Tuesday 28 April 2015

Centre for Autism Services Alberta OT position



Centre for Autism Services Alberta
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY


Contract Occupational Therapist Positon 6-15 hours/month

The Centre for Autism Services Alberta, a non-profit organization, that has served families in the Edmonton area since 1997. “The Centre” is now serving families in neighbourhoods surrounding Calgary (e.g., Cochrane, Airdrie, Chestermere). We provide comprehensive and evidence-based services to children, youth and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders through consultation, collaboration, intervention, education and support. We are the only service provider in the Province of Alberta that is accredited under CARF International in Behaviour Consultation Services (Autism Spectrum Disorder –Children and Adolescents)

This key individual will focus on the development of self-help and adaptive skills, functional physical and motor development, sensory processing and arousal modulation, and play and leisure. Programming is provided through home-based services and utilizes an innovative and integrated parent coaching, community based delivery model. Principles of Person centered and family centered care are embraced. Thus, services are provided to both the individual diagnosed with ASD and his or her family.

Experience and knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder is preferred.

Responsibilities:
  • Participate in a multi-disciplinary team providing expertise in Occupational Therapy
  • Conduct appropriate assessments
  • Consultation with parents and guardians on their child's respective goals, plans and challenges
  • Development and on-going implementation and evaluation of family focused functional plans in partnership with the clinical team
  • Collaborate with the clinical staff and families in the development and implementation of goals and strategies
  • Perform home visits to problem solve and coach families in the implementation of intervention programs
  • Collect and summarize clinical data including videos and write for reports as required
  • Keep current on best practices in Occupational Therapy as it relates to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Problem solve, providing coaching and mentoring to the child's family on program implementation
  • Anticipate, assess, and report risk management issues to their supervisor
  • Prepare and/or contribute to critical incident reports as required
Qualifications:
  • Registered Occupational Therapist
  • Member of Alberta College of Occupational Therapists
  • Knowledge and understanding of: Theory and principles of child development, early childhood services, behavioural intervention programs, direct teaching strategies, Pivotal Response Training is an asset
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Demonstrated crisis assessment and intervention skills
  • Valid drivers license and access to a reliable vehicle
  • Clean Criminal Record Check
  • Clean Child Welfare Check
  • Valid certification in Child and Infant CPR and First Aid

Apply to: Human Resources by mail, e-mail or fax:
Mail: 4752 – 99 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6E 5H5
E-mail: humanresources@centreforautism.ab.ca
Fax: 780-488-6664 (confirm fax transmission at 780-488-6600)

Friday 24 April 2015

Edmonton Pediatric Group Meeting Update

Edmonton Pediatric Group Meeting update:

For those outside of Edmonton, if there is any interest in joining into our meeting via phone or telephone conferencing, please let me know asap and I will send you the details on how to connect. 

The topic and details are below:

Many of us are working in environments where there is a push for treatment, general/universal strategies and a de-emphasization on assessment. How do you balance these challenges in your practice? How do you make achievable goals and determine when these goals are met when working in various settings (community, home, school)? What outcome measures are you using? How do you keep accountable to your primary and secondary clients?

Please come join in a discussion around goal setting/writing and outcomes at the Edmonton Pediatric Interest Group Meeting. 

Wednesday, April 29 @ 7:00 - 8:30 pm

University of Alberta, Corbett Hall; Room 2-55

Please contact Kim (andrewskim22@yahoo.ca) if you have any questions.

Monday 20 April 2015

Upcoming SAOT workshops!

Seating & Mobility Workshop
Date: September 12, 2015 - IT'S MORE THAN 4 WHEELS - Adult and September 13, 2015 FUN ON 4 WHEELS -Pediatric (8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day)
Facilitator: Sheila Buck, B.Sc. (OT), Reg. ONT., ATP
Location: Holiday Inn Conference Centre South, 4485 Gateway Boulevard, Edmonton, Alberta
To register, click HERE.

Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) Course 1
Date: November 4 to November 8, 2015 (8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day)
Facilitator: Stefanie Bodison, OTD, OTR/L
Location: Holiday Inn Conference Centre South, 4485 Gateway Boulevard, Edmonton, Alberta
To register, click HERE.

There is Always a Reason for the Behaviour: Is it Sensory or is it Behaviour?
Date: November 20 and 21, 2015 (8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day)
Facilitator: Kim Barthel, BMR, OTR
Location: Maple Leaf Room, Lister Centre – Main Campus, University of Alberta, 11613 – 87 Avenue, Edmonton
To register, click HERE.

Many thanks!


Friday 17 April 2015

Edmonton Peds Meeting

Edmonton Pediatric Group Meeting starts again!

Many of us are working in environments where there is a push for treatment, general/universal strategies and a de-emphasization on assessment. How do you balance these challenges in your practice? How do you make achievable goals and determine when these goals are met when working in various settings (community, home, school)? What outcome measures are you using? How do you keep accountable to your primary and secondary clients?

Please come join in a discussion around goal setting/writing and outcomes at the Edmonton Pediatric Interest Group Meeting. 

Wednesday, April 29 @ 7:00 - 8:30 pm

University of Alberta, Corbett Hall; Room 2-55

Please contact Kim (andrewskim22@yahoo.ca) if you have any questions. Hope to see many of you there

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Repeating Peabody Developmental Motor Scale

I asked "how often can the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales be repeated with
one child?" and got this answer:


Thank you for contacting PRO-ED with your inquiry. We don't really regulate
how long you should wait between administrations,
as there may be a wide variety of reasons for needing to give it sooner than
you typically would. If you are trying to measure
progress in skills, though, I would wait 6 months to a year. That allows
enough time to elapse for remediation and interventions
to have some positive effect. Any sooner, the scores may tend to look flat
or even show some regression. There is not a definitive time frame that you should wait between administrations, though.

Monday 6 April 2015

Aeriel Yoga / Mindfulness Training

I have been following this OT/Yoga Instructor in the US for her specialty in sensory, mindfulness, and yoga. She is currently offering a special as a fundraiser for her studio, including training at her studio in the states or international training. Here is the website. The fundraiser offer is until May 3rd, 2015.
 
I'm interested in learning more and was wondering if there is any interest in the OT peds community to try and bring her to the area. The cost and details are below. We would need 20 participants, a space to hang up at least 2 hammocks for teaching purposes, and figuring out the technicalities of organizating such a thing. This cost includes the flight and accomodations.
 
$10 000 (for 20 participants, $500 each)

TEACHER TRAINING IN CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR UK! Private Teacher Training Comes to You + 5 custom aerial yoga hammocks + Your name on our Namaste wall! Yogapeutics will travel to your studio or clinic in Canada, the UK or Australia to offer a 16 hour weekend teacher training course for those wanting to teach aerial yoga; mindfulness to kids. You may have up to 20 participants at the training.

If interested in collaborating on this please email: Jennifer.Sadowski@albertahealthservices.ca

Saturday 4 April 2015

Changes to Private Practitioner List

There have been changes made to how the Private Practitioner lists are put together. Individuals can now add their own information by filling out a form - either for Edmonton and Area or Calgary and Area. Lists will be updated as new entries are added (within 48 hours).

 If you were on an old list, or sent an email requesting to be put on the list prior to April 4, 2015, your information was added to the new list. If you were on a list you may consider looking up your old entry and confirming the information is still correct.

Links to both lists and forms are located on the Private Practitioner Information page.

If there are any questions about this please comment below or email ab.ot.pedintgroup@gmail.com

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Yoga & Movement Summer Camps for Special Needs


Interested in the Advanced iLs practitioner course?

I asked how many people we would need to have the course in Calgary. This was the reply

We would need at least 20 people to hold the course. I know a lot of people in the area have direct flights to Hawaii. We actually are planning a full advanced course in Hawaii in late February, early march. Would that be something feasible for you and your colleagues?
 
Emily Wiles
Associate Services Representative
Integrated Listening Systems

Please email Charlene if you are interested if the course comes to Calgary. 

Charlene Wright
Occupational Therapist
Licensed and Registered with ACOT
Cell Phone: 403 277 8508
Building strong supports for life