I am proud to share that PALS students and staff were able to safely attend full-time, on-site programming, from the first day of 2021 to the last. I commend the families and staff for protecting each other by diligently following the ever-evolving health and safety guidelines. 

Although we weren’t able to welcome visitors and volunteers into the building last year, we discovered new ways of sharing the program with others, such as virtual student performances (watch here), an in-depth virtual school tour (watch here), virtual school consultations, and also meeting outside on the front lawn with many understanding supporters!

During enrollment, we were able to welcome nine new students who brought a bright energy into the classrooms as they quickly settled into PALS student life. With easing restrictions in the spring, and the comfort brought on by vaccinations, we were able to re-introduce several onsite therapies again and accept offsite volunteer work experiences for transition-age students. In the summer, we were able to go on several field trips to favourite places such as the movie theatre, Granville Island, Watermania, Stanley Park, and of course, Playland! We celebrated the graduation of four long-term students with staff who shared heartfelt messages of how we’ve learned just as much from them as they have from us (watch here). Despite seeing only half of their teachers faces all year, students still made excellent progress towards their individualized education goals in the areas of communication, academics, social skills, life skills, and self-regulation.
 

Unfortunately, we said goodbye to several students who experienced increased challenges correlated to the ongoing pandemic and some extreme features of autism. Having limited degrees of cognitive capacity and executive functioning skills needed to cope with long-lasting changes to routines, these particular students displayed more dangerous behaviours than expected, such as severe self-harm and severe aggression. This is an important reminder of why it’s so vital that students with autism have access to the life-changing education at PALS: even when the outcome is not graduation, our students and their families are fully supported until all teaching strategies have been tried.

I extend my sincere appreciation to all of our donors, supporters, families, staff, therapists, volunteers, and board members for helping to see PALS through yet another unique year. Together, we continue to provide the highest quality education to our students and comprehensive care to PALS families and the greater community. Please consider making a year-end contribution to PALS now, so we can keep doing what we do in 2022.

Gratefully,

Andrea Kasunic
Head of School | Senior Development Director