Transition Systems Appointed as Barracuda Networks Value Added Distributor in the Philippines

Barracuda Networks, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-connected security and storage solutions, today announced it has appointed Transition Systems Philippines Inc., as a distributor in the Philippines. 

Jeff Hurmuses Vice President and Managing Director of BarracudaNetworks and Renato Garcia Country Manager Transition Systems Philippines inc. 

This appointment enables Transition Systems’ solution providers to offer their customers a security suite across network firewalls, web, and email, as well as application security and delivery.

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Conor Prepares for High School

Transition, Planning, Implementation.

Transitions are very difficult for many with autism.  Conor,  who has Autistic Disorder and intellectual disabilities, is now in his last year of middle school and will be moving next year from Nashwaaksis Middle School to Leo Hayes High School.  The planning for that transition began in the new year when we met with a planning  team from the middle school, high school and School District 18.  A good solid  transition plan was worked out and ... equally importantly ... implementation is proceeding as planned.

 

The essence of the transition planning is to famliiarize Conor with the new school itself and the people who will be working with him in small bites while he is still attending his regular middle school. The teacher assistants who will be involved with Conor next year have visited him and begun working with him part days at his current school.  He knows their names, he knows them. They are now part of Conor's picture. Conor has also spent part days at the high school he will be attending next year becoming familiar with the setting in which he will be educated next year. 

Yesterday was  a very good day for Conor.  He spent a full day at Leo Hayes High School working with the teacher assistants in the actual location in which he will be educated next year. Conor's excellent current teacher assistant Brad, who has been involved with Conor for most of his three years at middle school attended with Conor but removed himself from the scene, faded out of the picture, at various times during the day.  Conor did very well and  is scheduled to attend at Leo Hayes High School again this Wednesday for another full day. Hopefully it will go well as it did yesterday.

We had worried about Conor's transition from grade school to middle school but Conor loved it.  In the picture above he is shown posing with his perfect attendance certificate he received after completing his first year at Middle School.   When we moved to our current home 4 years ago we prepared Conor by driving by and pointing out our "new house" to him.  A friend, who is also an educator and Autism Clinical Supervisor, who has previously worked with Conor,  prepared some story boards with pictures of the "new house" on it and the transition was a huge success. So we know Conor  can handle transitions when properly planned for and implemented.

Conor's transition to high school has already begun and, while taking it one day at a time, we are very optimistic that it will work out well for Conor. When  he starts high school next year it will be in a place, and with people, that are already part of Conor's picture.

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Autism Transitions - Conor Loved His First Year of Middle School

Transitions can be difficult for children with autism. We were anxious at the start but we were prepared with a good plan and good help from everyone at the school and district. Very special thanks to Teacher Assistant Brad Daniels who was outstanding.

Conor himself though was most responsible for his great year. Above is Conor with his Perfect Attendance certificate for which he also received the trophy above, right. Conor received ABA instruction, including Discrete Trial Training, as well as activity and time in general areas like the gym, pool, kitchen and library.

For those who think that ABA is somehow "oppressive" and "robs an autistic child of his personality" Conor's perfect attendance, and the enthusiasm he showed each day being the first in our household, every single day without fail, to head for the family car to get to school, say otherwise.

autism

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Conor Eager to Get to Middle School

We were anxious about how Conor would handle the transition to middle school this year. We put a plan in place and carried it out with the help of the school team. But Conor is the main player on the team and he has done very well. These pictures taken yesterday show Conor ready to go to school, heading out the door 20 minutes early. He wants to get to middle school!











C'mon Dad get away from the computer.
























Dad put the coffee down, let's go.




















Dad, you are so old and slow!












Ah! Finally, it's about time!

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Conor's First Days At Middle School, So Far So Good

So far so good. Conor is fortunate to have some well trained people involved with his education this year. The aides split their time with him but most of his day is spent with 2 aides with experience and training from the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training program and a resource teacher equally well qualified.

The Nashwaaksis Middle School is very well organized which is in itself a good thing. There have been some hitches. Conor's work area has a noisy overhead light and that is being looked into. The changes in his daily schedule have caused him to be a bit agitated at night but, autism or not, many children (and their parents), require a period of adjustment the first week back at school. And he is still staying up a bit too late for school schedule. But overall things are working out well. Even as I am typing this comment Conor has come over to take another look at the inset image of Nashwaaksis Middle School - and smile.

So far, so good.

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Autism Transitions - Middle School

Transitions are often difficult for children with autism, particularly those at the lower functioning end of the autism spectrum, for whom it is more difficult to explain major changes in their lives. When we moved from our old house to our current home in December 2005 we prepared Conor with a storybook with pictures of "old house" and "new house" and we took him for drives over to the new house to see it several times before making the move. It went well.

Tuesday will be Conor's first day at Nashwaaksis Middle School after 6 years, K-5, at Nashwaaksis Memorial School. All summer we worked with Conor trying to get him ready for the transition to Middle School. Fortunately, the Middle School also hosts two community events the Fredericton Indoor Pool which has been like a second home for Conor who loves to swim and a public library which Conor has visited often with his therapists. We visited Middle School with Conor and toured the school earlier in the summer and did so again this week. We were able to introduce him to his Methods and Resource teacher and show him the area where he will be spending most of his time.

Conor is fortunate to have two Teacher Assistants who will work with him for on shifts for most of the school day who have received training at the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention Training Program. One of them is a TA who worked with him his last year of grade school which should help ease the transition. The Resource Teacher working with Conor this year has also received AIT training and has substantial autism intervention experience. Nothing is guaranteed, particularly with such a big transition, but there is much reason to be hopeful - and thankful - as Conor starts his transition to Middle School.

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