AutismMATTERS - Autism Ontario

FALL 2011 Volume 8 • Number 3 

A 

AutismMATTERS 

PUBLICATION OF AUTISM ONTARIO 

Annual Education Issue 

Housing Design for Adults 

with Autism 

Page 20 à 29 

Info Autisme

table OF CONTENTS 

What’s Inside 

OUR FALL 2011 ISSUE 

Board of Directors 

Doris Barkley, Robert Brown, Jane Burke-Robertson, Susan 

Fitzhenry, Dr. Cynthia Goldfarb, Jane Houlden, Gail Laliberte, 

Mark Lyon (Treasurer), Amanda McNulty (Chair of President’s 

Council), Leah Miltchin (President), Dr. Jo-Ann Reitzel, Monica 

Richardson (Past-President), Michael Spicer (Secretary), 

Cathy White 

Local Chapters 

To find contact information for your local Autism Ontario 

chapter, visit www.autismontario.com. 

features 

p. 8 

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention 

for Parents, by Sarah Duhaime 

Cover photo: Zack Phillips, 7, had a fun 

time at Sarnia-Lambton Chapter’s summer 

camp fun day. Photo credit: Jenny Van 

Bree, Camp Director 

4 

5 

7 

10 

12 

13 

20 

30 

32 

34 

38 

39 

New and Noteworthy 

Homework for Parents and Educators, by Leslie Broun 

Ride, Glide ’N Stride, by Marti Veliz 

From Gymnastics to Gastronomy, by Kelli VanBuskirk 

Simple Strategies That Work, by Brenda Smith Myles 

Living in the Community: Housing design for adults with autism, by 

Andrew Brand 

Info autisme 

Educational Scholarship Recipients 2011 

Shayam Kaushal Charitable Foundation 

Gerry Bloomfield Awards 2011 

Board Corner 

In Your Corner 

Autismontario 

1179 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. 

2 

1 

3 

6 

4 

5 

Strategic Directions 

Look for these icons to identify articles in 

this issue with aspects of Autism Ontario’s 

strategic priorities: 

1 Effective marketing and fundraising 

2 Building a unified organization 

3 Opening doors for adults 

4 Educating educators and professionals 

5 Using information technology to 

collaborate, learn and share 

6 Expanding our reach 

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

New and Noteworthy 

Important information about autism research, 

government resources and supports, new 

books and our new social skills report 

by Margaret Spoelstra, Executive Director 

message EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

This issue of Autism Matters is one of the largest we’ve ever published. 

IMFAR 2012 coming to Toronto: On May 17-19, 2012 the International Society 

for Autism Research is holding its annual International Meeting for Autism Research 

in Toronto. This is the first time in 11 years that the conference will be held in 

Toronto and it is an incredible opportunity to hear about the most current ASD 

research from researchers from around the world. Check the INSAR website for 

details at www.autism-insar.org. 

Improving Health Care for People with Developmental Disabilities: In 

May 2011 the Canadian Family Physician published the Primary Care of Adults with 

Developmental Disabilities: Canadian Consensus Guidelines (DD Guidelines) and Tools for 

the Primary Care of People with Developmental Disabilities. The DD Guidelines is an 

update of the 2006 Guidelines. 

Tools for the Primary Care of People with Developmental Disabilities is a book of 28 

practical tools for the primary care of people with DD and relates to specific guideline 

recommendations as aids to implementing them. These have been distributed to family 

physicians and family medicine residents across Ontario. Electronic versions of the 

tools are available at no cost through the Surrey Place Centre website http://www. 

surreyplace.on.ca/Documents/Consensus-guidelines-for-health-care.pdf. 

Funding through DSO not for all: The launch of Developmental Services Ontario 

in July 2011 has had its celebrations and its challenges. What many adults with 

Aspergers or HFA are already discovering is that they may not be eligible for these 

supports. It is important to note that neither a diagnosis nor one’s IQ is the sole 

determinant for eligibility. Autism Ontario continues to be in dialogue with Ontario 

leaders about the lack of supports for adults with ASD and the continually growing 

numbers of individuals requiring health, mental health, housing, employment and 

meaningful day supports across Ontario. Speak with your local DSO office for more 

information. Visit http://www.dsontario.ca/. 

Via Rail http://www.viarail.ca/en/useful-info/special-needs/additional-assistance 

Passengers who need assistance in attending to their personal needs (eating, medical 

care, personal hygiene) during their trip must travel with a companion capable 

of providing such assistance. The companion travels free in the same class of service. 

Where necessary, the companion is expected to assist Via personnel in boarding 

and disembarking the passenger and in helping the passenger move about while on 

board. 

To take advantage of this privilege, the traveler with special needs must present, 

for each trip, a valid card from a recognized association or institution for persons with 

New Books 

Kitchen, Julian & Dean, Christopher (2010) 

Professionalism, Law, and the Ontario 

Educator, Highland Press, ON. ISBN 

978-0-9865873-0-6 

This is a helpful resource for educators 

with a wealth of information which “conveys 

what teachers need to understand concerning 

this broader picture of who they are as 

teachers and what they do.” Chapters on 

safe classrooms and schools, the rights and 

responsibilities of students and parents and 

special education law will be of particular interest 

to Autism Matters readers. 

Hackney, I. Mary. Illustrated by Carly Hatton 

(2011) Limericks from the Animal Kingdom, 

Spiral Press, ON. ISBN 978-0-9867912-1-5 

The words, in limericks, of a psychologist, 

Mary Hackney, are beautifully combined 

with the illustrations of Carly Hatton, 

a 19-year-old autistic artist. A portion of 

the proceeds from this book goes to the 

Hackney-Hatton Fund to support families of 

children living with autism. 

FALL 2011 AutismMATTERS 3

message EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

disabilities, or a recent letter dated within the last nine months (unless the letter states 

that the condition is permanent) and signed by a physician. 

To be valid, the letter must describe exactly which of the following personal 

needs the traveler cannot attend to by himself/herself (see examples): 

• Eating 

• Personal hygiene 

• Medical care (administration of medication, supervision by a nurse, etc.) 

Children: In cases where a child cannot travel alone, an escort is not allowed. 

Examples: 

• Child under the age of 8. 

• Child ages 8 to 11 on a trip where they are not entitled to travel alone according 

to our “unaccompanied children” service (travelling in sleeper or 

overnight for example). 

Easter Seals Canada promotes an accessible leisure program known as Access 2 

Entertainment, which consists of a personalized card for people with permanent 

disabilities who require the support of an attendant while going to the movies or 

other tourist attractions. The card grants one free admission to the attendant while 

the cardholder pays the regular admission fee. The card costs $20, valid for five years, 

and is accepted at many attractions such as movie theatres, museums, art galleries, 

and theatre productions. Visit www.access2.ca for more information, to download 

application forms, or to view an updated list of participating venues. 

Thank you, Flavia Orvitz (Niagara), for sending us this important information to share with our 

readers. 

Santé et équilibre . . . pour obtenir de meilleurs résultats au travail Cet atelier 

fait partie d’une série d’ateliers offerts par le Rifssso tout au long de l’année 2011- 

2012. 

Le conférencier, Michel Duval, offrira des outils pratiques pour obtenir plus 

de motivation et de succès au travail en visant une vie plus équilibrée. / Date : 17 

octobre 2011 de 10h30 à 16h30 / Date limite pour s’inscrire : 7 octobre 2011 / Lieu : 

Marriott, rue Yonge, Toronto ON / Le Rifssso profitera de cette occasion pour lancer 

la Communauté de pratique, esante-ontario, pour les intervenants francophones en 

santé et en services sociaux. Pour vous inscrire à l’atelier, vous devez d’abord devenir 

membre (voir www.cliquezsante.ca) et ensuite remplir le formulaire d’inscription. Pour 

plus d’information, communiquez avec Béatrix Lafosse à beatrix.lafosse@rifssso.ca. 

Social Matters Report: We are very 

excited about this issue and also about the 

release of Social Matters, our paper about 

what families look for in teaching social 

skills to their children with ASD, what 

Ontario professionals offer, what the 

literature currently tells us about social 

skills programs and future directions in 

Ontario. Watch our website for details, 

but our members will all receive copies 

in the mail later this month. 

AutismMATTERS 

FALL 2011 Volume 8 • Number 3 

A PUBLICATION OF AUTISM ONTARIO 

Autismmatters 

The “go to” resource for parents and educators 

Autismmatters is a publication of Autism Ontario. For $25, “Friends of Autism Ontario” can 

learn about autism all year round with a one-year subscription (4 issues). You’ll receive the most 

recent issue when you subscribe. Please provide full mailing information and a cheque payable to: 

Annual Education Issue 

Housing Design for Adults 

with Autism 

Page 19 à 28 

Info Autisme 


1179 King St. W., Suite 004 

Toronto, ON M6K 3C5 

Members of Autism Ontario automatically receive a copy. 

Visit our website: www.autismontario.com to view back issues of our magazine. 

4 AutismMATTERS FALL 2011

feature EDUCATION 


Homework for Parents and 

Educators 

Photo credit: MediaBakery 

Guidelines for the Effective Use of Educational 

Software with Students who have Autism 

Spectrum Disorder and/or other Developmental 

Disabilities 

by Leslie Broun, M.Ed. 

Educational software can be a valuable component in the array of methods 

and materials used to teach students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder and/ 

or other developmental disabilities. When making decisions about accessibility to the 

computer and the kinds of software programs that should be used, parents and educators 

must take into consideration certain factors regarding how their child or student 

responds to and interacts with computers: 

• The computer screen is a visual medium which allows the student to access her/ 

his strength in the visual modality. 

• Computer programs offer unlimited opportunities to review concepts. Repeated 

trials allow opportunities to refine or consolidate a task or skill sequence. 

• Software programs that have been created for students who have learning difficulties 

generally maintain consistency in the language of instruction and in the 

program routines, as well as provide an element of predictability in how exercises 

will be presented. 

• Most educational software eliminates the need for using a pencil, particularly 

in the area of mathematics. Many students with ASD and other developmental 

disabilities have significant difficulty using a marking tool and this can seriously 

interfere with task performance. When the pencil is removed from the learning 



experience, it frees the student’s focus 

and cognitive energy to deal with 

task expectations rather than struggle 

with numeral or letter formation. 

• Working with educational software 

allows for a focused instructional 

experience. 

• When software can be shared between 

school and home, the student 

may be more able to generalize information 

from one environment to 

the other. 

By allowing a student to access learning 

through the use of software, an instructor 

or parent is not restricting the student’s 

social experience, but rather enhancing 

that student’s learning opportunity. If a 

student with ASD must constantly confront 

challenges with social interaction 

during the learning experience, he or she 

may not be able to focus on either academic 

learning or social interaction. If 

skill acquisition is the goal in an instructional 

situation, the student may learn 

most efficiently if other distractions are 

eliminated so that he or she may focus 

on learning. There are some preliminary 

steps that instructors can take so that students 

can participate to the best of their 

ability and with a clear understanding of 

task expectations. 

• Make an informed decision about 

the software program you choose for 

your student. 

Ask other instructors about software 

programs that their students 

have used. 

Look at educational catalogues 

and brochures that advertise educational 

software. 

Go to the websites of companies 

that sell educational software. 

Many of these websites include 

free downloads and/or demonstration 

videos that explain the 

programs and that can be trialed. 

Some sites also offer software 

manuals that can be downloaded. 

 

Seek the advice of a software distributor 

who has a broad knowledge 

of what kinds of programs 

are available. 

When choosing educational software, 

preview its program components. Check 

to see if the cognitive level for intended 

users is indicated. It is critically important 

to study the software to determine 

which elements of a program are appropriate 

for the student. There are 

some important questions to ask in this 

process: 

Does the student have the preskills 

necessary to engage in the 

program 

What kinds of software has 

the student used in previous 

situations 

If a student with ASD must 

constantly confront challenges 

with social interaction during 

the learning experience, he or 

she may not be able to focus 

on either academic learning or 

social interaction. 

How did the student respond to 

other software programs 

Are there components of the 

program which may be too easy 

or too difficult for the student 

Does the program include audio 

Does it give verbal task instructions 

Does the student have adequate 

receptive language skills 

to understand the instructions or 

will they need explanation by an 

instructor 

Is there a reading component to 

the program Are the student’s 

reading skills adequate for effective 

participation in the program 

• Look for the software features that 

are most useful for students with 

ASD/DD: 

Clear visual images that do not 

veer too far from reality: either 

photographs or accurate 

drawings 

Well-articulated and clear language 

of instruction 

Single-step instructions whenever 

possible 

The availability of Pause and 

Repeat features 

Scaffolded tasks that do not become 

too complex too quickly 

Tasks that allow the student to 

work independently 

• Check the technical requirements of 

the program. Can the technical components 

be manipulated, e.g. voice, 

length of time between tasks, mouse, 

touch screen, keyboard or switch capability 

Determine which method 

of access will be most efficient for 

your student. 

• Does the program have a data collection 

component Can it be printed 

Can the student participate in her/ 

his own data collection process 

There is a vast array of educational 

software available which addresses the 

broad spectrum of academic and social 

needs of students with Autism Spectrum 

Disorder and developmental disabilities. 

This software can be an extremely useful 

component in a well-rounded and comprehensive 

educational program for our 

students. 

Leslie Broun 


feature FUNDRAISING 

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Copyright © 2011 Trumpet Behavioral Health 

ad_autism matter_0911_v02.indd 1 

9/29/2011 4:17:51 PM 

Ride, Glide ’N Stride 

Movin’ and shakin’ for autism awareness 

and fundraising 

by Marti Veliz, President – Autism Ontario, 

Toronto Chapter 

On Sunday, September 11, 2011, the Toronto Chapter held its Annual Ride, 

Glide ’N Stride for Autism Event. The hot summer weather added to the festivities 

out at Thistletown Regional Centre. Approximately 200 people were in attendance, 

many new to the Toronto Chapter. Participants journeyed in a five-kilometre walk 

along the scenic route of Rowntree Mills Park. The adventuresome ones participated 

in a 20-km cycle. It was all to raise awareness and funds which enable the Toronto 

Chapter with their initiatives (movie days, annual Christmas party, parent support 

group and two pilot programs – Cook & Chat and Social Skills) for the families living 

with ASD in Toronto. 

Kids of all ages were able to sit behind the wheel of a police cruiser or fire truck, 

jump on a bouncy castle or have their faces painted. Our lovable mascots, Bert and 

Ernie, Shrek and Smurf, dropped by for some fun and pictures. Participants and their 

families enjoyed a free BBQ while watching the magical talents of Magic Joe. 

The Toronto Chapter would like to thank the following: 

1. Our Sponsors: 

Longos 

Metro Foods 

Paula Stamp and Accident Benefits Group 

K. Jamson Luggage 

2. The Toronto Fire and Police Services 

3. All our volunteers 

The Toronto Chapter raised funds just shy of $8,000 (pledges still trickle in). 

The 2011 Ride, Glide ’N Stride Event for Autism was a success and raised much 

needed funds, thanks to everyone who participated, to our sponsors and the many 

volunteers who took time away from their families to assist and making a memorable 

day for our Toronto Chapter families. 


feature WORKING TOGETHER 

Non-Violent Crisis 

Intervention for Parents 

Often interventions focus on 

identifying triggers in an effort to 

minimize the potential for escalation to 

an unsafe situation, but what happens if 

you miss the triggers 

by Sarah Duhaime, Family Support 

Coordinator, Toronto – Central West 

Connecting with families through my work with Autism Ontario (in the 

Family Support Coordinator role) has made it apparent that parents are looking for 

more information to keep their children and themselves physically safe during times 

of crisis. We know that melt-downs are a frequent occurrence for those living with 

ASD. We also know that self-injurous behaviour is quite common too. In order to ensure 

safety for individuals with autism during crisis there are a number of therapeutic 

supports offered by a variety of professionals. 

Recent media attention to the case of a nine-year-old boy with Asperger 

Syndrome in Toronto who was restrained by police officers through the use of handcuffs 

at his local daycare tells us that we need to focus more attention on this key issue. 

Follow-up interviews from key responders in the autism community confirm that the 

approach used by the police officers that day was not appropriate, but what can we 

do instead 

To answer these difficult questions, Autism Ontario Hamilton Chapter drew 

upon the expertise of Ed Mahony to share information with our local families. Ed is a 

Special Education Resource Teacher with the Hamilton Wentworth Catholic School 

Board. He also teaches courses on Autism Spectrum Disorder, Applied Behavioural 

Analysis and minimizing crisis behaviour within the Educational Assistant Programs 

of Mohawk and Conestoga College with campuses in Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener, 

Waterloo and Stratford. Ed is a trained Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) 

Instructor. NVCI training “focuses on prevention and offers proven strategies for 

safely defusing anxious, hostile, or violent behavior at the earliest possible stage” 

(NVCI, 2011). 

Through Ed’s front-line work with individuals affected by autism, and his specialized 

knowledge of NVCI, he was able to adapt a very practical two-day training 

program for a group of 15 community members (consisting of parents and a few 

volunteers). Over the two days, Ed shared some of his knowledge in understanding 

the development stages of crisis situations and how to apply non-violent de-escalation 



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ad_autism matters_0911_final.indd 2 

techniques to avoid the need for physical 

intervention. Ed recognizes that due 

to the complex nature of ASD there is 

no “magic formula” or simple solution 

that will work to assist all children with 

autism. From the training, parents were 

given the tools to personalize strategies 

based on the needs of their children. 

Feedback from parents for this training 

included comments such as, “I like 

that it showed me how to control my 

son’s episodes and how to divert them 

to something else as well as doing it a 

safe manner,” and, “I really enjoyed Ed’s 

type of teaching (visual). He is a handson 

teacher and did a great job of ensuring 

everyone understood before moving 

on. Being able to ask direct questions and 

share information and concerns about 

our own children made it much more 

personal and helpful.” It is evident that 

“crisis training” information, which is 

usually reserved for professionals working 

in the autism field, was very well received 

by families living with autism. 

Some key” take-aways” from this 

training and literature on crisis management 

to minimize the use of physical restraint 

include: 

• Recognizing the potential sensory 

sensitivities in an environment that 

an individual with ASD may have. 

Try to make accommodations to 

the environment to maximize daily 

success. Be conscientious of the extra 

sensory issues that may present 

during transition times. (i.e., If at 

school, going from a quiet classroom 

to a busy hallway). 

• Understanding that individuals with 

ASD often experience high levels of 

anxiety and that deviations from the 

regular routine are likely to have a 

greater impact on them than the average 

neuro-typical person. Making 

arrangements to share information 

about a possible change to a routine 

is often helpful. 

• Ensuring consistency in a behaviour 

management or safety plan so that 

the same strategies are being applied 

among all support people and caregivers. 

Core elements of this plan 

should include how to respond when 

the child/adult indicates increased 

anxiety, and how to keep everyone 

involved calm. 

• Avoid making demands or increasing 

instruction if the individual is 

escalating. These requests can make 

the situation worse as the child/adult 

is often not able to process complex 

directions during a crisis. 

• Providing physical space. Cornering 

an individual into a small area may 

cause them to feel threatened. A 

quiet, calming space is often ideal to 

help with de-esclation. 

• Ensuring that safety accommodations 

are in place regardless of the 

space. Be mindful of sharp corners 

on tables, wall and floor space, etc. 

• Being mindful of the safety of others. 

In many circumstances, it is 

safer to remove others who may be 

in the room instead of removing the 

10/4/2011 10:32:52 AM 

individual in crisis. 

• Being reflective of how one’s own 

behaviour may contribute to the situation. 

Remember as a staff or parent 

to always try to stay calm. 

If you are working in the field of 

autism, connecting with your direct supervisor 

is a good way to start to gain 

more information about local training 

opportunities that will allow for an 

NVCI certification. This training will 

help an individual to gain a better understanding 

of safety planning and crisis 

management. (Note that parents who 

participated in the training provided by 

Ed Mahony were not eligible for an actual 

NVCI certification; however, they 

were able to take away many of the core 

principles). If you are looking for ASDspecific 

resources related to crisis management, 

you may also want to connect 

with your local Autism Ontario Chapter. 

Aside from this more intensive training 

described above, Ed often provides 

workshops on “Positive Intervention” 

and is in the process of a fall tour, making 

stops in Huron-Perth, Kingston and 

Peterborough. This workshop focuses 

on crisis prevention strategies to meet 

the unique needs of individuals with 

ASD, rituals and compulsive behaviour, 

self-injurious behaviour, agitation and 

the non-verbal student, and the limits 

and dangers of physical restraint. Ed 

presents for Autism Ontario in different 

parts of the province on a regular basis. 

Attending a workshop or training presented 

by Ed is time well spent. 



From Gynmastics to 

Gastronomy 

HOW A GOOD IDEA FROM DUNDAS TOOK HOLD IN 

NORTH BAY 

by Kelli VanBuskirk, Manager of Chapter 

Development and Fundraising - North Bay 

and Area Chapter 

Penny Gill’s book, Coach in the Kitchen, was 

the inspiration in North Bay 

Fall brings many activities to the North Bay and Area chapter and things 

are even busier this year. We have a variety of weekly programs for our families to enjoy 

and none of these programs would be possible without the amazing partnerships 

we have developed with the people, businesses and service providers in and around 

North Bay. 

Our most popular program is gymnastics, run by Gymtrix Gymnastics and 

Trampoline Centre. Every Thursday we gather at Gymtrix and our children participate 

in a traditional gymnastics program, under the direction of their expert staff. 

The kids jump on the trampoline, launch themselves into the foam pit, run an obstacle 

course and have a ton of fun doing it, all the while getting much needed exercise 

and learning the benefits of things such as turn-taking and body awareness. This year 

we added an additional trampoline only class for teens. 

Every Sunday for two hours, a group meets at Dance Obsessed Studios. Led by 

Mabel Hernandez, they learn the latest dance moves in a non-competitive environment, 

then relax by doing yoga and honing their fine motor skills with crafts developed 

by Shannon Berger. Mabel also runs a camp for a week in the summer expressly 

for our children. 

Back by popular demand is the drama program, led by Can-Do Kids Theatre and 

its artistic director, Michelle Webster. This year’s play, designed for children ages 6 

to 12, is A Charlie Brown Christmas and promises to provide as much entertainment 



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10/5/2011 10:26:14 AM 

as last year’s play. Michelle hasn’t forgotten about the teens, however, and plans for 

a teen program is in the works for the new year. 

An integral component of these programs are the workers who provide support 

in a variety of ways to our children and youth. Through the Group Activities 

Enhanced Respite funds at Hands [thefamilyhelpnetwork.ca], our programmers can 

apply for funding to help hire the extra staff needed to accommodate our group. 

Hands has been very generous and supportive of all our endeavours. 

One of our most successful partnerships is with Lee Anna Tremblay, the owner 

of One Stop Employment Shop. After being inspired by the program “Coach in the 

Kitchen” developed by Penny Gill, we searched for a way to make a cooking program 

available to teens and adults in our community. At the same time, Lee Anna, after 

spending several years working with organizations that provided service to people 

with special needs, decided to branch out on her own. A phone call and a few e-mails 

later, our Teen and Adult Cooking Program became a reality. 

The cooking class begins every Wednesday in the kitchen of One Kids Place, 

our children’s treatment centre, where they have very graciously opened their doors 

to us so that we can make full use of their wonderful facility. With the exception of 

the first class, participants plan the menu themselves, from appetizers to dessert. It 

is a collaborative effort, expertly facilitated by Lee Anna as each participant gives 

input and gets to choose their favourite food at least once during the session. You 

won’t find them boiling any wieners either! Vegetables are chopped, meat is prepared 

and a culinary trip around the world begins. 

Tasty examples include Greek salad – one of 

many different types of salad prepared, scalloped 

potatoes, chicken pot pie, homemade 

pizza, hamburgers, orange glazed ham, shrimp 

linguine and asparagus. The deliciousness 

continues into dessert with the preparation of 

yummy brownies, fruit turnovers and the best 

lemon meringue pie I have ever tasted, with a 

meringue that rivals a professional chef’s. At 

the end of the meal, the dishes are washed, the 

table, counters and stove are all cleaned and 

everyone goes home happy and full. 

We are extremely fortunate to be so supported 

in our community and are always on 

the lookout for even more partnerships. 



Simple Strategies That Work 

techniques for working with students 

with high-functioning autism and aspergers 

syndrome 

Smith Myles, B., Adreon, D., & Gitlitz, D. 

(2006). Simple Strategies That Work, helpful 

hints for all educators of students with 

Asperger Syndrome, high-functioning autism, 

and related disorders. Autism Asperger 

Publishing Co. Kansas: Shawnee Mission. 

Veuillez noter que la version française de cet 

article est disponible à la page 28. 

1. Operate on Asperger time 

a. Twice as much time, half as much 

done 

b. Modify requirements 

c. Reduce or eliminate handwriting 

d. Avoid rushing 

2. Manage the environment 

a. Prepare for change 

b. Incorporate the student’s 

preferences 

c. Build in relaxation 

d. Provide choices 

3. Create a balanced agenda that conserves 

energy 

a. Monitor demands 

b. Engage the student in a familiar or 

calming activity early in the school 

12 AutismMATTERS FALL 2011 

day to prepare him or her for 

work 

c. Incorporate special interests into 

assignments 

d. Alternate difficult and less difficult 

tasks as well as interchange preferred 

and non-preferred activities 

e. Provide “down time” in the 

schedule 

f. Use calming and alerting activities 

4. Share the agenda 

a. Use visual supports 

5. Simplify language 

a. Watch for literalness 

b. Teach “hidden curriculum” rules 

6. Set a calm, positive tone 

a. Model acceptance 

7. Live out loud 

a. Verbalize your actions 

8. Be generous with praise 

a. Foster attribution and understanding 

(for the student) 

9. Listen to the words 

a. Seek and offer clarification 

10.Provide reassurance 

a. Reduce uncertainty

feature living with autism 

Living in the Community: 

Housing design for adults 

with autism 

The environment in which an adult with 

autism lives can have a profound impact on 

their health and wellbeing. This UK study 

looks at how the design of residential 

accommodation can meet their needs 

by Andrew Brand, Research Associate, 

RCA Helen Hamlyn Centre 

This article was originally published in World 

Health Design, October 2010, 4:1:73-81, 

accessible at www.worldhealthdesign.com and 

reprinted with permission. 

Autistic spectrum conditions, including Asperger’s syndrome, affect 

one in 150 people. They are lifelong and complex neurological conditions that affect 

social development, interaction and communication, and can cause unusual behaviours 

and interests. The environment in which an adult with autism lives can have a 

profound impact on their wellbeing, exacerbating behaviours that may inhibit progress 

and diminish motivation and confidence. This article is an extract from the publication, 

Living in the Community, which summarises a one-year design research study 

that was conducted in partnership by autism charity Kingwood and the Royal College 

of Art Helen Hamlyn Centre with support from London-based design consultancy 

BEING. The work looked at autism from a design, rather than a behavioural or sociological, 

point of view. It recognises that a great deal more research is required in 

order to understand how design may benefit people with autism, their families and 

the people who support them. 

For the purposes of this article, the term autism is used to refer to all autistic 

spectrum conditions including Asperger’s syndrome, except when referring specifically 

to individuals who have this diagnosis. 

The study was concerned with the design of ordinary residential buildings in the 

community, and the guidelines and concepts presented in Living in the Community reflect 

this focus. This does not preclude these recommendations being used for other 

building types. 

The aims of the study were: 

• to understand how the built environment, and housing design in particular, affects 

the health and wellbeing of people with autism; 

• to look at how housing design impacts on the effective delivery of care and support 

for adults with autism; 

• to develop recommendations and concepts that show good practice in the design 

of residential accommodation for people with autism; and 

• to publish key findings and recommendations as a reference for planners, architects 

and other decision makers in the development of residential accommodation 

for people with autism. 

The study took a people-centred design approach to research, engaging people 

in their own homes as well as completing secondary research and interviewing 

experts in the field of autism. An understanding of people’s needs, constraints and 


noteworthy feature living news with + autism views 

aspirations was built from observations 

and their stories. Key insights and patterns 

of behaviour were extracted from 

the data leading to the development of 

four design themes. 

The design themes are expressed in 

terms of qualities rather than physical 

variables and can be used as a framework 

for generating concepts and making decisions 

about all the different considerations 

involved in planning a building, 

from its location and orientation to details 

such as wall finishes. 

Recommendations and concepts relating 

directly to building elements are 

also presented. These are based on existing 

research, observations from site visits 

and insights from an expert reference 

group, as well as other professionals who 

work within autism. Together they represent 

a collection of recommendations 

that should be considered when commissioning 

or refurbishing residential accommodation 

but are not written to be 

mandatory or prescriptive. 

About autism 

Autism is a lifelong neurological and 

complex condition that affects the way a 

person perceives and interacts with other 

people and the world around them. It is 

a spectrum condition, which means that 

while all people with autism share certain 

difficulties, they will be affected by them 

in different ways. 

Adults with autism experience sensory 

perceptual differences and difficulties 

in communicating and organising. These 

characteristics can seriously affect their 

ability to live independently and they often 

need support in managing basic everyday 

tasks such as shopping, preparing 

meals and paying bills. Some may lead 

relatively independent lives while others 

require dedicated support every day. 

Historically, this has been provided 

in residential institutions but the emphasis 

has shifted to community-focused 

models of support that take place in people’s 

own homes. In the UK, up to half of 

adults with autism receive support in the 

homes of their foster families or parents. 1 

With an increasing number of people 

being diagnosed with autism and parents 

of autistic adults getting older and less 

able to provide care, many are seeking 

opportunities to live outside traditional 

institutions or their parental home and 

want or need to find alternative housing 

or accommodation. 

Some people with autism have accompanying 

learning disabilities, while 

others may possess high levels of intellectual 

ability. However, everyone living 

with the condition shares a difficulty in 

making sense of the world and exhibits 

difficulties in three main areas: 

Social interaction. This includes 

difficulty with social relationships, appearing 

aloof, showing compromised 

ability and little desire to live in communal 

situations, trouble in understanding 

social rules and prioritising their own 

needs over those of other people. 

Communication. There can be 

difficulty in interpreting verbal and 

non-verbal communication such as understanding 

the meaning of common 

gestures, facial expressions or tone of 

voice. In some cases, people may have 

limited or no ability to talk. 

Restricted repetitive behaviours. 

There can be difficulty in managing 

transitions and dealing with changes in 

routine. Repetitive behaviours, such as 

pacing, hand flapping or rocking, and 

persistent preoccupation with certain 

subjects and objects are typical. 

People with autism may also display 

some or all of the following characteristics, 

which can present themselves as 

either challenges or strengths, but all of 

which have implications for the design of 

their home environments: 

• sensory abnormalities such as unusual 

reactions to stimulation or 

difficulty in making sense of stimulation. 

Certain visual details, colours, 

sounds, smells, tastes or textures can 

cause both distress and enjoyment; 

• a need for more personal space and 

dislike of physical contact; 

• poor awareness of danger; 

• an inability to generalise concepts, 

which means skills learnt in one 

situation may not be transferred and 

employed in a similar situation; 

• poor coordination and balance; 

• seizures or periods of loss of 

consciousness; 

• special interests and sometimes high 

levels of ability in music, mathematics, 

technology or art; 

• vulnerability to mental health 

Parents rated their adults sons’ and daughters’ capabilities in a National Autistic Society England & Wales survey 


problems such as anxiety and 

depression. 

In March 2010, recognising the increasing 

urgency to meet the housing 

and support needs of this population, 

the UK government published an autism 

strategy, directing local councils to take 

into account the needs of adults with autism 

in the planning, design and allocation 

of local housing. 

However, while more housing opportunities 

are set to become available, 

there is a distinct lack of documented 

design guidance and, therefore, a risk of 

placing people in buildings that do not 

meet their needs or aspirations. The 

consequences of not providing appropriate 

accommodation can lead to family 

dependence, stress, incidences of aggression 

and social isolation. 

Residential building type 

Large institutional residences are not appropriate 

for most people with autism. 

They can be overstimulation environments, 

occupied by large numbers of 


people for whom daily routines are determined 

by staff rather than residents. In 

response to these older types of services, 

there has been a shift towards providing 

residential accommodation in domesticsized 

buildings in the community, not 

apart from it. 

Smaller living units, such as group 

homes or self-contained flats in a single 

building, have been shown to lessen the 

incidences of challenging behaviour, 

with individuals benefiting from more 

variety and stimulation from their living 

environment and inclusion in a community. 

2 While these new types of residential 

buildings form the focus of this study, 

it is recognised that they may not be suitable 

for all people with autism. 

Different models of accommodation 

and support exist in the form of clustered 

housing in one locality, sometimes referred 

to as villages or farmsteads. 

Personalisation of a bedroom with arts and crafts 

Research methods 

When designing for people with autism, 

it is essential to have an understanding 

of how they might experience the environment 

and perceive people and objects 

in it. Autism cannot be simulated with 

empathy tools such as age suits 3 or lowvision 

goggles. The way people with autism 

perceive the world is on the edge of 

our typical experiences. To build a better 

understanding, published works on 

the nature and complexities of sensory 

processing, behavioural and architectural 

research on the built environment 

and its effect on people with autism were 

reviewed. Biographical works by people 

with autism were also considered. They 

provided insightful and lyrical accounts 

that complemented pathological descriptions 

of autism. 

Interviews were conducted with 

adults with autism as well as with professionals 

who work with them, such as 

support workers, psychologists and architects, 

and an expert reference group 

was established. 

The third element of the research 

study included visits to supported living 

residences. Seven homes for autistic 



adults were visited on a number of occasions. 

The purpose of conducting studies 

in situ was to observe firsthand how 

residents use and respond to their living 

environments, see how support workers 

interact with them and carry out contextual 

interviews. 

Throughout the project, contributors 

were invited to comment on the 

work. To get feedback on specific issues, 

illustrated concepts were reviewed in 

workshops with autistic adults. Insights 

were drawn from the stories and observations 

to develop universal themes and 

a design guide. 

Material gathered during the research 

phase was used to uncover patterns, 

decipher common themes and 

define a structure for understanding how 

the design of built environments can affect 

people with autism. From an analysis 

of what had been observed and recorded, 

key project findings and insights were 

defined. 

Key findings 

The design of residential buildings can 

profoundly impact on the health, wellbeing 

and behaviour of adults with autism. 

To enhance the confidence and independence 

of people with autism and complex 

needs, a holistic approach must be taken 

that aligns the building design and level 

of personal support with individual preferences 

and aspirations. 

The abilities and sensitivities of individuals 

on the autistic spectrum vary 

greatly, so reactions to the environment 

can differ. Unique groupings of behaviour 

have started to emerge from the research, 

but further study is required to 

prove their universality. 

Service staff, prospective residents 

and their families are rarely consulted 

in the writing of design briefs and are 

typically not involved in the preparation 

and initial stages of building projects. 

Post-occupancy evaluations are more 

common, though not universally performed, 

and while their findings may 

inform the next project, it can be difficult 

and expensive to modify the building 

The four design themes can help designers and architects ask the right questions at the briefing 

stage 

being evaluated, which may have several 

shortcomings. Architects and designers 

should involve end-users throughout the 

design-and-build process. 

There has been a shift from institutional 

care to community-focused, social 

models of support, which advocate 

personal planning rather than regulated 

schedules as fixed by staff. Emphasis is 

rightly placed on the individual needs 

and wishes of residents. However, in 

aiming to provide normal home-like 

environments, the requirements of staff 

have been overlooked and this affects 

their ability to provide appropriate levels 

of care and support. It must be remembered 

that, while residential buildings 

are people’s homes, they are also places 

of work. 

In addition, homes are more likely 

to be successful when the compatibility 

of residents has been assessed and people 

are cohabitating alongside those with 

similar needs, routines and life stage. 

Design themes 

These findings were distilled into four 

design themes that were used to drive 

the next stages of the project. They are 

expressed in terms of the qualities and 

performance criteria that are critical to 

improving housing for adults with autism. 

Some of the qualities are specific 

to people with autism while others may 

benefit wider groups of people. They are 

written in a manner that tries to help architects 

and designers ask the right sort 

of questions at the briefing stage. The 

aim is to inspire creative responses to 

these qualities rather than provide prescriptive 

rules or regulations. 

Design responses to these themes 

are expressed as guidance and concepts in 

the publication Living in the Community 

to practically show how they might be 

used and applied in real spaces. 

Growth and development. To improve 

the quality of life for adults with 

autism, there must be opportunities for 


them to make free choices and be independent. 

Simple activities like answering 

the front door and choosing who they 

invite in enhances their sense of ownership 

and engagement with the home environment. 

Similarly, enabling residents 

to make informed choices and take on 

responsibilities such as preparing food, 

cleaning and doing laundry can add 

meaning and purpose to everyday life. 

However, increased autonomy and 

multiple options present ambiguities, 

which people with autism may find difficult 

to process and this can lead to agitation 

or increased anxiety. The challenge, 

therefore, is to design environments that 

appear to have limited options while at 

the same time building in systems that allow 

them to be adapted to the changing 

needs of residents. 

Triggers. People with autism can 

be prone to acute and disabling anxiety, 

resulting in unusual reactions and complex 

behaviour. They can become easily 

overwhelmed or even fearful of ordinary 

daily experiences and activities. This can 

be compounded by communication issues 

and sensory abnormalities that affect 

the ways people with autism process 

and interpret stimuli in the environment. 

Through careful selection of design 

elements, triggers that lead to agitation 

or increased anxiety can be reduced. 

Adult residents living with autism 

may demonstrate underdeveloped or 

overdeveloped sensitivities to stimulation, 

resulting in adverse reactions to 

the presence or absence of certain visual 

details, colours, textures, noises or 

aromas. These triggers vary from one 

individual to another and so home environments 

may have to provide ranges of 

stimulation. 

People with autism can be particularly 

sensitive about the amount of personal 

space they occupy in group situations 

and may feel threatened if distances are 

insufficient. When overwhelmed, they 

may need to retreat to a private space. 

Robustness. People with autism 

can make unexpected, spontaneous 

movements or lack an appropriate fear 

of danger. They can also show an underdeveloped 

sensitivity to temperature or 

pain. These characteristics mean there 

can be significant risk to residents and 

staff and preventative actions many need 

to be taken to protect them from injury. 

Overtly protective features such as wall 

guards can look institutional and create 

a sense of containment or become 

the targets of challenging behaviour. 


Therefore, the specifications of safe, durable 

environments need to be balanced 

with the aim of providing aesthetically 

pleasing, homelike accommodation. 

People with autism can lose confidence 

quickly. If their home environment 

and the objects within are designed 

to withstand heavy or unintended use, 

both the physical and emotional impact 

on residents can be lessened and they 

will be more likely to engage in household 

activities. Residents can be further 

helped to complete tasks necessary for 

daily living by designing environments 

that are easy to clean and repair. This 

has the added benefit of giving staff more 

time to support residents in these activities 

and in developing skills for independent 

living. 

Support tools. While supportedliving 

residences are people’s homes, 

they are also places of work. The design 

of these buildings affects the quality of 

service and contributes to staff morale. 

People with autism have difficulties 

in conveying their wishes and feelings 

and in understanding verbal and gestural 

communications, which impacts 

on the relationship between them and 

support workers. By embedding nonverbal 

communication systems in home 

NOT FORGOTTEN 

If you care about someone with Autism, please help us to help them! 

In order to successfully advocate for adults with Autism and Aspergers we need you to add your voice. 

Go to our website www.autismontario.com/adults and fill out the “Count Me In” registration form. This registry consists of adults 

living with ASD in Ontario, their family members, their supporters and their service providers. 

Numbers are powerful tools 

to take to Ontario Government 

leaders. Please don’t 

wait, complete the form 

today. 

Those who need services 

and supports are counting 

on you! 

Ontario Partnership for 

Adults with Aspergers and Autism 

COUNT ME IN! 

AutismONTARIO 



Concept plan for residential home for four residents 

environments, interactions between 

staff and residents can be rendered more 

meaningful and purposeful. 

Designing environments and the objects 

within in a way that helps residents 

better understand how their actions relate 

to outcomes can motivate them and 

make daily activities more manageable. 

As such, employing Norman’s design 

principles of feedback and natural mapping 

4 may have particular benefit for 

people with autism. 

If sufficient space is provided for staff 

to give one-to-one support, then residents 

are more likely to carry out household 

tasks. Embedding buildings with 

sensor technologies and clear sightlines 

can help staff to monitor residents from 

a distance without making them feel like 

they are constantly being watched. For 

residents who physically need more personal 

space, this may help to reduce their 

anxiety. 

Design guide and concepts 

Recommendations for the design of residential 

buildings for adults with autism 

have been published in the handbook 

Living in the Community, which is available 

upon request from Kingwood or 

the Royal College of Art Helen Hamlyn 

Centre. 

The publication contains concepts 

to illustrate some the design guidance 

and provide ideas for the layout (above), 

main living spaces such as the kitchen, 

bedroom and dining area and facilities 

such as bathrooms and toilets. These 

concepts are not presented as a universal 

design of housing for adults with autism. 

Meaningful design solutions can best 

be achieved by responding to the context 

of a building site and specific requirements 

of its residents. 

Conclusions 

The main contribution of this study is a 

set of design themes that can be used as 

a framework for generating concepts and 

making planning decisions for residential 

buildings for adults with autism. 

Design guidance has also been developed 

and is intended for use by planners, 

housing providers, architects and 

designers. Many of the ideas are drawn 

from the evidence of working schemes 

that are currently in existence, while others 

are potential solutions that have yet 

to be validated. 

As with most of the literature on 

autism and the built environment, this 

study has attributed observed patterns 

of behaviour to certain design decisions. 

In many cases, links between design elements 

and improvements in behaviour 

such as enhanced levels of confidence or 

social interaction, have been interpreted 

rather than measured. 

Recommendations presented in 

Living in the Community are expected to 

bring benefit. However to validate their 

impact and quantify how the design of 

individual design elements affect adults 

with autism, baseline or intervention 

studies are required. 

A large number of unmet design 

challenges emerged from this study, particularly 

with regard to how communication, 

sensory integration, and control of 

environments in domestic settings might 

be improved. More research needs to be 

done to understand ways in which people 

living with autism perceive spatial relationships 

and connect contextual information 

with detail information. 

This work might inform future studies 

that investigate how architectural 

principles and elements, such as colour 

and texture or embedded technologies, 

could be used to help adults with autism 

improve perception and understanding 

of their domestic environments and the 

objects within. 

The next phase of this project, taking 

place between October 2010 and 

September 2011, will focus on the detailed 

design of different spaces within 

residential buildings. Prototypes will be 

developed and tested to evaluate some of 

the ideas produced in this study. 

The design of residential buildings 

clearly makes a difference to the quality 

of life of adults with autism, but should 

not be considered in isolation. A holistic 

approach should be taken that includes 

the design of people-centred support 

plans, models for financing accommodation, 

inclusion in the community as well 

as meaningful employment and help developing 

friendships, relationships and 

interests that bring meaning and purpose 

to everyday life. 

No singular model of housing or 

support will meet all the needs of this 

population. Planners and design professionals 

are encouraged to stay up to 

date on literature in the field and consult 

adults with autism, their families and service 

providers to meet their individual 

condition and circumstances. 


Research partners 

A registered charity since November 

1994, Kingwood has worked steadily to 

provide a new approach to support for 

people with autism and Asperger’s. In 

ordinary houses, close to local shops and 

services, individuals and small groups of 

people are helped to take control of their 

lives and to develop interests and skills 

through which they may begin to reduce 

the most disabling aspects of their condition. 

Kingwood’s goal is to provide a 

full life within the community for people 

with autism and Asperger’s. 

The Helen Hamlyn Centre provides 

a focus for people-centred design research 

and innovation at the Royal College of 

Art, London. Originally founded in 1991 

to explore the design implications of an 

ageing society, the centre now works 

to advance a socially inclusive approach 

to design through practical research 

and projects with industry. Its Research 

Associates programme teams new RCA 

graduates with business and voluntary 

sector partners. 

BEING is a specialist business design 

consultancy that helps organisations 

in the public, private or charitable sectors 

achieve their goals through the effective 

application and management of design. 

Author 

Andrew Brand is a chartered mechanical 

engineer and a founding member of 

Squease, a start-up company which is developing 

smart clothing for people with 

autism, and the design collective BREAD. 

He holds Masters degrees in engineering 

from Loughborough University and in 

industrial design engineering from the 

Royal College of Art. 


Circulation space of supported living residence 

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info autisme 

À propos des emplois 

J’ai fait plusieurs différents CO-OPS 

par Richard Verville 

Je m’appelle Richard. J’ai 20 ans. 

Ceci est ma dernière année d’école. 

Pour me préparer à la vraie vie, 

j’ai fait plusieurs différents CO-OPS à 

l’extérieur de l’école. 

a) 4 magasins : Fortino’s, Canadian 

Tire, PJ’s Pet Center, Home 

Depot. 

b) Un gym : Goodlife Fitness. 

c) Une compagnie de courrier : 

Good Foot Delivery 

d) Aux étables : CARD (Community 

Association for Riding for the Disabled) 

Dans plusieurs magasins j’ai fait la 

même chose: prendre des boîtes en haut 

20 AutismMATTERS AUTOMNE 2011 

de l’étagère pour vérifier des objets en 

ordre numérique avant de classer ensuite 

classer aux bonnes places en ordre numérique 

pour la vente, les boîtes vides de 

mettre dans un chariot pour mettre dans 

une machine à recyclage et peser sur un 

bouton START pour écraser et pousser 

les boîtes vides. J’ai aimé mon travail à 

Home Depot, cela m’intéresse et apprendre 

grâce une machine à recycler 

pour mon fonctionnement et placer des 

objets en ordre numérique pour la vente. 

Au magasin des animaux PJ Pet’s 

Centre, j’ai fait nourrir des animaux qui 

vivent dans des aquariums, servir à boire 

aux reptiles et donner du manger aux 

poissons aussi j’ai nettoyé des aquariums 

des poissons. Ceci j’ai aimé cette expérience 

puis aussi j’ai appris à nourrir des 

poissons à l’école comme habileté de vie. 

À Goodlife Fitness, j’ai fait du lavage 

des serviettes et de les plier après, ensuite 

classer des documents dans des plusieurs 

dossiers de Goodlife. Ceci m’intéresse 

parce que j’ai appris pour l’école et la 

maison. 

À Good Foot Delivery, on a voyagé 

en TTC pour envoyer des livraisons du 

courrier et aussi j’ai participé aux activités 

du YOGA puis ensuite on a été à Foot 

Chair pour se servir du manger gratuitement 

dans une cafétéria pour chaque 

mardi et jeudi. Ceci j’ai plus d’intérêt 

parce que j’ai voyagé partout en TTC 

pour envoyer des courriers partout au 

Centre-Ville. Par rapport en TTC, j’en 

connaissais bien mes routes par cœur, 

on a commencé d’acheter ma carte de 

METRO PASS. Ensuite j’ai appris à 

utiliser TTC de chez moi jusqu’au travail. 

Puis je me sens capable d’y rendre 

tout seul comme un professionnel et un 

adulte pour arriver à l’indépendance. 

À CARD, j’ai lavé les seaux des chevaux 

ensuite j’ai fait du lavage et sécher 

des linges puis les plier correctement. J’ai 

ramassé les excréments des chevaux avec 

une pelle pour herbe. Puis ensuite j’ai 

lavé les colliers pour tenir des chevaux 

et les bancs pour s’asseoir à cheval surtout 

j’ai brossé les chevaux deux fois par 

semaine. Ceci m’intéresse moins parce 

que j’aimerais ne pas trop rapprocher des 

chevaux sinon ils vont te botter peut-être 

et ça va faire très mal par exemple. 

Tous mes CO-OPS deviennent 

facile et m’ont aidé à d’être capable et 

adulte. 

C’est maintenant la fin de l’année et 

j’ai fini l’école secondaire et mes co-ops. 

L’année prochaine j’aurai des emplois 

payants parce que l’année prochaine 

je ne suis plus ici. Pour venir à 

l’indépendance, j’irais dans la communauté 

pour avoir un emploi pour travailler 

puis faire des salaires. 

Je me sens prêt.

info autisme 

J’ai couru avec un enfant 

par Ginette Pilon-Major 

J’ai la chance d’enseigner dans une école 

élémentaire. Cette école est une microsociété. 

Et cette microsociété est composée 

de personnes toutes aussi intéressantes 

les unes que les autres… Je les côtoie à 

tous les jours. Quel bonheur! 

Une partie de ma responsabilité 

consiste à « surveiller » les enfants qui 

jouent dans la cour de récréation. Cela 

fait plusieurs fois que je m’y retrouve et 

que j’observe un enfant courir en formant 

un triangle. Il rit tout au long… Je 

lui dis bonjour quand je le vois et il ne 

me répond pas… Je devine que nous ne 

parlons pas le même langage. J’ai donc 

essayé de parler le sien. 

Les élèves sont devenus assez habiles 

à résoudre leurs propres conflits. Jeudi 

passé, j’ai donc senti que je pouvais me 

permettre de m’amuser. Je me suis dirigée 

vers mon ami A. et je lui ai dit : « Tu 

es le chef, je te suis. Et lorsqu’il s’est mis 

à courir, je l’ai suivi. J’ai suivi sa piste en 

forme de triangle, j’ai frappé la clôture 

avec mon dos, pour faire comme lui, et 

j’ai éclaté de rire comme lui. Et alors que 

nous retournions à notre point de destination, 

je disais en riant : « Ah que je suis 

fatiguée! », ce qu’il répétait. 

Une de mes élèves nous voyant faire, 

est venue me demander si elle pouvait 

jouer elle aussi et elle a voulu connaître 

le jeu. Je lui ai dit que mon ami A était 

le chef et que nous devions le suivre. Ce 

qu’elle a fait avec moi. Quelques minutes 

plus tard, c’est une autre de mes élèves 

qui est venue courir avec nous. Vous 

pouvez peut-être vous imaginer la scène. 

D’autres nous regardaient courir le 

sourire aux lèvres parce que nous avions 

énormément de plaisir. (Heureusement, 

tout de même, que la récréation ne dure 

Félicitations à Valérie Guet, 

gagnante du tirage d’un iPod 

touch! À voir la mine réjouie 

de Benjamin, on comprend 

que maman lui en a fait 

cadeau. Le chanceux! 

que 15 minutes parce que je devenais de 

plus en plus essoufflée.) 

La première amie qui est venue nous 

rejoindre a demandé d’être le chef à son 

tour. J’aime tellement lorsque les enfants 

demandent quelque chose parce qu’ils 

nous permettent d’expérimenter. Je me 

suis retournée vers mon ami A et je lui 

ai dit : « S est maintenant le chef. Nous 

allons la suivre. » Et elle est partie… 

Et nous l’avons tous suivie, moi, mon 

ami A et l’autre amie qui s’était jointe à 

nous. Mais S a changé la trajectoire… 

Notre ami A ne nous a pas suivis… Il 

n’était pas avec nous au point de destination. 

Nous nous sommes donc posé des 

questions : « Pourquoi n’est-il pas ici 

Où est-il Qu’allons-nous faire » 

Nous avons décidé qu’il serait le chef 

pour le reste de la récréation. Et nous 

avons continué à le suivre en nous amusant 

« comme des enfants ». 

Et lorsque la cloche a sonné, il 

s’est arrêté et il est venu vers moi. Sans 

me regarder il m’a pris le bras avec les 

deux mains et il est resté ainsi pendant 

quelques instants. Et je suis restée là 

quelques instants avec lui. Nous avions 

réussi à communiquer… Nous avions 

parlé le même langage… J’en suis encore 

tellement touchée. 

Cette expérience m’a permis de 

grandir, mais je me pose encore énormément 

de questions. Quel est le langage 

des enfants Qu’essaient-ils de nous 

dire Pourquoi devons-nous absolument 

modifier leur trajectoire sans avoir vérifié 

auparavant les raisons qui les poussent 

à suivre cette voie Grâce à mon ami A, 

j’ai eu énormément de plaisir et certains 

de mes amis aussi. Je me suis aussi rendu 

compte que j’ai besoin de me mettre en 

forme. 

Je vais continuer à réfléchir à ces 

questions et j’espère que la prochaine fois 

que je surveillerai la cour de récréation, 

les élèves autour de moi pourront régler 

leurs propres conflits afin que je puisse 

m’amuser comme un enfant et surtout 

apprendre quelque chose de nouveau. 

AUTOMNE 2011 AutismMATTERS 21

info autisme 

Directives pour 

l’utilisation efficace 

de logiciels éducatifs 

avec des élèves ayant 

un trouble du spectre 

de l’autisme et/ou 

d’autres troubles du 

développement 

par Leslie Broun, M.Ed. 

Texte adapté de l’ouvrage de Leslie Broun, 

M.ED., intitulé Guidelines for the Effective 

Use of Educational Software with Students 

who have Autism Spectrum Disorders and/ 

or other Developmental Disabilities. 

Le logiciel éducatif peut être un élément précieux dans l’éventail de méthodes 

et de matériel pédagogiques utilisés pour enseigner à des élèves ayant un 

trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA) et/ou d’autres troubles du développement. 

Lorsqu’ils ont à prendre des décisions concernant l’accessibilité à l’ordinateur et le 

genre de logiciels à utiliser, les parents et les éducateurs doivent tenir compte de certains 

facteurs qui ont trait à la façon dont leur enfant ou leur élève réagit et interagit 

avec les ordinateurs : 

• L’écran de l’ordinateur est un médium qui permet à l’élève de prendre conscience 

de sa capacité d’utiliser le mode visuel. 

• Les programmes d’ordinateur offrent des possibilités illimitées de réviser des 

concepts. Les essais répétés fournissent des occasions de peaufiner ou de consolider 

une séquence de tâches ou d’habiletés. 

• Les logiciels créés à l’intention des élèves qui ont des difficultés d’apprentissage 

se caractérisent généralement par l’uniformité linguistique des instructions et des 

routines de programme ainsi que par la prévisibilité du mode de présentation des 

exercices. 

• La plupart des logiciels éducatifs suppriment la nécessité d’utiliser un crayon, 

en particulier dans le domaine des mathématiques. Les élèves ayant un TSA et 

d’autres troubles du développement ont souvent beaucoup de difficulté à utiliser 

un outil de marquage, et cette difficulté peut nuire sérieusement à leur 

capacité d’accomplir des tâches. Lorsque le crayon est retiré de l’expérience 

d’apprentissage, l’élève a tout loisir de concentrer son énergie cognitive sur la 

tâche à réaliser au lieu de peiner à former des chiffres ou des lettres. 

• L’utilisation d’un logiciel éducatif permet de centrer l’expérience pédagogique 

sur des éléments précis. 

• Lorsque le même logiciel est utilisé et à l’école et à la maison, l’élève a parfois 

plus de facilité à généraliser l’information. 

En permettant à un élève de réaliser un apprentissage à l’aide d’un logiciel, 

l’enseignant ou le parent ne restreint pas l’expérience sociale de l’enfant, mais renforce 

plutôt la possibilité d’apprentissage qui lui est offerte. En effet, l’élève ayant 

un TSA, qui est constamment confronté à ses difficultés d’interaction sociale durant 

l’expérience d’apprentissage, peut être incapable de se concentrer, ni sur 

l’apprentissage ni sur l’interaction sociale. Lorsqu’une activité pédagogique vise 

l’acquisition de compétences, il se peut que l’élève apprenne mieux si les autres distractions 

sont éliminées de façon à ce qu’il puisse se concentrer sur l’apprentissage. 

Les enseignants peuvent effectuer un certain nombre de démarches préparatoires qui 

aideront les élèves à participer à l’activité d’apprentissage au meilleur de leur capacité 

22 AutismMATTERS AUTOMNE 2011

et en comprenant bien ce que l’on attend 

d’eux. 

• Choisissez avec soin et en toute connaissance 

de cause le logiciel que 

vous comptez utiliser avec votre 

élève. 

Renseignez-vous auprès d’autres 

enseignants au sujet des logiciels 

que leurs élèves ont déjà utilisés. 

Consultez des catalogues et des 

brochures qui font la promotion 

de logiciels éducatifs. 

Visitez les sites Web de sociétés 

qui vendent des logiciels éducatifs. 

Bon nombre de ces sites 

proposent des téléchargements 

gratuits et/ou des vidéos de démonstration 

qui expliquent les 

logiciels et vous invitent à en 

faire l’essai. Certains sites offrent 

également des manuels 

d’utilisation des logiciels, qui 

peuvent être téléchargés. 

Demandez l’avis d’un distributeur 

de logiciels qui possède 

habituellement une connaissance 

approfondie des différents 

logiciels présentement disponibles 

sur le marché. 

Avant d’arrêter votre choix sur un 

logiciel, prenez le temps d’en prévisualiser 

les composantes. Vérifiez si 

l’emballage indique le niveau cognitif 

que doivent posséder les utilisateurs visés. 

Il faut absolument étudier le logiciel 

afin de déterminer lesquels de ses 

éléments conviennent à l’élève. Au cours 

de ce processus, il y a des questions importantes 

à poser : 

Est-ce que l’élève possède les 

capacités requises pour utiliser 

adéquatement le logiciel 

Quels sont les types de logiciels 

que l’élève a déjà utilisés et en 

quelles circonstances 

Comment l’élève a-t-il réagi aux 

autres logiciels 

Est-ce que certains éléments 

du logiciel pourraient être trop 

faciles ou trop difficiles pour 

l’élève 

Est-ce que le logiciel comprend 

des éléments audio Est-ce que 

les directives sont données verbalement 

Est-ce que l’élève 

possède des aptitudes de langage 

réceptif suffisantes pour 

comprendre les directives ou ces 

directives devront-elles être expliquées 

par un enseignant 

Est-ce que le logiciel comprend 

une composante de lecture 

Est-ce que l’élève possède des 

aptitudes à la lecture suffisantes 

pour utiliser efficacement le 

logiciel 

• Essayez de déterminer les fonctionnalités 

du logiciel qui sont les plus 

utiles pour les élèves ayant un TSA 

et/ou d’autres troubles du développement 

: 

Des images visuelles claires qui 

info autisme 

ne s’éloignent pas trop de la réalité 

: des photos ou des dessins 

précis. 

Des directives claires et bien 

articulées. 

Des directives comportant une 

seule étape, si possible. 

L’accès aux fonctions Pause et 

Répétition. 

Des tâches progressives qui ne 

deviennent pas trop complexes 

trop rapidement. 

Des tâches qui permettent à 

l’élève de travailler de manière 

autonome. 

• Vérifiez les exigences techniques du 

logiciel. Est-il possible de modifier 

les composantes techniques telles que 

la voix, le temps alloué entre les différentes 

tâches, la souris, l’écran tactile, 

le clavier ou la capacité de commutation 

Déterminez la méthode d’accès 

qui sera la plus efficiente pour votre 

élève. 

• Est-ce que le logiciel possède une 

composante « collecte de données » 

Est-ce qu’elle peut être imprimée 

Est-ce que l’élève peut participer à 

son propre processus de collecte de 

données 

Les logiciels dont la conception est basée 

sur le style d’apprentissage des élèves 

ayant un TSA peuvent être extrêmement 

utiles dans le cadre d’un programme éducatif 

global et bien équilibré. 

Des ressources au service de la communauté 

À consulter absolument! 

Autisme Ontario a publié récemment un numéro spécial d’Info Autisme entièrement 

en français. Ce magazine constitue une ressource importante et regroupe des histoires 

inspirantes pour les familles et les professionnels. Celui-ci a été distribué dans les écoles 

de langue française et a été envoyé à des parents ainsi qu’à différents organismes. 

Nous avons écoulé les copies papier mais nous vous invitons à consulter la version 

électronique en ligne, à la section française du site www.autismontario.com. À noter 

que des feuillets informatifs appelés Conseils Autisme sont également accessibles au 

même endroit. 

Invitation à contribuer 

à notre magazine 

En prévision de futures publications 

d’Info Autisme, nous vous invitons 

à nous soumettre des articles, des 

lettres d’opinion, des suggestions, 

etc. aux coordonnées suivantes : 

rpcfrancais@autismontario.com ou 

1-800-472-7789, poste 240. 


info autisme 

Les modifications de 

l’aménagement physique en 

classe distincte 

par Mélissa Balthazar 

Quand arrive septembre, les pédagogues ont une vision bien dressée de 

leur nouvelle salle de classe! Cependant, quand il s’agit d’un classe distincte TSA, 

l’organisation n’est pas la même qu’une classe typique! Certes, les éléments peuvent 

être présents, mais ils seront organisés de façon bien différente. Il est important 

d’aménager la salle de classe en fonction des besoins précis de chaque élève. Dans 

certains cas, il suffira même d’organiser différents coins d’apprentissage, de loisir et 

d’activités propices et adaptés pour chaque élève. 

Il doit y avoir mille et une façons d’organiser une salle de classe pour des élèves 

ayant un TSA. Cependant, les exemples que je mentionnerai pourront vous donner 

une idée, qui vous inspirera à trouver des stratégies gagnantes pour l’aménagement 

physique de votre salle de classe. Notez bien que la préparation de votre classe sera 

dépendante de plusieurs facteurs, dont le niveau d’âge, le profil de vos élèves, leurs 

besoins, leurs forces, leurs intérêts et les buts annuels que vous allez viser à atteindre 

dans leur plan d’enseignement individualisé (PEI), etc. Le défi survient parfois 

lorsque vous enseignez dans une classe à âges multiples, une classe avec des élèves 

ayant des profils bien différents l’un de l’autre ou une classe régulière avec un élève 

ayant un TSA. Bref, peu importe le regroupement d’élèves que vous avez, il n’y existe 

pas de classe homogène. 

En tenant compte des besoins de vos élèves, il serait inacceptable d’avoir des 

tables et des chaises trop grandes pour des enfants du préparatoire, tout comme il ne 

serait pas acceptable d’avoir des oursons en peluche pour des adolescents dans leur 

coin de loisir! Il y a toujours moyen d’adapter le milieu scolaire d’un élève. Toutefois, 

songez que chaque espace aménagé dans la classe doit y avoir un but et une utilisation 

précise pour chaque élève. 

Les activités de groupe sont parfois nombreuses et elles se déroulent à différentes 

occasions de la journée. Prévoyez des tables en formes de « U » pour les élèves au 

préparatoire et primaire, afin d’organiser les périodes de la causerie, de communication, 

de musique, de bricolages, de motricité fine, d’activité de 

cuisine, de collations, etc. Ces tables vous permettront d’avoir 

une proximité avec vos élèves et vous aurez l’occasion de mieux 

cerner leurs besoins pendant l’animation de l’activité en cours. 

C’est ainsi que vous pourrez travailler les attentes de proximité 

avec les autres, tels que de rester assis, avoir une bonne posture 

sur une chaise, etc. Identifiez la chaise et la partie de la table 

où les élèves vont s’asseoir avec leur prénom et leur photo. Les 

élèves plus âgés pourront apprendre à exécuter des activités de 

groupe sur une table ronde ou s’asseoir en arc sur une chaise en 

face d’un tableau. 

Les coins et les ateliers de travail autonome sont généralement 

placés en face d’un mur de sorte que l’élève ne se 


info autisme 

Crédit photo: MediaBakery/MED0000658 

laisse pas distraire par ce qui se passe 

devant lui, telle que dans une classe typique 

avec un pupitre. Notez bien qu’il 

ne faut pas aménager le pupitre d’un 

élève ayant un TSA face à un mur s’il est 

en classe régulière. L’intégration d’un 

élève ayant un TSA en classe régulière 

vise l’inclusion et non l’exclusion. Les 

modifications seront donc de nature 

pédagogique et non physique (ex : pictogramme 

« Rester assis » collé sur le 

pupitre d’un élève). En classe distincte 

TSA, les ateliers de travail peuvent être 

organisés sur une étagère où l’élève doit 

aller identifier son travail avec un pictogramme, 

une forme, un jeton, un chiffre, 

etc. Il faut toujours miser l’autonomie 

lorsque l’élève exécute son travail, donc 

fournissez-lui les outils nécessaires afin 

qu’il complète son travail avec le minimum 

d’aide possible de l’intervenant. 

Le coin de jeux est un lieu où les 

élèves devraient être en mesure de jouer 

en dyade ou même à trois. Déterminez 

d’abord le but de votre coin de jeux. Ceci 

vous aidera à mieux l’aménager. Est-ce 

que c’est pour apprendre à jouer en parallèle 

ou ensemble Est-ce pour explorer 

les objets Est-ce pour se divertir, 

etc. Lorsque votre but est précis, vous 

aurez une vision plus déterminée de votre 

coin de jeux. Prévoyez une table avec des 

chaises, des objets sensoriels, des jouets 

sonores, des ballons thérapeutiques, un 

miroir à reflet exagéré, des affiches de 

personnages fictifs, un petit trampoline, 

Liste d’envoi 

Si vous souhaitez faire partie de notre liste d’envoi 

EN FRANÇAIS et recevoir notre bulletin de nouvelles 

de même que des nouvelles relatives à 

l’autisme, veuillez nous contacter au rpcfrancais@ 

autismontario.com ou 1-800-472-7789, poste 240. 

etc. Pour des élèves plus âgés, il s’agira 

plutôt d’un coin de loisir où ils pourront 

se divertir, apprendre à jouer des jeux 

de société, regarder des collections de 

cartes de hockey, tourner des pages de 

revues, etc. Il sera libre à vous et à votre 

équipe de décider si le coin de jeux sera 

disponible suite à un travail, pendant les 

transitions d’activités ou comme choix de 

récompense. 

Le coin de lecture peut être aménagé 

comme une petite bibliothèque avec 

une étagère et une table. Cependant, 

il peut être un lieu muni d’un petit divan 

confortable avec un grand panier de 

livres. Choisissez toujours des livres appropriés 

pour votre clientèle. Pour les 

plus petits, favorisez les livres colorés, à 

grandes images, des livres audio, en toile 

ou même en plastique. Les plus grands 

s’intéressent souvent aux bandes dessinés 

et aux romans. Vous pourrez même créer 

en équipe des livres ayant des histoires 

sociales, des photos avec les intervenants 

et les élèves de la classe, de photos sorties 

de classe, des règlements d’école, etc. Les 

élèves peuvent démontrer leur capacité 

à regarder les images d’un livre, tourner 

les pages de gauche à droite, s’abstenir de 

déchirer les pages, etc. 

Le coin de relaxation est bénéfique 

pour certains élèves qui souffrent 

d’anxiété ou qui ont besoin d’une pause 

en cours de journée. Vous pourrez 

aménager ce coin avec une bascule, 

une couverture mince en velours, un 

aquarium lumineux, etc. Utilisez ce coin 

suite à des activités mouvementées telles 

que, l’éducation physique, etc. 

Le poste d’écoute est un lieu où 

les élèves peuvent être installés seul 

ou en équipe de deux. Mettez en place 

une table, un lecteur de CD, des écouteurs, 

des instruments jouets, des livres. 

Certains élèves pourraient choisir et explorer 

différents styles de musique pendant 

leur période au poste d’écoute. Les 

plus jeunes s’intéressent à la musique répétitive, 

rythmée et ayant des variations 

divers dans la chanson. Il est important 

que vous ayez le contrôle du volume 

de l’appareil auditif, afin que les élèves 

n’abîment pas leur tympan. Certains 

élèves préfèrent des écouteurs à coussinets, 

d’autres ne peuvent pas en supporter 

sur la tête. De ce fait, préparez le 

poste d’écoute en conséquence. 

Comme déjà mentionné, il y a plusieurs 

façons d’aménager, de décorer et 

de préparer sa salle de classe pour une 

clientèle autiste. Dans certaines classes 

on y retrouve des coins de motricité globale 

avec une bicyclette d’exercice, des 

coins informatiques, des coins d’habileté 

de vie quotidienne, etc. Souvenez-vous 

que, votre classe accueillera des élèves 

en difficultés alors essayez de créer un 

milieu favorable qui leur permettra de 

s’épanouir tout en apprenant de nouvelles 

habiletés. 


info autisme 

Postdiplôme : Autisme et 

sciences du comportement 

Hélène Boisvert 

Coordonnatrice/professeure 

Autisme et sciences du comportement 

Institut des services d’urgence et des sciences 

humaines 

La cité collégiale 

801, promenade de l’Aviation 

Ottawa (Ontario) K1K 4R3 

Tél. : (613)742-2493 poste 2384 

Téléc. :(613)742-2467 

hboisv@lacitec.on.ca 

Depuis maintenant six ans, La Cité collégiale est le seul collège francophone 

à offrir une formation en Autisme et sciences du comportement. Nous 

sommes fiers de pouvoir dire que nous participons à la mise en œuvre du plan du 

ministère de l’Éducation de l’Ontario relatif au soutien d’élèves ayant un trouble du 

spectre autistique. Entre autres, le Ministère dit vouloir augmenter le nombre de 

professionnels spécialisés en autisme recevant un diplôme du programme ontarien 

de certificat collégial. 

La Cité collégiale prépare ses étudiants à œuvrer auprès d’enfants ayant un 

trouble du spectre autistique comme thérapeute instructeur dans un environnement 

d’intervention comportementale intensive ou dans un milieu scolaire. Les recherches 

les plus récentes suggèrent qu’il est possible de réduire l’écart dans la trajectoire 

développementale de l’apprentissage de la personne ayant un trouble du spectre autistique 

à la condition d’utiliser des techniques d’interventions fondées sur des données 

probantes. 

Le programme, d’une durée d’un an à temps complet (2 semestres), peut aussi 

être suivi à temps partiel. Il permet aux étudiants de parfaire leurs connaissances sur 

les stratégies d’enseignement destinées aux élèves ayant un trouble du spectre autistique. 

Le curriculum offert comprend notamment un cours d’introduction à l’analyse 

appliquée du comportement et deux stages (en agence et en milieu scolaire) dans le 

cadre desquels les étudiants mettent en pratique leurs connaissances et leurs habiletés. 

Les étudiants ont aussi l’occasion d’être certifiés en Intervention non violente 

en situation de crise. Somme toute, les étudiants diplômés du certificat postdiplôme 

en Autisme et sciences du comportement ont ce qu’il leur faut pour intervenir avec 

succès auprès des enfants et des adultes autistes. 


info autisme 

Plus qu’un tableau! 

par André Bentivoglio 

« Papa, peut-on m’installer un tableau blanc interactif dans ma chambre, 

comme dans ta classe » demande mon fils de 6 ans. En quelques minutes seulement, 

mon fils a compris les avantages du tableau Smartboard. À ses yeux, les sites 

Web, les jeux éducatifs, les jeux vidéo sont tous plus intéressants et attrayants sur 

un Smartboard. Il peut toucher directement les personnages, sélectionner des outils 

« pour vrai » et manipuler l’écran. L’interaction est directe entre lui et l’écran, plus 

besoin de souris. 

Sans trop s’en rendre compte, nos élèves assistent au transfert de l’écran tactile 

commercial dans les salles de classe. L’écran tactile, auparavant le joujou des grandes 

entreprises, commence à se propager dans les écoles (comme le Blackberry ou, avant 

celui-ci, le Treo). Mes propres enfants, 6 ans et 10 ans, possèdent des iPod touch et des 

Nintendo DSi – deux produits dotés d’écrans tactiles. Personnellement, j’ai utilisé un 

Palm Preo et deux générations d’iPhone (je m’apprête à me procurer un iPhone 5). 

Grâce à toutes ces expériences, l’interactivité directe avec l’écran est devenue naturelle 

pour moi. Montrez un iPad à un enfant de deux ans et voyez avec quelle facilité il 

« apprendra » à s’en servir. D’où vient l’idée de manipuler un troisième objet (clavier 

ou souris) pour contrôler ce qui est à l’écran À peine capable de s’asseoir, l’enfant 

peut tenir un iPod dans une main et utiliser son autre main pour faire éclater des 

bulles sur un iPhone. Il est donc logique que l’école se mette à utiliser des outils semblables 

quotidiennement, mais sur une échelle beaucoup plus grande. 

Le tableau interactif commence tout doucement à remplacer les tableaux traditionnels. 

De plus en plus souvent, les directions d’école s’en servent pour « vendre » 

leurs écoles high-tech aux élèves, aux parents et aux membres du personnel. Le tableau 

traditionnel nécessitait l’utilisation de craies qui faisaient énormément de poussière, 

et il était plutôt difficile à garder propre. Le tableau blanc effaçable à sec (white erase) 

était une amélioration puisqu’il éliminait la poussière et n’avait pas besoin d’être nettoyé 

avec une éponge humide. Cependant, comme les téléphones cellulaires de base, 

ils n’avaient qu’une fonction et étaient alors appelés dumb, ce qui signifie « non intelligent 

» en langage informatique. Le Smartboard a fait pour le tableau de classe ce que 

le iPhone a fait pour l’ancien téléphone cellulaire. On a oublié la fonction de base qui 

lui a donné naissance pour se concentrer sur ses autres possibilités : visionner un film, 

manipuler des logiciels avec nos mains, intégrer des photos, des vidéos dans nos leçons, 

imprimer instantanément ce qui vient d’être écrit, garder une copie et l’envoyer par 

courriel aux élèves, suivre une route réelle sur Google Maps... Le tableau interactif 

aide les enseignants à attirer l’attention des élèves et à augmenter leur concentration. 

Les élèves manifestent davantage d’intérêt pour le message, en particulier les apprenants 

visuels et ceux qui ont un trouble du spectre de l’autisme (TSA). 


info autisme 

Les élèves ayant un TSA entrent 

souvent dans la catégorie des apprenants 

visuels. Cette facilité d’apprentissage visuel 

est en quelque sorte renforcée par 

le Smartboard puisque l’enseignant peut 

préparer le texte de sa leçon et les informations 

importantes à l’avance en utilisant 

le logiciel de son choix : MS Word, 

Apple Pages, Powerpoint, etc. Il lui suffit 

ensuite de présenter les informations de 

façon graduelle et contrôlée en faisant 

« apparaître » peu à peu le texte grâce 

à la fonction d’écran tactile – avez-vous 

déjà assisté à une formation ou à une séance 

d’information où le présentateur 

obstrue l’écran LCD avec un papier 

Un écran gris virtuel dissimule le texte, 

et l’enseignant est libre de le baisser ou 

de le supprimer, au besoin. Grâce à la 

technologie, l’enseignant n’est plus obligé 

d’écrire les informations au tableau 

ou de donner des cours magistraux. Il a 

maintenant du temps pour raconter une 

histoire qui permet aux élèves de découvrir 

eux-mêmes les informations. Il peut 

utiliser un style de pédagogie plus dynamique. 

De plus, l’enseignant est alors 

libre de circuler en classe pour aider les 

élèves et/ou gérer leurs comportements 

de façon à favoriser leur pleine participation. 

Terminée l’époque où l’enseignant 

tournait le dos aux élèves pour écrire 

au tableau pendant que ces derniers en 

profitaient pour faire un mauvais coup, 

par exemple pour lancer des gommes à 

effacer ou des bouts de papier (un comportement 

dont je me suis peut-être 

moi-même rendu coupable…). Donc, 

grâce au tableau interactif, les élèves bénéficient 

d’une meilleure surveillance, la 

somme des informations transmises est 

contrôlée et le regard de l’élève est attiré 

vers le gros écran, là où la matière est 

présentée. 

De leur côté, les élèves ont aussi la 

possibilité d’utiliser l’écran tactile, avec 

accès à Internet, pour leurs propres 

présentations. Finies les présentations 

sur du papier de construction ou de gros 

rouleaux de papier brun. Les informations 

les plus importantes peuvent être 

28 AutismMATTERS AUTOMNE 2011 

imprimées et distribuées aux élèves (ou 

même leur être envoyées par courriel). 

Cette stratégie permet aussi à l’enseignant 

de s’assurer que tous les élèves reçoivent 

les mêmes notes d’études. L’élève qui est 

incapable de prendre des notes en raison 

d’une difficulté de motricité fine n’est 

donc pas pénalisé. De plus, il n’a plus 

besoin de se casser la tête pour déchiffrer 

l’écriture de son enseignant, de son 

aide-enseignant ou d’un camarade de 

classe. Les notes qu’il reçoit sont tapées 

à l’ordinateur. Au besoin, il est également 

possible d’importer ces notes dans 

un logiciel de relecture de textes (comme 

Kurzweil ou Text To Speech), une méthode 

directe, facile et efficace. 

Une stratégie souvent utilisée pour 

réduire l’anxiété des élèves en classe consiste 

à présenter l’horaire de la journée 

aux élèves. De cette façon, les élèves 

savent à quoi s’attendre. En plus, ceux 

qui ne maîtrisent pas la notion de temps 

constatent que le nombre de tâches à 

exécuter doit diminuer avant d’avoir 

accès à un agent de renforcement : un 

temps libre, un jeu éducatif, une pause 

ou même la fin de la journée. Dans ma 

classe, les élèves se réfèrent au tableau 

interactif pour connaître l’horaire. La 

première page indique toute les activités 

de la journée. Un élève est chargé 

d’imprimer cette liste et de cocher les 

activités au fur et à mesure qu’elles sont 

complétées. Une diapositive accompagne 

chacune des activités inscrites au 

Smartboard. Le Smartboard reste allumé 

toute la journée (sauf pendant l’activité 

de yoga). Le tableau interactif indique alors 

quelle activité l’élève doit accomplir, 

avec quel membre de l’équipe, ainsi que 

la durée de l’activité, représentée par un 

minuteur « Time Timer ». De temps en 

temps, les élèves s’approchent du tableau 

et touchent les flèches virtuelles pour 

naviguer d’une page à l’autre. Ils prennent 

ainsi connaissance des activités planifiées 

pour la journée; aussi bien dire 

qu’ils s’approprient leur horaire, qu’ils le 

prennent en charge. Ils n’ont pas à se fier 

à nous donc ils développent une certaine 

autonomie. Parfois, il arrive qu’ils ne soient 

pas contents d’être obligés de faire 

certaines activités, mais ils ne refusent 

jamais. Difficile d’argumenter avec un 

tableau! 

Le tableau permet des activités pédagogiques 

plus approfondies. Comme 

le tableau est connecté à l’Internet, les 

hyperliens peuvent nous diriger vers des 

sites Web précis où des référentiels sont 

accessibles et utiles aux élèves (p. ex. un 

référentiel météo). L’élève peut alors 

basculer entre le fureteur et le logiciel du 

tableau pour compléter une leçon de sciences 

ou de mathématiques. 

Dans ma classe, j’insiste beaucoup 

sur le développement des habiletés de la 

vie quotidienne. Nous faisons une sortie 

dans la communauté à chaque semaine. 

Le tableau interactif nous sert à planifier 

nos déplacements et à nous donner 

un aperçu de notre trajet. Pour préparer 

nos sorties et tracer nos itinéraires, 

nous nous rendons sur Google Maps (ça 

coûte moins cher que des GPS) à l’aide 

du tableau interactif. Une fois que nous 

avons établi notre trajet, nous choisissons 

l’option Street View. Cela ajoute 

une toute autre dynamique à la planification 

de la sortie. Les élèves visualisent le 

trajet. Ils touchent l’écran pour se diriger 

dans la rue et s’y « promènent » de façon 

virtuelle. Cet exercice préparatoire 

diminue le niveau d’anxiété des élèves 

(et des adultes) parce que, encore une 

fois, ils savent un peu à quoi s’attendre. 

Nous repérons les intersections des rues, 

les arrêts d’autobus et même les cafés 

Starbucks où nous arrêterons… pour 

une pause-santé, bien sûr. 

Le tableau interactif est donc un 

outil qui contribue à rendre les cours plus 

attrayants et plus vivants. Nous pouvons 

l’utiliser pour réduire ou éliminer les 

tâches répétitives d’écriture et favoriser 

une participation plus active des élèves. 

L’anxiété des élèves diminue lorsque les 

informations leur sont présentées clairement 

et concrètement. Le tableau interactif 

nous permet donc de jeter un pont 

vers l’avenir de nos élèves.

info autisme 

Des stratégies simples, 

mais efficaces 

L’autisme de haut niveau et le 

syndrome d’Asperger 

SMITH MYLES, B., D. Adreon, D. et D. Gitlitz. 

Simple Strategies That Work, helpful hints 

for all educators of students with Asperger 

Syndrome, high-functioning autism, and 

related disorders, Shawness Mission, KS, 

Autism Asperger Publishing Co., 2006. 

Extrait traduit de l’anglais avec l’aimable 

autorisation d’Autism, Asperger Publishing Co. 

1. Passer à l’heure « Asperger » 

a. Deux fois plus de temps, la 

moitié des résultats prévus 

b. Modifier les attentes 

c. Réduire ou éliminer les travaux 

d’écriture 

d. Éviter les situations où l’élève se 

sent bousculé ou sous pression 

2. Gérer l’environnement 

a. Préparer l’élève aux 

changements 

b. Tenir compte des préférences 

de l’élève 

c. Prévoir des moments de détente 

d. Proposer des choix 

3. Créer un horaire équilibré qui 

préserve l’énergie 

a. Surveiller les exigences des 

tâches 

b. Tôt dans la journée, proposer 

à l’élève une activité familière 

et apaisante qui va le préparer à 

bien travailler 

c. Incorporer les intérêts particuliers 

de l’élève dans les travaux 

scolaires 

d. Alterner les tâches difficiles avec 

les tâches faciles ainsi que les activités 

préférées avec les activités 

moins appréciées 

e. Inscrire les « moments de détente 

» à l’horaire 

f. Proposer successivement des 

activités apaisantes et des activités 

d’éveil 

4. Préparer et expliquer l’horaire à 

l’élève 

a. Utiliser des appuis visuels 

5. Simplifier le langage 

a. Être attentif à l’interprétation 

littérale 

b. Enseigner les règles non écrites 

(hidden curriculum) 

6. Créer une atmosphère calme et 

positive 

a. Donner l’exemple de l’acceptation 

7. Vivre « à voix haute » 

a. Verbaliser ce que vous faites 

8. Multiplier les éloges 

a. Encourager les élèves à développer 

leur capacité d’attribution et 

de compréhension 

9. Être à l’écoute des mots 

a. Solliciter et fournir des 

éclaircissements 

10. Rassurer l’élève 

a. Réduire l’incertitude 


feature SCHOLARSHIPS 

Educational Scholarship 

Recipients 2011 

With the support of our Chapters, Autism 

Ontario is able to provide post-secondary 

education scholarships to people on the 

spectrum and their siblings. 

by Kristen Mayne 

Every year we look forward to awarding these scholarships. We wish the recipients 

all the best as they enter this exciting phase of their lives. 

p Andrew Arbour 

Eleanor Ritchie Scholarship 

This award was given to four people on the autism spectrum who have graduated 

from secondary school and are entering a post-secondary program this fall. 

Andrew Arbour is at the Computer Engineer Technician program at Niagara 

College. 

Thomas Hodge-Warrick is attending in the Interactive Media Design and 

Production program at Fanshawe College. 

Evan MacRae is studying in the Social Work program at Redeemer University 

College. 

Rachel Sears (no photo available) is enrolled in the Graphic Design program at 

Georgian College. 

Special thanks to Jordan Lim of The Jordan Walker Group (neighbour of 

Autism Ontario’s Provincial Office) for drawing the names of the Eleanor Ritchie 

Scholarship. 

“My future goal is to attend and 

successfully graduate from Redeemer 

University College taking courses in Social 

Work so that I can help troubled people or 

people with disabilities live better lives.” 

Evan MacRae 

p Thomas Hodge-Warrick 

p Evan MacRae 


feature scholarships 

Jeanette Holden Scholarship Recipients 

This award has been accepted by four young people who are siblings of a person on 

the autism spectrum and who have graduated from secondary school and are entering 

a post-secondary program this fall. 

Amanda Toufeili has been accepted to several Honour Bachelor of Science programs 

and was in the process of making her selection at press time. 

Karissa Holyer is studying at the University of Western Ontario in the 

Biomedical program. 

Rebecca Alves is attending the Concurrent Education/Primary Junior (Focus 

on Exceptional Learners) program at the University of Toronto 

Megan McCreary has headed off to the Vancouver Island University to study 

Art and Psychology. 

Thank you to Jane Houlden, Cynthia Goldfarb and Cathy White, members of 

the Board of Director’s Education Scholarship Committee, for reviewing the applications 

for the Jeanette Holden Scholarship. 

“...it is Ali who inspires me every day through 

his struggles and perseverance to face the 

confusing world around him. While I teach him 

math, science and social skills, he has taught me 

the value of communication and allowed me to 

gain an appreciation for life and has shaped me 

to become the person I am today.” 

Amanda Toufeili 

p Karissa Holyer with Josiah 

u Amanda Toufeili with Ali 

p Megan McCreary 

p Rebecca Alves with Todd (left) and Alex 


feature SCHOLARSHIPS 

Shayam Kaushal Charitable 

Foundation 

The foundation’s generosity supports families 

across ontario 

by Kristen Mayne 

p Nicholas Chow receives his award from 

Tripta Kushal, Shayam’s mother 

p Shayam’s father, Amar Kushal, and 

Shayam’s daughter, Karishma, present the 

award to Ian Wilgus 

Autism Ontario is thrilled to be the recipient of a $60,000 donation from 

the Shayam Kaushal Charitable Foundation. Providing community and family support 

was a key factor in the Foundation’s decision to support Autism Ontario. We are 

excited to announce that the funds will go to the following: 

• Summer camp programming 

• IBI training for parents across the province 

• Post-secondary education achievement awards 

The money was raised in one evening at what was only the Foundation’s second 

gala – a real testament to this group’s incredible work and dedication. Created to 

honour the memory and life of Shayam Kaushal, the Foundation is guided by hope, 

strength and determination – qualities that were an integral part of Shayam’s everyday 

life.* 

The gala, held on May 14, was a wonderful, inspiring evening and featured the 

post-secondary achievement award ceremony. Five awards of $1,500 were offered to 

recognize the achievements of students with ASD who were entering post-secondary 

education this fall. Available to Greater Toronto Area residents, 16 very worthy applications 

were received and five were selected by a draw. 

We are pleased to recognize four of the recipients (one recipient wishes to remain 

anonymous). 

Cody Caughill (not pictured) is attending Niagara College’s Motive Power 

Technician Program. 

Nicholas Chow is enrolled at the College Vocational Program at Seneca College. 

Raymond Phu has entered the General Arts Program at Seneca College. 

Ian Wilgus is pursuing a double major in History and Political Science at York 

University. 

Autism Ontario thanks the Shayam Kaushal Foundation for their generous donation 

and welcomes them into our family of Foundation Champions. 

p Autism Ontario’s Kristen Mayne accepts 

the awards on behalf of those who could not 

attend, presented by Shayam’s son, Keshiv 

*Read more about Shayam Kaushal and the Foundation’s inspiring story at www.the shayamkaushalfoundation.com. 


feature scholarships 

Image credit: BigStockPhoto.com/1663034 

Families in your community need 

your help every month 

You can help those families today. Please, consider joining The 

Champions’ Circle, our dedicated group of monthly donors. You 

can make a monthly gift in the amount of your choice from your 

Visa or MasterCard. You save paper and stamps, and you get one 

consolidated tax receipt at the end of the year, but perhaps most 

importantly, you make a difference in your community. 

There are three ways to become a Champion today! 

• Contact Len Milley at 416-246-9592 Ext. 241, or len@autismontario.com 

to join The Champions’ Circle 

• Donate online at www.autismontario.com (click on the Donate 

button) 

• Mail your cheque, payable to Autism Ontario, to 1179 Street 

West, Suite 004, Toronto, ON M6K 3C5 

Thank you for your generosity, and for helping us to help others see 

the potential! 

Learn to read, understand 

and create maps! 

Explore the common features of maps, 

and the significance of maps and mapping 

to Canadian history, in this colourful 

book for kids. Learn about symbols, scale 

and colour – and about a great Canadian 

cartographer, David Thompson. 

For kids 7 and up – and for everyone who 

loves a map! 



2011 

Gerry Bloomfield Awards 

Gerry Bloomfield was a founding 

member of OSAC (Ontario Society 

for Autistic Children), which later 

became Autism Ontario. These 

awards are in recognition of his 

outstanding contributions to Autism 

Ontario and to the cause of Autism 

Spectrum Disorder. 

Each year the Gerry Bloomfield award is given to someone whose efforts have 

had direct influence in making a significant change in the lives of the people with 

autism and their families. It may be given to a person or group for outstanding contributions 

to the field of Autism Spectrum Disorder or to Autism Ontario. 

Gerry Bloomfield Volunteer Award - 2011 

About seven years ago a fine, partly-retired gentleman came to Autism Ontario’s 

provincial office as a volunteer to take a look at a couple of computers that were giving 

us trouble and to assess whether we needed to tweak a few things, take them in 

to be fixed by the wizards of computer repair or to finally lay them to rest. Since that 

time he has helped us as we grew from an organization with three or four computers 

to a place where laptops are the norm and about 30 of them are spread out across the 

province, yet linked to a central server in Toronto. As an organization that struggles 

to find operating funds, this year’s recipient has in fact contributed an astounding 

amount of in-kind computer tech support – a value estimated at $90,000! 

Without the support from this year’s award recipient, we simply would not have 

been able to meet our technical needs regarding computers and their functioning. Our 

online communication with thousands of parents of children, youth and adults with 

ASD, and our chapter leaders would not take place in the way it now does through 

e-mail, the creation of shared documents and access to the internet 

as a direct result of the magic worked out by the 2011 Gerry 

Bloomfield Volunteer Award recipient – Jon Duerdoth. 

p Margaret Spoelstra presents the Gerry Bloomfield Volunteer 

Award to Jon Duerdoth. 

Gerry Bloomfield Professional Award - 2011 

This year’s award was presented to a person who started out as a 

volunteer with our York Chapter and was instrumental in helping 

with its chapter activities, its summer camp program, and 

representing Autism Ontario on Ministry Committees such as 

Making Services Work for People. After logging years of chapter 

volunteer hours, she began to volunteer for the provincial 

office, then working a couple of hours for the provincial office 

which became a few more hours and ultimately much more than 

a full time job. 

As a professional in the field, she was called upon to be the 

glue that kept a growing grassroots organization together. At 

one time she was, in fact, the only employee at Autism Ontario’s 



u There were many speeches and presentations 

made to Ethel Berry on her last day at 

Autism Ontario. New Board President, Leah 

Miltchin (L), presented flowers on behalf of 

the Board. 

Provincial Office. That was about 15 years ago. Since that time she has worked in the 

front and in the middle, but mostly behind the scenes, giving hundreds of hours of 

her volunteer time beyond her paid professional work to Autism Ontario events and 

activities. 

As a professional, her role has changed continually, sometimes weekly over the 

past 10 years, to help us absorb and support an ever growing and changing organization. 

Although those changes likely had her wondering what on earth she was still 

doing at such a crazy place, she worked with staff, board members and volunteers to 

keep the organization moving. 

She took a course from Toast Masters that served her well in making non-boring, 

well-communicated, yet heartfelt speeches. She reminded us over the years to keep it 

shorter rather than longer, reviewed many a document for over-fussiness and typos, 

unjammed a million photocopier jams and prepared all of you for dozens of meetings 

over the years. A professional appearance has been one of her hallmarks. 

Administrative work is seldom the stuff of public awards but her contributions 

helped all of our changing chapters to grow at a time when no one else was around 

to do it. 

She has given a listening ear to thousands of parents and professionals. To be on 

the phone or e-mail end of her words meant that you would be heard, sympathized 

or empathized with, and then at times, be given a sharp jolt of reality. She will tell you 

that you can and should cry about the fears, frustrations and unfairness, but then get 

on with it and start making changes. From her, an Ontario parent can expect both a 

hug and a sharp verbal shove into action. “That’s terrible, mmm, mmm, mmm. Have 

you filled in that form for ODSP yet” 

Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism. Her daughter Stacy grew 

up to be an adult with autism and that made her even more determined to remind 

people that you never know what lies ahead and what you need to think about. She 

and Stacy’s father began a fund to help families pay for a support staff for people with 

ASD in extended hospital settings. In memory of her daughter they also started the 

Stacy Lynne McNeice Memorial award for excellence in Autism Research, which has 

honoured the work of Dr. Margaret Bauman and Dr. Jeanette Holden. 

Not Goodbye! 

As my final days at the Provincial Office 

of Autism Ontario rapidly approached, 

I reflected on how much we have 

grown as an organization. Many major 

changes in the field of autism awareness 

and understanding have taken 

place since I first started as a volunteer 

and then as staff over 20 years ago. My 

hope for Autism Ontario is that it continues 

to grow and help parents navigate 

the maze that autism can be. 

As I move into the next phase of my 

life I will take with me the memories of 

the people that have helped me with 

my daughter and our own personal 

journey with autism, as well as those 

during my years at Autism Ontario 

who have become dear friends. The 

autism family as I have experienced it is 

real and always comes through to give 

the support and encouragement that is 

needed. I wish all of you much courage 

and strength as you continue your 

journey with autism. 

Ethel Berry 


Photo credit: Marg Spoelstra 

feature AUTISM AWARENESS 

She encouraged parents to always 

be planning for the future. She became 

a member of the Ontario Partnership for 

Adults with Aspergers and Autism and 

supported the Adult Working Group 

and helped us to work with many organizations, 

professionals, researchers, parents 

and self-advocates to produce the 

“Forgotten” paper. 

And although it was she who came 

up with the name of our “Forgotten” 

paper, and even though she retires this 

fall from the paid work world, we’ll never 

forget her. This year’s Gerry Bloomfield 

professional award was presented to 

Ethel Berry. 

t Autism Ontario staff bade a special farewell 

to Ethel Berry on her retirement at the 

end of August. 

www.AutismResearch.com 

The Autism Spectrum Disorders — 

Canadian-American Research Consortium 

Invites You to Participate 

in ASD Research 

Join the ASD-CARC 

Research Registry Today! 

“Together we can discover a better tomorrow.” 

Contact 1-866-273-2272; e-mail autism.research@queensu.ca, 

or write to ASD-CARC, c/o Autism Research Program, 

191 Portsmouth Ave., Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7M 8A6 


noteworthy news + views 

Board Corner 

Message from the Board Chair, Leah Miltchin: 

The board members recently had 

1½ days of learning, pondering, questioning 

and planning in Toronto. At the Friday 

afternoon interactive workshop, governance 

expert Catherine Raso took us through 

“Governance 101.” Catherine impressed 

upon us that the purpose of any board of 

directors is to shape policies and directions 

on behalf of its organization’s membership. 

In the case of Autism Ontario, this includes 

not only paid members, but Ontario’s ASD 

community as a whole. We reviewed some 

of our current policies with a view to updating 

and/or rewording them to ensure that 

they remain relevant and responsible, and 

that we remain accountable to our stakeholders. 

(For those of you who might prefer 

to think of governance training as dull and 

dry, I won’t elaborate on our use of Play- 

Doh, food colouring, markers, and “squishy 

balls” during the workshop!) 

We were fortunate to have Autism Ontario’s 

fundraiser, Len Milley, update us on 

the many exciting developments on the fundraising 

front. Marilyn Thompson, Program 

Manager for the Potential Programme (formerly 

RCP) talked about news and changes 

related to the program’s expansion across 

Ontario. Together with the other talented 

and hardworking staff at the provincial office, 

Len and Marilyn are making great things 

happen towards achieving our vision of acceptance 

and opportunities for all individuals 

with autism spectrum disorders. We were 

also joined via teleconference by Autism 

Society Canada’s executive director, Kathleen 

Provost, to learn about the Canadian 

Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance (CAS- 

DA), a lobbying consortium of organizations 

concerned with ASD matters of national 

relevance. 

Our autumn face-to-face board meeting 

was thought-provoking and productive. 

Your board of directors is motivated and 

dedicated to ensuring that Autism Ontario 

continues to make progress in improving the 

quality of life for Ontarians with ASD. 

Getting to know Gail Laliberte 

Why do you enjoy volunteering with the 

board I became involved with our local 

AO Chapter in 1999 and joining the board 

seemed like a natural progression. Volunteering 

my time with our local Chapter and 

then on the CLC gave me a great opportunity 

to discuss and discover our community’s 

needs and strengths. As a board member 

I am given the opportunity to see Autism 

Ontario as a whole with a global perspective. 

Both are unique and have an important 

role to play. For me it completes a package. 

I also enjoy spending time with current 

and past board members through monthly 

meetings of discussion and training. 

What’s one thing you’d like members to 

know about the board I would like members 

to know that we take what they tell us 

seriously and we encourage open communication. 

It helps us to do our job better. 

Tell us a little about your family. I live in Peterborough 

and was brought up in Montreal. 

I am married for a second time to an amazing 

man and between us we have raised 

seven children now between the ages of 20 

and 29 – one married, one to be married 

soon and I am sure more to follow quickly 

afterwards. I am not a grandparent yet but I 

wait in excitement. I do not have anyone in 

my family on the Spectrum but my work involves 

ASD as I am the Program Manager of 

the IBI program and the new ABA program. 

What book are you reading right now I 

would love to say I am reading a book for 

pleasure, but about all I read is for work – 

journals, e-mails (which seem to consume 

me) and other work-related material. When 

I do stop at night, I either “call it a night” or 

try to knit a 

bit. 

Gail Laliberte 

If you have feedback about the Board Corner or would like to ask a question, please e-mail Board Chair at info@autismontario.com. 


noteworthy news + views 

In Your Corner 

this is your space to share Chapter activities, 

generate ideas and find ways to fill gaps locally 

by Erin Roza, Chapter Development Coordinator 

Top: Jerry Fletcher enjoys the water at Glenbrook 

Day Camp, York Chapter. 

Middle: Counsellor Alia Oudeh and camper 

Devin Walters, enroute to African Lion Safari 

for a day trip. 

Photo credit: (both photos) AOK Camp Assistant 

Director, Robyn Katz. 

Bottom: McKenna Ross, 8, assists Hoppy the 

Clown at Sarnia-Lambton’s Summer Camp 

Fun Day. Hoppy’s magic trick was to make 

a birthday cake for McKenna appear out 

of nowhere. Photo credit: Jenny VanBree, 

Camp Director. 

School was out and the sun was shining, but this didn’t mean things slowed down 

for Autism Ontario Chapters. 

It was an amazing summer for campers and counsellors alike at our chapter camps. York 

Chapter’s Kids Camp and Adult Summer Program had a blast visiting Canada’s Wonderland, 

the Toronto Zoo and Ontario Place, and participating in such activities as foam play, raspberry 

picking and a sleepover. Visits to the splash pad, bowling alley and Canatara Park and 

Animal Farm were camper favourites at Sarnia-Lambton’s P.A.L. Zone (Peers, Adventures, 

Life Skills Zone), as was a trip to Greenview Aviaries Park and Zoo. Camp ended on a 

high note with their first Annual Walk for Autism Summer Camp for campers, staff and their 

families. Children and youth campers at Niagara Region Chapter’s Summer Day Camp 

had a great time playing sports and games, participating in video-making, and expressing their 

creative side with arts and crafts, among other activities. Campers at C.A.M.P. (Children with 

Autism Maximizing Potential), a collaborative effort between the City of Burlington and the 

Halton Chapter, enjoyed weekly themes, spending time at the splash pad, and going along 

the many walking trails. 

While the kids were off at camp, workshops and speaker events kept parents busy 

this summer. Suzanne Murphy presented her way through Thunder Bay and District, 

stopping in many communities to speak about Stress, Anxiety and Escalation in ASD. The 

Huron-Perth Chapter hosted Ed Mahony presenting Positive Intervention, which was 

the first stop of his tour which has continued into the fall with workshops planned for the 

Peterborough and Kingston Chapters. 

Picnics and BBQs were a popular event this summer, with the Sault Ste. Marie Chapter 

‘s Saturday in the Park, Grey-Bruce’s event in Story Book Park, and Windsor’s Summer 

Picnic attracting a combined total of more than 600 people. 

The fun didn’t stop there. The Simcoe Chapter marked the end of the summer with 

Summer Fun Week – one last hoorah for kids before heading back to school. Activities 

included go karting, visits to the beach and Santa’s Village, and even a boat cruise. 

This is just a peek into the many wonderful programs and events put on by the Chapters. 

An entire magazine would be needed to list them all. Thank you to everyone for your hard 

work and dedication in what was sure to be a memorable summer for all. If you have something 

to add to the next Chapter Corner, please don’t hesitate to send it in. 

Send your Chapter news to erin@autismontario.com. 


feature research AND PRACTICE 


Celebrate World Autism Awareness Day on April 

2nd with our special Evening Guest Speaker 

John Elder Robison 

Author of two books: “Look Me in the 

Eye” and “Be Different”, John offers 

a witty, highly personal and 

insightful perspective to living with 

Asperger Syndrome. 

A book signing will follow his 

Stages of presentation. Autism: 

Adolescence & Beyond 



John Elder Robison 

4th BIENNIAL CONFERENCE 


SAVE THE DATES 

Eye” and “Be Different”, John offers 

April 2nd a witty, & 3rd, highly 2012 personal and 

insightful John Elder perspective Robison to living with 

Hamilton Convention Asperger Syndrome. Centre 

1 Summer’s Lane 


Hamilton, 

A book 

Ontario 

Eye” and “Be signing Different”, will follow John his offers 

Canada 

a witty, presentation. highly personal and 

insightful perspective to living with 

Asperger Syndrome. 



SAVE THE DATES 

presentation. 

A book signing will follow his 

Informative speakers and Topics: 

Dr. Isabelle Henault 

Informative Carol Latimer/Lea Speakers and Pollard Topics: -Bill 77 and DSO 

Dr. Isabelle Dr. Elizabeth Henault 

Hamilton Convention Centre 

Kelley 1 Summer’s Lane 

Carol Latimer/Lea 

Sibling SAVE Pollard – 

Panel on Hamilton, 

THE Bill 77 and 

AgingDATES 

DSO 

Ontario 

Dr. Elizabeth Kelley 

Woodview April Manor 2nd - Canada & Adult 3rd, 2012 Services Model 

Sibling Panel on Aging 

Woodview Manor Hamilton - Adult Services Convention Model Centre 

With more to 1 Summer’s come Lane 

With more to come Hamilton, Ontario 

Canada 

Dr. Isabelle Henault 

April 2nd & 3rd, 2012 

Informative speakers and Topics: 

SAVE THE DATES: April 2-3, 2012 

Hamilton Convention Centre 

Keynote Speakers 

Stages of Autism: 


Stages of Autism: 

Hamilton 

Dr. Liz Laugeson - UCLA 

Presenting the PEERS 

social skills model 

Dr. Peter Szatmari 

Presenting “DSM-5: Two steps 

forward, One step back” 

Special Presentations by: 

Hamilton 

Dr. Liz Laugeson - UCLA Dr. Peter Szatmari 

Presenting the PEERS Presenting “DSM-5: Two steps 

social skills model 


Dr. Kevin Stoddart 

Celeste Carter 

The Redpath Centre TEACCH - UNC Chapel Hill 

Dr. Liz Stoddart Laugeson Special 

will - be UCLA Presentations 

part “Using Dr. Peter Video Szatmari by: 

Modeling and 

Presenting of a Justice the system PEERS panel 

Presenting “DSM-5: Two steps 

Structured Teaching to Develop 

social 

as well 

skills 

as presenting 

model 


on Life Skills” and “The Top Ten 

The Asperger Spectrum Things Every Adolescent Needs 

Special Presentations to Learn in Order by: to be Successful 

as an Adult” 

www.woodview.ca 1 Summer’s Lane for Toronto, 

Carol Latimer/Lea Pollard 

Conference ON M6K 3C5 

-Bill 77 and DSOupdates and registration information 

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 

Informative Dr. Elizabeth speakers Kelley and Topics: 

Sibling Panel on Aging 

www.woodview.ca Dr. Isabelle Henault 

Woodview Manor 

for 

- Adult Services Model 

Conference Carol Latimer/Lea updates and Pollard -Bill 77 and DSO 

registration Dr. Elizabeth Kelley 

Sibling 

With more 

information 

Panel 

to 

on 

come 

Aging 

Woodview Manor - Adult Services Model 

With more to come 


1179 King Street West, Suite 004 


4th 

Hamilton 

BIENNIAL 

C ONFEREN C E 



Dr. Kevin Stoddart 

Celeste Carter 

The Redpath Centre TEACCH - UNC Chapel Hill 

Dr. Stoddart will be part “Using Video Modeling and 

of a Justice system panel Structured Teaching to Develop 

Dr. as Kevin well Stoddart as presenting on Life Celeste Skills” Carter and “The Top Ten 

The The Redpath Asperger Centre SpectrumTEACCH Things - UNC Every Chapel Adolescent Hill Needs 

“Using to Video Learn Modeling Order and to be Successful 

Structured as an Teaching Adult” to Develop 

www.woodview.ca for Conference updates and registration as an Adult” information 

4th 

Dr. Stoddart will be part 

of a Justice system panel 

as well as presenting on 

The Asperger Spectrum 

BIENNIAL 

C ONFEREN C E 


Life Skills” and “The Top Ten 

Things Every Adolescent Needs 

to Learn in Order to be Successful

AutismMATTERS - Autism Ontario

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