Wednesday 28 December 2011

0.8 FTE Position with Parkland School Division

Parkland School Division 0.8 Occupational Therapist

Broxton Park School in Spruce Grove

Closes Jan 6!!

Click on the link below for details, including a link to more information/job description.

http://www.psd70.ab.ca/Employment/Pages/SupportPositions.aspx

Monday 19 December 2011

Calgary Group Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the September and October Calgary group meetings have been uploaded to google docs and are now available!!  Click above to view!

Developmental Aide Job Posting

Hi,

We are looking to hire a Developmental Aide to work with our son on his stretching, exercises and goals with respect to his developmental issues.  We want someone fun and energetic, who would like to work about 8-10 hrs per week outside of school hours.  Pay is $30 per hour.  We'd like someone with experience working with children with special needs and a background in health care/rehab/early childhood evelopment.  Most important, we want someone who will be great for our son.  If you know of anyone in your circle who would be interested, can you please pass our email along and have them contact us?

Thanks!
Trish
crisp789@shaw.ca

Friday 16 December 2011

Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Course - Save the Date!

“SAVE THE DATE” 

The Occupational Therapy Department at the  Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario  in Ottawa, Ontario, will be hosting a course on Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy on  May 11th & 12th, 2012.  Please save the dates in your calendars!  The course is open to Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists.

If you have any questions, please contact: 
Elisabeth Churcher
613-737-7600 ext. 2503
churcher@cheo.on.ca

Wheel Chair for Pool

From: Maxine Labour
I am looking for a wheelchair that can transport a child/adult into the pool via a ramp.  The current swimming pool chair that the pool has is pretty standard and does not offer enough support for this child/adult.  He has very low tone and no trunk control so I was thinking something with a tilt would be needed. 

Please advise if you have any recommendations.

Thanks,
Maxine Labour

GAPS Diet and ASD

Please find below an email we received regarding the GAPS diet:

Hi to you all who involved in the Autism world,

A very interresting thing documentary was shown last Friday on the CBCs Nature of things: http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/episode/autism-enigma.htmlthe full episode is available here and is about 45 minutes long.

It reveals the connection between the gut and Autism.  This is of course not new to lots those who have explore other than main stream treatments but the mainstream may catch up one day.  Please watch the episode and consider a Gut Healing Diet.  As most things you may not agree with all that is said, I also was disappointed with how miss information continues to be propagated about Dr. Wakefield (few check things out) but there are many good things in this documentary.  Somebody is actually listening to parents! 

I have included an attachment of an journal article from Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride from 2005 on "Gut and Psychology Syndrome", which essentially says the same thing.  Many have found the GAPS diet to be very effective.  Here is the web site: gaps.me  There is also a link on how to get the book which is essentially all you need to get started as it includes recipes.  You can also get most of the information off the web site (no! expensive treatments).  The diet and information is free but there are supports available for people who are not familiar with traditional cooking and food preservation.  I have also attached some case studies on children who have been on the GAPS diet and which records some of the process and the various outcomes.  (Case 1, Case 14, Case 19)

Dr. Campbell's son was diagnosed with Autism very young.  He regressed to the point of head banging and losing all his language at 20 months.  As a Neurologist she could not help him but returned to the drawing board and studied nutrition.  Her son was the first treatment subject.  I talked to her husband in November 2011 about her son and he just got accepted into college in England and does not have the diagnosis of Autism any more.  She now runs a successful nutrition clinic in the UK.  People can implement the diet on their own from the book but if help is needed there may be Gaps Practitioners available and GAPS groups.

If more information is desired please e-mail me at: hescomingsoon@hotmail.com or my cell: 403-929-1500.

Thanks for your considerations,

Dirk Kuerschner
GAPS Practioner
Occupational Therapist
Hope Therapy Services
Coaldale, Alberta

Dynamic Core for Kids

Hello everyone,

In the process of obtaining approval to host the Dynamic Core for Kids course at an AHS site, it was decided by an upper level committee that the course would first be open to AHS staff and any leftover space would then be offered to community therapists outside of AHS. It was the working group's intention to keep it open for everyone, however, the course has become an AHS sanctioned course and we are now unable to make that change. We are hoping that there will be availability for all of you who would like to attend and we will make sure that you are the first group of people offered any available spots. I am sorry for the disappointing news but hopeful that you will be able to attend.

Have a wonderful holiday season,

Carolyn Fuss, MScPT
Pediatric Physiotherapist
High River Health Unit
Ph: 403-652-5476
Fax: 403-652-5499

Fragile Infant Feeding Institute Conference - May 2012

Here is the brochure and registration details for the Fragile Infant Feeding Institute Conference to be held in Edmonton,  May 2012. There will only be space for 75 registrants. Note that there is a registration form for Canadian registrants as well as USA registrants.

Cheryl McKenna, MSc.O.T., OT(c)
Occupational Therapist
Pediatric Home Nutrition Support

Stollery Children's Health Centre
1C3.53 Walter Mackenzie Centre
8440-112 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T6G 2B7
Tel:  (780) 407-7799
Pager: (780-445-7453
Fax:  (780) 407-8502
e-mail: 
Cheryl.Mckenna@albertahealthservices.ca

Children's Autism Services of Edmonton 2012 Conference

Children's Autism Services of Edmonton 2012 Conference

Join us for our 5th annual conference (Jan 19-21, 2012)

Please check out http://www.childrensautism.ca/ for more information. 

A full description of sessions is now posted and we are excited to have Winnie Dunn speaking at our conference as well as our keynote speaker Eustacia Cutler (Temple Grandin's mother), Dr. Pat Miranda, Sue Mitchell, Emily Rubin, and Dr. David Nicholas!!!

Leanne Wong, MSc(OT)(c)
Occupational Therapist
Children's Autism Services of Edmonton
Email: leanne@childrensautism.ca

Edmonton SHIP Job Postings

The Student Health Partnership (SHIP) Occupational Therapy program has three positions available for school based practice.  All three are maternity leave positions. 
  1. We are looking for an OT to work out of the office at St. Kevin School in Edmonton 3 days a week http://www.healthjobs.ab.ca/Jobs.Edmonton.Occupational-Therapist-I.159605.aspx
  2. An OT to work in Parkland, Evergreen and area schools 3 days a week http://www.healthjobs.ab.ca/Jobs.Edmonton.Occupational-Therapist-I.159597.aspx
  3. And an OT assistant (the posting title says PT-A, but it's really OT-A) to work out of the office at Killarney school in Edmonton 4 days a week http://www.healthjobs.ab.ca/Jobs.Edmonton.Physical-Therapy-Assistant.159616.aspx.  
Please contact me with any questions,
Natalie

Natalie Gamache Hutchison MSc(RS) BSc(OT)c

Occupational Therapist & Team Leader
Student Health Partnership
Allied Health - Edmonton Zone
Public Health, Primary Care and Chronic Disease Management
St. Kevin School
10005-84 Street
Edmonton, AB T6A 3P8
tel: (780) 408-5881 mobile: (780) 905-9216      fax: (780) 408-5887
Natalie.Hutchison@albertahealthservices.ca

Calgary Private Practice List

Big thanks go to Heather McKenzie for compiling this information about Private Practice Occupational Therapists in Calgary and area.  Please click here for the list.  It will be updated periodically.