ASD Resources

• Autism Information Services BC  is an information and referral service that proves a wide range of educational workshops, resources, and information about service providers who work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• The Autism Society of BC, a parent run support and advocacy group, is one possible source of support in the community.
• Autism Community Training  is an information service that proves a wide range of educational workshops, resources, and information about service providers who work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
• Programs that have been developed for this purpose include:
  • Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)
  • Reference and Regulate,
  • Pivotal Response Training,
  • Floortime/DIR, Early Start Denver Model (ESDM),
  • SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support),
  • JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation) and the
  • Play Project, among others.
• Should parents be interested in learning ways of promoting childrens' communication skills through every-day activities outside of formal intervention services, An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using everyday activities to help kids connect, communicate, and learn (2012) by Sally Rogers, Geraldine Dawson and Laurie Vismara, is a book intended for parents of toddlers and preschoolers with ASD. It offers practical strategies that can be incorporated into daily activities to help develop communication skills.
• Deborah Lipsky, M.Ed. a person with ASD herself, has written books on the relationship between anxiety and meltdowns in children with ASD and strategies for managing meltdowns (From Anxiety to Meltdown: Managing Meltdowns) and has a seminar available on the www.PESI.com website that discusses the causes of meltdowns in people with ASD and strategies for managing them and building coping skills.
• Dr. Tony Attwood has written several useful books for parents and others about Asperger’s Syndrome and high functioning Autism. His website  provides a list of books about a range of topics related to children and adults with Asperger’s Disorder and Autism.
   

ADHD Resources

• Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance, which has treatment guidelines, IEP (Individualized education Plan) suggestions, and resources for parents and teachers.
• Centre for ADHD/ADD Advocacy, Canada, which has IEP suggestions and resources for parents and teachers.

• Canadian website on ADHD by the author of My Brain Needs Glasses.
• ADDA: Attention Deficit Disorder Association.
• National (US) Resource Centre on ADHD
• National (US) Institute of Mental Health ADHD
• Dr Thomas Brown has written a number of books and articles on ADHD and executive functioning.

General Resources

• Dr. Ross Greene’s book The Explosive Child provides strategies which can be effective for helping children who have difficulties with social problem solving, make compromises to solve problems, negotiate disputes, and find mutually agreeable solutions rather than becoming upset (www.livesinthebalance.org).
• Anxiety Canada  has resources and suggestions for helping learn effective anxiety management skills.
• Family Support and Resource Centre is a lending library with resources for children with special needs accessible throughout BC.
• Federal services and programs for people with disabilities and their families can be found at Disability Benefits website.