Diagnostic Information and Resources
You can find reliable information for professionals and parents on topics including diagnostic information sheets, specific programming ideas, programming resources, and referral services on these websites
Apraxia Kids
www.apraxia-kids.org
Autism Ontario
www.autismontario.com
Canadian Down Syndrome Society
www.cdss.ca
Community Living Ontario
www.cltoronto.ca
ConnectABILITY
www.connectability.ca
Developmental Services Toronto
www.dsto.com
Epilepsy Ontario
www.epilepsyontario.org
Geneva Centre For Autism
www.autism.net
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
www.ldac-acta.ca
Muscular Dystrophy Canada
https://muscle.ca/
Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders
www.oafccd.com
Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy
www.ofcp.ca
Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada
www.sbhac.ca
Surrey Place Centre
www.surreyplace.ca
The Easter Seal Society
www.easterseals.org
Safe Kids Canada (Hospital for Sick Children)
www.safekidscanada.ca
The Special Life – Tips and Tools for Special Needs
www.thespeciallife.com
Children’s Mental Health
For help with understanding mental health issues, finding a directory of mental health services available in Ontario, or on line education and resources for a variety of mental health issues including resilience, the following websites offer a good overview.
Children's Mental Health Ontario
www.kidsmentalhealth.ca
Mental Health First Aid
www.mentalhealthfirstaid.ca
Parents for Children’s Mental Health
www.pcmh.ca
The Provincial Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
www.onthepoint.ca
Blind/Low Vision Early Intervention Program in Ontario
When children are diagnosed with blindness or low vision, a referral can be made to the local Blind - Low Vision Program by a physician, ophthalmologist, optometrist, parent or caregiver. The Blind - Low Vision program offers three types of services: Family Support, Intervention Services, Consultation Services. There is a full description of current services on their
website.
How to Talk to Parents When a Child Needs Extra Support
Newcomer families are experiencing the difficult transition of starting life in a new country after leaving friends, family and their support network behind. As one of the first points of contact, your program’s support is vital to all newcomer families, but this can be especially true when a child needs extra support.
Some children come to our programs with a diagnosed special need, while others come into our care with unidentified needs that require additional support. And, sometimes, after spending time observing and interacting with a child, we have concerns about their development that we need to discuss with parents.
This tip sheet, available in
English and
French, will offer strategies on how to talk to parents when their child needs support.
Inclusion: What Does It Mean in Care for Newcomer Children?
In Care for Newcomer Children (CNC), inclusion means that children can attend and benefit from the same program regardless of their diverse abilities. Inclusion removes barriers in order to allow all children—regardless of race, background or special needs—to fully participate. It requires full collaboration between administrators, CNC staff, families and specialists to ensure that the needs of all children are met.
Find out more in this tip sheet, available in
English and
French.
Early Identification of Special Needs is Important!
Parenting a child with special needs is challenging for anyone—let alone for newcomer parents who are juggling the demands of settling in to a new country, learning a new language, attending classes and managing life at home.
Find out why early identification is so important in this resource, available in
English and
French.
Building on Every Child’s Abilities
We all have things that we are good at and challenges that we need to work on. Too often, the strengths and abilities of newcomer children are overlooked or overshadowed by their needs. By focusing on the strengths that newcomer children bring to your program you will encourage the development of healthy self-esteem that will be the foundation for their successful transition to life in Canada. This tip sheet is available in
English and
French.
