Author: Coordinator

Special Needs Strategy April News: Update #4

For Release: April 1, 2015

April News: Update #4

Lanark Leeds & Grenville Special Needs Strategy (SNS) Proposal Development Table

Happy Spring!

The local SNS Table of service providers and parents are conscious of the few months remaining before we complete proposals for the Ontario Special Needs Strategy. For more information on the strategy see everykid.on.ca and lanarkkids.ca/special-needs/. What’s new since last month?

We are pleased to announce a major decision. After much discussion, the Child Development Centre located at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston is the Table’s unanimous choice for the LLG proposed “Coordinating Agency” for Coordinated Service Planning. CDC will administer the new system working closely with other service providers to support children who are using more than one service. This system will include having only one plan for each child and coordinators to assist families.

In April we will be using the ideas of parents and providers as well as our research of models operating successfully elsewhere in the province to make a first draft of our proposal to better serve the children with most complex needs.

At the same time, we are developing ideas for reorganizing the system so that all children who receive rehab services (speech-language, occupational therapy and physiotherapy) will find them more holistic, effective, collaborative, continuous and convenient. Please send us your ideas using the surveys below.

We need your ideas on improving rehab service delivery!

Parents: If you are a parent of a child receiving speech-language services, occupational therapy or physiotherapy, please answer the questions on this parents’ on-line survey:

fluidsurveys.com/surveys/pamfergusson/children-s-rehab-survey-for-parents/

Service Providers: If you work for an agency, school or other body that provides rehab services, please provide your ideas using this service providers’ on-line survey:

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/pamfergusson/children-s-rehab-services-survey-for-providers/

Kindly spread the word to other families or care providers by sending them this update, and encouraging them to send in their ideas on or before April 14. We seek as many ideas as possible!

How can I stay up to date?

Click here to request these regular updates or other information: mailto:llgspecialneedsstrategy@gmail.com.

Thank you and enjoy the warm weather!

Table Co-chairs

Margaret van Beers, Director, Child Development Centre, Hotel Dieu Hospital Paula Perrault, Principal of Special Education, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

Gillian Jackson, Manager, Children’s Services Developmental Services of Leeds & Grenville

Donna Davidson, Director, Lanark Community Programs, Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services

Special Needs Strategy Update #3

March News: Update #3

Lanark Leeds & Grenville Special Needs Strategy Proposal Development Table

 

Hello Community of Lanark Leeds and Grenville,
Our “Table” of service providers and parents continues to work toward improving special needs services for children in our region as part of the Ontario Special Needs Strategy. (The Strategy is described in more detail in earlier updates posted on everykid.on.ca and lanarkkids.ca/special-needs/.) What’s new this month?

Our first proposal is due to the government in June. At the Table we are defining the model we will propose to improve the coordination of special needs services for children/families using more than one service. We are designing a system that will have only one plan for each child, will have service planning coordinators to assist families and we will have one coordinating agency for this area to keep track of the information-sharing and other things needed to support these changes.

On March 10 we held a meeting of six parents and 33 front-line workers (speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, community service workers among others) to look carefully at how to deliver rehabilitation services in a way that is more continuous and convenient for families. The ideas from that session will be gathered in a report. If you would like to receive a copy, make that request to our table administrator, whose email address is at the bottom of the page.

 

How can I share my thoughts on improving the coordination of special needs services?

Parents: If you are a parent of a child receiving services from more than one service, please answer the questions on this parents’ on-line survey: http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/llgspecialneedsstrategytable/parent-caregiver-questions/

Service Providers: If you work for an agency, school or other body that provides special needs services, please provide your ideas on service coordination using this service providers’ on-line survey: http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/llgspecialneedsstrategytable/coordinated-services-for-service-providers/

Kindly spread the word to other families or care providers by sending them this update, and encouraging them to send in their ideas on or before March 31st. We want as many perspectives as possible!
How can I stay up to date?

If you would like to receive regular updates or other reports email Pam Fergusson, Table Administrator.

Thank you and stay tuned!

Table Co-chairs

 

 

Margaret van Beers, Director, Child Development Centre, Hotel Dieu Hospital Paula Perrault, Principal of Special Education, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

 

Gillian Jackson, Manager, Children’s Services Developmental Services of Leeds & Grenville
Donna Davidson, Director, Lanark Community Programs, Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services

 

 

Special Needs Strategy Update #2

For Release: March 16, 2015

March News: Update #3

Lanark Leeds & Grenville Special Needs Strategy Proposal Development Table

Hello Community of Lanark Leeds and Grenville,

Our “Table” of service providers and parents continues to work toward improving special needs services for children in our region as part of the Ontario Special Needs Strategy. (The Strategy is described in more detail in earlier updates posted on lanarkkids.ca and everykid.ca). What’s new this month?

Our first proposal is due to the government in June. At the Table we are defining the model we will propose to improve the coordination of special needs services for children/families using more than one service. We are designing a system that will have only one plan for each child, will have service planning coordinators to assist families and we will have one coordinating agency for this area to keep track of the information-sharing and other things needed to support these changes.

On March 10 we held a meeting of six parents and 33 front-line workers (speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, community service workers among others) to look carefully at how to deliver rehabilitation services in a way that is more continuous and convenient for families. The ideas from that session will be gathered in a report. If you would like to receive a copy, make that request to our table administrator, whose email address is at the bottom of the page.

How can I share my thoughts on improving the coordination of special needs services? The survey can be found here:

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/llgspecialneedsstrategytable/parent-caregiver-questions/ and encourage

Parents: If you are a parent of a child receiving services from more than one service, please answer the questions on this parents’ on-line survey.

Service Providers: If you work for an agency, school or other body that provides special needs services, please provide your ideas on service coordination using this service providers’ on-line survey.

Kindly spread the word to other families or care providers by sending them this update, and encouraging them to send in their ideas on or before March 31st. We want as many perspectives as possible!

How can I stay up to date?

If you would like to receive regular updates or other reports email Pam Fergusson, Table Administrator.

Thank you and stay tuned!

Table Co-chairs

Margaret van Beers, Director, Child Development Centre, Hotel Dieu Hospital Paula Perrault, Principal of Special Education, Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

Gillian Jackson, Manager, Children’s Services Developmental Services of Leeds & Grenville

Donna Davidson, Director, Lanark Community Programs, Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services

 

Special Needs Strategy Update

February News: Update #2

For Release: February 13, 2015

Lanark Leeds & Grenville Special Needs Strategy Proposal Development Table

Hello Community of Lanark Leeds and Grenville,

Our “Table” of service providers and now parents is clear on its goal to improve special needs services for children in our region as part of the Ontario Special Needs Strategy http://specialneedsstrategy.children.gov.on.ca. (The Strategy is described in more detail in Update #1). Success in this task means listening to parents and providers at all stages as we propose changes in the local system to make it more accessible, coordinated and focused on meeting the needs of families. What’s new this month?

We are in the midst of fruitful discussions examining successful strategies — local and from elsewhere in the province — to improve the coordination of special needs services. We have also established a Speech and Language Working Group to look at making those services work better for families.

But, our biggest news this month is welcoming three parents to our planning table. Our application process for this role attracted many interested parents. After a careful process to get a good mix of geography and other characteristics, we are delighted to welcome to the Table:

> Andrea Brett of McDonalds Corners (North Lanark) > Jessica Champlin of Elgin (North Leeds) > Nancy McNamara of Brockville

How can I share my thoughts on improving the system?

We need your ideas, whether you are a parent or a service provider. Our first question is for families: What is working well now for you and your family in regard to special needs services? What do you think is working well in our system that we should not change? Please go to our online answer space http://everykid.on.ca/working-family-special-services/ and provide your answer. Please spread the work to other families by sending them this update. By the end of February, we will have posted more survey questions. In March we will start a series of meetings — the times and locations will also be posted on the website.

How can I stay up to date?

If you would like to receive future updates like this, please ask Pam Fergusson, our table administrator at llgspecialneedsstrategy@gmail.com to add you to our mailing list. Also tell us if you would like to be invited to focus groups and/or alerted when more questions are posted in our on-line survey.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Table Co-chairs

Margaret van Beers, Director, Child Development Centre, Hotel Dieu Hospital

Paula Perrault, Principal of Special Education,

Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

Gillian Jackson, Manager, Children’s Services Developmental Services of Leeds & Grenville

Donna Davidson, Director, Lanark Community Programs, Lanark Renfrew Health & Community Services

 

Don’t Wait and See

from phone 183

Don’t Wait and See!

Is your child ready for Kindergarten?  It is very important that your child be able to speak clearly and ask questions, listen and follow instructions, and play appropriately with other children. 10-12% of preschool children have speech and language difficulties that will make it hard for them to succeed in school and in life.

Take a moment to think about your child’s speech and language skills:

Can your 4 year old:

Follow instructions with three or more steps? e.g. “First get your crayons and paper, then draw a picture and then give it to Grandma.”?

 Use adult-type grammar?

 Tell stories with a clear beginning, middle and end?

 Talk to try to solve problems with adults and other children?

 Be understood by strangers almost all of the time?

 Make up simple rhymes e.g. Cat – Bat?

 Match some letters with their sounds e.g. letter T says “tuh”?

 Start a conversation and keep it going on the same topic for at least three turns?

DON’T WAIT AND SEE…..

If you are concerned about your child’s speech and language skills or are interested in how your child is doing, call the Language Express Preschool Speech System at 1-888-503-8885. A speech-language assessment can identify your child’s strengths and needs and can help you prepare your child for school.

For more information, check out our website: www.language-express.ca