J & J’s Gibberish: Happy Autism Day on the Hill!

 One mother's weekly journey in raising her special needs children.  Photos courtesy of Quick Start Early Intervention Autism Day 2017 Today is the 6th Annual Autism Day on the Hill.  (April is Autism Awareness Month and April 2 which fell on Easter this year, is International Autism Day). Autism Spectrum

MedicAlert bracelet gives a voice to those with autism when they need it most

 By Laurie Mawlam The silver identification bracelet that indicates an existing condition to first responders has been a valuable tool for decades. In 1953, a teenage girl named Linda Collins cut her finger badly. At the hospital, she received a tetanus shot, had a severe allergic reaction, and almost died.

Autism Canada and MedicAlert Foundation Canada team up to launch MedicAlert Autism Program

 Autism Canada and MedicAlert Foundation Canada have partnered to create the MedicAlert Autism Program, designed specifically to support Canadians on the autism spectrum.  Autism isn't always recognizable to those who don't know the signs, and this can make those on the spectrum particularly vulnerable in an emergency situation, especially when

The power of music to improve the challenges associated with autism

 by Kathleen O’Grady My son is practicing the piano as I write this and it’s the sweetest sound.  He’s spent two years working slowly through the same level, but it doesn’t matter; he’s improving and the benefits of both music therapy and music lessons have been clear and measurable.  My

Autism Canada releases comprehensive new report on Aging and Autism 

 Autism Canada is pleased to release a comprehensive report today on aging and autism.   The newly released Summary Report on Aging and Autism is the first comprehensive report of its kind in North America and comes out of an international delegation of autistic seniors, clinicians and researchers co-hosted by Autism Canada. 

One in 66 Canadian children and youth are on the autism spectrum

 Autism Canada welcomes the release of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence rates: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder-children-youth-canada-2018.html The report finds that 1 in 66 Canadian children and youth ages five to 17 are on the autism spectrum. The finding is based on analysis of 2015 data supplied

“What happens to our sons and daughters with disabilities when we die?”

 By Al Etmanski Canada’s Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is the first poverty-fighting tool for people with disabilities in the world. This remarkable example of federal/provincial/territorial cooperation, which was created in 2008, has already changed the lives of more than 150,000 Canadians with disabilities. Unfortunately, the RDSP is only reaching 29 per cent of those eligible. And

J & J’s Gibberish: The Wonders of the Movie Wonder

 This week for March Break, Cineplex Odeon is having movie days --- cheap good, family movies for $2.99 so if you are looking to get out of the house, check them out. Jacob, his sister and I went to see Wonder yesterday.  It was a very moving story with Julia

J & J’s Gibberish: Well Done #BellLetsTalk

 You would have to live under a rock not to know that today is #BellLetsTalk mental health day. It is wonderful that Bell is putting money where its mouth is.  So far, since 2010 when Bell started Let’s Talk, $86.5 million has been donated to mental health initiatives across Canada. 

J & J’s Gibberish: Wonderful Insight from Spectrum Insights

 Photos by John Anderson As a parent of an autistic kid, I am always looking for new ways to help my son integrate better into society and to learn important life skills he will need to survive. Parents can’t do it alone.  While nobody else knows our kids like we

J & J’s Gibberish: Time for Action on Autism

 Feature photo: Jaden and Mike Lake A wonderful thing happened last week. At a town hall meeting Prime Minister Trudeau hosted in Nova Scotia, a mother stood up and shared her struggles of trying to raise an autistic child. While it was immensely sad to hear how she had to

J & J’s Gibberish: Cops and Autistics

 One mother's weekly journey in raising her special needs children.  So, anyone with a special needs kids at one point or another has probably had a situation where cops have been contacted about your kid’s meltdowns or activities.  It is almost a rite of passage. What is really impressive is

J & J’s Gibberish: Autism Advocates

 One mother's weekly journey in raising her special needs children.  Autistic kids have some big names in Canada advocating for them, and this is a good thing. Tireless advocates like Senator Jim Munson and Mike Lake MP keep the topic on the front burner on the political front.  In the

High rates of emergency and police services signal many adults and adolescents with autism in Canada are in crisis

 By Yona Lunsky and Jonathan Weiss Canadians routinely complain about the long wait times at hospital emergency rooms across the country – and health policy experts have long flagged the high costs associated with emergency services and the impact it has on the finances of our publicly funded health system.

J and J’s Gibberish: The Journey Begins

 Feature image by Jennifer Hartley Here we are. Day one. Welcome to J and J Jibberish (short form for Jacob and Jen’s Jibberish), a new Ottawa Life weekly blog that will focus on life in Ottawa (and beyond) with kids with special needs. Survival skills, tips, services, and lots of

It’s Time for the Federal Government to Show Real Leadership on Autism

 More bureaucracy is not the solution By Andrew Kavchak As a parent of a child diagnosed with autism over a decade ago, I have watched the provincial and federal policy debates about autism with great interest -- and even greater disappointment. Although I used to believe that one of the

When Media Stories Get Things Wrong: Five Things About Autism That Everyone Should Know

 Too often well-meaning journalists get it wrong when they write about autism.  It’s not so much the content of their stories that misses the mark as the language they use to describe autism itself.  It can be easy to unintentionally offend – or worse, misrepresent – the autism community you

Here’s What Happens When I Write About Parenting a Child with Autism for the Mainstream Media

 I’m not entirely sure why I write about my personal experiences parenting a child with autism for the mainstream media.  Mostly I hope my own experiences may help someone else on their autism journey – and they won’t stumble through as I have done in the early days.  Parenting a

What Real Inclusion Looks Like

 How community building to include kids of all abilities is important for everyone. Getting to be a valued member of their community should be the norm for all kids – but for kids with autism, it is too frequently not the case. Media stories are full of parental struggles to

Personalized Medicine for Child Health is a Distraction

 Genetics will save the day – at least that’s the message you see pretty much everywhere in the media, and sometimes even in the academic literature.  Newspaper articles herald “breakthroughs” in finding genetic biomarkers for autism. Magazine headlines trumpet finding a biomarker for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We read in

Why it’s time for a National Autism Strategy

 Over a year ago, I was invited to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day on Parliament Hill.  It was attended by a dozen or more Senators from both major parties, political staffers and invited guests mostly from autism non-profit organizations.  I expected a predictable ‘feel good’ event about how far we’ve

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,

There is Something Special About This Ice

 The Goulbourn Figure Skating Club presents: Special Olympians and their coaches: coach Cathy Skinner (first from left), coach Natalie Cholette (first from right), coach Sarah Wammes (fourth from right) and coach Kelsey Drysdale (sixth from right) Photo by: Alex Gunther Eleven-year-old Duncan does not speak. But the boy's father Scott Miller

How to talk to a child with autism

 Three easy steps for making sure all children are included in the holiday festivities by Kathleen O’Grady   The holiday season means most of us will be socializing with colleagues and neighbours, friends and family.  Chances are good this circle of friendly acquaintances and loved ones will include a child