Meet the LDAA-RD Chapter Board of Directors (2009-2010)
President: Jackie Kurylo
Vice-President: James Wilson
Past-President: Stracey Smith
Treasurer: Karen Stone
Secretary: Christine Laval
Director: Lorna Rye
"Being learning disabled is like being in a dark room full of obstacles where everyone except you has a flashlight." - Anonymous
Donate to the LDAA-RD
Without your generosity in gifting, the Red Deer Chapter flounders. We appreciate your support and consideration of the Red Deer Chapter as your donation recipient of choice. Albertans who donate over $200 per year to a charitable organization now receive a 50% provincial/federal tax credit for every dollar donated over $200. For more information on how you can help people of all ages with learning disabilities and/or ADHD in Central Alberta, please contact Sheryl at 403-340-3885.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - LDAA-RD
All paid members of the LDAA-Red Deer Chapter are invited to attend our AGM on June 10th, 2010 at 7 PM in the LDAA office. You must be in attendance to vote.
LD Resource Library
The LDAA-RD has a free resource library for information on learning disabilities and ADHD. A recent donation by the Laird District Council has increased our number of books and videos available. The resource library is open to the general public during office hours 9:30am to 12:00 noon Monday to Thursday. Members may take materials out of the library for home use.
LDAA 2010 PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE - October 6 - 8, 2010 in Calgary
"Colour Outside the Lines" - Creative Responses to the LD Challenge
An enlightening conference for the LD world. Mark your calendars for an educational and inspiring conference at the Telus Convention Centre with keynote speakers: Danny Glover & Felix Justice and Richard Lavoie. For more information visit http://www.LDAA.net/conference
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNTIES
The Red Deer Chapter is looking for Board Members, Committee Members and Tutors. If you would like to learn more about our Central Alberta Chapter, contact Sheryl at 403-340-3885.
LDAA-RD MEMBERSHIPS
Become a member of the Red Deer Chapter which includes membership in both the Provincial and National Learning Disabilities Associations. You will receive program updates through the Perspectives Magazine which is published 4 times per year, National and Provincial Magazines when available, lending library priviledges, access to programs throughout the province, and voting priviledges at the Red Deer Chapter's AGM. Membership is $40/year.(membership form attached)
BLIND DATE WITH A STAR - INAUGURAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY FUNDRAISING EVENT
VOLUNTEERS WANTED - TENTATIVE DATE JUNE 2010.
Become involved and make a difference in our community!
More information
RAISING EVERY CHILD TO REACH FULL POTENTIAL (NEW)
The Rick Lavoie Film & Discussion Series for Parents / Teachers and Professionals.
(Cllick here for the poster)
Rick Lavoie, M.A. M.Ed holds three degrees in Special Education and has served as an administrator of residential programs for children with special needs for 30 years. These experiences have provided Lavoie with a 'living laboratory' in which he developed and refined his methods and philosophies related to the education of adolescents with special needs.
Schedule for the Lavoie Series - pre-registration required. Location LDAA office from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM the 4th Wednesday of every month from Jan. - June.
$10 each session for LDAA members and $50 for series of 6 for members
$15 each session for non-members and $90 for series of 6 for non-members
Prepayment by cash or cheque - fees include handouts and attendance certificates provided, if requested in advance.
Phone Sheryl at 403-340-3885 for more information.
January 27th - How Difficult Can This Be?
For kids with learning disabilities, the classroom can be an intimidating place. In this workshop, Lavoie shows why. He leads a group of parents, educators, psychologists, and children through a series of exercises that cause frustration, anxiety, and tension...feelings all too familiar to children with learning disabilities. By dramatizing the classroom experience so vividly, Lavoie lets us see the world through the eyes of a child. At the end of the workshop, participants discuss strategies for working more effectively with learning disabled children.
February 24 - It's So Much Work to be Your Friend
Helping the learning disabled child find social success. The lives of most children are filled with joy, laughter, and their daily adventure with friends, classmates, and teammates. Some children, however, seem unable to make these important connections with peers and, as a result, are often isolated and ignored. It is extraordinarily painful for parents and teachers to observe an isolated child as he waits for invitations that never come.
It's So Much Work to be Your Friend explores the causes and consequences of 'social incompetence.' Drawing on current research and thirty years of experience in residential schools, Lavoie provides powerful strategies for teaching friendship skills in the classroom, on the homefront, and in the community.
Wednesday - March 24 - Beyond F.A.T. City: A Look Back, A Look Ahead
This video offers practical strategies as well as inspirational messages for those who teach children with learning disabilities who constantly struggle with Frustration, Anxiety and Tension (F.A.T.) Filled with powerful and provocative stories about the history and philosphy of the F.A.T. City project, major trends and issues in the field of LD and the challenges ahead for parents and education professionals are presented.
Wednesday, April 28 - When the Chips are Down: Strategies for handling out of control behaviour
Do you ever have days when the kids seem totally out of control? Do you find yourself falling into the same pointless arguments with your students or your children?
This session will present dozens of field-tested behaviour managment techniques for use at home and in the classroom. These strategies are designed specifically for use with students with language and attentional deficits and explains how teachers and parents can create a stable, predictable environment in which children with learning disabilities can flourish.
All the techniques are presented within a context of support, structure and responsiveness. The philosophical underpinning of each strategy will also be presented.
Wednesday, May 26 -Last One Picked, First One Picked On: The Social Implications of Learning Disabilities
Learning Disabilities and Social Skills. For most children, playing with friends is a daily ritual. But kids with learning disabilities are often isolated and rejected, lacking the social skills to make and keep friends. Richard Lavoie shows how to help these kids succeed in everyday situations. LAST ONE PICKED...FIRST ONE PICKED ON gives parents and teachers greater understanding of social skill deficits and specific strategies for developing skills and fostering social competence.
Wednesday, June 23 - The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child
What does it take to motivate the 'forgotten' student that traditional methods just don't seem to reach? Educator Rick Lavoie draws on decades of teaching experience to demonstrate six basic motivational styles and strategies for inspiring the most withdrawn and reluctant student. In this lively workshop presentation for parents and teachers, Lavoie touches all the bases as he explains how to tap into an apethetic or learning-disabled student's secret need for prestige, power, praise, or reward.
Few teachers have a repertoire of effective motivational strategies and techniques. In the classroom, we tend to use a "one size fits all" approach by attempting to motivate all students with one single reward system, star chart or grading policy. This seminar presents an innovative and field-tested model that enables teachers to better understand and foster student motivation at all grade levels.
The workshop begins with an exploration of some of the common misconceptions related to student motivation and some of the common strategies that are, simply ineffective (competition, reward systems, punishment). Specific approaches and strategies will then be presented that will enable teachers and parents to motivate students...and maintaqin that motivation throughout the school year.
Some strategies are simple - using clearer, more precise language - while others take time, patience, and planning. Each one is well worth the effort. But be forewarned: Lavoie's enthusiasm is contagious!
Public Talk on AD/HD for youth and adults (NEW) - TENTATIVE DATE MARCH 9th
Join us for an information session on the subject of learning about ADHD for parents & teens. It was assumed that by adolescence children outgrew ADHD symptoms. However, for many, this is not the case. Approximately 70--80% of children with ADHD continue to have problems into their teens and beyond - problems with impulsivity, problem-solving, decision-making, and attention.
Please check our website for confirmation of date, time, location and presenter.
Multidisciplinary Reading and Writing Program (ongoing – register now)
Do you or your child struggle with reading, writing or math? Is your child not getting enough help in school? Do you need assistance learning study skills or test preparation?
Developed specifically for learning disabilities and unique to the Red Deer Chapter, this program focuses on developing good decoding skills with intensive one-on-one instruction using a multi-sensory approach.
Each student is thoroughly screened to identify learning preferences, reading placement and vision skills deficits. In addition, an Irlen Screening for light sensitivity is performed to rule out as many barriers to successful reading as possible. An individualized program is then developed and supervised by our certified Program Director, April Meyer (more Irlen info).
Eighteen 1 hour sessions over nine weeks of one-on-one tutoring will help to build decoding skills, fluency and confidence in reading, writing and math. Contact our Program Director April Meyer at 403-340-3885 for more information.
IRLEN SCREENINGS
Do you have a sensitivity to light? Are you bothered by glare, sunlight, fluorescent lights, headlights, or streetlights? Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyyLW7gsfjQ for more information. Irlen Screenings are available at the LDAA Red Deer office by Certified Irlen Screener April Meyer. For more information about Irlen please contact April by phone at 403-3403885. (Click here to download a poster)
Social Competence Program (REGISTER NOW - STARTS FEB 4))
Think Social '09 - for ages 10 - 12 years
The goal of the Think Social Program is to foster in our students the skills required to achieve success in social situations. The realm of social competence is a difficult one, as we do not consciously "teach" social skills as we would math or reading.
Students will be immersed in learning through hands-on activities, games and role plays that will help them fit into some of the social situations they deal with and nurture their self-esteem to feel confident as well. Learning is so much fun that they don't know that they are learning!
Session 1 - Being Part of a Group
- Rules for Social Groups
- Listening/Blurting
- Expected/Unexpected Behaviours
Session 2 - Whole Body and Mind
- Whole Body Listening
- Thinking with our Eyes
Session 3 - Self-Awareness and Self-Monitoring
- In the Group/Out of the Group
- Brain in the Group/Out of the Group
- Know your Boundaries
- Cooperation
Session 4 - Observing Others
- Reading Body Language
- Reading the Feelings of Others
Session 5 - Dealing with Teasing/Bullying (Parent session)
- Guest Speaker - Ralph Cervi (Retired RCMP)
Session 6 - Dealing with Anger and Frustration
- Dealing with Anger
- Degrees of Anger
Session 7 - Communicating with Others/Having a Conversation
- Proximity
- Starting a Conversation
- Maintaining a Topic
- Ending a Conversation
Session 8 - Celebrating Success
- Certificate Presentation
- Wind-up Activity
DATES: 8 week program - running once a week every Thursday (4:30 - 6 PM)
- Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25
- Mar 4, 18, 25
- Apr 1
LOCATION: Red Deer Public Library (Snell Auditorium)
4818 - 49th St., Red Deer, AB (downtown branch)
REGISTRATION: through the LDAA-RD Chapter. For more information, please contact April
- by phone: 403-340-3885
- by email: info3.ldard@shawbiz.ca
SOCIAL COMPETENCE DAY CAMPS-JULY 2010
July 12 - 16th for 7-9 year olds
July 19 -23 for 10-12 year olds.
Registrations will be accepted at the end of May. Please check the website for updates.
Learning so fun that they will forget they’re learning. These two – 1 week summer programs for 7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds are designed by a specialist who knows that the best kind of learning happens when children are having so much fun to notice.
Summer experiences in an environment where children are safe in a familiar setting surrounded by the friends and tutors they come to know and trust. More information to follow shortly.
Adult Support Group
Members have expressed interest in starting a support group for adults living with learning disabilities or AD/HD. If you are interested in becoming part of a group please contact the office at 403-340-3885.
Parent Support Group
Attendees at our Parent Information Evenings have expressed interest in a support group for parents of children with learning disabilities. We would like to meet once a month to discuss books, ongoing concerns and to network. If you are a parent of a child with a learning disability or AD/HD please contact our office at 340-3885 for more information.
SPEAKERS' SERIES (NEW) Pre-registration required
For parents, teachers and professionals.
(more information)
Confirmed and Tentative Presentations - additional presentations not listed are in the planning stages
Presentations will be held in the LDAA office unless otherwise posted
Confirmed - Wednesday - January 27th - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
How Difficult Can This Be? - Video by Rick Lavoie and Discussion to Follow
See Raising Every Child to Reach Full Potential film series details above.
Confirmed - Tuesday, February 9th - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Behaviour Management
Presenter: Keir Kutney, Behavioural Consultant
Parents will walk away with an understanding of why kids misbehave and a process that allows even the most difficult behaviours to be managed effectively.
Confirmed - Wednesday, Feb 17th - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Nurturing Self-Esteem
Presenter: Ralph Cervi, Red Deer Crisis Centre
Confirmed - Wednesday, February 24 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
It's So Much Work to be Your Friend - Video by Rick Lavoie and Discussion to Follow
See Raising Every Child to Reach Full Potential film series details above.
Tentative - Tuesday, Mar 9 - location and time to be confirmed
ADHD in Youth and Adults
Presenter: to be announced including location
Confirmed - Wednesday, Mar 10 - location and time to be confirmed
Dymystifying Cognitive Assessments in Schools
Presenter: Kim Unrau - M.Ed. R Psych. (AB)
Edmonton Public Schools
Tentative - Wednesday, Mar 17
Behaviour in the School Yard
Presenter: to be confirmed
Confirmed - Wednesday, Mar 24 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Beyond F.A.T. City: Frustration, Anxiety, Tension
See Raising Every Child to Reach Full Potential film series details above.
Tentative - Tuesday or Wednesday April 13 th or 14 st - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Learning Disabilities & Mental Health in School Aged Children
Presenter: to be confirmed
Confirmed - Tuesday, April 20 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Understanding and Managing ADHD, Autism, FASD, Tourette's, etc.
Presenter: Keir Kutney, Behavioural Consultant
This presentation will give parents a clearer understanding of the more common adolescent mental health diagnosis and the types of approaches necessary to manage these youth more effectively.
Confirmed - Wednesday, April 28 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
When the Chips are Down: Strategies for handling out of control behaviour - Video by Rick Lavoie and Discussion to Follow
See Raising Every Child to Reach Full Potential film series details above.
Confirmed - Tuesday, May 11 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Developing Relationships
Presenter: Keir Kutney, Behavioural Consultant
This presentation discusses the importance of relationships with youth. Parents will be offered effective tools for developing and maintaining realtionships as well as communication blocks that only serve to promote more problematic behaviours.
Confirmed - Tuesday, May 18 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
A Variety of Strategies to Manage Behaviour
Presenter: Keir Kutney, Behavioural Consultant
Confirmed - Wednesday, May 26 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Last One Picked: First One Picked On - Video by Rick Lavoie and Discussion to Follow
See Raising Every Child to Reach Full Potential film series details above.
Tentative - Wednesday, June 9 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Teaching Social Skills to Children with Learning Disabilities
Presenter: to be confirmed
Confirmed - Wednesday, June 16 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children
Presenter: Ralph Cervi, Red Deer Crisis Centre
Confirmed - Wednesday, June 23 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM
The Motivation Breakthrough - Video by Rick Lavoie and Discussion to Follow
See Raising Every Child to Reach Full Potential film series details above.
Learning Disabilities or Learning Differences Affect the Whole Community
- 35% of students identified with a learning disability drop out of high school. This is twice the rate of non-disabled students.
- A study completed in 2007 by the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta estimates that there are over 44,000 people in the David Thomson Health Region who have a learning disability; 42% of whom are 24 years or younger.
- Approximately 15,000 people in this region are diagnosed with AD/HD. 15-20% of which also have been diagnosed with a learning disability.
- Almost 50% of adolescent suicides have previously been diagnosed as having a learning disability.
- Research has shown that 30-70% of young offenders have experienced learning problems.
- Up to 60% of teens in treatment centres for substance abuse have had difficulty in school.
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) released a recent report, putting a Canadian Face on Learning Disabilities (PACFOLD) about the impact of learning disabilities on the whole community. For more information, please visit www.pacfold.ca
Additional Reading
Bowers. Brent. Dec. 6. 2007. The New York Times. Tracing Business Acumen To Dyslexia
(accessed April 27, 2009)
Famous People with Dyslexia, Other LD and/or AD/HD
Inspirational Quotes