Choose to See What You Want to See

 This week, I want to start with two statements and a question. First statement: I’m a person with a physical disability. Due to my physical disability, I’m ventilator-dependent. Also, I have 24/7 care, including any time I go out. My voice is often hard to understand, but I try to

Discovering my Differences are Similar to Yours

 Over the past several months, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery and learning about mindfulness. In my travels, I’ve realized that I am not only different physically but also think differently. While I haven’t officially been diagnosed, I wholeheartedly believe that I am neurodivergent. A few weeks ago, I

Ottawa Parents Create a Hive to Celebrate Abilities

 Nearly 130,000 people in Ontario live with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, while one to two percent of Canadians have some form of Autusm. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting brain development that often causes individuals with Autism to exhibit repetitive behaviour and face challenges with

Children with disabilities disproportionately affected during COVID-19

 By Lucyna Lach and Donna Thomson New study offers families parent training for children affected by neurodevelopmental disorders. The global pandemic has been hard on Canadians, but it has hit families affected by disability disproportionately, particularly young families. School-aged children with disabilities were suddenly without supports of any kind.  Schools were shuttered in

Autism Canada calls for greater equity and transparency in Disability Tax Credit procedures

 Autism Canada is calling on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to apply the existing criteria for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) equally, consistently and transparently across the board for all applications. “We want fair and equitable access to the Disability Tax Credit for Canadians who have autism,” said Dermot Cleary,

Three Things Everyone Should Know About Autism in Canada

 Canadian governments have done little to address the crisis faced by autism families across the country. This sentiment was true in 2007 when it was put forward in the cross-party Senate report on the state of funding for the treatment of autism in Canada, aptly titled, Pay Now or Pay

Strength In a Child’s Voice: On Parenting a Child with Autism

 It was an ordinary summer day. People were milling on the main thoroughfare, bikes zig-zagging through traffic, cafés and pubs spilling onto the sidewalk, patrons sipping their way through a lazy Friday afternoon. We were ordinary that day too. Just another family, managing the hectic jumble of kids’ lessons, bills,