Adrian Polidano

Spring 2019 Update

Grandview Kids Autism Program- Journey to Potential

Since 1953, Grandview Children’s Centre has been entrusted with supporting families with children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs access the treatment and services they need to thrive and succeed.

In all that we do at Grandview, the foundational focus of our medical services, treatment, care, and support carefully considers how children, youth and their families can both fully participate in life activities and enrich their life experiences. This life span approach supports children and youth and their families to participate in real life situations and anticipates the transitions over their life course.

We have come a long way and today we provide multiple medical and other multi-professional assessments, treatments, rehabilitation services, supports, and specialized clinics. Grandview has successfully navigated 6 decades of complex shifts and changes in the paediatric health care system. Like the children, youth, and families we serve, we are resilient, we have thrived, we have grown, we have led and we continue to learn and advance.

The Grandview Kids Autism Program

At our core, the Grandview Team remains committed to supporting clients and families to make their dreams and the possibilities for their children come true. The recent changes to the Ontario Autism Program have challenged us to ensure that children, youth and their families can continue to access Autism Services with a trusted multi-professional team wrapped around them at Grandview Children’s Centre.

The Journey to Potential Autism Services Program at Grandview will be built on that same foundation. We have imagined the program mapped across 4 life stages:

• Setting the Course (early years)
• Moving Forward (school readiness)
• On My Way (school age)
• Future Focused (adolescents and young adults)

Our Autism Program Team

Our highly credentialed, skilled, and accredited Autism team consists of the following professionals:

Behaviour Consultants

Behaviour Consultants at Grandview are Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA) and have a Master’s degree in Applied Disabilities Studies, Psychology, or a related field from a university of recognized standing with an academic curriculum emphasizing Applied Behaviour Analysis.  Behaviour Consultants at Grandview are also required to have a minimum of three years of experience providing clinical oversight to behaviour analytic services.

On occasion, we may employ Behavioural Consultants who are working towards obtaining their Board Certification. These clinicians are supervised by a BCBA while they work towards their full certification.

Autism Therapy Assistants

Autism Therapy Assistants (ATAs) at Grandview have an undergraduate degree in a related field (Psychology, Child Studies, Behavioural Science, Communicative Disorders Assistant) and have completed Registered Behaviour Technician training. Grandview ATAs also have 1-3 years of experience working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and implementing behaviour analytic interventions.

Other Paediatric Experts

In addition to our BCs and our ATAs, we also have expert paediatric Grandview Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Physiotherapy (PT) teams who are ready to serve you and your child.

Building our Future Together

While we have a tremendous number of exciting and innovative program and service ideas, we want to co-create the new Autism Program with you, the families who will be purchasing the programs and services. We do not presume to fully understand the services and all of the ways in which you will want to access them in this new Autism Fee-for-Service system.  In everything we do at Grandview, we work hard to be thoughtful and purposeful in our planning. We cannot do that without you.

We will be hosting two (2) Open Houses and a number of Focus Groups over the coming weeks with a plan to begin to offer new programs and services for purchase in early May.

Open Houses

Please watch for more details about our upcoming two Open Houses. These events are intended to welcome families in to visit and explore two of our delivery locations (Oshawa and Ajax). These sessions also offer a closer look at the Grandview Kids Autism Programs and an opportunity to meet members of our team:

• Monday, April 29th, 5:30 to 7:30 at our Oshawa location
• Thursday, May 2nd, 5:30 to 7:30 at our Ajax location

Focus Groups – Events complete

Registration is open to families who wish to participate in our Family Advisory Committee led Focus Groups aimed at understanding preferred Autism programs and offerings. (Please note, for each event, a maximum of 15 tickets are available, and families can RSVP a maximum of 2 spots.)

• West Durham – Ajax location

Tuesday, April 16th 1-2pm

Tuesday, April 16th 4-5pm

• Central and East Durham – Oshawa location

Wednesday, April 17th 1-2pm

Thursday, April 18th 6-7pm (Registration Full)

• North Durham – S.A. Cawker Port Perry location

Thursday, April 18th 4-5pm

Registration is OPEN – Therapeutic Recreation Autism Programs

For families looking to register and purchase Autism programming, we know you are anxious to get started, and we are too!

Right now, before the new Journey to Potential Autism Program offerings are ready for registration, we do have a number of existing fee-for-service Therapeutic Recreation Programs for your consideration and registration.

• Grandview Kids Camp for Kids with Developmental Disabilities including Autism  (Ages: 4-6 / 7-9 / 9 -12)
  Enjoy active games, crafts, sensory and outdoor play, music, swimming, and drama with your child’s unique abilities in mind. Develop physical literacy skills, engage in facilitated social interaction and learn transferable play skills.
• Active Start for Children with Developmental Disabilities including Autism (Ages: 1.5-3 / 4-6)
  Learn and practice physical literacy skills and group participation skills using instructional time, active play, and game-based activities. Click here for a summary of weeks one through ten (1 – 10)
• Let’s Get Active for Kids and Teens with Developmental Disabilities including Autism (Ages: 8-12 / 13-18)
  Activities that promote physical activity, physical literacy, and socialization.
• Beyond the Walls for Teens with Autism (Ages: 13-18)
  Activities that encourage independence, wellness, improved mental health, community involvement, joy, and resilience.

Click here for full program descriptions and details, and to register.

Parent Resources at the Ready

We will continue to keep you informed and connected to helpful information about the Government of Ontario Autism Central Intake and Registration Team  that launches April 1, 2019, and to Autism Ontario and the role they can play to help families navigate services and the new program processes.

Here at Grandview Children’s Centre, our Service Navigation team is ready to help you to access information.

• Call directly – Service Navigation at 905 728 1673 extension 2468
• Email – service.navigation@grandviewkids.ca

I want to reassure families accessing the multitude of other Grandview programs and services that we remain fully committed to excellence across all of our services and supports.

I sincerely look forward to meeting you at an upcoming Open House or a focus group session.

Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, CEO Grandview Children’s Centre

Today, Grandview announced that it will be the first public organization in Durham Region to have a universally accessible emergency Epipen at its Oshawa headquarters.

“Although our focus is on child development, the foundation of child development is the ability to live and learn in a supportive environment. We truly are thrilled to move forward to help protect the health of those with severe life threatening allergies,” says Dr. Carolyn Hunt, Developmental Paediatrician and Medical Director at Grandview Children’s Centre. “It can take time for children with developmental and intellectual disabilities to learn skills related to independence, which for some includes carrying an Epipen. We will remain a nut sensitive environment but having the Epipen onsite, in a secure alarm accessed location is most reassuring.”

Anaphylactic allergy affects 3 to 5% of Canadian children. Here at Grandview Children’s Centre, expert paediatric staff work with children with special needs, including autism, ADHD and cerebral palsy. Many of these children with complex needs also have anaphylactic allergies to peanuts, eggs, milk and much more. Grandview also provides feeding assessments and use food during some of these assessments. It has always been a concern what might happen if a parent were to forget their child’s Epipen should they have a reaction here at Grandview.

As a result of careful research and collaboration, as well as technical support with research from the Durham Region, Grandview is thrilled to launch our first universally accessible emergency Epinephrine device. This device will be available to any member of the public who witnesses someone at Grandview having an episode of an emergency anaphylactic allergy.

All of Grandview’s staff are trained in first-aid and emergency recognition and management of an allergy. In addition to our staff, parents and caregivers will also have access to this emergency, alarm monitored Epipen if their child is having a reaction.

“Once again, Grandview’s Medical Director Dr. Carolyn Hunt is leading important safety initiatives for paediatric excellence in Durham,” says Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, Grandview Children Centre’s Chief Executive Officer. “I’m proud of the leadership consistently demonstrated by our Grandview paediatric experts within the walls of Grandview as well as across Durham and Ontario when it comes to innovation and quality care.”

We look forward to other agencies and communities within Durham Region following our lead on this project. We also would like to thank the city of Hamilton for taking the provincial lead in this important project. We plan to roll out emergency Epinephrine devices across our six sites over the coming months.

The Grandview Children’s Foundation is excited to announce the launch of the Believe Campaign, a $20-million community fundraising initiative to build and support a new Grandview Children’s Centre in Ajax.

The demand for Grandview Children’s Centre’s life-changing treatment and rehabilitation services has been exceeding the facility’s capacity for some time. As the only treatment centre of its kind in Durham Region, Grandview Kids must meet the needs of 10,000 children and their families annually, including over 3,300 kids on growing wait list.

The success of the Believe Campaign will mean that we can open the doors to a much larger Centre and welcome so many more families by 2022.

“The impact Grandview has on the community is far-reaching. Our clients are your children, your grandkids, your neighbours, our future generation so the support we have received thus far from the residents and business owners of Durham Region is no surprise,” explained Bryan Yetman, Grandview Children’s Foundation Chair. “Until now, the Foundation has been operating in a quiet campaign mode but the support from the community has been loud and clear.”

$14.5-million of Grandview’s $20-million goal has been achieved

“The formal launch today not only brings awareness to the critical need to build and support a new Grandview, it is also a celebration,” explained Brigitte Tschinkel, Executive Director of Development for Grandview Children’s Foundation. “Reaching nearly three quarters of our fundraising goal is a major milestone and we wish to thank all those who’ve made a donation, big and small. An outstanding total of $14.5-million of Grandview’s $20-million goal has been achieved, but we still have a long way to go”

The province has approved the project and Grandview Children’s Foundation is raising $20-million through the community Believe Campaign to help build and support the New Grandview Kids.

“The Grandview Children’s Foundation continues to work to connect the needs of Grandview Kids with generous donors and we are very thankful for the impact the donors make each year,” says Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, Chief Executive Officer. “The new Grandview will provide better space for the provision of the specialized services and supports our clients urgently need. We are so excited for what this means for the future of Grandview Kids.”

After discovering how tricky it can be for some kids to get to the door while trick-or-treating, Ashley Muir (one of the members of the Youth Advisory Committee) decided it was important to create a Halloween event that was fun and accessible for all. So, she teamed up with Grandview to throw an amazing accessible trick-or-treat experience at Clarington Secondary School.

This year, the event is bigger and better! Grandview’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) will be hosting this accessible Halloween recent again this year on Sunday, October 28th at the Kids Safety Village of Durham Region!

This new, bigger location means even more children will be able to attend this incredible event.

According to Brad Sexton, the group’s Youth Leader, there will be a lot of fun had at this year’s event, including a unique trick-or-treating experience!

“Throughout the village there’s going to be a haunted house, maze-type thing. Then, we’re going to have some games, and there’s going to be house structures set up that the kids can feel like they’re going to the door, knock on it and someone will actually open it,” shares Brad Sexton.

Last year was full of smiles and fantastic costumes, so we can’t wait to see the creativity this year brings.

What is the YAC?

For those who don’t know, the Youth Advisory Committee was created in 2017 by a group of Grandview adolescent clients and some client siblings who wanted to get more involved with Grandview.

This group puts on events like this accessible Halloween event, an annual Christmas event and other fun activities throughout the year. These events are always plenty of fun and a great way for both kids and parents to connect.

“I think it’s great that everybody can come together and make Grandview a whole,” says Brad Sexton. “These Grandview kids can make new friends and it’s great to have the families come together and develop relationships.”

How can I join?

Being part of the YAC means attending monthly meetings and helping organize and run these fun-filled events.

Currently, the YAC consists of six members, but are on the lookout for another two or three members! If you’re an adolescent client or sibling of a Grandview client and would like to get involved, or know someone who would be a perfect fit, reach out to Brad Sexton to apply!

For more information or to apply, e-mail brad.sexton@grandviewkids.ca.

Registration information for the Halloween event is coming soon, so stay tuned!

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.