October is Autism Awareness Month

North Bay Chapter of Autism Ontario
News Release

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Did you know that 1 in 110 children will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and that 80,000 Ontario families have a member with an ASD? October is Autism Awareness Month here in North Bay and the North Bay Chapter of Autism Ontario has many program and event opportunities for children with ASD or families dealing with ASD to participate in.

We have a variety of weekly programs for our families to enjoy and none of these programs would be possible without the amazing partnerships we have developed with the people, businesses and service providers in and around North Bay.

Our most popular program is our gymnastics program run by Gymtrix Gymnastics and Trampoline Centre. Every Thursday, we gather at Gymtrix and our children participate in a traditional gymnastics program, led by their expert staff. They jump on the trampoline, launch themselves into the foam pit, run obstacle course and have a ton of fun doing it, all the while getting much needed exercise and learning the benefits of things like turn taking and body awareness. This year we added an additional trampoline only class for teens.

Every Sunday for two hours, a group meets at Dance Obsessed Studios. Led by Mabel Hernandez, they learn the latest dance moves in a non-competitive environment, relax by doing yoga and honing their fine motor skills with crafts developed by Shannon Berger. Mabel also runs a camp for a week in the summer expressly for our children.

Back by popular demand is the drama program, led by Can-Do Kids Theatre and its artistic director, Michelle Webster. This year’s play, designed for children ages 6 to 12, is “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and promises to provide as much entertainment as last year’s play. Michelle hasn’t forgotten about the teens, however and a plan for a teen program is in the works for the new year!

An integral part of these programs is the support workers who provide support in a variety of ways to our children and youth. Through the Group Activities Enhanced Respite funds at Hands thefamilyhelpnetwork.ca, our programmers can apply for funding to help hire the extra staff needed to accommodate our group. Hands has been very generous and supportive of all of our endeavours.

One of our most successful partnerships is with Lee Anna Tremblay, the owner of One Stop Employment Shop. After being inspired by the program “Coach in the Kitchen” developed by Penny Gill, we searched for a way to make a cooking program available to teens and adults in our community. At the same time, Lee Anna, after spending several years working with organizations that provided service to people with special needs, decided to branch out on her own. A phone call, some e-mails and our Teen and Adult Cooking Program became a reality!

The cooking class begins every Wednesday in the kitchen of One Kids Place, our children’s treatment centre, where they have very graciously open their doors to us so we can make full use of their wonderful facility. With the exception of the first class, participants plan the menu themselves, from appetizers to dessert. It is a collaborative effort, expertly facilitated by Lee Anna as each participant gives input and gets to choose their favourite food at least once during the session. You won’t find them boiling any wieners either! Vegetables are chopped, meat is prepared and culinary trip around the world begins. Tasty examples include Greek salad, one of many different types of salad prepared, scalloped potatoes, chicken pot pie, homemade pizza, hamburgers, orange glazed ham, shrimp linguine and asparagus. The deliciousness continues into dessert with the preparation of yummy brownies, fruit turnovers and the best lemon meringue pie I have ever tasted, with a meringue that rivals a professional chef’s. At the end of the meal, the dishes are washed, the table, counters and stove are all cleaned and everyone goes home happy and full.

We are extremely fortunate to be so supported in our community and are always on the lookout for even more partnerships! One of our greatest partnerships is with One Kids Place, we are fortunate to have our chapter’s office located in One Kids Place, allowing parents instant access to information on Autism Ontario North Bay and our events and activities. The office is staffed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM .

To receive information on Autism Ontario North Bay, please do not hesitate to contact Kelli Pace, Chapter Manager at (705) 476-5437 ext 3561 or she can be contacted via email at [email protected]

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