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November 8, 2022

At Canucks Autism Network (CAN), we believe that every child, youth and adult on the autism spectrum has the right to play sports. And that includes the joy of being in the pool!

Being confident in the water can open up a wide range of recreational opportunities for our participants – from family vacations at the lake to competitive swimming. And in beautiful BC, where we’re surrounded by lakes and oceanfronts, swimming skills can be lifesaving.

As we prepare for our upcoming winter season next year, we have an important announcement.

Beginning January 2023, CAN swim will transition from its alignment with the Canadian Red Cross to the new Lifesaving Society format.

This is a move endorsed by the Canadian Red Cross, as they phase out of their delivery of swim programs nation-wide. So what does this mean for CAN programs?

You can still expect the same high-ratio of participant support. And, of course, the same level of enthusiasm that our staff and volunteers bring to the program each session!

Much like the previous Canadian Red Cross format, the Lifesaving Society focuses on water safety in addition to swimming skills. In particular, their curriculum emphasizes Water Smart® Education and Swim to Survive® skills.

Not sure which CAN swim program to register for? Refer to our transition table below!

Current CAN Swim Under Canadian Red Cross	New CAN Swim (Starting Jan 2023) Under Lifesaving Society	Skills Required & Taught
Swim (3-6yrs)	Preschool Swim (3-5yrs)	Skills Required: For kids just starting out Skills Taught: Safe entries, surface support, underwater skills & movement/swimming skills
Swim 1 (7-12yrs)	Swimmer 1 (6-12yrs)	Skills Required: For kids just starting out Skills Taught: Safe entries, surface support, underwater skills & movement/swimming skills
Swim 2 (7-12yrs)	Swimmer 2 (6-12yrs)	Skills Required: For kids who can jump into chest-deep water by themselves or deep-water wearing a lifejacket Skills Taught: Focus on opening eyes & holding breath underwater, floating, kicking & front/back gliding
Swim 3 (7-12yrs)	Swimmer 3 (6-12yrs)	Skills Required: For kids who can jump into deep water and do a sideways entry wearing a lifejacket Skills Taught: Focus on supporting self at surface for 15s, whip kicks in vertical position, swimming 10m on front and back
Swim 1 (13+yrs)	Youth & Adult Swim (13+yrs)	Skills Required: For youth & adults who are just starting out Skills Taught: Safe entries, surface support, underwater skills & movement/swimming skills (equivalent to LSS Swimmer 1)

Key transition takeaways:

The previous 3-6yrs age group is now offered only to 3-5yrs.
The previous 7-12yrs age group has been expanded to 6-12yrs.
Please refer to the skills column above to determine which level to register for.*
Previously completed Canadian Red Cross levels can be carried over to the new Lifesaving Society format.**

*It is the parent/guardian/participant’s responsibility to sign up for the correct level. If a participant has not been placed correctly, our ability to transfer them into the appropriate level once the season has begun will be subject to program availability. If space is not available in the appropriate level, the participant will have to removed from the program.

**If a participant had previously completed CAN Swim Level 1, they can register for the new CAN Swimmer 2 program.

After benefiting from adapted instruction at CAN, Linden took her skills & confidence to City of Surrey swim lessons to obtain her Canadian Red Cross Level 3 badge! Read Linden’s story >

Beyond CAN swim:

Like the previous Canadian Red Cross model, the Lifesaving Society delivers instruction beyond the Swimmer 3 level.

We will continue to provide standardized report cards that allow CAN participants who are ready to transition out of our programs.

With your Lifesaving Society Swimmer 1, 2 or 3 report card from CAN, you’ll be able to transition to typical swimming lessons at your local community centre.

This past year alone, our certified CAN swim instructors taught over 650 participants across BC.

We can’t wait to see what 2023 brings!

Ready to dive in? See which CAN swim programs are being offered in your community in the Winter 2023 Program Guide!

“It’s important to accept, be open to everyone and enjoy everyone’s unique and individual personalities and abilities,” Natanya said.

As a young woman on the spectrum, her lived experience fuels the understanding and compassion she brings to our programs. Natanya has been with CAN for just over two years. Before being hired as a support worker, she started as a volunteer, supporting kids in our summer programs.

In addition to supporting CAN camps & weekly programs, Natanya (2nd from right) has also volunteered at fundraisers & family experiences!

“My favourite memory at CAN was Overnight Camp on Keats. I remember encouraging one of the campers to let me take him out on the water in a kayak. We saw dozens of seals. His excitement was so rewarding.”

That summer alone, Natanya volunteered in two week-long summer day camps and a full three days at Keats – tirelessly supporting our participants in a range of scenarios.

The following season, Natanya jumped in the pool to support our weekly swimming lessons. Overseeing our swim program at our JCC location in Vancouver was Kaitlin Sterndale-Bennett. Recalling Natanya’s time as a volunteer, Kaitlin had particularly high praise:

“I cannot speak highly enough about Natanya. As a volunteer, she was naturally responsive to the kids, excellent with our visual tools and calm under pressure. She was one of the strongest individuals in the pool.”

Needless to say, Natanya was quickly hired on as a support worker. Her tireless energy, natural ability and clear dedication to helping others are such a benefit to our participants.

Today, she works in CAN’s Active, Multisport, Skate and Music programs.

“I want people to know that people on the autism spectrum are just like everyone else. We have goals and dreams. And we work hard to be successful and achieve them.”

We are so lucky to have individuals like Natanya supporting our participants and families. In addition to guiding our participants in their skill development, she is showcasing first-hand how individuals on the spectrum can lead the way in their community.

Read more from individuals on the spectrum:

Sebastian: Living a life I like

Sylvain: Changing my thoughts about autism

Jack speaks in front of entire school

Nate: What I want you to know about autism

Ryan: “This will all be over soon. I promise!”

Jun 4, 2019

My name is Nate Keller, I’m 17 years old and I have autism.

People often ask me if I have autism. I don’t always like it, because I don’t know if they’re making fun of me or if they’re just being curious.

I’m also a curious person and tend to ask people a lot of questions, so I do understand. I guess I don’t mind as long as it helps others to learn about me and anyone who lives with autism.

What I want to tell them is that autism can be hard. For example, it is harder for me to do well in school. It’s hard for me to play some sports. It’s hard for me to make friends.

What I want people to know is that I can still do the same stuff as everyone, but I might do it differently.

In school, I sometimes do different projects or have different exams than the rest of the class, but I still learn the same material. I also have extra time to finish projects. There is also an Education Assistant that helps me in class. I notice that some of my classmates ask my EA for help as well. Perhaps everyone needs help in some way.

LEARN MORE: CAN autism training for schools and educators

I love being social, but I feel like some of my friends don’t always understand me. Sometimes they’re impatient if I do things that are unexpected. When I’m feeling stressed or excited, I jump around and make noises. There are times when I laugh to myself when there doesn’t seem to be anything funny.

I want people to understand that when I have these unexpected behaviours, I do them to help me stay calm.

One of the ways that I find I can connect with people is through sports. At school, I am in cross country, track and swimming. I even won a couple of medals in swimming provincials.

IRISH SWIMMING: Congratulations to all of our swimmers on an amazing weekend at Provincials! Special shout out to our finalists pictured here, especially Nate (far left) for bringing home a bronze and silver medal! pic.twitter.com/WbjQF1BM4v

— Vancouver College (@VanCollegeNews) November 19, 2018

I chose not to play basketball and soccer at school, because team sports can be very dynamic and hard to follow.

But outside of school, I play hockey with Canucks Autism Network (CAN). With extra help from staff and volunteers, CAN has given me an opportunity to play a team sport.

I’ve even made new friends at CAN. One of them is Liam. Through the hockey program, I realized that he was a lot like me. He got nervous very easily just like me. He had trouble talking sometimes just like me.

Last year, Nate participated in our “What’s Your ‘I CAN’?” video project
and shared what he likes most about being a CAN hockey player.

I think we both like hockey because we both get to burn off a lot of energy playing. Outside of CAN, we’ve even done the North Shore Triathlon together!

READ MORE: North Shore triathlon adds wave for adapted athletes (North Shore News)

One day, I’d like to play hockey outside of CAN too. Some CAN participants have gone on to play minor hockey and that’s pretty cool.

People who think and learn differently can succeed and offer a lot to the community. Everyone is different in their own way. People with autism aren’t less, they’re just different. They’re not weird, they’re just different.

Even though I’ve found friends at CAN that are similar to me in a lot of ways, I’ve also realized that not everyone is going to be like you. And you’re not going to be like everyone else.

Being different can be interesting. It can even be special.

RETURN TO BLOG HOME

Jan 11, 2019

This past December, Canucks Autism Network (CAN) Manager of Programs, Elisabeth Walker-Young, received the incredible honour of being named to the Order of Canada. As per a statement from the Governor General, Elisabeth has been appointed “for her excellence in the sport of swimming and for her advocacy of inclusive sport in Canada.”

We are overjoyed that Elisabeth’s tireless work to promote accessibility has been so highly recognized on a national level. We welcomed Elisabeth to our office team in September 2017. She joined CAN as a highly-experienced advocate and changemaker for inclusion in sports — both as an athlete and a professional.

As a competitive swimmer, Elisabeth is a four-time Paralympian that has won three gold medals for Team Canada. At the 2015 ParaPanAmerican Games, she was chosen for the role of chef de mission (official leader and spokesperson) for Team Canada – an honour that foreshadowed her career in affecting positive change.

Photo from games.paralympic.ca.

After retiring from competition, Elisabeth took on managerial roles with ParaSport Ontario, Curl BC, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and viaSport BC, before joining CAN.

In celebration of her appointment, Elisabeth was interviewed this week by Accessible Media Inc (AMI) in Toronto. In addition to speaking about her lived experience as an athlete with a disability, Elisabeth reflected on the province-wide impact on individuals and families living with autism that she now helps oversee with CAN.

“I absolutely love [working at CAN], because it’s an organization that truly believes in sharing their knowledge. We provide that intro to sports, but a huge part of what we do is training,” Elisabeth explained.

Listen to the full 14-minute interview with AMI.

“From a capacity issue, we can’t offer [every possible sports and rec program], so we train the sports sector, recreation sector, first responders. We train anyone in the community to be inclusive and to understand what autism is so that there are more positive experiences in the community.”

On being named to the Order of Canada, Elisabeth had this to say: “It’s a huge honour, but my work isn’t done. I know there’s still so much more to do and so much more to give.”

With passionate leaders like Elisabeth at the helm of our province-wide efforts, we are so excited for what the future of CAN programs, training and awareness initiatives holds.

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Jan 8, 2019

FREE E-LEARNING MODULE LAUNCHES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BC PARKS AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION

In an innovative effort to increase accessibility for individuals with autism in community recreation, Canucks Autism Network (CAN), in partnership with BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA), has launched a free E-Learning Module for recreation providers across BC. Funded by the Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD), the online resource represents an unprecedented collaborative effort among government, recreation, and the non-profit autism sector.

The one-hour online module outlines behaviours associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as effective strategies for supporting children and youth with autism in recreation settings. The interactive module also highlights interviews with experienced recreation leaders who have successfully implemented these strategies, which include communication tips, behavior support, and teaching tools. The E-Learning Module can be accessed at no cost at elearn.bcrpa.bc.ca or canucksautism.ca/recreation.

“Canucks Autism Network has been providing workshops to the recreation sector since 2012, and demand grows exponentially every year,” said Dr. Stephanie Jull, VP of Programs and Training at Canucks Autism Network. “This new online training module provides an exciting opportunity to spread knowledge and build capacity across BC and beyond, creating a positive impact for the thousands of families living with autism in our province.”

The project began after CAN successfully pitched the need for a widely-accessible online resource to the MCFD in 2017. With 1 in 66 Canadian children diagnosed with autism, and over 16,000 children and youth with autism in BC alone, MCFD recognized the growing need for community accessibility.

“All kids deserve the opportunity to participate in sports and other activities,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “I’m pleased that MCFD could collaborate with CAN and BCRPA to bring this specialized training to recreation providers so that they can provide the supports kids need to join in with their peers.”

Research shows that individuals with autism are far less likely to participate in community recreation than their typically-developing peers. Furthermore, research indicates that physical activity can increase attention and cognition while decreasing anxiety, among children and youth with autism.

“We are thrilled to be presenting this valuable E-learning module in partnership with CAN, said Rebecca Tunnacliffe, CEO of BCRPA. Our members who manage and work in recreation facilities across BC hold very highly the importance of creating a positive experience for all their participants. This module will directly assist staff to amplify their awareness of the needs of autistic individuals, and implement strategies to provide them with a positive experience so they will want to return again and again.”

Since 2012, CAN’s province-wide team of training facilitators has delivered hundreds of workshops to well over 10,000 individuals in the public sector across BC. In addition to supporting the sport and recreation sectors, CAN’s live training team builds capacity for first responders, education staff, and a variety community spaces including YVR, Science World, and the Vancouver Aquarium.

CAN is proud to unveil three online training resources for various sectors in January 2019. In addition to the launch of the E-Learning Module for recreation providers, CAN has also released an online training module for first responders and will be unveiling an online resource for sport coaches in late January.

For more information, or to book a live training workshop, please visit canucksautism.ca/training.

Dec 10, 2018

Beautiful successes. When they happen, they’re like watching fireworks – especially when it comes to watching my own daughter succeed.

When Linden was about three years old, she was introduced to swimming lessons through a local community program.

Like a lot of kids who start swimming lessons, Linden was terrified of the pool. At her first lesson, she kept exclusively to the pool deck. But unlike most kids, Linden refused to step into the pool for the entire multi-week set of lessons.

At that point, I put swimming lessons on hold for Linden.

Children with autism are more than 160 times more likely to drown.

In 2014, Linden received her autism diagnosis. At the time, she was five years old. While exploring the different services available in our community, I saw that Canucks Autism Network (CAN) offered swim lessons. Immediately, I regained hope.

This is when CAN jumped in with us.

I enrolled Linden in their swim program later that year. She was still terrified of the water. But CAN met her at her level.

The swim instructor didn’t rush her. She hung out with her in the little pool, where the water wouldn’t go above her waist, since that is where Linden felt most in control. And they just played.

Left photo: A young girl and swim coach playing in the shallow end of the pool. Right photo: A young girl floats in the water while supported by her coach.

Seeing that was magical. Beyond making Linden comfortable in the water, she helped her enjoy the pool. It was a dream come true to see that someone understood Linden when she was most vulnerable.

Since then, we have not looked back. After about a year, Linden was able to successfully put her entire face in the water!

I will never forget that day. Given where she started, it felt like something completely out of this world. Linden was so proud of herself. We all were. The staff and volunteers all stopped to cheer and celebrate her.

Linden was beaming – I will never forget her smile.

No matter how big or small the accomplishment, CAN has always been incredible at making sure Linden knew just how proud they were of her.

Over the next few years, CAN’s staff and volunteers continued to work with Linden – always at her pace. Following her lead, they pushed her just enough. They built this amazing circle of trust that eased her fears with each new skill. One week at a time.

This Fall season alone, 252 children with autism were waitlisted for CAN Swim.

Linden flourished. And with time, patience and lots of love, she was able to swim independently with CAN right by her side. Amazing.

This summer, I decided that Linden was ready to move forward from the CAN swim program. After completing CAN’s Level 2 Red Cross program, I enrolled her into a regular swim class.

With years of experience in CAN programs at her back, Linden successfully transitioned to a community rec program and earned her very first swim badge at Level 3.

Because of CAN, Linden is thriving. She is resilient. She CAN!

They have provided her with this incredible stepping stone. From being terrified of the water at age 3, she is now mastering typical swim lessons.

To all the staff and volunteers that have worked with Linden for years – you have given my girl confidence and determination.

To all the donors, who make these programs possible — thank you.

What an incredible, lifelong gift.

-Jessica Norman

Your contribution of $39.16 would provide a child with autism with one swim lesson within our 8-week program.

Will you consider making a gift that will last far beyond the holiday season? Make your contribution before January 1st, 2020 and it will be doubled by a generous donor!

Nov 5, 2018

As we prepare for the 2019 Winter season (Jan-Mar), we have some program changes to announce:

I CAN Play Sports is now called “Multisport”
The I CAN Play Sports program (also known as “Sports” or “Gym” program) for ages 7-12 is now known as Multisport. This will be reflected in the Winter Program Guide and in the registration system.

Cowichan Valley: Skate & Swim will not be offered
Due to ongoing staffing challenges, we will not be running the skate or swim program in the Duncan area for the winter session. Active (3-6yrs) and Multisport (7-12yrs) will be running in the community.

Kelowna: Gymnastics

We are excited to provide the Gymnastics program in partnership with the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre. Please stay tuned for the announcement of the date and time of the program.

Edmonds Swim will be replaced by sessions at Jewish Community Centre and Eileen Daily

Since the Edmonds swim facility is undergoing maintenance during our winter term, we have added extra 3-6yrs, 7-12yrs, and 13+yrs sessions at Jewish Community Centre in Vancouver, and 3-6yrs sessions at Eileen Daily in Burnaby.

North Vancouver: Weekly Youth and Young Adult Program will be replaced with Indoor Rock Climbing

Thanks to generous funding support from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), CAN will be introducing a weekly rock climbing program in January 2019 for youth and young adult members. In partnership with Power To Be and Climb Base5 North Vancouver, participants will have the opportunity to learn to climb in a safe and supportive environment, meet new people and build their fitness. This program is intended for youth and young adults with an interest in climbing who would like to continue the activity on their own or with friends and family after participating in the CAN program.

Vancouver: Explore Volunteering for youth and adults will replace CommunityWorks Canada®

The Explore Volunteering program provides opportunities for youth and adults with autism to sample volunteer tasks in a variety of community settings. The program encourages community engagement alongside peers while developing volunteer experience, work skills, and communication and social skills. This program will be taking the place of the CommunityWorks Canada® program which ends in December 2018. P

Online registration for Winter 2019 Weekly Program Registration opens Monday, November 19, at noon, and closes Friday, November 23, at noon.

Become a member to access programs.

Sep 7, 2018

We Heard You! We are introducing a new blog series that will address some of the frequently asked questions that we receive in seasonal parent and participant feedback surveys.

Today, we tackle a common question about our weekly swim programs. Stay tuned for more We Heard You posts this Fall!

Why aren’t Canucks Autism Network swim lessons longer?

In Spring 2017, we formalized a partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, a nationally-recognized organization renowned for quality swim and water safety programs. As standardized by the Canadian Red Cross, swim programs for ages 3-6 and 7-12 are 30 minutes, while those for ages 13+ are 45 minutes.

Like CAN, Red Cross Swim programs are designed in alignment with the Canada Sport for Life model. As such, the curriculum has been designed to emphasize a positive first experience to sports and rec in order to promote a lifetime of overall physical health and activity.

“To engage in sport and physical activity, individuals must be aware of what opportunities exist for them, and when they try an activity for the first time, it is critical that the experience is positive.”
–Canada Sport For Life – Awareness and First Involvement

Please visit our CAN Swim webpage for more program information.

See more articles like this:
What is each staff and volunteer’s roles in programs?
Who gets into programs?
Why are programs offered at less than ideal times of the week?
Why I volunteer for CAN: Kyle Boyle

Tag: swim