Spectrum Insights - News

May 28th, 2018

5/28/2018

Send a Student to Camp recipient

We reached our goal of $425. That is enough to cover the cost for a deserving family that their child may attend our Spectrum Insights Summer Camp.
Congratulations Connor!
Please see his wonderful message below.

Thank you for donating to spectrum insights so that I can go to camp. It means so much to me to know that their are people out there who are willing to donate money to an organization that provides services to children with Autism. I’m also glad that their are people out there that see people with Autism as being unique not inferior to people who don’t have Autism.

I love the camp since it let’s me develop my interpersonal skills in a safe, sheltered environment, along side other people like me who are having to find their own ways to cope with their personal challenges. Spectrum Insights also has a caring, inclusive and fun mood attributed to it that makes the camp activities enjoyable. Spectrum Insights has also helped me get used to going on the bus on my own, since the camp also teaches you how to plan a bus route, find the right bus stop to get off the bus and other stuff about OC Transpo. I have also learned how to manage my money while at camp since we go and eat out almost every day and then on Friday we go to the mall and we are aloud to used the money that we saved all week to buy stuff at the mall that we want. Camp has also taught me how to be flexible since the restaurants that we go to throughout the week vary in style of food so we get to try all sorts of different food. I also enjoy Spectrum Insights since we go on a lot of fun outings instead of staying inside all day so it keeps me active and I have fun at the same time. I also enjoy the staff because they are friendly and fun.

So thank you to all to all of the people who donated money to spectrum insights so that I can go to camp.
- Connor

May 28th, 2018

5/28/2018

Introducing Catherine to the Spectrum Team! She will be running the JFG this summer.

June 1
RSVP by May 28
Spectrum Insights Social Group invite for JFG
June 8
Private house party
Princess themed
Pizza Night
Karaoke
Registration Night
To register for JFG, click the following link:
Online Registration form

June 1st Social Group

Pot Luck
SISG Registration - Cost goes up to $250 June 3rd.
Last social until September 17
Pot Luck
Retro Video Game Lounge with the RETROCADE
Just For Girls Invasion - Some of the JFG may be visiting
Our usual socializing, mingling and goofing around

Feel free to bring in your favorite board games!

The JFG had fun at Tulip Fest w/ Photographers Dmitri Moisseev and Diana B. We also had a special guest, Catherine D'iorio, our new summer camp leader came in to say hi. Dmitri and Diana's photos will be shared privately on our site for all parents who's

5/12/2018

For the Kids and Kids at Heart

4/26/2018

Magic the Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers is currently on sale for $15 at Amazon.
Some of the students at our popular SISG really enjoy playing this board game. For $15, it's a steal! If your child or you have been thinking about Arena of the Planeswalkers, now is a great time to get the game. I suspect, hasbro may stop supporting it and it will become hard to find.
Before you click buy on Amazon, be aware that w/ shipping and taxes, the game will be $29 (shipping to Ottawa). That means you really are not saving any money and can buy the game in a physical store for $29. If your order is over $35 shipping is free. I suggest waiting until you can fill your cart w/ an order over $35 then this becomes a great deal!

If you are curious what this game is about, want to know if your child will like it and how it relates to the popular card game Magic the Gathering (MTG), read on:
Arena of the Planeswalkers (AOTP) is a board game based on the Heroscape rule set. Wait..what...Heroscape? You lost me at Magic the Gathering, my nerd tolerance is low.
Hey, dont worry, Heroscape is a popular board game made by hasbro and discontinued in 2010. The game has modular parts for building huge maps (think minecraft but on a table), and uses miniature armies to battle each other. Since discontinued, it can be bought for hundreds of $$$ on Ebay, thats how popular it is. So AOTP is very similar but for a much cheaper price. It uses characters from the card game MTG and thats about as far as it goes. The game mechanics are in no way similar to MTG. But this does not matter, what you are getting is a fun miniatures game based on a popular existing set of rules. AOTOP has large map pieces and some modular parts to create varied adventures where 2-5 armies can battle each other. It takes some strategy, lots of communication and co operation if you play in teams. Students who enjoy games w/ depth and longer playing time enjoy this game and the one feature they enjoy the most, HOUSE RULES. The games has so many creative options, you are in no way limited by the rules, a little creativity, imagination along w/ a few friends and you will have a large advenutre sure to keep the kids and adults busy for hours!

How will it benefit my ASD child?
AOTP is rules heavy, for the teens who enjoys getting caught up in details, this game is for you. The base rules are very clear and make for a fun game. With 2 or more players, your child will get a social opportunity to communicate and co operate around an engaging game that can take and hour or more to play. For imagination and an immersive experience, I give it a 10/10.

Pro tips for a better experience and some cons:
I have bought the 2 expansions and second version of the base game to ensure there are enough parts, armies and maps to create larger scenarios. The game is meant to grow via expansions and the addition of modular parts, similar to Heroscape. So far, Hasbro has been pretty chintzy with extra parts in the box. W/ the addition of a second base game, the maps can now become much larger and armies massive for some truly epic battles. One con with the base game, the maps are one sided. W/ the expansion (see below) you get double sided maps for more adventure options. For added value and longevity, I suggest creating House Rules. This way you can create larger scenarios using all the map pieces, summon larger armies and come up w/ your own goals.

My overall opinion:
Is the game worth it, yes and no. For $15 it is certainly worth getting. Initially I bought it as a resource for our social group. Having played it a few times, I like it and would own a copy for personal use. It is a game revolving around communication and co operation and attention to details. Socially, its a heckuva fun game.
The base game is a lot of fun. Friends could purchase the expansions to add to the fun thus sharing the cost. My idea of buying 2 base sets and 2 expansions, you would need to be a super nerd or run a large social group like I do. Try the base game out as it's currently on sale and if you like it, I recommend Shadows over Innistrad as the first Expansion to buy.
My main gripe and in fact most peoples gripe:
The idea of the game is for it grow, currently, Hasbro has not brought much else to the table in terms of adding modular parts for larger, creative and more diverse playing fields. As it stands I give the game a 8 our of 10 for fun. The other challenge is the relationship to Magic the gathering, it's in name only. People coming to the game thinking they will be getting a MTG experience will be Disappointed. Lack of growth is the other big complaint....c'mon hasbro, make some stinking parts.

Expansions: Shadows over Innistrad is a complete game in itself. It has the same rules as AOTP but adds a bit more clarity in the instructions. It adds new Planeswalkers, more maps and multicolored armies for variety. I personally like that the maps are double sided. For added social fun, one friend could buy the base game and another the Shadows over Innistrad to add longevity to the game. On their own, each has a complete game. Shadows unfortunately is not on sale and averages about $29 in stores.

The first expansion, Battle for Zendikar is NOT a stand alone game and adds a little variety to the base game and Shadows mentioned above. I was a bit disappointed in this expansion. All it adds are a new planeswalker, Hero and super tough bad guy to play against. No modular pieces or maps. Is it worth buying? If it was on sale and only of you like the base game as much as I do. It adds to the overall game but not as a good as Shadows.

Are you curious about play testing the game, Join us May 4th at our next Social Group SISG. We will have the games set up and playing some house rules. For more information on our social group, please contact our director to see if SISG is right for your child!
John@spectruminsights.ca

April 15th, 2018

4/15/2018

April 12th, 2018

4/12/2018

You can learn more about propeller dance by visiting their web Site:
http://propellerdance.com

April 06th, 2018

4/6/2018

Spring 2018 Fundraiser

Our Winter 2018 fundraiser was a success, thanks to all who donated. We reached our goal of $205 and purchased the Retro-Cade console and LED Projector

This spring we are looking to raise funds, $425, to help a family in need attend our 2018 summer camp. The Spectrum Insights camp is geared to teens and young adults with Autism, PDD, ADHD and mild learning disabilities.
At present we have raised $220!!

To donate or find more information Please visit the link below:
Send a student to Camp

Friday April 6
This Month....
Dad joke Face off is moved from May 4th to April 6.
Face off with a list of Dad Jokes and try to make your opponent laugh. Prizes for winners. Otherwise,Just more socializing, gaming , retro console, hanging out....oh...and our EPIC POT LUCK!
No student goes home hungry...ever!
May 4th we will be celebrating....

Summer Camp Update

Boys and Girls ages 12-17
9am to 4pm - Early Drop off available
Two camps are running July 16 to August 10
Team John 1-5 ratio

July 9- 13 FULL
July 16- 20 FULL
July 23 - 27 2 spots
July 30 - Aug 4th 2 spots
Aug 6 - Aug 10 (includes civic holiday) 3 spots
Aug 13 - 17 FULL

Team Liam- 1-5 ratio

July 16- 20 - 4 Spots
July 23 - 27 - 5 Spots
July 30 - Aug 4th - 5 Spots

March 30th, 2018

3/30/2018

The art of conversation

Previously I wrote an article on "Valuing Your Students Opinions".
One of the issues on the flip side is helping my students better express their opinions and ensure they are heard. Equally important is demonstrating we hear what the other person is saying, if not, conversations become one sided. Worse, people get upset over a difference in values and more than likely to get entrenched in their views, at this point the conversation is no longer productive as neither party is listening to the other.

The following works best with and Autism coach as each step/suggestion should be demonstrated then practiced. The skills below may not come naturally to those on the Spectrum and even many "neurotypicals" radically fail when it comes to effective conversation skills.

We are focusing on making people feel comfortable, following the social rules that make us likeable and observing reactions. I also have tips at the end of the article for larger conversations where the topic is hot and may cause emotions to rise. You can learn to ensure the other person listens to you with a few simple tricks.

Lets begin with Small Talk.
Small talk is a way of getting to know someone, to find out what you have in common. This may lead to larger more interesting conversations about topics you are both interested in and the beginning of friendship!
Think of small talk as an interview, a way of getting to know someone to ultimately determine if they are worth getting to know further.
There is a rule about getting more attention, we need to give attention to get it. It may seem a bit anti intuitive but it works by increasing our likeability. Showing interest in others makes them feel good and they will feel as though you care. So small talk is also about showing interest in another person and making them feel comfortable. Be interesting by showing interest!
PAY ATTENTION to their mood, body language and social cues. We want to avoid the dreaded monologue where we talk about ourselves or personal interests.
If during the during the conversation, you find the person is not able to be reflective in return or show interest in you, consider the interview over. You can assign this person to a category of not interesting in this moment. Remember that people are doing the same to you, looking for shared interests. We also should take notes from Mark Bowden, Biology, race, the way we dress and age also play a large part in who we choose to talk to or who chooses to talk to us. In a room full of people, we have unconscious filters about who we gravitate to, race, culture and biology play a part in this. We tend to lean towards what is familiar. a person wearing a shirt w/ your favorite band, same age and sex is an obvious choice of who you may gravitate to. We may filter out people older, younger, different style of dress, race or even cultural cues. Mark Bowden says it's worth taking the risk to meet new people as you do may discover wonderful things. Personal Bias may prevent us from discovering your next best friend!

Be observant:

This is super important. Before you start or join a conversation, pay attention to what they are wearing and look for things that stand out. Look at how they are feeling. Watch for physical cues that indicate what their mood and interests. A shirt of their favorite sports team tells you what sport they like and what they enjoy talking about. Notice colors a person is wearing, if you like that color, “Hey, great shirt, I like that color on you”. If it’s genuine, people will respond well to your compliment. Pay attention to name brands. If a person spends a few hundred dollars on a pair of Oakleys, they want you to notice, so compliment or notice what they have. Watch their reaction. "Is that a Nixon? Nice watch!". How they are dressed may indicate social status and personality. Are they trying too hard to impress people or stand out, perhaps there is a lack of confidence or insecurity or super creative and fun. Do they enjoy the finer things, then perhaps they are a tad fussier, maybe higher expectations or elitist. It could also mean they are detailed oriented and conscientious. More relaxed dress can also mean more relaxed personality or they dont give a damn. Observing their dress and conduct may help you decide where to place that person socially but you wont truly know unless you talk to them and get past initial impressions or your persona bias. Pro tip: Practice people watching when out in public. Listen to conversations in coffee shops, see how people are dressed. You can learn a lot by observing people, mainly, what are people doing to be liked by others. How are they maintaining friendships or relationships. People watching helps you understand the current cultural social expectations (in my case Ottawa, Canada). Travel to most North American cities you will find similarities. Travel to Europe or the far east and things change a lot. So learn what works socially in your current geographical zone.

Auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners. Pay attention to how a person speaks, if a person is auditory, use phrases like "I hear that". Visual: "I see what you mean". Kinesthetic: "I know how you feel"

Pay attention to their mood. One thing people fail to notice often, people's moods. Ive seen people go straight to a conversation about themselves and completely miss out on cues that the other person is not well (emotionally or physically) or has something exciting to share. This may a good time to pay attention and show some empathy or avoid them if you feel it will suck you into a self pity party. Try to avoid personal drama when possible, not worth your time! (unless it is family or a close friend). Practice asking how people are. Observe their reaction, fish for details if you feel they dont look well. A stranger or acquaintance will be less likely to give personal details. So dont pry but show concern. Family and friends will appreciate a good ear.

Be curious and ask questions. We are looking at showing interest and getting a conversation started

Essentially you want to find out their interests or start a conversation. To learn more about them ask direct questions about: Hobbies, how do they stay active, travel, and fave books, music, movies. Use your phone to cue up some fun conversations starters.
"What 3 people living or dead would you invite over for dinner?" Pro tip: Use your phone to cue up some fun conversations starters. pick convo starters that will reveal more information about them. Example, What 3 items would you bring to a desert island? (best answer ever....a Pilot, a helicopter and million dollars). The items they pick will tell you about their personality..or lack thereof :-p

Try this LINK for conversation starters: There are lots of lame questions in that link so ask your parents or coach to help you pick out some fun ones. Look for questions that get people talking at length or provoke a fun reaction. You want come across as fun, not nosy. Practice at home. Ask your dad questions about adventures he went on when younger. Ask your parents about hobbies, trips, where they met, music, books and things that inspire them. Guaranteed you will get a positive reaction and notice how much talking they do. Imagine if this was you are a social event, people will walk away feeling good about you.

Reflective listening and follow questions:

Super important!! Reflective listening is paying attention to what the other person is saying and reflecting back a snippet of conversation to show you are listening and understand them. The best example I can give is this, your parent is nagging you to take out the garbage. To get them to stop repeating, you simply say: "Yes, you want me to take out the garbage, it's important we do not miss another week". You acknowledge what she/he wants but also reflect back what they may be feeling or concern about. In this case, if the garbage does not get out, it will stink. People mainly repeat themselves because they feel unheard. By reflecting back to them, we show empathy thus conveying a feeling of being understood and heard.
Ask follow up questions to get more information. Use your guile to determine whether it is being to intrusive. Essentially, asking follow up questions will keep the conversation going and be less work for you. Small talk takes mental energy as we are fishing for ways to start a conversation or keeping it going when we have yet to determine what we have in common. Save yourself the stress and be curious. Think of yourself like a social Sherlock Holmes. The answers you get will tell you a lot about the person and help you determine whether they will be a future ally. Practice reflecting back the mood of family for a week. When someone talks to you, show you are listening by guessing their mood and saying a snippet of what they said back to them. "Wow, seems like you had a really tough day at work".

Observing how others react and adjusting our behavior to ensure they stay comfortable

Adopting less aggressive body language - will coach how to sit or stand in a relaxed pose when communicating with others
Hand gestures - moving our hands when talking can appear aggressive if we move to fast or enter another's personal space. There are ways to tweak our body language so we appear calm and can sometimes calm others.
Tone of voice: How to speak in a way that conveys calm, good listening skills and allows for reciprocal and productive conversation.
Self Regulation: The above cannot be mastered until we learn how to control our inner game. How we act in front of others is usually a reflection of how we feel inside. We will discuss how to recognize when anger or excitement rises and the situation does NOT call for it. We will also cover how to “Fake it” and appear calm on the outside when you are angry on the inside. This will ensure that conversations stay civil, respectful and people walk away w/ a greater respect for you during all social interactions!
Listening skills: use reflective listening to convey you understand what has been said. Exaggerated Eye movement as cues that you are listening (looking up to the right). Mimicking body language of the speaker may create a rapport...or be creepy, we will cover the difference.
Be Machiavellian, in a positive way. We can contrive our behavior to ensure a positive outcome for each social encounter. Essentially we are going to learn what it takes to play nice with others and be accepted. This may be contrary to some of your personal views. The expression, “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar” is one to remember. This means, by understanding what creates a positive rapport with people, you will gain more allies. You will also ensure more people will listen to your points of view and in turn have a greater understanding and respect for you. When we get upset, yell or forget the social rules, people will either stand their ground (become defensive), stop listening or walk away (shut down). This means non of your points of view on a topic were heard nor understood.

John Anderson

March 29th, 2018

3/29/2018

April 6th SISG

This Month....Dad joke Face off is moved from May 4th to April 6.
Face off with a list of Dad Jokes and try to make your opponent laugh. Prizes for winners. Otherwise,Just more socializing, gaming , retro console, hanging out....oh...and our EPIC POT LUCK!
No student goes home hungry...ever!
May 4th we will be celebrating....

March 28th, 2018

3/28/2018

April 13 - Dance Class

A dance class for ALL JFG, alumni and present members.

Shara Weaver is the co director of Propeller dance. You may know them from performances in Ottawa whose main focus is on making dance inclusive for people of all abilities! Shara will be bringing in a musician to provide music along with her Teaching assistant, Bella. It's going to be a great class!

Current members: $10 - (covers rent/drinks/dance class)
Drop in: $25 Drop in fee + $10 for the dance (covers rent/drinks/dance class).
Pot Luck - Drinks provided

What Our Clients Are Saying

I have accompanied clients for 2 summers to John's camp. I have been to the Social & Life Skills Camp and the 18 and older "Moving Forward Camp." My clients and myself look forward each summer to attending his camp.
John has excellent behaviour management skills, teaches the clients social and life skills (planning your bus route, bus etiquette, looking at a menu and ordering, tipping, planning and organizing outings, getting to know people, body language, budgeting money, etc.) that are important to daily living as well as incorporating the clients' interests that are age appropriate. He develops a great relationship with the clients and jokes around with them to develop a rapport. Sometimes our daily schedule changes, which helps clients deal with changes that can occur in every day life. The clients develop friendships with each other and help each other out thanks to John's teaching. John allows the clients to make mistakes and encourages them to work as a team to solve the problem. John captures our daily outings on camera and/or film so parents can view their children interacting and having fun at camp.

It is a great camp for fostering independence while incorporating your child's interest which in turn creates motivation! I have been to many summer camps and this camp is one of the top camps that my clients and myself look forward to attending each summer!

Melisa Gibson - Itinerant Educational Assistant

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