Author Archive
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Be Beautiful, Be Yourself
With the release of films like “Me Too” and actors with down syndrome cast in TV parts like in the Simpsons and Glee, it’s great to hear that there is more being done to create awareness for Down Syndrome.
Photo from PRweb.com
On October 2nd, there was a Be Beautiful, Be Yourself Jet Set Fashion show. I didn’t know about this until I heard it on the news, but upon doing more research, I think it’s a great event (read more about it here). And of course, they also honoured another Shriver member, Tim Shriver, for his work. A lot of celebrities came out to support the event.
What’s surprising to me is that when we think celebrities, we sometimes think they’re not human or something. They don’t seem to have the same challenges since their lives are so glamourized, but the truth is, they’re just like you and me, with every day challenges. Among many celebrities, Jamie Foxx attended the event with her sister, DeOndra Dixon, who has Down Syndrome. You could see him beaming with love and pride when he was interviewed about her. I think it is really heartwarming to see a celebrity so openly supporting a cause they feel passionately about. I hope to see more celebrities in support of services and research for developmental disabilities.
Event Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/10/prweb4614014.htm
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Jobs West Open House
Last Wednesday, Delia from Jobs West invited me to their Open House. The event was a great way for families to meet one another and to also chat with the staff. It was also a great opportunity for people who were unfamiliar with the program to ask more questions. The turnout was much better than anticipated, and the office space was soon filled with families and clients of the Jobs West program. I must admit, the space was much nicer than I had originally expected. The employment specialists, Delia, Aishah, Leah and Ron were super friendly and you could tell they interacted extremely well with the current clients. I had a chance to talk to many of the current employers who work with Jobs West and they had nothing but praises about the job placements that have been made!
If you’d like to learn more about Jobs West or if you’re an employer interested in the program, please visit www.jobswestdda.ca!
Jobs West is the supported employment division of the Developmental Disabilities Association. Jobs West assists adults with developmental disabilities to prepare for, find and keep community based work placements. Jobs West is primarily funded by Community Living B.C.
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Child & Youth In-Service 2010
This year, I once again attended the In-Service for the staff of our Child & Youth department. The purpose of this In-Service is for our child care professionals to attend workshops that teach them new ways or introduce knowledge for them to apply in their child care settings.
Things kicked off with Andrew, our director of Child and Youth, showing our new PSA and giving a little speech that showed his appreciation for the staff. Everyone then split off into smaller groups where they attended workshops that they picked.The workshops covered topics like Speech and Language Development, Sexuality and Supporting Children in Out of School Care Settings, Sensitive Topics, Respecting and Responding to Family Diversity and Inspire/Motivate/Believe. Professionals from different backgrounds shared their expertise with our staff in very unique manners. Some relied on only their voice to create a dialogue with the staff, some preferred a slide show presentation and some engaged us in fun activities.
The Keynote Speaker was Jeff Willis, Founder & Principal Consultant of Creative Toolbox/Fireside Adventures. He showed us how imagination can take us a long way, especially when interacting with children, the concept and importance of incorporating play and perspective. He had us all up on our feet doing crazy, yet simple activities that really engaged us. You could see all of us, full-grown adults, dropping our guards and just acting like careless souls. It was truly amazing!
The Child & Youth staff really enjoyed all the workshops as they covered very relevant and current topics that definitely applied to their work setting. It’s a great way for them to relax, learn and become even more skilled with taking care of the children they work with.
Although I personally do not work with children, I found all the talks very fascinating and insightful.
I look forward to next year’s In-Service and I’m sure the rest of the staff do too!If you’d like to learn more about our child development centres, please visit www.develop.bc.ca!
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United Way 2010 Campaign
When the school year starts, so does many other events and campaigns! The United Way Campaign is kicking off soon again, and we hope to raise more money and awareness than we did in last year’s campaign. We’ve just met up with our loaned rep from United Way, Stephen, and he’s given us lots to think about and to plan for in our campaign. We’ll have our kickoff event in late October, early November. Last year, we had a raffle and potluck. This year we hope to do the same, but also hope to put a more refreshing spin. Our goal is to match and surpass the funds we raised in last year’s campaign.
We’re brainstorming what types of activities will get more people aware and involved with the campaign. Contests, games, hot meals, bake sales, etc. If you have any suggestions or comments as to what may have worked or not worked for you in the past, please leave a comment! We’d love to hear from you. We’ll keep you posted on our campaign in the upcoming months.
We hope to continue our support for the United Way of the Lower Mainland and its causes.
Remember, as United Way puts it: “Without you, there would be no way.” -
Anxiety for a Parent
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, let’s call her Jane, told me that her toddler was diagnosed with a developmental disorder. It was really hard for her to handle the situation just because she never expected this, and since birth, she was never told about this possibility. She and her husband only knew about this diagnosis because they noticed that her son stared blankly a lot and that he could not form an understandable sentence at his age, which then prompted them to see a professional. It’s a huge concern for her and her family on how they can approach this in the most efficient manner so that her son can get all the services in order to get on track.Jane took an awesome approach. Firstly, she reacted immediately instead of just “waiting it out”. Secondly, she went to see what local resources are out there. She quickly enrolled in programs which involved both the parent and child so that they could help with her son’s development as soon as possible. I hope the best for Jane and her family, and I’m very glad she took many steps in the right direction!
For parents who are possibly in a similar situation, read about our infant development program and what type of parent/child programs it offers at www.develop.bc.ca. We also have a library at our head office that is full of resources for parents to read and borrow. For more information on our library, please call Anne at 604.233.5448.
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