News

January 2012

Radiant Night 2012

With less than six weeks remaining, the crew at SAAAC is gearing up for what looks to be its biggest Gala Dinner Dance to date. SAAAC’s 3^rd Annual Radiant Night Gala is expected to attract 1200+ attendees, the organization’s largest attendance for the event to date. “We have had an unbelievable response from the community,” says Vice President Shivajan Sivapalan.  “The excitement from the community, along with their support will make this a watershed moment for our organization.”

Held at the newly minted Scarborough Convention Centre, Radiant Night 2012 will boast an elegant venue to house the night’s festivities. In addition, the night will also be graced by a number of talented performers, speakers, and the much anticipated dinner & dance portion of the event.  These great aspects of the evening are put together for the larger cause of raising awareness and resources for SAAAC.  Radiant Night is an extremely important fundraiser as the majority of the organization’s operating cost is covered by the funds raised at the event.  Resources from this night go to help sustain and develop a variety of therapies and social service programs. Last year’s event was instrumental in SAAAC hiring occupational therapists ,implementing an arts program, and sustaining our valuable Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and speech therapy programs.

Radiant Night would not be possible without the great event sponsors, who have contributed heavily to raising SAAAC’s community profile while also supporting its operations. “We cannot be more grateful to the event sponsors. They have been beyond generous and their participation in Radiant Night speaks volumes of their noble intentions for our larger community,” says President Jonathan Bertram. SAAAC would like to extend our gratitude to the individuals and businesses that have been so generous with their time, passion, and resources: Sorkkam, IWI Consulting, Vince Sinnadurai (Mortgage Advisor, CIBC), All Saints University, Scotiabank , CashPoint and VMS Travels & Tours.

Radiant Night 2012 promises to be a memorable event.  It is a night that will bring together a community in order to bring awareness and hope to families impacted by autism—showcasing in true SAAAC fashion the power of people.

 

 

A Not So Silent Night: SAAAC’s 2^nd Annual Christmas Celebration Review

December 11, 2011 saw the celebration of SAAAC’s 2^nd Annual Christmas Party. It has been a yearly tradition at SAAAC to bring together the families we serve, volunteers, and generous community members to celebrate the holidays as a community. “It’s a function I look forward to the most” says Executive Director Geetha Moorthy. “It’s a very intimate gathering of all the people that have made SAAAC a success throughout the year and this celebration is a token of appreciate to all of them.”

The festivities began with an energetic group of SAAAC volunteers, parents, and members of the community singing Christmas carols. Accompanied by Bina Boo, local rising vocal star, on violin the group infused the room with the holiday spirit. Next, there was the unveiling of SAAAC’s Portraits of Autism campaign, which illustrated the personal stories of SAAAC’s families. “The purpose of this campaign was to take an intimate look at the families involved with SAAAC. We wanted to tell their stories and struggles, and it was an absolute privilege to get across these intimate moments to the larger public,” says SAAAC President Jonathan Bertram. There was also a “Year in Review” presentation, which saw the development of SAAAC throughout the year of 2011-2012 through images and videos.

Then came the portion of the festivity that had all of the young and some of the old excited. Boisterous, jolly, and humorous Santa Claus emerged with presents for the kids in attendance. As is the case with all children, some were eagerly anticipating Santa’s presence while others were looking to get far away from St. Nick. It was a very exciting and a touching time for parents as many had pulled out cameras and smart phones, looking to capture such precious moments.

As the night wore down there was a potluck dinner along with games that saw volunteers play musical chairs and husbands dress up in sarees, with the help of their wives, to put on a fashion show. These moments of laughter and openness illustrated the progress SAAAC has made in engaging families and providing a supportive environment for them.

“It was an absolutely great event.  To celebrate the holidays with a great group of people and to see a community supporting a great cause is what I think the Christmas spirit is all about,” said Program Director Neeran Kuni.

As the night neared its end, Geetha Moorthy had her eyes set for SAAAC’s next big event. “This year’s SAAAC Radiant Night Gala will be our biggest yet. We are expecting 1200 attendees. I guess it’s time to get ready for that” she said with a huge smile.  Hosted on March 3^rd at the Scarborough Convention Centre, SAAAC Radiant Night Gala Dinner & Dance will be SAAAC’s major fundraising event of the year. If you are interested in attending, contact 416-824-8847 for details.

 

Continued Growth: Prestigious Grant Awarded to SAAAC

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), originally conceived as the Trillium Foundation in the early 1980s, was formed with the purpose of funding community initiatives in mind. Initially founded to support the social service sector through grants, the OTF has expanded to include support for arts, culture, sports, recreation and the environment, over the past twenty years. The OTF currently allocates $120 million to grants in 16 different catchment areas across the province serving both urban and rural communities. The Foundation’s mandate of community building and enhancing the voluntary sector has fittingly coincided with SAAAC’s efforts to do the same and resulted in the granting of $90,000 over two years to enhance SAAAC’s capacity to serve families in the York Region impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

SAAAC is elated to announce this partnership with the OTF as it allows for families on SAAAC’s waitlist to receive services and support prior to entering the program. The grant will allow for the hiring of a Client Support Worker (CSW) whose goal will be to provide intervention for South Asian parents impacted by ASD in York Region who are unable to receive any form of/minimal support in the community because of waitlists. The York Region, home to a burgeoning South Asian demographic, is susceptible to the challenges that arise from language and cultural barriers which accompany diasporic populations. These challenges are only exacerbated when coupled with the impact of any disability – a largely unexplored and rarely discussed topic within South Asian circles. The CSW’s purpose is to level the playing field for these parents who have children with ASD yet are burdened with the weight of taboo, misinformation or isolation. This will be done by: equipping parents with the self-esteem and knowledge to make informed decisions; ensuring that there are clear avenues of communication between parents and any service provider; and moving parents toward self-reliance while simultaneously creating networks of support within the community.

SAAAC looks forward to embarking on this new initiative and is ecstatic about OTF’s support for a project which will transform the lives of over 30 families in the York Region.  This, in turn, will inevitably have a positive impact on the entire community.

 

A Call to Action: Re-Launching SAAAC’s LAMP Program

From the moment parents hear the word “Autism”, they are thrown into a world of darkness.  As one mother described it, “You say goodbye to all the hopes and dreams that you ever had for your child and you enter a new world to fend for yourselves by yourself.  It’s that darkness that we as a family fear.  It is this darkness that we shy away from and it is this darkness that will consume us.”

These families are never given any answers—just more questions.  The sad truth is that there are no answers in Autism. Most families are left astray, held back by cultural stigmas, and at times abandoned by their own communities.  They are left to find answers on their own.

But these families are not alone – they no longer need to feel vulnerable and neglected.  SAAAC is their venue to find strength and solidarity.

SAAAC is one of the only organizations that provide a variety of high quality services, such as ABA, speech and music therapy for free.  With the average cost of therapy per child being $10,000, this can be a financial burden for majority of our families.  They are left with tough decisions each day.  They are forced to prioritize between daily needs versus treatments.  Is this fair?  Can we as a community allow this to continue?

As an organization, if one were to extrapolate the cost per child to 30 children, this number becomes staggering. Even more overwhelming is if we consider including the children on our waitlist.  As high as the costs may be, it does not deter us from the goal we all set out to do – to provide these services to those unable to afford them.

If you would like to Embrace Hope, Conquer Stigmas and Defeat Ignorance, join us.  Join SAAAC and let us be the beacon of hope and shed light on the darkness that surrounds so many families we know.   Through our LAMP program, we aim to raise the necessary funds to help families impacted by Autism. This support will be powered by community minded individuals and businesses. Yes, our goal is certainly an ambitious one, but it is this ambition that motivates us to push forward.  We as an organization believe that we can bring about a large change not only in the South Asian community but in the world of Autism as well.  Together we can provide an environment of Hope, Understanding, Growth and Support – or what we at SAAAC warmly term: HUGS – something that all these children and families need.

 

It’s Only Natural: Discussing Sexuality and Autism

When one is not deemed as a typical developing child, the larger society realizes these individuals have ‘special needs.’ However, they also, inadvertently, forget that such special needs individuals may also have some of the same needs as typical developing individuals. Sexuality, the recognition of sexual matters, and the need for sexual expression are prominent biological needs for adolescents with Autism as much as it is for any adolescent while maturing into adulthood. Respecting each individual’s dignity and needs, teaching them healthy ways of sexual expression, while being mindful of their safety is the role of caretakers. Adolescents with Autism are a vulnerable population and their need for sexual education is both important and beneficial. Adolescents with Autism might differ in their ways of expressing sexuality relative to a typically developing person.  Their means of communicating that growth to those around them may be difficult and may sometimes be perceived by others as inappropriate or indecent. South Asian families tend to have resistance when it comes to conversations about sexuality, puberty changes and adolescent growth; however, that is not to say that South Asian families are not aware of its existence and problems.

As part of the continuing SAFE (South Asian Family Empowerment) Series, in partnership with United Way, SAAAC invited an expert form the Geneva Centre for Autism to further articulate the complexities of addressing sexuality with adolescents impacted by Autism. The seminar illustrated strategies on how to help individuals understand their sexual development and encourage a healthy sexuality. It was a learning experience for the families, siblings and volunteers who were enthusiastic and engaged during the training. The speaker was commendable as she was able to speak about such a contentious topic and create a safe environment for the families to voice of their thoughts and concerns relating to their specific child.

It was an elucidating afternoon that saw the complexities involved with discussing sexuality and Autism within a South Asian milieu. Creating such dialogues was one of the driving forces of the SAFE series, and SAAAC hopes to continue to build on these discussions as a means to better equip parents and caregivers to engage with Autism.

 

October 2011

Bhar-a-thon: Move, Shake, Communicate

Parents busting moves, guys moving their hips to the sonorous sounds of belly dancing music, children screwing in light bulbs in step with Bhangra—Bhar-a-thon gave shakers of all types and movers of all stripes a chance to dance their hearts out in solidarity with families impacted by ASD in the GTA. Bhar-a-thon was conceived as a fun South Asian twist on the traditional dance-a-thon, opening doors to the vibrant dances of South Asian genre such as Bhangra and Bharathanaatiyam to fuse with various popular forms such as Hip Hop and Belly Dancing. Pledge collecting participants were eligible for a number of prizes with the top prize of an Apple ipad won by Keisha Joseph,16, of Scarborough. The event (which essentially was a commitment to dance non-stop for three hours in any style of choice) was interspersed with instruction on the hour by dance instructors from a cornucopia of genres.   Instructors from the TSA Dance Crew from the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus did an amazing job patiently teaching simple dance steps and routines to participants of all ages.  “This event”, according to SAAAC President Jonathan Bertram, “was the ideal way to bring together the community on a pleasant summer’s day to show support for [children impacted with ASD] through the universal language of dance. In all community initiatives there is no secret formula for success other than finding those commonalities to engage the public.” Bhar-a-thon helped raise over $10,000 in funds to help support the Speech and Dance programs being established for the children at SAAAC. This was only made possible through the generous contributions of Sponsors such as: Spine Care Clinic, Asiyans Textiles & Queen Amato Pizza. The generosity of sponsors who pledged donations to participants must also be commended as well as the tireless efforts of participants themselves both collecting pledges and dancing relentlessly.

The Art of Conversation:  Developing SAAAC’s Art and Social Skills Projects

“I began SAAAC not only because I wanted to help individuals impacted by ASD, but I wanted to help them in innovative ways”, says Geetha Moorthy, founder and Executive Director of SAAAC. The spirit of innovation seems ingrained into the daily operations of SAAAC. It was the first developmental centre to create and implement a classical Indian dance program for participants. In addition, the centre has utilized consultants and volunteers in creative ways in order to maximize resources, while providing quality care. The innovation seems to be continuing as SAAAC looks to create a social skill developmental and arts program. “I’ve always believed in the power of art to inform, heal, and develop. I wanted the arts to have a prominent role in the lives on these kids,” says Geetha. The arts program will be utilized as both a therapeutic tool and creative outlet. Activities will range from painting, drawing, sculpting to creating jewelries and other accessories. There will also be group centered art activities that look to create works for special holidays and occasions. The program will be initiated by students from the community who specialize in art studies in college and university programs.

Another innovative program that looks to be developed and implemented in the next few months is SAAAC’s social skills project. One of the most common challenges of those impacted by ASD is having difficulty socially interacting with those in their environment. “Connecting with others is very difficult for individuals with ASD. The challenge is made even greater because most of these individuals already have trouble with speech and language,” says SAAAC’s program director Neeran Kuni. “It’s hard for individuals with ASD to know what another person might be thinking. For most of us, we can observe and guess, through hearing a person’s tone of voice or body language, what the social situation may be. But for individuals with ASD this is a challenging process”. SAAAC’s social skills development project will look to build social skills through group focused activities like game playing, sharing, engaging in group discussions and one to one conversations. “We will start the program with the adolescent members at our centre, who range from 15-21” says Neeran. He adds, “The group we have in mind is perfect for this pilot project. They are very thoughtful, funny guys. A lot of the activities I will do with them will be around scripting scenarios. For example we would have to act out scenarios on how we would act when we are bothered by someone or what we say and do when we introduce ourselves to someone new. It’s all very exciting stuff and I am really looking forward to it”.

SAAAC’s innovative projects will take form over the next few months, and they’ll continue SAAAC’s growing tradition of developing creative pathways to help individuals with ASD reach their true potential.

 

SAAAC Spotlight: Volunteer Coordinator 

The work seems to be mounting quickly for Jallaja Pararajasingham, SAAAC’s volunteer coordinator. “With the school year just beginning and as SAAAC continues to grow, a lot of people want to get involved and help” says Jallaja as she examines emails from individuals interested in volunteering opportunities. It was a year ago when Jallaja wrote a similar email, inquiring about volunteering with SAAAC. “I was heading into my final year at UofT, majoring in health science and I thought volunteering with an organization that focuses on some aspect of health would help me get a greater understanding of the field I wanted to pursue”. Jallaja spent a year volunteering with the organization before getting the title of volunteer coordinator. “My experience as a volunteer is similar to many others that join SAAAC. Initially, there is a bit of nervousness and apprehension, but as you become more accustomed to working with children with ASD and being part of a team that has great healthcare professionals who are awesome trainers and mentors, you become more confident in yourself and your skills.”

Like many students her age, Jallaja tries to keep a delicate balance between her academic and extracurricular life. In addition to pursuing her degree, Jallaja is a talented dance choreographer, leading the dance portion of Agni – a multi-talented musical group which perform across Canada and the United States. In addition, Jallaja is also a talented singer, performing at events that range from small, intimate gatherings to large crowds at cultural events. “Yeah it’s a lot of work, but I enjoy all of it. The friends I have made, the great places I have seen, and the skills that I have gained from being around such creative and intelligent people makes all the work worth it” says Jallaja.

As a volunteer coordinator Jallaja’s responsibilities range from screening potential volunteers, finding the right fit between a child and a volunteer, and being part of a team that trains new volunteers. “It’s a great job” says Jallaja. “To help new volunteers come into the organization and grow in terms of their confidence, skill set, and ultimately as individuals…it is a wonderful thing to see, and it’s a privilege to be part of that whole process”.

When asked what people get out of volunteering with SAAAC, Jallaja states that, “volunteering is a great way to help out your community and those who need help, but I think an important aspect of volunteering is discovering things about yourself. You get to find out your strengths, weaknesses, and where your interests are. I think that type of self knowledge will help you make better decisions about where you want to go in terms of your career and your life. Personally, it has been an enriching part of my life and I know  it can be for many others too.”