Learning Disabilities Association of Lambton County Resource Centre
321 Devine Street,
Sarnia, Ontario N7T 1T9 (519) 344-7745
Fax (519) 344-8818
www.sarnia.com/groups/lda-lc
e mail: ldalc@xcelco.on.ca
NEW Office Hours: Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The LDA-LC does not endorse any particular method, therapy, treatment, institution, opinion expressed or the methods described through our public meetings, guest speakers, Resource Centre library, newsletter or product. We do endorse your right to know about them!

Newsletter Editor: Caryn Taylor

WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE

I wanted to write a little bit about two new additions to the LDA-LC. Carolyn Elzinga was hired this summer to run our Learning to Learn Differently Program. As Program Coordinator, Carolyn recruits volunteer tutors and matches them with SK and Grade One students who are struggling with the curriculum. Teachers refer students who are falling behind their peers and who would benefit from tutoring once or twice a week throughout the school year. Carolyn has recruited 25 wonderful volunteer tutors who meet with the children and the parents once a week for an hour throughout Lambton County. The program will help parents understand and reinforce their children’s learning styles and strengths and provide new ways for parents to help their children succeed in school and experience the joy of learning. This program is completely funded through the Ontario Early Years Challenge Fund for three years. Tutors are fully trained and supported by Carolyn.

We also are happy to have with us Ingrid Chandler, whose title is Program Development Coordinator. Ingrid will be assisting with many things, including volunteer recruitment, raising awareness throughout the community with presentations and last but not least, the development of a fundraising plan for LDA-LC.

Through the generosity of Human Resources Development Canada Job Creation Program we are utilizing the considerable skills of two individuals – Mark Landeryou who is helping us design a new website – and Nichole Fournie who is cataloguing our Resource Library such that we can eventually post it on the new website! Please give our website a visit and give us feedback on it. Mark and Nichole will be with us through January, 2004.
Annie Sheehan

PROGRAMS
Kids Positive – Social Skills Program for Children 6-9 and 10-13 – Our Kids Positive Program, after a brief hiatus, is up and running on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. This 10-week program is designed to improve social skills and build self-esteem. The next session will be starting the week of January 5, 2004. Cost is $48.00 for members and $110.00 for non-members. Financial help is available for this program

Online Courses
Cambrian College is pleased to announce two new online post-graduate diploma programs: Assistive Technologist for Learning Disabilities
Learning Strategist for Learning Disabilities. Registration is now open.
Contact Sherrill McCall at: slmccall@cambrianc.on.ca

ADVOCACY
We are always available to provide advocacy assistance to our members who require it. As well, we have received information on a program called Child Advocacy Project (CAP). CAP is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the legal rights of children and youth across Ontario. CAP lawyers provide free legal services, summary advice, advocacy, mediation and representation for children and youth in specific situations. If you are under 18 and having a legal problem in school or elsewhere, contact Justice for Children and Youth at (416) 920-1633 or Pro Bono Law Ontario at (416) 947-3931

RESOURCES One of my new favourite websites is Learning Disabilities Resource Community (www.ldrc.ca). Excellent, up to date site with a really knowledgeable group of people who use the online forums.

www.abilityonline.org
Ability OnLine is a computer network designed to enhance the lives of children and youth with disabilities or illness as well as their families, caregivers and friends by providing an online community of friendship and support.

Here come two of my favourite words in one sentence – shopping and books! We used the proceeds of our recent garage sale to buy new books and videos for our members’ use! Some of our new acquisitions are:

BOOKS
The Misunderstood Child by Larry B. Silver, M.D. Children Today Magazine says, “The book is particularly sensitive to the problems of the adolescent … indeed, the book is a personal document because Dr. Larry Silver, a child psychiatrist who was learning disabled as a child, shares some of his own experiences.” I really enjoyed this book for, among other things, the chapter called “The Evaluation Process”. This chapter deals step by step with different testing evaluations used and what the testing results mean. As a parent who has had a psychologist tell me “My dear, you can’t possibly understand the WISC III IQ test and what each subtest means…”. Well, actually, yes we can and this book makes it very easy to understand. An excellent book. Something else I learned: “The most common cause of hyperactivity, distractibility, or impulsivity with children, adolescents and adults is anxiety, not ADHD. The second most common cause of these behaviours in any age group is depression. The third most common cause of hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsivity is one of the neurologically based disorders (such as learning disabilities, sensory integration disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder). The least common cause of hyperactivity, distractibility and impulsivity in any age group is ADHD.
Social Skills Activities for Special Children by Darlene Mannix. This book provides 142 ready to use lessons and reproducible master activity sheets to help children become aware of acceptable social behaviour and develop proficiency in acquiring social skills.
Help for the Struggling Student by Mimi Gold. Ready-to-Use Strategies and Lessons to Build Attention, Memory and Organizational Skills. This picture book of solutions provides information that is needed to identify a student’s specific learning style and shows how to select the right strategy for each student.

VIDEOS
Winning at Parenting by Barbara Coloroso
First One Picked On, Last One Picked by Richard Lavoie
Look What You’ve Done … Stories of Hope and Resilience by Dr. Robert Brooks

We have many more and they are available to you. Please drop in to our Resource Centre Monday through Friday or telephone to reserve a book/video.

THANK YOU!
Thanks also are extended to Mark Beaty from Home Depot in Sarnia who kindly donated a Sunbeam Tri-Function water cooler to the organization. Thank you Home Depot and thank you Mark for your generosity.

Thank you to Rob Collie and Gail Mitton from Tim Hortons Colborne Road and Murphy Road locations, and Dennis Jutzi from the Tim Hortons on London Line location for donating Timbits and coffee for the bargain hunters at our garage sale in September.

For our 50/50 tickets drawn at the Brigden Fair and our Sarnia Sting box tickets, thank you to Lambton Financial Credit Union for helping sell tickets in their branches.

WHO PUT THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING – WE DID OF COURSE!
I sometimes hear people talk about fundraising with about as much enthusiasm as one would have for an upcoming root canal. Certainly many non-profits and parent councils see fundraising as a necessary evil. I used to be one of those people but I have changed my tune. Who knew it was so much fun? While it is difficult to approach others and ask them to part with some of their hard-earned dollars, it is a lot of fun planning and taking part in fundraising events.

In September we had a blast at our garage sale. Joanne Culley let us take over her house and garage for the day and we made $620.

In October we had a booth at the Brigden Fair and sold 50/50 tickets to generate some funds to pay for new books. We sold 742 tickets at $1.00 each. The winner of $371 was Joanne Sadoquis. Congratulations Joanne.

Also in October, we sold tickets to a private box at the Sarnia Sports & Entertainment Centre. Up for grabs for the price of $5.00 was the chance to host 17 of your friends in a private box for a Sarnia Sting game on Saturday, November 1. Winner of this draw was Jenn Parkkila. Congratulations Jenn. The Sarnia Sting box was generously donated to the LDA-LC through the City of Sarnia Community Services Department. Thank you Loretta and Terry McCallum! Through this fundraising endeavour we were able to raise $887.00. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank some local businesses that allowed us to sell tickets in their establishments. Tom Gleave and Brett Rob of Dallas City Limits, Greg Scroggs of Scroggies Grillhouse & Bar, Cheryl Anne Clarke of Puck Around Sports Bar & Grill and John Mallon of Ups N’ Downs English Parlours – thank you all for your support.

Thank you also to our wonderful volunteers. We have so many volunteers who help in different ways … selling tickets for fundraising, helping in the Resource Centre, tutoring, sitting on Committees or our Board of Directors. We would not be here without your ongoing support.

MISCELLANEOUS
We are still collecting A&P and Zehrs grocery coupons. If you aren’t saving them for your school or church, please consider saving them for us. Thank you!

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED
We need volunteers to sit on our Board of Directors – an evening time commitment of just two hours a month. Please consider this very important volunteer position – we have spots available on our Board and would like to fill them.

As well, we are always looking for volunteers to help in the office or with tutoring programs or helping us with manning our display booth at fairs or workshops.

We REALLY need a S.E.A.C. representative for the Lambton Kent District School Board. That person needs to be a public school elector who is available to travel to Wallaceburg ten times a year in the evening on the third Thursday of each month. This is a three-year term and is subject to the approval of the Lambton Kent District School Board. What is S.E.A.C.? Special Education Advisory Committee – S.E.A.C. advises the Lambton Kent District School Board in regards to exceptional children and their education and is part of the partnership of students, school, family and community support services that are essential to the success of all exceptional students. Please consider getting involved by representing the Learning Disabilities Association of Lambton County.

FEEDBACK FORUM
Okay, here’s your chance! Please telephone, email or fax us your requests.
What are you as a member or parent struggling with? Do you want to see more tutoring, more social skills, perhaps adaptive technology sessions explaining specialized software that might be available to our children? Are you an adult with a learning disability looking for support? How about testing sources – both locally and farther afield? Is this important to you? Typing classes for our children? In-school sessions for children regarding learning disabilities – even young children can understand learning disabilities and educating them can help dispel negative comments and minimize bullying. Organizational coaching? We want to know what you need. Please take five minutes to let us know and we will do our best to offer it in the future.