold all of her pieces 

before the show closed. Pam has been invited to exhibit her work at the 2008 Geneva 

Centre for Autism International Symposium in Toronto. 

Her work has also been published in a past issue of Autism Matters, and now her 

work, in the form of one-of-a-kind art cards that support Autism Ontario, are available 

for purchase. See www.autismontario.com or contact the provincial office of 

Autism Ontario for an order form. A group of five original cards costs $12. 

p Pam Button (seated) and Patricia White 

had a drawing done of the two of them by 

a gifted artist on the spectrum. Patricia is an 

artist who has supported and encouraged 

Pam to explore her talents and she handles 

the framing of Pam’s artwork. 

t One of Pam’s art pieces on display at the Hamilton conference 



Regional Meetings 2008 

A New Stage for 

Strengthening 

Our Chapters 

The idea of holding regional meetings has been 

floating around for a number of years. 

p Regional Meeting attendees, Guelph site: Participants from Cambridge, Dufferin, 

Grey-Bruce, Halton, Niagara, Waterloo and Wellington Chapters. 

by Karyn Dumble Chapter Liaison 

“It’s motivating to get together 

and learn ‘new’ things, better ways 

of doing ‘old’ things and share great 

ideas.” – Toronto Participant. 

Regional Meeting Goals 

• To expand the reach of our training 

to include more volunteers across the 

province. 

• To build lines of communication between 

chapters in close geographic 

proximity to each other so that chapters 

can develop peer relationships. 

• To increase the capacity of our chapters 

by providing training in the areas 

of membership development, volunteer 

management, budgeting and annual 

planning. 

Every level of this organization recognized the benefits of regional 

meetings, but until the position of Chapter Liaison was created, there just was not the 

capacity within the organization to actually make them a reality. 

Learning how to build a solid structure is every bit as important as training on 

various facets of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We do the autism training twice 

a year with our educational system-focused training in the fall and our ASD-focused 

conference each June. The focus of the regional meetings is how to create a solid and 

sustainable base of volunteers and members for each of our chapters. We are now able 

to offer a very diverse slate of training opportunities each year, which now includes 

more local opportunities so that more volunteers can become involved. 

The regional meetings were held over six weekends earlier this year in Thunder 

Bay, Sudbury, Markham, London, Guelph and Ottawa, replacing the training previously 

offered to chapter volunteers in February. The regional meeting recipe was 50 

percent training on items related to volunteer management, and 50 percent information-sharing 

between chapters. Each meeting also provided opportunities for chapters 

to meet with a Realize Community Potential Program Coordinator to discuss 

how some of the things they undertake in their program can be replicated in chapters 

across the province. 

The normal count of around 45 delegates who attended our Toronto-based February 

training meetings blossomed to the stunning number of 97 in our regional 

meetings. That alone makes everyone’s efforts worthwhile. 

Before each regional meeting, participants were asked to complete a short survey 

to gauge their expectations of the training. Over one-third of the attendees said that 

they had never attended provincial training before; 90 percent stated that they were 

looking forward to attending the regional meetings. 

Looking back, what stands out is the sense of relief among the volunteers – relief 

because they learned that they do not have to do everything themselves; relief that it 



is possible to break down large tasks into 

small ones that can be shared between 

people with varying levels of involvement. 

But even more impacting was the 

relief to hear that they were not alone 

– that their chapter was not the only one 

experiencing a lack of volunteers, a lack 

of time, a lack of funds, or another challenge 

that is common among grassroots 

organizations across Canada. 

At the opening of each weekend 

session, people were requested to sit 

with folks that they did not know. The 

resulting connections and sharing of experiences 

became a significant outcome 

of the training. At our larger sites, each 

table of delegates was asked to answer 

the questions, “What are your wishes for 

p Renfrew Chapter delegates (L to R): Susan Sullivan, Darlene Heaslip, Jeanne 

Carmody 

t Our new “mascot” represents the need to go slow and steady in 

developing the chapters. 

q Graph: What did you like best about the Regional Meetings? 

# ppl making 

this comment 

Autism Ontario, for your chapter? If you 

were granted three wishes, what would 

you change?” 

Strangers at each table quickly connected 

and discovered that they had much 

in common. Across the province, the 

most frequent wishes related to building 

a stable volunteer base, accessing more 

funds and increasing communications. 

The 2008 regional meetings are historically 

significant for Autism Ontario. I 

think we will see even higher attendance 

levels in 2009. We see a strong future for 

our chapters and these regional meetings 

are an integral part. 

Resulting 

Introspection 

Thoroughness 

of Information 

Information 

Sharing 

Meeting People 

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 



Participants share their expectations… 

• I look forward to the learning segment of this meeting. I love the concept of a Regional 

Meeting. Much more inclusive, potentially strengthens the relationships between CLC 

[Chapter Leadership Council] members and other chapters’ CLC members rather 

than an exclusive Presidents only…meeting. Very excited at learning more about the 

things we know would make us a stronger chapter but just haven’t had the energy to 

develop the tools/templates. We have been very lax in developing an annual plan or 

budget. We know we should, it would be time saving in the end, but we’re usually 

putting out fires rather than lighting them. I look forward to getting matches! 

• I see the meetings as an opportunity to ask questions on the agenda topics and work 

on solutions that will work for our chapter, other chapters, and the provincial office. 

It is an opportunity to meet and connect with other chapters. 

• I look forward to meeting other chapters’ staff and members to hear what they are 

doing in their communities and the services they provide. 

• Looking forward to “picking your brain” and those of the other attendees. 

• [Our] lack of volunteers and members, not for want of trying, puts us in “beginner” 

mode, even though our chapter has been in existence since 1999. 

• It will not happen overnight but I hope the team in time will be able to adapt the new 

ideas and processes introduced at the conference. 

• If there is any improvement, no matter how small, that would be a good thing. 

• I would like to be more informed about the relationship between the chapter and 

provincial offices in Autism Ontario. I would especially like to know how each level 

functions and what are their responsibilities to the organization as a whole. 

…and their experiences 

• [We liked] meeting people from other chapters and seeing that they are encountering 

the same issues. Learning from their experiences, good and bad. 

• Getting some clarity on specific procedures and hearing ideas from other chapters. 

• I felt that the meeting went very well. The chapters were able to discuss problems 

and hear how some overcame specific problems. The agenda was well thought out 

and covered many relevant items. 

• The networking with other chapters and nurturing the friendships that have begun at 

other venues as well as making new ones was great! 

• [The] chance to meet people from other chapters and see what they were doing. It 

is interesting to see the different directions chapters are going. Direction on setting 

up an annual plan and budget was and is greatly needed. 

• I liked learning what the other chapters do, and also liked having the time to work 

within our own chapter to iron out plans. 

...and their thoughts for future regional meetings. 

• Encourage each chapter to send their entire CLC. 

• Not in the middle of winter! Other than that, I find the meetings very helpful. 

• More people from each chapter. 

• Have more planning time with members from own chapter. 

• Continued use of discussions among chapters. 

• More time on day two to finalize the annual plan and the annual budget. 

• [Get] more people out to the meeting to encourage more discussion. 

• [It was] good to share accomplishments and challenges from other chapters; good to 

meet other chapter members in a comfortable and relaxed, small environment. 

• Keep up the good work! 

Autism Matters is a publication of 

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feature RESOURCES 

Book Reviews 

reviewed by Laurie Pearce 

Through a series of coincidences, 

I recently ended up with three autismrelated 

books in my home at the same 

time. It was quite a diverse collection, 

each book written by a parent but each 

with a very different attitude and focus. 

Two of the books were by fathers, one by 

a mother, and in a reversal of the stereotype, 

it is the fathers who demonstrate 

the greatest acceptance of their child’s 

condition, while the mother is the one 

who rages against it. The three books 

ranged from a slim volume of lyrical 

prose to a lengthy tome by an established 

autism activist. Just like Goldilocks, my 

favourite (and the only one I bought) 

was the book in the middle – enlightening 

and educational, written by a caring, 

non-judgmental social scientist. 

The shortest work was Dear Gabriel: 

Letter From a Father, by Halfdan 

Freihow, translated from the Norwegian 

by Robert Ferguson. Freihow is clearly 

a non-conformist: the dust jacket describes 

him as publisher, reporter, translator 

and literary critic, and he, his wife, 

and his two children live by the ocean 

outside a small town in Norway. Freihow 

gives few factual details – his son, 

Gabriel, seems to be about 12 years old, 

possibly with Asperger Syndrome. The 

book is a collection of reminiscences 

and commentaries as this clearly loving, 

devoted and engaged father attempts to 

make sense of his son’s struggles with 

language, socialization and behaviour. 

The book is almost poetic in tone, compassionate 

and honest, and because of its 

narrator and its foreign setting, seems 

almost fictional. Some stories are sweet, 

like the regular father-and-son quests 

for buried treasure, or Gabriel’s positive 

experiences in a school where teachers, 

24 AutismMATTERS SPRING 2008 

students, and parents are models of concern 

and acceptance. Other stories are 

painful, as the author describes his son’s 

desperate, inconsolable rages and the toll 

they take on the family. 

Freihow’s dedication to and knowledge 

of his son is truly inspiring, and 

he unblinkingly faces both the benefits 

and the deficits of Gabriel’s condition. 

I particularly enjoyed how Freihow was 

willing to throw himself into Gabriel’s 

world to, as he wrote to his son, “follow 

you into your world and, on its linguistic 

and logical terms, coax you back.” In one 

memorable passage, he talks about how 

seriously Gabriel takes the “pretend” job 

of buccaneering (a form of piracy). The 

author notes that if he, attempting to 

change Gabriel’s behaviour while in this 

mode, “addressed you with the logic and 

language of our world, you perceived it 

in your world as a kind of infringement 

on prevailing law and order, and the 

most awful scenes might ensue.” If Gabriel 

was engaged in digging up buried 

treasure when the time came to do something 

socially necessary (like eat dinner), 

“it would have led to several hours of 

disaster had we insisted and threatened 

with ordinary, exasperated parental authority.” 

Instead, Freihow joins in as a 

fellow buccaneer who can then, alongside 

Gabriel, respond to the news (from 

Gabriel’s mom) that she had just learned 

that digging for gold ducats before nightfall 

was dangerous. The father would 

then join his son as they moved, calmly 

and reasonably, to the new activity. Of 

course this was not always successful, but 

Freihow insists it was successful enough 

to make it worth the extra effort it took. 

This was a compelling reminder that 

those on the spectrum may have a logic 

and language that is entirely their own, 

and that our attempts to impose another 

rule set can be both unfair and doomed 

to fail. (Dear Gabriel: Letter From a Father, 

by Halfdan W. Freihow, translated 

by Robert Ferguson, House of Anansi 

Press, ISBN-13:978-0-88784-213-5.) 

The longest work was Strange 

Son: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest 

to Unlock the Hidden World of Autism, by 

Portia Iversen, founder of Cure Autism 

Now and the mother of Dov, who is severely 

affected by ASD. I confess I didn’t 

like Iversen’s authorial presence or her 

book very much, on both a professional 

(the book needs a competent editor) and 

personal level. I found myself irritated at 

her unacknowledged boundless wealth, 

her simultaneous respect for rigorous 

science and willingness to boldly state 

unsubstantiated theories she has devised, 

and her desire to do everything to help 

her child except, apparently, actually 

spend time with him. The highlights of 

the book are Iversen’s “conversations” 

with Tito Mukhopadhyay, a young man 

from India who, although virtually nonverbal 

and severely affected by autism, 

has been taught by his dedicated mother, 

Soma, to communicate in writing, giving 

the world an astounding window into the 

autistic mind. (Attendees at the 2004 Geneva 

Centre Symposium witnessed an interview 

of Tito by Temple Grandin – an 

extraordinary experience.) 

Iversen’s thesis, supported to some 

extent by the results of scientific tests, is 

that Tito is, unlike the conventional visual 

thinker, so heavily oriented to auditory 

input that he is almost literally blind to visual 

input. Iversen brings Tito and Soma 

to the U.S. to have Tito examined scien-

tifically, in the hopes that his exceptional 

abilities can be brought to light in others, 

leading to some interesting findings but 

no particular conclusions. Throughout, 

the focus of both Iversen and Mukhopadhyay 

appears to be on proving their 

sons’ intelligence to the rest of the world, 

and only secondarily on improving the 

lives and prospects of the boys. One frustration 

they face is the challenges in applying 

Soma’s methods to other children 

– as Iversen notes, it is not a therapy but 

“a form of communication that had to be 

learned through use over time in order to 

become functional.” 

One of the scientific experiments in 

the book, which led to a further study, 

caught my highly unscientific attention. 

It was a measurement of GSR (galvanic 

skin response) which is a way of measuring 

changes in the autonomic nervous 

system activity which regulates emotional 

and cognitive arousal or attention. 

Apparently, most people have three to 

five peaks of GSR activity per minute, although 

there is a lot of variability in the 

degree of the activity among individuals. 

A study which Iversen collaborated on 

found that some children with ASD had 

abnormal GSR activities, with the more 

affected individuals having “higher highs, 

lower lows, and more cycles per minute,” 

in a way that “seemed disconnected from 

anything going on in the environment.” 

This is an interesting item to keep in 

mind when, as so often, we consider only 

external influences. 

Although I found Iversen endlessly 

irritating and hyperbolic, others may 

find the book inspiring and useful. Certainly 

I’d recommend skimming to find 

the many passages that capture Tito’s 

expressions, which give a lot of food for 

thought. (Strange Son: Two Mothers, Two 

Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden 

World of Autism, Portia Iversen, Riverhead 

Books (Penguin), ISBN-13-978-1- 

57322-311-9. 

My favourite book, and the one 

that now resides on our bookshelf, was, 

Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World 

feature RESOURCES 

of Autism. The author, Roy Richard 

Grinker, whose daughter, Isabel, is on 

the spectrum, takes a compassionate, 

accepting, and intellectually interesting 

approach to the subject. An anthropologist 

with a strong interest (through his 

family) in psychiatry and mental health 

in general, his book is less about his own 

daughter and his experiences as her parent, 

and more about the application of 

his academic and practical discipline to 

the various puzzles of ASD. This is a 

thoroughly engaging book, whether the 

subject matter is factual or personal. 

Grinker gives a concise history of 

ASD, from Kanner on, sprinkling the 

facts with anecdotes about some of the 

individuals the experts studied, and even 

about the experts themselves. He devotes 

a chapter to “blaming mothers,” with 

analogies even in our supposedly enlightened 

times. He also thoroughly and logically 

explains the combination of factors 

that he feels have led to the rise in autism 

numbers. 

Grinker gives a brief synopsis of the 

treatments he and his wife sought out 

for Isabel. Among other things, Isabel 

attends an extraordinary “Early Enrichment 

Center” at the Smithsonian Institute, 

a program built on the philosophies 

“that social interaction was the key to 

cognitive and linguistic development” 

and the idea of different styles of learning. 

The center made learning “concrete, 

sensory-based, and interactive.” From 

the description, it sounds like an extraordinary 

learning environment for some 

on the spectrum, albeit a difficult one to 

duplicate. 

Like Freihow, Grinker attempts, 

to some degree, to enter his child’s life. 

When Isabel became obsessed with a particular 

Monet painting (even dressing to 

look like the girl the painting portrayed), 

rather than attempting to shut down the 

passion, they decide to take Isabel to the 

location in France that the painting depicts. 

His description of this adventure is 

wonderfully moving and inspiring – and 

though many of us could never afford 

such an extravagant reaction, the fundamental 

idea is one to take to heart. 

The balance of the book gives a 

little-seen view of ASD in other cultures 

and countries, one that both illuminates 

and inspires. Parents often lament the 

struggles we face with society, family and 

the educational system, but our struggles 

look laughable in the face of societies 

where not only are there few services for 

those with ASD, but the stigma of having 

a child with the condition affects the 

social status and economic prospects of 

the entire family. Time and again it is 

individuals, almost always women, who 

make a difference in these difficult circumstances, 

bringing about societal and 

attitudinal changes they would probably 

never have sought for their own purposes, 

but driven by the need to support and 

nurture their child. 

This is an excellent and important 

book for the perspective and humanity it 

brings to a subject near and dear to our 

hearts – and the small portraits of Isabel 

are lovingly drawn. Grinker raises a 

thought that Globe and Mail writer Ian 

Brown also addressed in his series of articles 

about his disabled son: “Perhaps 

Isabel’s worth should be measured not 

only by what she is capable of doing but 

by what she brings to the lives of others.” 

(Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of 

Autism by Roy Richard Grinker, ISBN 

13:978-0-465-02763-7.) 



New! 

Autism Advisor 

In Your Corner 

this is your space to share Chapter activities, 

generate ideas and find ways to fill gaps locally 

by Karyn Dumble, Chapter Liaison 

Printable excerpts from Living with ASD are 

now available for downloading in our Autism 

Advisor. These brief documents can assist 

parents and adults with ASD in educating 

family members, employers, service providers 

and community leaders on an “as needed” 

basis. Check back often, as new editions 

of Autism Advisor will be added regularly. 

Previously unpublished material will also be 

available. Visit www.autismontario.com to 

view all of the current publications. Check 

back often as new editions will be added 

regularly to the site. 

Some of the new titles include: 

Number 1: Frequently Asked Questions 

About Getting a Diagnosis of ASD in 

Adulthood 

Number 3: Education After 21 for Students 

with ASD 

Number 4: Dual Diagnosis 

Number 6: Kerry’s Story 

If you have an article or topic that you 

would like Autism Ontario to consider 

for publication in a future edition of Autism 

Advisor, please send your idea to 

info@autismontario.com. 

As ever, things move full speed ahead with our chapters. I know that some chapters may 

not share that point of view locally, but let me tell you – as a group, they certainly always 

have a lot going on! On top of the Regional Meetings (see article, page 21) and March Break 

Programs (see article, page 5) that took place over the winter, there is still lots of news to 

share with you, our members. 

Our York Region Chapter recently won the “Get Active Now Award for Non-Profits.” 

This award is offered by the Get Active Now: Active Living Resource Centre for Ontarians 

Living with a Disability. According to Frank Prospero, Executive Director of Get Active 

Now, “This outstanding award… recognizes those in the community who have worked 

extremely hard to promote inclusive, active living opportunities for people living with disabilities.” 

Congratulations to all of our active volunteers in York Region! 

The Toronto Chapter wishes a very fond farewell to Cathy Patten who retired at the 

end of March. Cathy has been their administrative support person for many years. Thank 

you for all of your efforts on behalf of the chapter. We also wish a hearty welcome to Dawn 

Smith. Dawn takes up the challenge of moving the Toronto Chapter forward over the next 

year. 

Here’s an eye-opener: We now employ a total of 11 part- and full-time staff people 

spread throughout seven chapters. The funds used to support these positions come from 

hard-earned fundraising dollars, grants and other donations. The chapter staff positions are 

not government-funded. Our growth at the chapter level is a testament to the hard work 

and strong vision of our volunteers across Ontario. 

As of the February meeting of our Board of Directors, we officially have a new chapter 

on board. Welcome to the Leadership Council and members of Hastings Prince Edward 

County Chapter! Having previously lived and worked in that part of Ontario, I have 

to say that I am particularly thrilled that we are now formally serving families in those two 

counties through a local chapter. For contact information for this or any of our chapters, 

please visit www.autismontario.com and use the Chapter drop-down menu on the top right 

of our home page. 

If you live in the viewing area of A Channel London, keep an eye out for our Together 

For Autism public service announcement. The London Chapter has recently purchased air 

time for this excellent advertisement. Not only will it benefit the chapter since more people 

will find out we are here to help, it will also publicize our school-based autism awareness 

and fundraising campaign, Together For Autism. Great initiative, London Chapter! 

As I write this, I’ve just received our very first application for provisional membership 

with the Ontario Camping Association (OCA) for our chapter-run summer camps. Summer 

2008 will see each of our summer camps attain this provisional membership with the 

OCA. Wow! 

If you are interested in gaining work experience or giving back to the community, contact 

your local chapter to check out what volunteer opportunities are available. While you don’t 

need to be a member to volunteer, we’re pretty confident that you will want to become a 

member after you learn about all of the important work we do locally and provincially. 

Send your chapter news to karyn@autismontario.com or fax it to 416-246-9417

Spring 2008 - Autism Ontario

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