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We collect basic website visitor information on this website and store it in cookies. We also utilize Google Analytics to track page view information to assist us in improving our website.
From time to time, the Waterloo Region Family Network (WRFN) is asked to distribute information on behalf of third parties. WRFN provides general information to self-advocates and families of children with special needs. The information provided on this website is not a recommendation, referral or endorsement of any resource, therapeutic method, or service provider. WRFN is not responsible for any information or services provided by third parties. You are urged to use independent judgment when considering any resource.
Join us for our next Neurodivergent with a Cycle on April 8!
Session 6: Collaging Through Our Cycles
Start With Smudge.
In our sixth session we will be learning about the power of healing through art, specifically Collaging. Collaging has been shown to be a good tool to help heal from traumas as it focuses closely on creating a form of order and teaches us to learn how we used to when we were all born: Sight. Collaging materials will be provided and an example from Sarah will be shown. Let's collage our way into a new cycle together.
End with Circle
This session is April 8th 2025, 5-7pm at Camino Wellbeing + Mental Health 480 Charles Street East, Kitchener, ON
ECHO Ontario Pop-Up
Ontario ECHO: Addiction Medicine and Psychosocial Interventions x Adult Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Dates & Time
Friday, March 28, 2025
9:30 to 11:00 AM EDT
Location
Online (Zoom)
Click here to Register
Brain Health Study for Adults with IDD
Starts March 25th!
Are you an adult with IDD, 40 years and older?
Join our Online Brain Health-IDD Research Study!
Dates: Every Tuesday, March 25-May 6
Time: 1:30 to 3:00 PM EDT
This 7-week program offers practical strategies to promote healthy aging and reduce dementia risks.
What you'll learn:
✅ How to keep your brain healthy with exercise, sleep, & nutrition
✅ Tips for tracking your memory and thinking
✅ Connect with other adults with IDD from across Canada
Click here and watch our video to learn more about this important study!
Need more information?
Email us at brainhealthIDD@camh.ca
Interested? Click here to fill out the Study Form
Blog Post by Yona Lunsky
Promoting Brain Health, Facing Our Fears, and Caring for One Another
March is Brain Health Awareness Month, and this week is Brain Awareness Week. In this month's blog, Dr. Yona Lunsky explores why brain health for people with IDD deserves more attention. She shares new research on dementia rates, the importance of early screening, and how fear can stop people from having these critical conversations. Read her latest blog to learn how we can work together to promote brain health and support healthy aging.
Click here to continue to read the Blog Post
Supporting the Health of Special Olympics Canada Athletes
H-CARDD is partnering with Special Olympics Canada to enhance how health information is shared with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Together, we've created accessible resources on key topics like men’s health, women’s health, sleep, and mindfulness. Visit our website to explore athlete-friendly tip sheets, family guides, podcasts, and videos—all designed to make health information easier to understand and use.
Season 4 of our podcast, IDD: Get to Know Me is here!
This season, we're teaming up with Special Olympics Canada to explore key health topics for the Special Olympics community, including women’s and men’s health, quality sleep, regular doctor visits, mindfulness, and diabetes prevention. Our cohosts, Mélanie Héroux and Victor Pereira—both Special Olympics athletes—chat with an exciting lineup of guests, including fellow athletes, coaches, family members, researchers, clinicians, and even some of your favourite Olympians. Our first three episodes are available on YouTube and will soon be on Spotify and Apple. Subscribe to get notified when new episodes drop! Listen to our H-CARDD Special Olympics Podcast!
Upcoming Virtual Mindfulness Programs
New Mindfulness in 30 Program Starts Next Week!
Are you a family caregiver, healthcare leader, or frontline professional? Take 30 minutes a week to recharge, reduce stress, and practice mindfulness. View our Flyer.
Dates & Time
4 sessions: Every Wednesday
March 19 to April 9, 12:30 to 1:00 PM EDT
Online
Click here to register Here
New Dates! ACT Workshop for Leaders in the Developmental Services Sector
Are you a leader, manager, or supervisor employed at an agency that supports individuals with IDD in Canada?
Join our 3-session virtual workshop centered on evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy/ Training (ACT) strategies. It is part of a research study exploring how best to support staff in the sector. View our study flyer.
Dates & Time
April 22, 6:30 - 7:30 PM (Orientation)
April 29, May 6, and June 3
6:30 - 8:30 PM EDT
Online
For more information, email PACT@camh.ca
Interested? Click here to fill out the Study Form
Research Study: Coping Strategies in Different Neurodevelopmental and Psychiatric Conditions
Are you an adult with one or more neurotypes or diagnoses, such as autism, ADHD, a learning disability, social anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, or a tic disorder? Or do you have a close, long-term relationship (5+ years) with someone who does?
We’re conducting a study on coping strategies among adults with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, and their caregivers. Participants will complete up to four surveys, each taking about 30 minutes. Interested in taking part?
Email: coping.study@camh.ca
Telephone: 416 535-8501 x31509
Fill out the Expression of Interest Form
Apply Now to CLO's First-Ever Family Conference!
CLO will be hosting our first-ever family conference on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, 2025. The conference will be hosted in-person simultaneously across six locations in Ontario, which will be connected to one another virtually:
· Community Living Brantford
· Community Living Windsor
· Community Living Kingston
· Community Living Timmins
· Community Living Thunder Bay
· Durham Family Resources (GTA)
This inaugural family conference will be instrumental in fostering communication and collaboration among family members across Ontario. Families will have a platform to engage in open discussions, share experiences, and collaborate on solutions to common issues that parents of children who have disabilities often face. Selected applicants will "pay-what-they-can" to attend this two-day conference, listen to other parents and keynote speakers, and participate in group activities designed to enhance family dynamics and communication.
CLO would like to thank the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence for their generous support, and our regional members for their partnership, without which this event would not be possible.
If you and your family are interested in attending, please fill out our application. Applications will close on Monday, March 31 at 5 p.m. EDT.
Note: You will receive an update on the status of your application by mid-April.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Michelle Lucas at mlucas@communitylivingontario.ca.
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