Adrian Polidano

This is the sixth year that the staff of Intact Insurance has worked hard in supporting Grandview Kids. Not only has Intact Insurance continued to support Grandview through generous donations, but also through their volunteer work as well!

On August 30, 2018, 24 Intact Insurance employees left their busy desks to help give the Ajax Grandview location a fresh new coat of paint! The team worked diligently all day to give most rooms at the Ajax location a fresh coat of paint, giving the entire space a new look!

“We love Grandview and we’re a big supporter of Grandview. We came last year and did a lot of painting at the Oshawa site. This year we decided to volunteer our time at the Ajax site. We just like to give back to the community. We are one of the bigger employers in the Durham Region and it’s a great opportunity for us to give back to our community,” said Marie Poce, a Commercial Lines Underwriter at Intact Insurance. “We spend so much time in our day to day jobs, not really looking outside of what we do, so this is very rewarding for us to be able to come out and give back and see the smile on everyone’s faces when the job is done and everything looks nicer and fresh!”

Not a single Intact volunteer complained as they taped, painted and cleaned up each room.  The Ajax location was full of positive attitudes and smiling faces as the team got the job done!

Grandview Kids is so thankful for this hard work!

“We feel very fortunate to have Intact here today, because the Ajax site hasn’t had a freshen up in awhile, since the big flood. So it’s really nice to have that special attention and have something nice and fresh for the families here in the Ajax and Pickering area,” said Janet Isaac, Clinical Manager at Grandview Kids. “It’s really wonderful to have community partners that want to help us and the kids of Grandview.”

From all of us here at Grandview Kids, we once again thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope that your amazing team decides to visit us again next year!

You may recall the #RideJamesRide adventure of last August, when 10-year-old James and his dad Chris Potvin decided to ride their bikes from their home in Whitby all the way to Ottawa, raising $10,000 on their journey.

This year, James and Chris are doubling up on their distance and their fundraising goal, too. James will ride from the Whitby Pier all the way to the roller-coasters and hot dogs at Coney Island, New York. This bike ride will take James and Chris on a 1,000-kilometre journey.

Here at Grandview, we’re incredibly excited for James to embark on this adventure. To celebrate James, we’re hosting a pre-launch event at Grandview on August 17 from 6 to 8 pm, the evening before he departs. There will be Coney Island-style hotdogs to eat and cold beverages to drink. Grandview’s accessible playground will be open for children, as well.

Why ride to New York?

You might be wondering, though, why Chris and James have decided to embark on this lengthy adventure.

James has autism and is one of more than 3,000 children and youth on a growing waitlist for Grandview’s services.  According to Chris, James’ dad, this ride means a few things to the Potvin family.

“Selfishly, we really just want to be sure James goes back to school as a strong young man with confidence and a story. The word I used last year was swagger,” says Chris. “For the community, we know how hard Grandview and EJ Autism are trying to improve the lives of young people who struggle. We want to see them succeed so these youth can also grow. Our hope is that when people see the potential of a young man on the autism spectrum, they will be moved to contribute to these organizations that help our youth to develop and grow. Building a treatment centre will allow so many more youth to meet their potential.”

The Potvin’s ultimate goal is to have their community present a gift of $20,000 to be donated between Grandview Kids and EJ Autism in New York.

“We are so grateful to the Potvin Family for choosing to support EJ Autism Foundation as they ride form Canada to Coney Island on behalf of Autism,” says Bea Huste-Petersen. “The money James raises will go towards the purchase of a safe, Autism friendly Summer Vacation Home on Fire Island, NY for Long Island Families living with this developmental disability. James’ courage and ambition to fearlessly travel 1000 miles on a bicycle as an Autism Ambassador, will allow people to see what a kid with Autism can do to make a difference.”

How will this ride be different from the last?

The bike ride is expected to take two weeks, covering 100km each day. According to Chris, this cross-border bike ride took a bit of extra planning.

“This year we are facing a lot of challenges that we didn’t face last year. Small details, like crossing the border right up to big logistical items like towns holding events to welcome us. In the ride itself, we will be crossing some big hills as we approach eastern New York State, and some very busy roads along the way,” says Chris Potvin. “It’s hard to pick out any single biggest challenge. Instead we tackle each item in a bite-sized piece as it comes to us, and trust that the goodness of people and our own abilities will see us through.”

From Chris’ perspective as a dad, he says it’s been great to watch James’ growth through this experience.

“Last summer he grew a great deal, but this year we’ve stretched him further and he has learned what it means to be part of group rides where people surround him, what it means to have a lot of attention, and what it is like to fall and get back up,” says Chris. “James still gets camera-shy, and has a hard time if he’s put on the spot to stand in front of a group, but he’s getting more comfortable all the time.”

Chris says he and James are excited to meet families along the way. It’s going to be a fun-filled day when they get to Coney Island.

We wish the Potvin team success and luck on their journey.To follow the pair on this ride, search the hashtag #RideJamesRide.

On Wednesday August 1st, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities awarded Grandview Children’s Foundation a $1 million grant to help build the new Grandview Kids in Ajax.

This funding will go towards building our multi-purpose gym and our outdoor sensory/wheeling trail and an elevated wheeling/walking bridge along the tree-top canopy of the woods at the new centre. To show our thanks, Grandview will be giving Canadian Tire Jumpstart naming rights to these parts of the new Grandview.

“We are incredibly excited to have been chosen as the recipient of this $1 million grant,” said Grandview Children’s Foundation Executive Director of Development Brigitte Tschinkel. “We are so thankful that Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities has chosen to invest in Grandview Kids and in the future of so many children across the Durham Region.”

According to the press release by Canadian Tire Jumpstart, more than 200 grant submissions from across the country were received.

For those who don’t know, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charity dedicated to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in order to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities.

“Grandview Children’s Centre is thrilled to partner with Canadian Tire Jumpstart to realize the dream of a new Grandview,” says Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, CEO. “This incredible gift will support inclusion and participation for all kids. We look forward to working with Jumpstart as we build this dream to ensure play does find a way.”

We are so thankful and excited to be chosen as the recipients of this grant. It’s a great day at Grandview Kids, with so much to celebrate and look forward to. The future is bright! Thank you, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, for bringing us one step closer to the new Grandview.

For further information on the new Grandview Kids, please visit our website, Grandview Kids Believe.

You can read the full press release here.

Declan is a very social 4-year-old Grandview kid, who just completed his first year of junior kindergarten in French immersion. While he thrived in his school environment, when that final bell rang for summer, Declan was excited and ready to go to Grandview’s Little Critter Camp.

According to his mother, Dena Poole, Declan couldn’t wait to get to camp.

Going to Camp

When he’s not at Grandview for Little Critter Camp, Declan visits for Speech Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy. At 2-years-old, Declan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

This summer, Dena decided to sign Declan up for Little Critter Camp after experiencing his first Christmas vacation and March break away from school, and the many meltdowns Dena says followed despite every effort to keep him busy and entertained.

“My husband and I decided that the structure and routine of summer camp would be greatly beneficial to him, and us. My husband also works various shifts, so this structure would provide a much needed consistency for Declan,” says Dena. “Deciding to go with Grandview was simple for me. I had been told about the camp the previous year but Declan was too young to attend. Also, it was an environment familiar to him and I had hoped would make for an easy transition.  I also loved the ratio of children to staff. Right now, he’s registered for 7 of the 8 weeks camp is provided. We are hoping that a spot will open in the 8th week that we are waitlisted for.”

Upon his first day of camp, Dena says the staff were incredibly “warm, very open and so very encouraging. It was also great for me as a parent to see familiar faces, like Amy and Sherri’s. I think that was reassuring for him, too. Getting positive feedback about his day from the staff and being able to share that with me and his dad, I’m sure helps him to feel good about his camp experiences and friends.”

Staff Involvement Impresses Declan’s Parents

Dena says that it has been great to see such deep involvement from all of the staff, with everyone willing to help.“He might be assigned to one particular staff, but at drop off and pick up, they all know who he is and they often share stories about his day and the friends he’s making or helped,” says Dena. “I also think it’s great that the kids get to go swimming and that the staff get involved playing with the kids.”

Dena says that this camp has exceeded her expectations and has removed all concerns she had prior to camp starting.

“Honestly, I had my own concerns. Declan’s ASD is invisible to almost everyone who has met him. He’s come so far over the last two years with the help of therapists, a social worker and other Grandview staff, that we had concerns about regression, among other things,” shares Dena. “It has only proven to be quite the opposite. Camp has brought out a side of Declan we hadn’t noticed before – the big helper!”

Dena can’t say enough good things about Grandview and the support she’s received at the centre over the last few years.

“They were there for me when I knew something was different about my baby, and they guided me and helped me to get the help I needed for Declan to be successful,” says Dena. “We are still learning and growing, but I am so grateful to all the people who’ve been a part of our journey so far.”

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) is currently in the midst of a three-year study, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. This study is working to investigate the impact of a fundamental movement skill intervention (throwing, kicking, catching, jumping, etc.) for 3 to 5 year old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

According to Dr. Meghann Lloyd, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences at UOIT and Research Associate Grandview Children’s Centre, this is a 12-week intervention.

How does it work?

During the intervention, “Group 1 receives the intervention right away; Group 2 receives the intervention 12 weeks later. All children receive the intervention. It is a play-based motor skill intervention where we hope motor skills improve, but also social, behaviour and communication skills as well,” says Dr. Lloyd.

So far, they have done several small studies and the results have led the UOIT team to believe this intervention will be a positive experience for the children with important developmental outcomes.

“We do a series of assessments to understand whether the intervention had an impact. These assessments happen three times and include two direct motor skill assessments like throwing, kicking, catching etcetera and have the parents fill out a number of different questionnaires,” says Dr. Lloyd. “In addition to the assessments, we also have three play-dates where we video record the children playing to see if the intervention on motor skills results in the children using their new skills in free play.”

During the intervention, all parents are invited to be in the room and when appropriate are invited to participate in the intervention with their children. The ratio of staff to children is approximately 1:2 as the intervention groups include 4 to 5 children per group.

What are the expected results for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

“Previous studies we have completed have shown that we can improve motor skills of young children with ASD, and there are also important gains in social, behavoiur and communication domains,” says Dr. Lloyd. “We expect the same results in this study and we are interested in how these positive changes impact on play behaviour, too.”

This study is just entering year two, so the team doesn’t yet have complete results to share, however Dr. Lloyd says that the “preliminary analysis of the first cohorts is showing some very positive outcomes. Parents have also reported that they have found the study to be a positive experience for both them and their children.”

Dr. Lloyd is incredibly happy with how the study has progressed.

“So far, I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The children are having fun, and at the same time working on critical play skills,” says Dr. Lloyd.

Interested? There are spots available!

Right now, Lloyd’s team is working on recruiting more children for the upcoming fall and winter. All children with ASD between the ages of 3 to 5 years old are invited to participate. Please email or call Dr. Lloyd (meghann.lloyd@uoit.ca or (905)-721-8668 ext. 5988).

If you want to know more about the ins and outs of why Dr. Lloyd is focusing on this work, check out her TedX Talk on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8bCG_y84gY

Marj Kennelly, Physiotherapist and Grandview employee of nearly three decades, has decided to retire from Grandview Kids. Though she may be heading into retirement, we know her legacy will live on.

So what inspired Marj, beloved Grandview PT, to begin her career working with children?

“I think the main thing is my fourth year placement in university, where I was working in Ongwanada with my clinical instructor Betty Torrible,” says Marj. “It was the connection with the kids and her connection with the kids, that was a huge part of it.”

She says that quite a few of the children she was working with at that time were actually inpatients at that hospital, and one of the children spoke to her.

“All you had to do was look at his face,” recalls Kennelly. “He was so engaging and wanting the attention and wanting you to play and help him figure out what he was going to do. He inspired me to go in this direction, more than anybody else. The kids kind of call to you and you really feel like you could make a big difference for them.”

Grandview: The Beginning

Soon after her placement, Marj began her career at Grandview Kids, though she didn’t start as a physiotherapist.

“I actually started in the school health program. When I was hired here we actually had the contract for the school health program so it has actually come full circle with the Special Needs Strategy coming,” says Marj.

At first, Marj was also doing work with the Preschool Outreach Program (POP), then worked with the 0-2 age group, then with the kids at Campbell Children’s School. It wasn’t until the last four years that Marj began working with adolescents.

After asking many colleagues and families about what impressed them most about Marj, it was her ability to keep the magic alive for kids who have reached their adolescent years.

Working with Adolescents

For Marj, it’s all about paying attention to what the client wants.

“You have to know what stage the kids are at and what their struggles are. If you can find out what they want to achieve and you treat them like a regular teenager, that’s where you start,” says Marj. “If they see you’re engaged in what they’re interested in and problem solving that, then I think you’ll get a lot further with them.”

According to Marj, the adolescent program doesn’t have many resources. She hopes to see a growth in this program in the future. For now, though, she’s a big supporter of using what the Abilities Centre has to offer, from the weight training programs or the track.

“If we can show them how to be successful when they’re in therapy and at Abilities, they should be able to bridge that out into the community and their schools,” says Marj. “I’m really hoping that with the special needs strategy, and the consolidation of the school health teams with the treatment teams that there will be more time and more efficient use of time so that we can do more program development and really meet the kids where they want to be participating.”

Marj’s technique with her clients is to push the kids to their fullest ability.

“There was this one guy and he’s going to know who he is, he was probably 11 and he had just come through a very tough orthopaedic surgery and he was a hard worker,” recalls Marj. “I was seeing him several times a week and it was a Friday afternoon…and I said to him ‘okay, I think you’re doing so well you’re ready to try something new!’ He looked at me and said ‘Marj, you’ve worked hard this week and I’ve worked hard this week. I think this can wait until next week.’”

“That’s what I love about working with the kids. They are so funny and so frank and they want to make changes and you just have to make that connection and they will come along with you, or they take us along for the ride really,” says Marj.

The Amazing Memories

Her fond memories of working with the kids here at Grandview don’t stop there. She remembers working with one of her clients, Ryan, to creatively adapt a canoe to his needs. To read more about this story, click here.

She remembers working with kids to get them downhill skiing and even having clients walk the halls of Grandview wearing flippers, to keep their toes from turning inwards. Marj’s creativity and innovation seems endless.

Marj also recalls that much of the children’s success would come from how invested their parents were. In one case, she recalls a client who was starting to find staying active difficult, was gaining weight and losing some skills.

“His dad came to me and said what do we do to turn this around, how can we keep him on his feet. He could do bike riding and that dad got him a reflective vest and adaptive bike and they rode the Courtice hills,” says Marj. “The kid changed dramatically and it was that dads connection. He just went all in after my recommendation. Has had a different outcome than where he was headed.”

Retiring After Nearly Three Decades of Service

As she looks back on her memories at Grandview Kids, Marj says that she has mixed feelings about leaving.

“I’m excited for the next chapter but I will definitely miss my colleagues here and the families and the kids,” says Marj. “The other hard part about leaving is that there are kids who are in the middle of something right now. Preparing for a surgery, or in the middle of casting or in the middle of a change that I know they’re going to achieve and I wish I could see that through, but on the other hand it’s my time to go…I’m very thankful that Corrie is going to be taking on this caseload, because she has a very similar vision to me and has that creativity and connection with adolescents especially. It gives me a lot of relief to know that she is taking it forward.”

Marj says that the kids and their families are what have kept her here for nearly 30 years.

“The kids, the connection, it’s the needs identified by the families that, it just feels like my calling. It feels like I’ve had an impact. I’m very proud of the programs that I’ve developed and a lot of them in conjunction with different peers over the years. The front line staff here are incredible and an incredible support, says Marj. “I really feel connected to the families and the kids.”