Mission Statement: This blog was created to provide information on getting help for autism in general while focussing on locally available resources for families with newly diagnosed children in Belleville and Quinte area.

Please browse the blog at your leisure. You are welcome to comment on the posts. If you are a parent, an autism consultant, counselor, teacher with information on autism resources available in our area, please email your information to benziesangma@gmail.com. Your information will be added within 24 hours.

Local Autism Support Groups

Parents Engaging Autism Quinte (PEAQ), an autism parent support group, meets once a month on the first Tuesday of the month (no meetings in January, July and August) at Kerry's Place, 189 Victoria Avenue, Belleville at 6:30 to 8 p.m. If you have questions or suggestions for autism topics that are important to you please go to our FaceBook account and post your suggestions so that we can invite appropriate autism professionals to speak at these meetings.

Autism parent support group meeting hosted by Mental Health Agency, Trenton and Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) is on every second Thursday of the month (from September to June) from 6 to 7:30 pm. For more info, please contact Bryanna Best, Special Needs Inclusion Coordinator at 613 392 2811 ext 2076 or email at bryanna.b@trentonmfrc.ca

For info on Community Living Prince Edward County Parent Support group, contact Resource Consultants @ 613 476 6038

Central Hastings Autism Support Group meets in Madoc at the Recreation Centre. Contact Renee O’Hara, Family Resource & Support, 613-966-7413 or Tammy Kavanagh, Family Resource & Support, 613-332-3227

Parenting your child during Covid-19 pandemic

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

About one neat book on autism out there

It certainly has been a while since I last blogged about autism issues at home. I apologize. I am back at it now and hope to put in more time into it.
Deviating from my usual thoughts on this blog, I want to write today about a book on autism that caught my eye recently. It's titled It's So Much Work To Be Your Friend by Richard Lavoie. I thought I should share my thoughts about it.
It's So Much... is an easy-to-read book. It provides an understanding about social skills issues children with learning disabilities, not just those on the autism spectrum disorder, face at school and in the community in general. If you have a child on the milder end of the spectrum or if he/she is diagnosed with Asperger, the book is a good read because as you read along you begin to see and understand the kinds of social situations such children are likely to encounter in their daily lives. As readers you watch their struggles to blend with their peers and you grieve for them as they face rejection and even isolation. The book outlines some strategies parents could use to help their own children with disability overcome similar situations.
Among the other reviews I read about this book, I like the following the best because it sums up my thoughts as well."As a mother who has been on this journey, I know It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend will touch the lives of every parent who is raising a child with learning disabilities. I have long believed that difficulties with social skills cause the most heartache of all, and I am thrilled to discover a book that finally addresses this often overlooked issue. Rick shares his knowledge with wisdom, good humor, and deep respect for the remarkable students who teach us all." Anne Ford, chairman emeritus, National Center for Learning Disabilities and author of Laughing Allegra
I understand there is a DVD version of this book. I would love to get a hold of it if anyone local to Quinte area has a copy.

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In it for the long haul...

I created this blog with my sincere wish that those of you reading this will want to share your own stories, both good and bad, what worked for you and what didn't and together, we can make it easier for the next family beginning their own journey of discovery. By posting what you know, where you have recieved certain services, who you have talked to, whose expertise you trust, how you navigated the school education services and by responding to questions in the discussion thread, know that you have helped a family in need. So, parents, experts in the field, counsellors, teachers and everyone who has any information on resources available, please feel free to post on this blog.