Friend 2 Friend's Blog

This blog has moved!

Friend 2 Friend — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:49:02 +0000

Please check for updates, posts from Mae, Heather and the Friend 2 Friend team, upcoming events and more on Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society’s new blog:

www.maeonthemove.tumblr.com

Filed under: General Discussion

Get your vote on! It’s Round 3!

Friend 2 Friend — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:56:38 +0000

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

As you may be aware, Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society is working to establish a new Play Centre located in East Vancouver, BC, Canada. This state-of-the-art Centre will provide children (ages 3-16) with individualized, innovative peer play programs, the first of their kind to focus on the core needs of children with autism and related special needs by combining the award-winning research based SCERTS®, Integrated Play Groups® and Friend 2 Friend models.

To learn more about the Centre, please visit www.friend2friendsociety.org/play-centre/index.php

The Friend 2 Friend Play Centre Needs Your Help! You can support this worthwhile cause in a number of ways. They are:

•Vote for F2F on Aviva Community Fund’s website: The third and final voting opportunity starts TODAY! (Nov. 14th ) on Aviva Community Fund’s website. The projects with the most votes will be advanced to the finals. The Friend 2 Friend Play Centre is the only autism specific project in this voting contest. Please place your vote at: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11235
• Register and cast a vote daily (up to 15 votes per round, per person)
• Facebook, email, Twitter, etc. your friends and family about the project
• Encourage your family and coworkers to vote
• Print off and hang the Friend 2 Friend posters/brochures in your community to help raise awareness of the Friend 2 Friend Programs
• Hold a school-wide or workplace initiative to support the project (voting contest, post our cause on a bill board, etc.)
• Encourage local media to highlight our efforts in your school or community

• Donate Directly: every donation will receive a tax deductible receipt. You may donate online at http://www.friend2friendsociety.org/play-centre/index.php
• Sponsors: connect Friend 2 Friend with grant opportunities or corporate sponsors (in the public or private sector) that might be interested in supporting this cause.
• Donate In kind: we require all kinds of donations such as space, in kind services, silent auction items, supplies, materials, etc.
• Spread the Word: mention Friend 2 Friend to your friends and family by forwarding this email or on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

Once again, thank you for your support,

Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society

Filed under: General Discussion

Have you read our latest newsletter?

Friend 2 Friend — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:51:53 +0000

Check out Friend 2 Friend’s fall 2011 e-newsletter online at http://www.friend2friendsociety.org/publications/newsletter/download/F2Fnewsletter-2011Fall.pdf.

With a big thanks to Barry Prizant, Ph.D./CCC-SLP http://www.barryprizant.com/about.php, please find a great article entitled “Finding Balance” in this issue. Check out the issue to find out more about upcoming training, Friend 2 Friend’s social media links and more!

Filed under: General Discussion

It’s Round 2!

Friend 2 Friend — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:06:36 +0000

Hello friends,

Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society (the “Society”) of which I am a director is in a competition to raise up to $150,000 by a grant from an organization called, Aviva Community, for a new Play Centre project for autistic children, proposed to be located in East Vancouver. You can support this worthwhile cause by voting at Aviva’s website each day, over the next 2 weeks. Vote once or as much as you like (up to once per day). The top ten projects with the most public support will be awarded their grants.The link is:

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11235

The Society is a British Columbia based, non-government funded, not-for-profit charitable organization, established in 2002. The Society has the mandate to foster mutual friendships between individuals on the autism spectrum and their peers by providing sustainable community programs and services that promote understanding, acceptance and empathy of autism, and to support all children to develop to the best of their abilities through the play and socialization that friendships offer. To meet this mandate the Society designs, develops and delivers programs to children ages 3 through 18 in schools and other community settings throughout BC. The Society’s philosophy, programs and services embrace diversity and equality using inclusive, sensitive, age-appropriate, fun and research based best practices in its educational programs.

As you may know, autism is a lifelong neurological disability with hallmarks which include difficulties in a person’s capacity to interact socially with others, communicate basic needs, feelings and ideas, understand and use language effectively, develop play and imagination, and form peer relationships. Autism and its traits vary widely among individuals, and for this reason, an individual is often described as having an “autism spectrum disorder” (ASD) or being on the “autism spectrum”. The inability of social play and social interaction is one of the primary aspects of autism.

The first new programs proposed to be offered by the Society at the Play Centre will be as follows:

· Early Childhood Play Groups Program – This program will be provided onsite and is designed for pre-school children with autism (and related disorders) and their parents/caregivers. The program will bring together children of various abilities to support their social interaction and communication in peer play-based activities, while providing model training to their caregivers. The goals of this program are to: (1) promote the social interaction communication, and peer play skills of the children who participate; (2) increase the capacity of the caregivers who participate in dealing with individuals with autistic disorders; and (3) bring individuals with autism and their caregivers together to share experiences and reduce feelings of isolation.

· Out of School Play Group Programs – These programs will be provided onsite offering children ages 6-16 with highly specialized out of school programs through our After School Play Groups, Weekend Play Groups, Summer Play Groups and Specialized Play Groups programs. The goals of these programs are designed to: (1) promote the social interaction, communication, and peer play skills of the children who participate; (2) provide inclusive, highly specialized social skills training to the children who participate; (3) provide a safe haven for children with special needs to form peer group identities, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness; (4) provide access to inclusive peer play programs to isolated children (children who are struggling in the school environment or may be out of school for various reasons); and (5) provide consistent programs during non-school hours, which is very important to the social development of children with autism.

The proposed Play Centre would provide the Society with the ability to offer parents and professionals ongoing support and training in the form of weekend and evening workshops, as well as, annual seminars and summer institute training sessions. These training opportunities would not only build capacity in parents and professionals in implementing best practices for supporting children with autism, but would also provide a means for parent support groups to meet, reducing the isolation that parents often experience in raising children on the autism spectrum.

Please also feel free to pass this along to anyone you know, who you think would support this very worthy cause.

Regards,
Heather McCracken
Founder/Executive Director
Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society

www.friend2friendsociety.org

Filed under: General Discussion

Vote for Friend 2 Friend’s New Play Centre Project!

Friend 2 Friend — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:32:13 +0000

Please sign onto the link above EVERY DAY and vote for Friend 2 Friend’s new Play Centre Project. We’re keeping up, but we need your votes! Support from the Aviva Community Fund would enable Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society to carry out our highly creative and innovative project that will fill a tangible and underserved need in the Vancouver region for children with autism and related disorders. The project is entitled “Friend 2 Friend Play Centre”.

Each person can vote 15 times per round (once a day), so don’t save any of your votes for the next round! Please sign on every day to vote for Friend 2 Friend’s Play Center project! For more information on our project, please go to the Aviva Community Page website.

Please forward this request to all your contacts- every vote counts. Thank you in advance for supporting Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society.

Sincerely,

The Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society Team
www.friend2friendsociety.org

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11235

Filed under: General Discussion

Friend 2 Friend — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:56:44 +0000

Vote for Friend 2 Friend’s New Play Centre project!

Hello Friends,

Please sign onto the link above and vote for Friend 2 Friend’s new Play Centre Project. Support from the Aviva Community Fund would enable Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society to carry out our highly creative and innovative project that will fill a tangible and underserved need in the Vancouver region for children with autism and related disorders. The project is entitled “Friend 2 Friend Play Centre”.

Friend 2 Friend will develop a new state-of-the-art child intervention centre, and design and implement peer play programs at our new location in Vancouver, BC. The Friend 2 Friend Play Centre will provide children ages 3 through 16 with individualized innovative peer play programs, the first of their kind to focus on the core needs of children with autism by combining the award-winning, research based SCERTS®, Integrated Play Groups® and Friend 2 Friend models.

The programs will operate year round offering social, communication and peer play-based programs such as the Early Childhood Play Groups Program and the Out of School Play Groups Program. For more information, please visit our page on the Aviva Community Fund website and vote now to support our vision!

Each person can vote once a day and every vote helps so please forward this request to all your contacts. Thank you in advance for supporting Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society.

Sincerely,

The Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society Team
www.friend2friendsociety.org

http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf11235

Filed under: General Discussion

Getting ready for back to school?

Friend 2 Friend — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:17:47 +0000

Book F2F’s Autism Demystification Puppet and Simulation Games Programs for your school now!

Have a great start to the school year knowing your child’s peers understand that everyone has different kinds of minds- and that it’s awesome! Friend 2 Friend’s presentations demystify autism and related social communication disorders and promote understanding, acceptance, empathy and mutual rewarding friendship for all children ages 3 to 18.

Friend 2 Friend’s Program Guides visit schools and other community settings providing peer education and direct support to help typical children understand “what it feels like to have ASD” and to teach children specific friendship skills that can help them play and socialize with a peer with ASD.

Book now!
http://www.friend2friendsociety.org/demystification/form.php

Filed under: General Discussion

Mae at the Vancouver Aquarium!

Friend 2 Friend — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:00:42 +0000

The summer isn’t over yet, and neither is Mae’s fun! Check out Mae’s blogs about going to the Vancouver Aquarium with her family last week!

http://maeonthemove.tumblr.com/

Filed under: Mae on the Move

Tell all your friends! Register now for Friend 2 Friend’s fall conference!

Friend 2 Friend — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 22:36:45 +0000

Please help us spread the word about our October 21 &22, 2011 conference to be held in Vancouver, BC entitled

Fostering Peer Play and Friendships for Children and Teens on the Autism Spectrum:
The Integrated Play Groups and Friend 2 Friend Models.

Registration is filling up fast, but REGISTER HERE! to take advantage of our early bird registration rate and join us to discover:

The nature of peer play and friendships as it influences lifelong development and experience
The principles and practices of the Integrated Play Groups® model
The principles and practices of the Friend 2 Friend model
Methods to assess and moniter social, communication, play, imaginiation and friendships
Methods to design quality peer play and friendship programs in school, home, community and therapy settings

Title:
Fostering Peer Play and Friendships for Children and Teens on the Autism Spectrum: The Integrated Play Groups and Friend 2 Friend Models

Location:
SFU Vancouver – Harbour Centre
Labatt Hall Room 1700
Vancouver, BC

Date:
October 21st & 22nd, 2011
9:00-4:00pm both days (Doors open at 8am on Oct. 21st)

Seminar Description
This introductory specialized two-day seminar
brings together the Integrated Play Groups
(IPG) and Friend 2 Friend (F2F) models to
address the unique social, play and friendship
needs of children and teens representing
diverse ages and abilities on the autism
spectrum. Drawing on evidence-based
practices, these complementary models
enhance socialization, communication, play
and imagination in children with autism while
building meaningful relationships with typical
peers and siblings in inclusive school, home,
community and therapy settings.

Day 1 will introduce the research, principles
and practices of the IPG model designed
to support children on the autism spectrum
(novice players) in mutually enjoyed play
experiences with typical peers/siblings
(expert players) while guided by a qualified
facilitator (play guide). Extensions of the IPG
model featuring sensory integration, drama,
filmmaking, dance and art will also be
introduced.

Day 2 will introduce the principles and practices
of the F2F model designed to demystify autism
spectrum and related social-communication
disorders while promoting understanding,
acceptance, empathy and mutual rewarding
friendships for children
and teens. The F2F-IPG
programs will be highlighted
emphasizing design and
implementation of social
groups that center on
the affinities of individual
players.

Brochure: http://www.friend2friendsociety.org/calendar/seminars/pdf/2011/2011-F2F-IPGBrochure.pdf

Online Registration: http://www.friend2friendsociety.org/calendar/seminars/index.php

Mail-In Registration Form: http://www.friend2friendsociety.org/calendar/seminars/pdf/2011/2011-F2F-IPG-Registration-Form.pdf

Filed under: General Discussion

A friendly message from Heather (Executive Director)

Friend 2 Friend — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:07:26 +0000

Hello friends,

I have been working on creating an intervention program combining the SCERTS®, Integrated Play Groups® and F2F Models. This has been a focus of mine for over year now. I was designing this program for a centre in Beijing China. Now that I am not longer a part of that centre I would love to find a way to bring that program to Vancouver. It would be the best of both worlds for individuals on the autism spectrum. A highly individualized social, communication based program that not only focused on helping develop those much need skills (social and communication) but also focused on developing those skills in their peers, their parents and family members.

Another big piece of this program was transitions – providing support and training/techniques as the children transition into other environments such as school, work, community……..my next dream! I will keep dreaming!!

Regards,

Heather

Filed under: General Discussion