Exploring Connections ...

Rebekah and Joy 

Before arriving at the A!TLC Bonnie had heard from Jessica Lang (a senior Kinesiology student) that Rebekah’s presentation on Wednesday evening went great.  Jessica had invited Rebekah and her mom to present in Therapeutic Recreation 447 (Professional Issues).  Their presentation was titled ‘Family Dynamics with the Birth of a Child with a Disability’.  What a great opportunity for both Rebekah and Joy and especially the TR 447 students!  Great work Rebekah!

After hearing about Rebekah’s presentation our first task for the day was reviewing the proposed schedule for the Spring/Summer term.  Everything is ready to go and we are looking forward to the months a head!  A big thank you goes out to the A!TLC Student Researchers and their families for their feedback and suggestions!

Kennen and her donation

 We also continued to plan for the up and coming fun/fundraiser (April 6^th).  We were busy creating a list of potential organizations that we are connected to!  Everyone brought great suggestions to the table.  In the next few weeks we hope to be contacting each organization for a donation (either financial or a product for the silent auction table).  Again, if you want to make a donation please feel free to email bonnie at bonnie.cummings-vickaryous@beingastonished.com. Kennen has already brought one item for the Silent Auction table ~ thank you Kennen!  It is amazing to watch this community come together and to continually expand!

Kennen and Tanys @ the Inclusion Cafe

Inclusion Cafe 

We ended our day with a trip to the campus pub (the OWL) for our Inclusion Café.   One of the goals of our café is to expand our connections and personal network … we are happy to report that we had a full crowd today!

Planning Planning Planning

Hello Out There,

Today was a day filled with organizing in order to plan for the exciting things to come!  We spent out time together doing the following:

1) We set the date for one of Kennen’s interviews to explore her strengths, dreams and needs.  Ella and Bonnie have invited themselves over for supper and are looking forward to going to Kennen’s home.  We hear that Dean is a good cook!

2) It’s official! The Fun/Fundraiser event will take place on April 6^th (Kennen’s birthday) from 7:00-9:00 at the Atrium in the Research and Innovation Centre at the University of Regina.  Make sure you save the date. We are currently seeking donations (either financial or items for our Silent Auction  and Raffle Tables) from organizations and businesses.  If you are interested in making a donation please email Bonnie at bonnie.cummings-vickaryous@beingastonished.com  We are looking forward to our Inclusion Cafe this Thursday as Tracy and Lacey plan to join us.  We will spend some of our time further planning for the fun/fundraising event. 

Rebekah's 3 Month Plan

3) We also continued to explore Rebekah’s PATH.  We spent our time reviewing our previous session and working on the details for the 3 month plan.  Joy you will be receiving an email from Bonnie shortly! 

Here's Looking at You

Hello Everyone!

Long time no communication ~ we were so busy communicating with the Eye Gaze Edge last week that we didn't have time to get to our blog!  For those of who regularly check The Big Sky Centre for Learning and Being Astonished! Inc's website you will know that last week we had the opportunity to spend two full days with Chris Saulnier who works in Training and Technical Services with Compusult (the organization that offers Eye Gaze Edge).  Before filling you in on our thrilling experience a BIG thank you goes out to Brenda MacLauchlan and her business Living Land Communications for bringing Chris and the Eye Gaze Edge to the A!TLC.  Our experience would not have been possible without her time, dedication, huge heart, and sponsorship! THANK YOU BRENDA!

During our two days with the system all three student researchers experienced success.  Each are excited for the loaner system to arrive from Halifax in early-mid March.  This will give each each student researcher, their families, and Astonished! staff more time to become familiar with the system and its operation.

Now.... what you have been waiting for.... each Student Researcher's thoughts:

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn and Wendy thought is was an 'eye opening experience'.

Kennen

Kennen is looking forward to becoming more familiar with the system and accessing Skype on her own!

Rebekah

Rebekah is hoping to try the Eye Gaze Edge out in the comfort of her own home.

Kayla

On our second day (Thursday) we had a guest join us, Kayla Gibson.  She too had Astonishing success.  Kayla brought great energy to the room and really earned the round of applause that she received.






As we come together today (Monday) and reflect on our time together last week we each can see great potential and are feeling optimistic.   To see a video of our experience click on the following link: Our Experience with Eye Gaze Edge . Another BIG thank you goes out to Tanys for her time putting this video together and for your Astonishing talent!  To check out more of Tanys' talent be sure to look at  tanysrae.com

Until next time!

Exploring the PATH at the A!TLC

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Heidi was one of the guests today

Today was an important day for Student Researcher, Rebekah Lindenbach! We continued her PATH (a PATH that had begun on February 4) and had a full room and some wonderful guests to work with.  Our experience today left Rebekah (and the rest of us!) with lots to think about and even more to look forward to. Rebekah is excited for things to come including: going on the combine this fall, going to Brandon with her family, leading and teaching at the U of R and within the community, and getting more makeup in her life!  

Judy and Meghan

Thank you to Judy Humphries and Meghan Exner for facilitating the process today.

We encourage you to visit Sue Bland's blog. Sue is the artist behind the first PATH session, in the links below she reflects on the PATH experience with Rebekah.
 The North Star 

Rebekah's PATH party 

Heather and Kennen

Kennen who served as inspiration for Rebekah to want to go on the combine was inspired by Rebekah today.  Kennen is looking forward to continuing her interviews and getting started on her own path.

All of our student researchers are anxiously looking forward to tomorrow and working with the Eye Gaze Edge. Fingers crossed that Kaitlyn is feeling better and will be able to join us tomorrow!  We missed you today!

Feeling the Love

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

We are feeling the love at the A!TLC.  Today we spent our time talking about things we are curious about (for the Little Black Book project), looking forward to, and working with Kaitlyn's Path.

Things we are curious about: mime opportunities at the U of R (Rebekah), feedback on my presentation (Kaitlyn), student status options at the U of R (Jenna & Ella), future building initiatives at the U of R and a possible permanent home for Astonished!(Bonnie), dragonflies (Brenda).

Things we are looking forward to: my trip to PEI (Rebekah), Alabama Concert in Minot (Kaitlyn), visiting my cousin (Ella), buying a house and going to Craven (Jenna), buying a boat that the student researchers can enjoy this summer (Bonnie) , going to Hawaii (Brenda).

Kaitlyn & her Path

As we worked on Kaitlyn's PATH we were sure feeling the love!  One of Kaitlyn's goals is to stay fashionable. Brenda Rossow-Kimball has offered to hook Kaitlyn up with her friend who owns Stella and Sway, a local upscale clothing store.

We got fan mail from Rebekah's mom's cousin Jeanette in response to our blog notice in the Astonished! Newsletter.  Yah! Keep the feedback coming!

We will defiantly be feeling the love within the next hour as we make our way to the OWL for the Inclusion Cafe!

On our way to the Inclusion Cafe we stopped off at Campus For All's Little Black Book project.  Rebekah wanted to stay but our guests were waiting at our Inclusion Cafe.

Missed you Kennen.  Looking forward to seeing you on Monday(oops we mean Tuesday - happy Family Day Monday) and hearing all of the things that you are looking forward to!

Busy at A!TLC ...With Homework & Everything!

Yo Team! (to borrow from the wise words of Ruth Blaser, Astonished! Chair)

Heather and Kennen Dorgan attend to Kaitlyn`s presentation

Again another eventful afternoon!  We are still buzzing from Kaitlyn's presentation in Kin 120!  Kennen was so inspired that she is looking forward to the group presentation in Kin 120 on April 8th!  We can't wait to educate the students about barriers and enablers to recreation, physical activity, and leisure ~ stay tuned!!!

Today we, the A! Student Researchers, got our first homework assignment.  It was not only one homework assignment, but two!!!  There is a lot going on for Thursday's upcoming A!TLC session.  We are going to prepare for Campus For All's Little Black Book Project.  We need to figure out what we are curious about. To get ready for our second Inclusion Cafe we also need to determine what we are looking forward to and how to communicate this to the pub crowd!

We know one thing we are looking forward to! We have been talking to Tanys, Kennen's sister, on helping us create Youtube video(s).  She is hopefully set to come next week when we work on the Eye Gaze Edge System.   Can't wait to see the video she shoots.  For more information on Tanys please visit her website. www.tanysrae.com

Tracy Albinet, Lacey Flichel (back)
Kennen Dorgan, Kaitlyn Hoar,  and Rebekah Lindenbach (front)

We had a surprise visit from the 'Tracy & Lacey' show.  The two young woman who are working on a fundraiser with us for one of their university projects.  They have graciously offered to donate the funds to Astonished! (watch your email and/or the Astonished! webpage for more details).

Off for Coffee!  See you Thursday!

Starting the Week Off on the Right Wheel

Kaitlyn Hoar - Guest Lecturer in Kin 120

Wow what a Monday!  Today our time together was eventful! To begin the day we were all delighted about Kaitlyn giving a guest lecture in Kin 120, Kennen conducting her interviews, and Rebekah keeping her Auntie Brenda up all night!

Sylvia, Kennen, Ella, Ruth looking
at Kennen's photo album from her
early years. What an adventurer.

By using non-verbal cues different photos of Kennen were picked to inspire stories about her strengths, needs and dreams.  Photos included pictures of Kennen painting her cottage kitchen yellow, boating & fishing, skyping, and ice fishing!  WOW does she like to fish! Together we learned a lot about Kennen and are excited to learn more as we continue our journey of exploring Kennen's strengths, dreams and needs! Kennen did a brilliant job of facilitating her interviews!

Our official time in the classroom ended with planning for our next Inclusion Cafe at the OWL on February 14th!  We are now sitting in the coffee shop in the lab building at the U of R creating our daily blog and looking forward to Kaitlyn's presentation in 14 minutes.  Both Kaitlyn and Bonnie are excited and nervous!!!
We best get going can't be late for class!

The Student Researchers so proud of  the
Guest Lecturer - Kaitlyn, Rebekah, Kennen

The Brains Behind the Operation

 

Student Researchers: Rebekah, Kennen, and Kaitlyn

Rebekah Hope Lindenbach

I am 22.  I graduated from Greenall High School in 2012.  I am a Student researcher in the Astonished! Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Regina.

I love to travel, spend time with friends and family, look for the humour in a situation, be of service to others, and create the Astonished! community.  I am a member of the Astonished! Leadership Team that plans monthly events for young adults with and without complex physical disAbilities.

I know what I want, and after consulting with others, I communicate this clearly through my voice, lip gesture, and eye contact.  I also like to communicate through phone calls, text messages and email.  I have Bulbar Palsy. 

Kaitlyn Stuart Hoar

I am 24.  I graduated from Michael A. Riffel High School in 2009.  I am a Student researcher in the Astonished! Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Regina.

I love most sports, theatre, good friends, an active social life, and fashion.  I am a wit and have a quick sense of humour.  I am a member of the Astonished! Leadership Team that plans monthly events for young adults with and without complex physical disAbilities.

I  know what I want and communicate this clearly through eye contact, head nod, and vocalizing.  I have Cerebral Palsy.

Kennen Nadine Dorgan

I am 20. I graduated from Grenfell High School in 2011 and I am a Student Researcher in the Astonished! Teaching and Learning Centre at the University of Regina.

I am up for an adventure (depending on what the adventure might be!). I enjoy ice fishing, visiting with friends and family on Skype, summer holidays at my cottage, listening to my friend play guitar, and becoming a city woman - getting to my favorite places with ease.

I know what I want and communicate this clearly through my voice and eye contact. I have Cerebral Palsy.