Tips for Parents of Students with Disabilities on How to Advocate For Your Child’s Needs at School - YouTube

Osgoode Hall Law School Visiting Professor David Lepofsky gives practical tips to parents of students with disabilities in Ontario or other Canadian provinces on how to advocate for your child’s needs at school.

More information available at www.aodaalliance.org/education and @aodaalliance Check out great legal information from the ARCH Disability Law Centre available here. 

Check out what's happening at Kerry's Place. To see online calendar, click here.

Check out different virtual dance classes & activities to keep you moving and having fun all week long! Offering classes for Tots/Kids and Teens/Adults.

Click here to see what's available.

Kid Cuddle.

Standing or sitting, stretch arms out wide, wide, wide. Slowly bring arms forward, cross in front. Each hand holds onto the opposite shoulder. Squeeze, rock and cuddle the kid in your arms.

Cloud Push (to stretch out tight muscles). We are going to practice stretching up and pushing the clouds away. Stand tall. Place your hands on your hips. Bring one arm way up over your head and stretch it straight up. Try and reach a cloud and push it away. Push, push, push! Now let your arm fall slowly to your side. Bring the other arm up and push the cloud. Push, push, push! Now let your arm fall slowly to your side. Lift both arms up. Clasp hands together; turn the palms up and push and bounce the cloud. Slowly, slowly, let your arms oat gently back to your sides.

Who Knows? Stand at attention, or sit up straight with hands along sides. Raise shoulders up to your ears. Hold. Let shoulders drop. While your shoulders go up, say, “Who.” When you drop your shoulders, say, “Knows.” Repeat ve times.

Deep Breathing (to slow down the body and quiet the mind). Get into a comfortable position, either lying at on your back on sitting comfortably with both feet at on the oor and if you like, close your eyes. We are going to practice breathing slowly and deeply. Imagine you have a balloon in your tummy. Place one hand below your belly button. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose to a count of four. Feel the balloon ll up with air. When the balloon is full, breathe out slowly, using a count of four, to atten the balloon. Your hand may rise and fall as the balloon lls and empties.

1. Slowly blow up the balloon …. 1 ….2 …. 3 …. 4 ….

2. Now, slowly blow out and atten the balloon …. 1 …. 2 …. 3 …. 4 ….

3. Repeat ve times and then breathe normally. Caution. Remember to breathe out as slowly as you breathe in. Breathing in deeply without relaxed slow exhalation can lead to dizziness or hyperventilation.

Go Tight - Go Loose. Stand at attention, hands along sides, ngers pointing down. Make a fist with each hand, squeeze each hand tight. Squeeze… Squeeze… Squeeze… Relax. Now, while you squeeze your fists again, tighten your arms to squeeze your body, Squeeze…Squeeze… Squeeze… Relax. Now, this time also squeeze your legs together while making a st and squeezing your arms together, Squeeze… Squeeze… Squeeze. Relax. Repeat. Shake out your hands, arms and legs. Enjoy the sense of relaxation.

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Waterloo Region Family Network was pleased to cohost the Annual Camp Info Fair with KidsAbility again this year. Together, we offered three informative virtual sessions bringing families and camp providers together. To watch the recording of these sessions, please see the links below:

• Overnight Summer Camps Across the Province-Children to Adults
• Day Camps for Children: Inclusive Day Camps (age 4-12)
• Day Camps, Programs, and Getaways for Teens and Adults

To search through the Camp Directory for Summer 2021, please see the links below:

• Overnight Summer Camps Across the Province – Children to Adults
• Day Camps for Children:   Inclusive Day Camps (age 4-12)
• Day Camps, Programs, and Getaways for Teens and Adults

Learn more about the Student Links program, where you will 

• Discover-exploring new opportunities
• Network-connecting with new people & developiong mentorships
• Achieve-acquiring new skills & knowledge

Click here for more details.

We are currently studying whether a group therapy program called Facing Your Fears (FYF), will help to reduce anxeity in children and youth with ASD. FYF is a modified cognitive behavioural therapy program for children and youth with ASD experiencing significant anxiety symptoms. We will provide everything virtually so that anyone can participate in this study from home.

This study is for children & teens between 8-13yrs old.

For more details, click here.

A graduate student from Conrad School of Business & Entrepreneurship (University of Waterloo) is doing a study to understand the challenges faced by people providing the frontline care for children with these special education needs. This includes parents, educators, occupational, speech & language therapists, social workers, doctors and behavioural clinicans. The research seeks to find the common pinch points faced by these frontline caregivers, especially now during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Participation in the study will consist of a short 10-30 minutes interview at a mutually agreed upon date and time. Interviews will be conducted over the phone. Questions will be focused on your experience finding or providing support for children with Special Education Needs.

If you are interested in more details about this research project and would like to participate, please click here for more details OR email May Alonge at malonge@uwaterloo.ca OR call at 1-825-882-1305.

We are currently studying whether a group therapy program called Facing Your Fears will help to reduce anxiety in children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

For more information or get invovled, click here.

Are you under 30 and looking for work? Get ahead in your job search, connect with employers and get paid to do it! YJC-Lutherwood now offers online help.

Click here to get more details.