Where Will You Go ... What Will You Discover?

Wow ... I was updating the "Places To Be" section in the sidebar and was amazed pleasantly surprised at how much is happening in the next little while.  So much so, in fact, that I thought it might just be best to give it a little more visibility and post about it right here.

You might think this month is pretty well shot but don't be fooled, there's still four activities left for this last week of September. 

Besides the regularly occurring Social Night for Persons with Disabilities every Tuesday @ 4:00 and the Mental Health for All Coffee House running Saturday afternoons from 1:00 - 4:00 from now until December 3rd (both in Halifax), Ken Pope, LLB, TEP, Henson Trust Specialist is offering a live videoconference/webcast on Disabilities and Estate Planning this Wednesday, Sept. 28th from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Topics to be discussed include ODSP eligibility and benefits, exempt asset arrangements, using and back filing the disability and caregiver tax credits, Registered Disability Savings Plans, legal guardianship and Powers of Attorney, Wills and Henson Trust arrangements, funding trusts with life insurance, RRSP rollovers to adult children with disabilities, Lifetime Benefits Trusts to receive RRSPs for children as parallel trusts, and planned giving, bequests, charitable remainder gifts and minimization of income tax on death from RRSPs.

Also on Wednesday (and yes, you can do both because this just happens to be in the evening), Nova Scotia Community College Disability Services is offering an Information Session for parents, teachers, guidance counsellors and students. The point of the session is to answer questions about the transition from high school to college for learners with disabilities including those who are on an Individualized Program Plans. Issues that will be explored include how to help someone with a disability apply to college, whether having an IPP makes a difference when it comes to applying to community college, what can be done now to get ready for college in the Fall, what resources are available at NSSC that students might find helpful and what funding is available for students with disabilities in post secondary education. And, of course, often the most pressing question for parents; "I know how to support my child in school - what's going to change now s/he is going to college?".

And that's just for September.

Brigadoon Village is holding its "Grand Opening" on Saturday, October 1st, which should be lots of fun for the whole family. Join them for a day filled with pipers, free will offering lunch, programming, camp fire (skits & fun) and more!

The Nova Scotia Down Syndrome Society is also holding its annual Walk With Friends on Saturday, Oct. 1st from 11:00 am - 1:30 pm at the Halifax Public Gardens. The event is a fund-raiser (participants collect pledges and all money raised will support the Maritime Ds Family Camp at Brigadoon on Labour Day weekend September 2012).

Hopefully not lost in the shuffle is the fact that I will be giving a presentation on Supported Decision-Making and Guardianship in Nova Scotia  on Tuesday, Oct. 4th at 1:00 at the IWK. There is no cost for the event and all are welcome to attend.

It’s time to pick up your putter and put on your dancing shoes on Saturday, October 15th as the Provincial Autism Centre hosts its 7th Annual Golf Ball.

The CACL Conference, "Living in Community - The Many Faces of Inclusion" will be held October 21st - 23rd at the Atlantica Hotel in Halifax and I would love to see you there!

The IWK is once again offering the Speak Up Program, starting October 25th and ending May 29th. Youth aged 13-18 years of age who have a physical disability and/or acquired brain injury or brain tumor (as well as the developmentally delayed) will learn how to speak confidently, while staying calm; figure out what they want to say and how to say it; speak up assertively; use PowerPoint effectively; deal with teasing, bullies and peer pressure; ngotiation skills and problem solving and job interview skills.

Tools For Life is always a blast and this year it is being held on Friday, October 28h at Horton High School in Greenwich (near Wolfvillle).  Admission is free and you will find an absolutely amazing collection of exhibitors and presentations on almost any disability-related issue you can think of to choose from. Including yours truly, once again speaking on Supported Decision-Making and Guardianship in Nova Scotia.

Moving on to November, the Reach & Teach: Children with Special Needs Conference (hosted by Pictou County Early Intervention) is being held on November 4th at The Celtic Circle in New Glasgow. The speaker is Dr. Heather Mackenzie and Conference sessions will address Learning Preferences and Strengths and Self-Regulation. Participants will also learn how to implement the Self-Regulation Program for Awareness and Resilience in Kids (spark*) developed by Dr. MacKenzie.

Last, but certainly not least, the IWK is offering another session of EASE (Encouraging Advocacy and Sexual Education) Teen Workshop for Girls on Saturday, November 19th and Sunday November 20th. E.A.S.E. is a sexual education program for teens with disabilities in which instructors will teach lessons, facilitate activities, and lead discussions covering a variety of issues related to sexual health such as self-image, dating and relationships, emotions, sexual identity, and safe practices.

Now you can't tell me there aren't at least a couple (or three or four or five) thing there that you don't find at least a little bit interesting/tempting.

* You can find more details on all these events ... you guessed it, on the sidebar under the heading "Places To Be -Upcoming Events".