first responders Archives - Canucks Autism Network

First responders join forces to partner with Canucks Autism Network

Vancouver, BC – As of October 2021, the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, City of North Vancouver Fire Department, North Vancouver RCMP and North Shore Rescue have all completed training on how to identify and safely support people on the autism spectrum in emergency situations. Over 200 first responders attended the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) training, with the common goal of improving their understanding of autism to create a more inclusive and supportive North Shore community.

The prevalence of autism continues to increase, with 1 in 37 children being diagnosed in BC. Individuals on the autism spectrum are seven times more likely to interact with first responders in an emergency setting. Regardless of their age, autistic individuals can experience anxiety, sensory sensitivities and communication barriers, particularly in emergency environments. CAN training increases first responders’ basic understanding of autism, and improves the ability for fire, police and search and rescue personnel to respond to the unique needs of community members who are on the autism spectrum.

“We believe that every community should take action to support individuals on the autism spectrum,” said Hallie Mitchell, CAN Director of Children’s Programs and Community Training. “Before this partnership, we had never seen four first responder groups from the same municipality unite to receive our training. It’s a remarkable show of support for the North Shore’s autism community.”

According to Mike Danks, Assistant Fire Chief – North Vancouver City Fire Department (NVCFD), it is our duty as first responders to commit to continuous learning in order to best support the diverse needs of community members.

“First responders are dispatched to a myriad of calls for subjects with all ranges of abilities and backgrounds every day” stated Mike Danks. “It is of utmost importance to NVCFD and the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (DNVFRS) that we are well prepared and able to provide inclusive, comprehensive emergency response for every callout. It is our duty to flex and learn to meet and exceed the ever changing needs and requirements of our community. Our collaboration with CAN and our service partners to learn about autism has been engaging, comprehensive and vital.”

Sgt. Peter DeVries further highlighted how this deeper level of understanding can make all the difference between a positive and negative outcome.

“As police officers, every day, we encounter people from across society, spanning a range of abilities, challenges, and unique characteristics,” said Sgt. Peter DeVries of the North Vancouver RCMP. “As with every aspect of the work we do, having the proper tools and training can make the difference between success and failure, not just for us, but also for the person we encounter. This training gives us another tool we can use, and equips us to meet the diverse needs of those who are on the spectrum.”

CAN’s two-part workshop provided a valuable introduction to autism alongside practical strategies for communication and support. Participating firefighters, officers and search and rescue volunteers are also now armed with CAN resource kits that are housed aboard their vehicles. The kits include sensory toys to reduce anxiety, visual resources to improve communication, and noise-cancelling headphones to ease sensory sensitivities.

CAN is considered a provincial leader in providing autism training to a variety of community-level groups, including over 1,600 first responders across BC and beyond. View CAN’s full suite of autism training and resources at www.canucksautism.ca/training.

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About Canucks Autism Network
Canucks Autism Network (CAN) is dedicated to providing programs to individuals on the spectrum and their families, while promoting acceptance and inclusion through community engagement and training initiatives across BC and beyond. For more information, please visit canucksautism.ca.

For media inquiries:
Lindsay Petrie, Director of Marketing
Canucks Autism Network
Lindsay.petrie@canucksautism.ca
604.788.8565

April 22, 2020

It’s been a couple of years since we moved our headquarters to the Kitsilano neighbourhood in Vancouver.

But for years, we called the corner of Yukon and 2^nd home. And just across the street is where our office staff got their daily caffeine fix at Starbucks. It wasn’t long before Store Manager Ann-Marie Lee-Teahen knew virtually the entire Canucks Autism Network (CAN) office team by name.

Although we’re no longer immediate neighbours, our friends at Starbucks remain CAN supporters who we are proud to celebrate this National Volunteer Week.

“When I became the community lead in my district, I reached out to CAN for volunteer opportunities,” said Ann-Marie.

“At that time, one of the managers in our district, Evelyn Campbell was a CAN mom.”

“Through CAN, her son Logan has been enrolled in so many sports and social programs. He has come leaps and bounds!”

As a group, Ann-Marie, Evelyn and their fellow baristas began volunteering in our office to help organize and prepare our program supplies. Ann-Marie even donated her time to support our Weekly Youth & Adult Program for a season.

“I received training and learned so much from the program with respect to understanding people with autism,” Ann-Marie said.

Our neighbours across the street were eager to contribute more to our community. So when we asked them to put up some posters to promote our CAN Family Festival in 2016, Ann-Marie got the idea to get involved with our events as well.

Hundreds of families needing to stay warm at our annual Festival of Lights at Van Dusen?

Starbucks was there.

Hockey players arriving early in the morning for an 8am game?

Starbucks was there!

Over the past six years, Starbucks has volunteered at CAN Family Festival, CAN Relay 4 Autism, CAN Festival of Lights and most recently the CAN Pro-Am.

And at each event, they were on hand bright and early or late at night offering a warm smile and a free coffee or hot chocolate!

But their incredible contributions don’t stop there. Through the Starbucks Foundation, Ann-Marie and her South Central Vancouver Starbucks District have donated a total of $3,000 to support CAN programs, training and community engagement initiatives.

Like many businesses, most Starbucks locations are closed due to the current health crisis. And our hearts go out to the many store managers, baristas and all those who are waiting to get back to work.

But knowing how committed they are to giving back, it came as no surprise that the Starbucks at Yukon St and 2^nd Ave remains open to frontline workers.

Ever since our new life of social distancing began, Ann-Marie and her team have been serving free coffee to the many first responders and health care workers in their neighbourhood, including those from Vancouver General Hospital and Vancouver Police Department headquarters.

“It has been a very fulfilling experience, ensuring that our first responders can be the best they can be,” said Ann-Marie. “If only through a cup of coffee.”

For most, a good day begins with a cup of coffee. For us, our daily lattes and cappuccinos turned into a friendship we have treasured for over six years and counting.

Thank you, Ann-Marie and Starbucks!

Volunteer Spotlight: “Be friendly to one another”

Vancouver Foundation: Extending CAN’s impact in Nanaimo and Kamloops

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May 1, 2019

Rob MacMillan is a BCEHS paramedic specialist who serves on the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) First Responder Advisory Committee.

First responders are more than seven times more likely to interact with an individual with autism. However, most are not trained on how to recognize autism or utilize effective support strategies in crisis situations involving those on the spectrum.

Due to anxiety, sensory sensitivities, triggers or communication barriers, emergencies involving an individual with autism can often escalate quickly without this background of understanding.

As a BCEHS Paramedic Specialist and father of a daughter with autism, Rob MacMillan is highly motivated to bridge this gap of understanding. Together with six other members of the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) First Responder Advisory Committee, Rob played an instrumental role in developing and launching our First Responder eLearning Module this past January.

A screen shot of the Autism Awareness eLearning Module for First Responders. — The First Responder eLearning Module is a FREE 1-hour course available to fire fighters, police officers, paramedics, search and rescue and other emergency care providers across BC. Visit elearn.canucksautism.ca to access now!

Rob recently shared an example from the field that illustrates how a little awareness can go a long way in emergency situations.

Last month, Rob was at a dispatch centre when a call came in involving a boy with autism who had climbed three stories up a tree. Rob arrived on scene to find the boy’s mother anxiously watching as her son continued climbing to dangerous heights.

“Fire rescue had already arrived,” Rob recounted. “And any time one of them tried to approach the boy, he just kept climbing higher and higher. He wasn’t afraid – he was just having fun. But we were all extremely distressed. Meanwhile, the tree was starting to sway as he continued climbing.”

Despite Rob’s personal experience with autism, he knew that each child with autism is an individual with their own unique personality. He asked the boy’s mother about her son’s likes, dislikes, triggers and ability to communicate. The mom informed him that her son was non-verbal. They began to strategize together.

Learning that the young boy was highly interested in his mom’s iPhone, they initially tried to show him something on a smart phone to encourage him to climb down.

A paramedic specialist vehicle in the park — As a BCEHS Paramedic Specialist, Rob provides on-scene support for high-risk situations in the Lower Mainland.

When that didn’t work, Rob regrouped with the firefighters. Although the boy was non-verbal, Rob explained to them that he could likely understand the words they were saying and that they simply needed to adjust the way they communicated with him.

“They just needed to talk to him nice and slowly, allowing time for their instructions to sink in,” Rob recounted. “His mom had also indicated that he likes [sensory] pressure, so if they needed to hold him to help him down the tree, he’d probably like that if it felt to him like a hug.”

Armed with a bit more awareness of the boy’s needs and communication style, the firefighters began another ascent up the tree. But slower. And with newfound confidence felt more confident that the boy was understanding what they were saying, and that they could interpret his behaviour a bit better as well.

When one of the firefighters eventually reached the boy, he used simple language and offered the boy a big hug. The boy accepted his invitation with open arms and together they made their way back down to the ground.

After nearly two hours on-scene, Rob watched as the boy was successfully rescued and reunited with his mother.

“She had tears in her eyes. Most of all, she was just so relieved that somebody there understood autism and what was happening up in that tree.”

CAN’s eLearning Module for First Responders is FREE and available 24/7 online. Since launching in January 2019, over 800 first responders across BC have accessed the training. Take the 1-hour course at elearn.canucksautism.ca.

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Jun 29, 2018

From our beginnings as a small, grassroots autism charity, we are so proud to have the province-wide impact on individuals and families that we do today.

It was just over 10 years ago that Paolo and Clara Aquilini sat around a dining table with Katy Harandi. Together, they envisioned an organization that would make a positive and lasting impact on the autism community in BC.

With the support of the Canucks for Kids Fund, Canucks Autism Network became a non-profit society on January 7, 2008. That year, we began with one soccer program and one family skate at GM Place (now Rogers Arena).

A decade later, CAN delivers nearly 500 programs to 4,000 members province-wide. Since day one, we could not do what we do without the countless supporters who share our mission.

There is much to be thankful for and much to celebrate. Here are just some of the milestones that have highlighted CAN’s 10-year journey with our participants, families and supporters:

1. July 29, 2008 | Our first-ever program
Offered to just a handful of families, we launched I CAN Play Soccer as a two-day program at GM Place. After 10 years, guess which CAN coach is still around to guide our participants?

A male coach puts his arms around two child soccer players as they pose for a photo together. — Coach Neeeeeeesh!

Over the past decade, we have expanded to a wide range of sports and rec programs, allowing children and youth with autism to explore physical activity on land, water and ice. Beyond sports, our social programs and overnight camps have allowed participants to try new activities, develop lasting friendships and make lifelong memories.

2. September 2008 | Launch of We CAN Be Friends
In addition to sports and rec programs, one of the pillars of our mission has been to raise autism awareness. That’s why in our first year, we launched We CAN Be Friends, a free curriculum-based autism awareness program for elementary classrooms.

By raising awareness among BC’s youngest students, we can help educators build a brighter future of acceptance, empathy and inclusion for individuals with autism. After launching to a handful of schools in the Lower Mainland, the program has now grown to 275 schools across BC. An elementary school classroom sits in front of a "We CAN Be Friends" sign with an orca whale mascot seated behind them in a school gym.

3. April 2011 | Programs expand outside the Lower Mainland
In Spring 2011, CAN launched multi-week sports and rec programs in both Victoria and Kamloops. Today, CAN offers programs in three Vancouver Island communities (Victoria, Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo) and two BC Interior communities (Kamloops and Kelowna). In total, CAN programs are actively delivered in 79 communities across BC.

4. April 1, 2012 | Inaugural CAN Family Festival at Jack Poole Plaza
In celebration of World Autism Awareness Day, we hosted the first-ever CAN Family Festival at Jack Poole Plaza. Held in Downtown Vancouver, the annual event featured an awareness walk, exhibitors, games, and live performances. For six years, the CAN Family Festival was an annual centerpiece in our efforts to bring families together, increase awareness and raise vital funding for our programs.

A group of children play with bubbles in an outdoor plaza — April 2012: The cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza was lit to celebrate CAN Family Festival for the first time.

5. March 17, 2013 | Inaugural CAN Sports Day at Sportstown in Richmond
For ten years, CAN family events have provided invaluable opportunities for both parents and kids to connect with others in the autism community. Events like the Rogers Arena Family Skate and Van Dusen Gardens Festival of Lights have marked the CAN calendar as annual highlights for our families.

In March 2013, we hosted the first-ever CAN Sports Day. With the support of the Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Vancouver Canadians, participants were treated to a truly memorable experience playing alongside their local sports heroes. Held in Sportstown Richmond the first year, it was moved to BC Place in 2014 where it has been held ever since.

A group of roughly 100 children, youth and adults gather on a turf field for an aerial photo

6. June 3, 2013 | First training workshop for external sports & rec staff
Our vision is for all individuals with autism to feel understood, accepted, and supported in all community spaces. In 2013, we began delivering autism training to sports and rec providers, ensuring that our ability to engage individuals with autism extends outside our walls too.

Since then, we have expanded these efforts to include training across public sectors, including first responders, educators, community recreation providers, and many others. Across BC, our workshops have been delivered in the far reaches of the province, including Northern BC, as well as First Nations communities.

In the summer of 2016, CAN workshops reached a pivotal milestone, becoming eligible for Coaching Association of Canada NCCP Maintenance Certification Points (PD Points) and BCRPA Continuing Education Credits (CECs).

7. Spring 2014 | CAN reaches 1,000 memberships
We are humbled that so many families have made us a part of their lives. Today, we impact over 4,000 individuals and families with autism on an annual basis. With a high ratio of support in all of our programs, we can be proud that each and every one our participants has a volunteer, support worker or coach that has personally supported them and celebrated their accomplishments.

8. November 17, 2014 | Launch of I CAN Fly with YVR
At CAN, collaboration is among our core values. We recognize that we cannot achieve our vision alone. After hearing about the struggles that individuals and families with autism face with air travel, we partnered with the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to launch I CAN Fly.

Beginning with the annual Accessibility Tour, families with autism are invited to go through the entire pre-flight process. Once families are ready to travel, they can access a step-by-step video and pick up a complimentary YVR Resource Toolkit that features checklists, maps and activity storybooks to best prepare children with autism for what to expect.

After successfully delivering the I CAN Fly program for three years, it was expanded to Kelowna International Airport (YLW) in November 2017.

9. September 21, 2015 | Inaugural Reveal Gala at Rogers Arena
We could not do what we do without our valued donors, sponsors and supporters. In order to shed light on both the challenges and successes of our participants, while raising vital funding for our programs, we held the inaugural Reveal Gala.

Transforming Rogers Arena into an intimate venue for just over 500 guests, the first gala raised over $800,000 for CAN programs. Over the past three galas, guests have been treated by incredible performances from Sarah McLachlan, the Tenors and Lola Lennox.

A family of three stands on stage while the mother speaks at a podium

10. April 3, 2018 | Rogers Arena receives “Autism Aware” designation
With the Vancouver Canucks and Canucks for Kids Fund representing our longest-standing supporters, it was only fitting that Rogers Arena became the first NHL arena in Canada to feature comprehensive autism accessibility.

In addition to over 50 event staff receiving CAN autism training, sensory kits (featuring noise-cancelling headphones for loan, a sensory toy, ID bracelet, visual storybook, arena map and game-night timeline), a quiet room and fan text service have been made available to individuals and families living with autism for all Canucks games, events and concerts.

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Have you been a part of any of the above 10 milestones within the past 10 years? Join us in celebrating a decade of “I CAN”. The CAN Birthday Festival on Saturday, July 7 at Surrey Civic Plaza is FREE and open to the public.

Learn more at canucksautism.ca/bdayfest. Let’s celebrate!

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CURRENT OFFER: For only $30, receive one year of MedicAlert protection, plus one FREE Canucks Autism Network MedicAlert ID.

Free basic MedicAlert ID or CAN MedicAlert ID ($39 value)
12-month MedicAlert service plan

Offer code: AUTWALK19N
Offer expiry: Nov 30, 2019

Call MedicAlert at 1-855-632-5378 (Mon-Fri, 6am-5pm PST) to sign up today!
Or fax in your completed form to 1-800-392-8422.

Oct 16, 2017

Statistics show that approximately 49% of children with autism wander or elope from their parent, guardian or from a safe environment.¹

Individuals with autism can also be hesitant or anxious when interacting with those they are unfamiliar with.

This can present a significant challenge for first responders and healthcare providers to deliver necessary care and attention in emergency situations. That is why the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) is so excited to announce that we have collaborated with MedicAlert to increase the safety of individuals with autism nationwide.

MedicAlert is Canada’s leading provider of emergency medical information services. Subscribers of their service are given a unique identification number engraved on their MedicAlert ID which directly links first responders and healthcare providers to their photo, identity and vital medical information. For individuals with autism, their medical profile can include known routines, anxiety triggers and other conditions that may be relevant in an emergency situation.

MedicAlert is offering two unique CAN-branded ID sports bands as part of a special subscription package. For only $30, receive one year of MedicAlert protection, plus one FREE Canucks Autism Network Medicalert ID ($39 value).

To sign up for MedicAlert’s special Canucks Autism Network offer, please call MedicAlert at 1-877-217-7448 from Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm EST (6am-5pm PST).

Or fax in your completed form to 1-800-392-8422.

For families who may already be MedicAlert subscribers or who are interested in purchasing an additional sports band, the cost of a second sports band is eligible for reimbursement through autism funding in British Columbia.

Leading this collaboration with MedicAlert is CAN’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Ryan Yao:

“We are so excited to increase safety for individuals with autism nationwide through the Canucks Autism Network MedicAlert ID bracelet. First responders are 7 times more likely to interact with a person with autism than the general public. For that reason, it is crucial for individuals involved in emergency care to understand autism and be prepared to respond effectively and safely to situations involving those with autism.”

In 2016, Ryan also led the charge in providing autism training to over 500 first responders province-wide. With this new MedicAlert initiative, CAN’s autism training will now include details on the program so that first responders will know to quickly identify individuals with autism through the CAN-branded bracelets.

Together with MedicAlert and the first responder community, we are so thrilled to be increasing safety for individuals with autism and peace of mind for their families.

To sign up for MedicAlert’s special Canucks Autism Network offer, please call MedicAlert at 1-877-217-7448 from Monday-Friday, 6am-5pm PST.
Or fax in your completed form to 1-800-392-8422.

*Offer expires Nov 30, 2019.

¹Pediatrics, 2012