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Ask The Professionals Ask Questions. Get Answers. Ask the Professionals E-mail your questions to: features@independentfreepress.com SPRIGGS INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED 8 WESLEYAN ST., GEORGETOWN, ON L7G 2E1 Tel: (905) 877-5113 Fax: (905) 877-4695 Web: www.spriggs.ca E-mail: georgetownoffice@spriggs.ca We represent many of the largest insurance companies in Canada. Contact us today for a no-obligation quote. Q:I was parking my car in a shopping mall andwas involved in a minor collision where no one was injured. The police said they would not charge any one as the collision occurred on private property. The next year, my insurance policy indicated an At Fault accident A:Be very careful in parking lots. Both parties couldend up with an At Fault claim unless your vehi- cle is parked or at a full stop. Insurance companies will consider both parties at fault even if you are only par- tially at fault. Often both parties can resolve an issue between themselves if no one is injured. If, however, one of the parties reports the claim to their insurance company, both insurance companies will be notified. 211 Guelph St., Suite #5 Georgetown L7G 5B5 905-873-8400 www.haltonspeech.com Karen MacKenzie-Stepner Q:Ive been told my child has a lisp. Is this easy to correctwith speech therapy? A:Speech-Language Pathologists see many children who havedifficulty with speech sound production, such as a lisp. It is important to note there are two kinds of lisps frontal and lat- eral. A frontal lisp is when the tongue sticks out, primarily on the /s/ and /z/ sounds, and it tends to sound like th (eg sun sounds like thun). A lateralized lisp is when the sound is very slushy because the air is going sideways instead of coming out in the centre of the mouth. It often affects numerous sounds such as s, z, sh, ch, j. We often see/hear frontal lisps in preschool children when they are learning to make the /s/ sound since they do not have total control over their tongue placement. This may disap- pear without any help as the child learns to control their tongue movements better. Lateralized lisps typically need help to correct. It can be difficult to understand the child as the child lateralizes the air stream on many sounds. If you have any concerns about your childs lisp, please contact the Centre for further information or to book an appointment with a Speech-Language Pathologist. DR. ANOOP SAYAL DR. ANOOP SAYAL Family and Cosmetic Dentistry located in Georgetown Marketplace Mall (905) 877-CARE (2273) Q:Any suggestions on conquering my dental anxiety? A:Its a well-known fact in this country that large num-bers of people are afraid of going to their dentists. Some people are so afraid that they neglect even the routine examinations and professional cleanings. It doesnt have to be that way. Here are some tips to help reduce your anxiety. First, see your dentist before treatment is needed. Get to know your dentist and get comfortable dis- cussing your concerns with the dentist and staff. Set your appointments for a stress-free time of day, not on your lunch hour or immediately after work. Second, have the dentist explain the dental treatment to you. Knowledge of the proce- dure should let you be more relaxed. Third, let you dentist and hygenist know that youre scared. Its nothing to be ashamed of and youre most certainly not their first patient to feel that way. Fourth, understand that times have changed. There are new methods of controlling and eliminating dis- comfort that werent available until recently. Dont let dental fears keep you from having a healthy mouth Q:What is an effective way to promote open communication? A:Communication is one of the leading issues and sources of conflict between indi-viduals. As a coach and therapist, I have met many who already have received training in the area of Active Listening and yet they have little success in changing the quality of their interactions. When I coach someone to improve their communication skills, I encourage them to consider whether their style promotes collaboration, safety and openness in their inter- personal exchange. Firstly, be sensitive to your tone of voice, gestures and posture. Over 50% of the cues a person receives from you come non-verbally. Secondly, explore your intent. Do you want to point out a fault and blame or do you intend to be collaborative and find a positive outcome for all involved. Thirdly, be aware of how you initiate a con- versation. Do you realize that asking a WHY question kills a conversation? Starting with a Why is certainly the least effective manner to ask a question. It usually pro- motes defensiveness. The automatic response to a why question is I dont know, which ends the conversation unless you persist in entering in an argument over the I dont know response. Asking a Why question can imply that one has made a poor choice or that you disagree with them. Rarely do people volunteer their thoughts or take responsibility for their actions if they anticipate being criticized. If you want to ask a question that will maintain openness in your conversation try the following questions - 1) Help me understand, what were you trying to achieve when you did .? 2) What happened with ? 3) What led you to decide to do XYZ when? 4) Can you tell me more about .?. Interpersonal communication is the key to successful relationships and to conflict reso- lution. Take the time to learn more about your own style and build new skills. Manon Dulude facilitates conflict resolution workshops with groups and corporations. She can be reached at 905 873 9393. MANON DULUDE Manon Dulude Psychotherapist Individual, Couple & Family Counselling DAY & EVENING APPOINTMENTS 905-873-9393 Q:Are there any tax deductions available when I move into a retire-ment home? A:You may qualify for a tax credit, (up to $10,000). For attendant careexpenses. Attendant care covers the wages paid to employees of a retirement home providing the following: - Health Care - Meal Preparation - Laundry services for the residents personal items - Housekeeping for the residents personal living space - Transportation services To make a claim, you must provide a proof of payment showing the actu- al amount paid for attendant care. You must also be eligible to claim the disability amount by having form T2201, (Disability Tax Credit Certificate), certified by a qualified person. You may be eligible if one of the following conditions applies: - You are blind, even with the use of corrective lenses or medication - You are noticeably restricted in any of the following basic activities of daily living walking, speaking, hearing, dressing, feeding, elimination or perceiving, thinking and remembering - You need and must decide a certain amount of time specifically for life sustaining therapy (such as kidney dialysis). So in short, yes, there may be some tax relief. Talk to your doctor. 222 Mountainview Rd. N. Bus: (905) 877-1800 Georgetown, ON L7G 3R2 Fax: (905) 873-9083 www.mountainviewresidence.com uschi@golden.net Christoph SummerOwner/Administrator Mountainview Residence owned and operated by the Summer family Cyndi Olsen Education Co-ordinator 324 Guelph Street., Georgetown 905-877-3163 Q:How do I support my daughter so that she is not struggling comeexam time? A:In a recent article in the Georgetown InFocus paper we discussed this very topic. With a new semester under way it is never too early to start thinking about sup- plemental support for the students in our lives. We all know how fast time goes by and how quickly exams can come upon them. Despite their great effort, students all too often require extra time to fully understand the materials they are working on and be ready for that final exam. With the hectic schedules that our young peo- ple have today, it is often the academics that get put on the backburner. It is at this time, by seeking extra help, that students can really begin to fully develop and integrate skills that they are learning in school and make them a part of a knowledge base that they will use for a lifetime, not just for exam time. In preparing for the new semester think ahead to which courses will be their most challenging and remember THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES. When a student real- izes that they are not doing as well as theyd hoped, the semester may be too far along for extra support to make a significant improvement. We need to encourage our young people to think ahead to the challenges they may face and to work out a plan of action that is suited to their needs, wants and lifestyle. Supplemental support may be a part of that plan to help them achieve success. Any questions please call Cyndi at 905-877-3163. Georgetown Dial a Bottle 905-873-4565 www.ipikup4u.com 14 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, February 13, 2008 John Mark & Kelly Ann Rowe of Glen Williams, Ontario are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter, Erin Frances Kelly Rowe to John Allan Bastedo III son of John and Sharon Bastedo of Brampton, Ontario. Wedding to take place in 2009. There is little doubt about it. Canadians love their pets. So much so in fact that, according to Statistics Canada, the average Cana- dian pet-owning household spends $750 per year on their furry, feath- ered or scaly friends. Thats more than twice the amount of money spent on reading materials! If pets factor into your life, here are a few of the many books, DVDs and magazines available at the Halton Hills Public Library to help you: If you are having trouble choosing a pet, there are resources to help. Dogs in Canada Annual not only describes the different breeds but lists contact informa- tion for hundreds of dog breeders. If you are thinking of owning a cat, The Ideal Companion is a DVD guide to 20 different kinds of cats and includes information on each breeds temperament and life-span. Dog owners face the added challenge of not only car- ing for their pets, but also training them. We have all sorts of books and DVDs about dog training and obedi- ence. Among them are titles by Cesar Millan of the PBS television series The Dog Whisperer. Kids can also get into the pet-care action through the many books about pets in our childrens section. There, kids can find information about cats, dogs, horses, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, fish, hamsters, rabbits, snakes, mice, rats, birds, lizards, tarantulas, and a very interest- ing DVD called Paws, Claws, Feathers and Fins: a Kids Guide to Happy, Healthy Pets. For the truly pampered pet, Cooking for Cats by Elisabeth Meyer zu Stieghorst-Kastrup is a collection of 63 recipes for your favourite feline, including breast a la guinea fowl and chicken in a mackerel jacket. Not to be outdone by those cat people, dog-lovers can explore canine cuisine through books such as Jaroslav Weigels Little Recipe Book for Dogs. For more information on borrowing these or any other pet publications, please visit our website at www.library.hhpl.on.ca. And just think, by borrowing the librarys pet-related resources, you may not be able to reduce your house- holds pet-related costs, but you can certainly reduce your reading-material expenses. Clare Hanman is a circulation supervisor at the Halton Hills Public Library Library has materials to help choose and care for a pet Clare Hanman