Society for Treatment of Autism (STA) is an Alberta-based registered charitable organization providing comprehensive treatment and educational services for people with autism and related disorders. STA offers quality support, consultation and educational services for families and communities in Alberta.

Donate your pennies!

The Canadian government has recently announced that the penny will soon be discontinued and is encouraging fellow Canadians to donate all their unwanted pennies to the charity of their choice.  We want to be our choice! 

Please collect your unwanted pennies and drop them off at Society for Treatment of Autism – 404 – 94 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta.  For more information please call 403.253.2291.

STA News

Thank you to the Alberta Lottery Fund – Community Spirit Program

A big thank you goes to the Alberta Lottery Fund – Community Spirit Program for their generous donation of $17,552.60. STA received much needed upgrades to our air conditioning, locks, windows and photocopier!

Sinneave Family Foundation in Partnership with Society for Treatment of Autism Launches Pursuits, a Skills for Life Program for Adults and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

What: Pursuits helps adolescents and adults with ASD develop appropriate work behaviours, and expand vocational, life and social skills in a structured, caring environment. Pursuits programs offered in the Summer 2012 session are as follows:

• Employment Preparation Workshops
• Staff to participant ratio is 1:5;  participants must be able to learn via group teaching
• Each session is 2.5 hours per day, for 8 days
• Adolescents attend 9:00-11:30 am, July 3-July 12, 2012
• Adults attend 1:00-3:30 pm, July 3-July 12, 2012
• Skills required for successful employment, with topics including :
• job expectations
• job site searches
• interviewing
• resume development
• handling conflict in the workplace
• accepting feedback
• conversing with co-workers
• professional appearance
• budgeting 

• Vocational Training Session
• Staff to participant ratio is 1:2;  participants must be able to share adult attention
• Each session is 2.5 hours per day, for 8 days
• Adolescents attend 9:00-11:30 am, July 23-August 2, 2012
• Adults attend 1:00-3:30 pm, July 23-August 2, 2012
• Exposure to vocational skills including :
• office tasks
• retail
• food preparation
• construction
• assembly

• Skills for Life Training Session
  • Staff to participant ratio is 1:1
  • Each session is 2.5 hours per day, for 8 days
  • Adolescents attend 9:00-11:30 am, August 13-23, 2012
  • Adults attend 1:00-3:30 pm, August 13-23, 2012
  • Exposure to daily living skills focusing on :
    • hygiene
    • housekeeping

  Who: Individuals who meet the following criteria:

  • Aged 13 years and older as of the program start date
  • Have and be aware of their  ASD diagnosis
  • Able to commit to attend scheduled treatment sessions

  Selection Process: Demand is expected to be greater than available treatment spaces.  Priority will be given to those families who have not yet accessed Pursuits programs.  Any individual who is unable to access the program due to the high volume of interest will be added to the intake list for following sessions.

  Where: The treatment program is funded by Sinneave Family Foundation, and services are provided by Society for Treatment of Autism.  Pursuits is offered at the Ability Hub located on the third floor of the Child Development Centre.

  The deadline for acceptance into the Summer session is March 26, 2012

  To register, please call Lana at 403.210.5000 or toll free 1.888.733.7976.

  

  Sinneave Family Foundation Launches a Program for Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

  The confidence and wherewithal to take transit. The skills to prepare lunch. Insight into personal strengths and interests at work, and a chance to apply them. The ability to understand and be understood. A reason to look to the future with hope.

  It's what growing up is about - aspirations shared by people with ASD and their families.

  To help them get there, Sinneave Family Foundation is funding a treatment and education program tailored to the diverse needs of individuals with ASD between the ages of 13 and older, housed in the purpose-built Sinneave Centre on the third floor of Calgary's Child Development Centre.

  The Foundation has collaborated with Society for Treatment of Autism, a Calgary-based agency with over 40 years of ASD service expertise, to create the new program. It is founded on best practices, with family and person-centred planning in mind, and is driven by a pressing need to assist adolescents and adults with ASD to develop appropriate work behaviours, specialized vocational, life and social skills in a structured, caring environment.

  The adult and adolescent program offers participants the opportunity to master a series of work-related tasks appropriate to their skills and abilities - from business skills like office administration, data entry and computer technology, to service skills such as commercial food preparation, or retail experience in stocking and inventory - at their own speed and with the supervision and guidance of professionally-trained staff.

  For some, the focus may be to increase personal and independent living skills - skills taught in the self-contained apartment at the Centre. Here, participants learn general housekeeping tasks such as: operating household appliances; sorting and doing the laundry; changing the bed; cleaning; and learning to shop, cook and prepare snacks and meals. This is also a perfect environment to work on personal hygiene - learning to dress, shave and shower.

  There is also an off-site community work experience component, where participants have an opportunity to learn skills and "give-back" by volunteering to help maintain the gardens at Bethany Care Centre, bake cookies for families at Ronald McDonald House, or build "Wish" packages for Children's Wish Foundation.

  

  Thank you to Government of Alberta's Community Spirit Grant Program

  We are very grateful to the Government of Alberta's Community Spirit Grant Program donation grant of $12,788.00. This grant was put towards the payment of our newly renovated residential facility!