2011 Annual Newsletter

 Our annual newsletter is out. You can download it here.

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Campaign Projects Nearing Completion

All 3 campaign projects are on schedule. The Diagnostic & Behavioral Research Centre has completed the 1st phase of its research project and is starting its second. The Self-Help Parent Groups are entering their second year of operation, and the Farm Respite service has been in operation since March 2011. See below for more information.

Maison Lily Butters

This eight-bed research and diagnostic facility in St. Hyacinthe has completed the 1st phase of its research mandate by publishing an exhaustive study of its methods of implementing a highly specialized clinical service in this specially-designed facility. This report is available on our website (in French) to groups interested in launching a similar rehab service. The second phase of research will begin in September 2011 with a study of the efficacy of the clinical service itself as opposed to what is offered in other less specialized facilities. Its report will be eventually available in print and online as well. Since its opening in December 2008, the service has successfully treated over 25 children and young adults with severe & troubling behavioural problems. Early detection and treatment can make all the difference. Families coping with these issues are under tremendous stress; a lack of timely service can lead to drastic social problems, including marriage break-up. Many organizations have expressed interest in launching a similar service in their own community.

The Farm Respite Project

This service opened in March of 2011. Disabled & autistic people living at home throughout the region have experienced the sights and sounds of living a farm experience for a week or week-end. Activities include excursions off-site in venues scattered throughout the Townships. The service has developed a loyal clientele involving people who look forward to returning on a regular basis. Respite provides interesting & challenging activities for the disabled person as well as precious moments of rest & relaxation for the parents, and quality time with the parents for the siblings.

Our Website www.buttersfoundation.ca

The existence of a website has allowed us to disseminate information quickly and efficiently to parents, professionals, friends and donors at the flick of a mouse. Going on our site: www.buttersfoundation.ca, is the quickest and surest way to find out what is going on. Comments on improving the site would be much appreciated. One can even make a donation from the site. Your support is vital to our cause.

The Self-Help Parent Groups

Four innovative projects, planned & implemented by groups of parents, have been targeted for financial support by the Foundation. All four are active, on schedule and meeting the objectives of their projects. The projects range from providing vital information to new parents, to training crucial sitters and shadows for community activities for disabled children, to creating time-limited and diverse respite activities to families in need of help for short periods of time, to finally helping siblings cope with the challenge of being in a family with a disabled or autistic brother or sister. This project also provides $50,000 per year for families in need of financial help in providing stimulating camp experiences for their disabled child and invests funds in specialized equipment to enhance physical mobility and interpersonal communication of disabled children living with their parents & siblings. The last campaign successfully raised $500,000 for parent and family over a period of 3 years.

New Best Practices

The Butters Foundation is committed to promoting new best practices in the public rehab system in Quebec. Our interests lie in advancing the science of rehabilitation for clients with severe behavioural & emotional problems, in exploring new ways to support parents with challenging disabled children, in promoting technology that will enhance the social integration of disabled children in their communities, and in sponsoring experiments that will enhance the efficiency of our(your) tax dollars.

Help

We cannot continue the work started by Mrs. Lily Butters on her homestead in the Eastern Townships without your support. This past year, over 96% of your donation dollars have gone directly to projects that serve disabled people & their families. Your dollars are indeed well spent. Please help us advance the science of rehabilitation and the art of serving people with an intellectual disability or autistic spectrum disorder.

Student Scholarships

Almost twenty years ago, the Foundation started sponsoring scholarships for students pursuing professional studies in fields related to intellectual disability and autism. We started at McGill with graduate students who were being trained to promote social inclusion. From there, we went to the regional secondary school in the MRC Brome-Missisquoi (Cowansville) to support graduating seniors who wanted to pursue careers in health sciences. More recently, we have launched bursary programs at CEGEPS in Granby & Sherbrooke (Lennoxville) for students pursuing studies in Special Care Counselling. These investments have amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in the cause of promoting higher education. We have been at this long enough to be able to meet our recipients later in life as professionals in the field. It is always gratifying to see the results of our investments. For more info on this issue, visit our website.