Adrian Polidano

Grandview Kids serves many children and youth with various medical diagnoses. A large population of these children and youth have disabilities that are sometimes referred to as “invisible disabilities.” According to the Invisible Disabilities Association, an invisible disability is “a physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses or activities.”

Lindsey is a Grandview Kids parent, Family Advisory Council (FAC) member and 10-year School Community Councils (SCC) chairperson. She shares how her family has learned to understand and support her 10-year-old daughter, Zayla, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the unique challenges that come with a disability with invisible symptoms.

Lindsey and Alex, along with their two daughters, Zoey and Zayla, are a close-knit family that enjoys going to Canada’s Wonderland for thrilling rides and American border crossing for shopping trips. At the age of four, Zayla was diagnosed with ADHD by her paediatrician and was referred to Grandview Kids after exhibiting signs such as lengthy meltdowns and delayed milestones. Though her parents recognized Zayla’s difference at an early age, they were told she did not meet enough markers to receive an ASD diagnosis until a recent reassessment done in August 2023.

Soon after her ADHD diagnosis, Zayla started accessing Occupational Therapy at Grandview Kids, which would be a learning journey for her whole family. She is highly intelligent, and her family noticed quickly that “any tools she was provided, she was willing to keep in her toolbox and utilize.” She is hyper-aware of her behaviours, seeing her lack of impulse control, and shows lots of empathy for how she’s acting but is unable to control it. Her occupational therapist was now someone speaking a language she understood, making it possible for her to control/regulate herself.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also had virtual recreational therapist sessions, which helped her learn how to navigate transitions. Socializing and making friends always came quickly, but learning to do things her friends wanted to do that she didn’t was a challenge. Zayla’s enthusiasm in therapy is evident as she recently achieved all the goals she set with her recreational therapist, Julia.

With Zayla’s recent ASD diagnosis, her family found getting a reassessment challenging but advocated for their daughter so that she could receive the appropriate support. Her parents learned that “sometimes it takes long for people to listen to you. We’re not doctors and don’t know the language/road to get this done.” Although they would have preferred an earlier ASD diagnosis to have opened doors for early intervention, they are glad that they are starting now and hope to receive Ontario Autism Program (OAP) funding before she ages out.

Having a child with an invisible disability means that her family sometimes faces judgment by others through sideways glares and unwarranted comments because of Zayla’s behaviour. These encounters were more complex when she was younger, but now, they have decided as a family to stop apologizing for things and have found that these moments can be opportunities for dialogue. Zayla is uniquely her, and her diagnosis is just a part of her but does not define her. Lindsey knows they “…are very lucky in [their] community.” Zayla is surrounded by fantastic friends and a great school where they prioritize making kids feel safe. Growing up in the Grandview Kids community provides an extra layer of protection and safety, knowing therapists are available when help is needed.

Written by a Grandview parent

My husband and I are proud parents to three beautiful children, ages seven, five and three months. There is never a dull moment in our house, and we wouldn’t change one bit of it.

Seven years ago, our beautiful baby girl, Ariana, was born. She was the image of perfection and everything we could have dreamt of. Shortly after birth, she was having trouble breathing and was put in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the first time. As new parents, we were terrified but had all the faith in the world that she would be okay and we would be taking her home in no time.

The next day, the paediatrician walked in to inform us that her breathing was under control, but he also let us know that the breathing issue was the least of his concerns. At this time, we received the very unexpected news that Ariana was born with Down Syndrome and had a hole in her heart.

Having so much information thrown at us all at once was indescribable. We had a diagnosis, health complications, appointments to rush to and juggling just being first-time parents. To say the first three months of Ariana’s life were overwhelming is a complete understatement. It was incredibly isolating and daunting trying to navigate this world alone.

This is where our journey with Grandview Kids began. I remember the first time I walked through the doors, not knowing what to expect. I was greeted with smiles from the staff, eager to meet our sweet girl. It was the first time anyone said, “Congratulations.” I could finally breathe again, knowing that we had found our place—a place of acceptance, love and support.

Ariana has received many services through Grandview Kids, including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Medical Services and Social Work. Ariana has moved mountains with her development and continues to blow us away daily. She has come from being non-verbal to now speaking in sentences. She holds her pencil perfectly and is practicing writing her name by herself. She runs, jumps, rides a bike and swims like a fish. I could go on and on about everything she can do today that took a lot of practice, determination and guidance from Grandview Kids.

My family would not be where we are today without the help of Grandview Kids. Clients and caregivers in the Durham Region can utilize life-changing programs and services that changed my little girl’s life.

Meet Grandview Kids Volunteer, Kerry L.!

How long have you been volunteering at Grandview Kids?

Since June 2023!

Has anything interesting happened to you while you were volunteering at Grandview Kids?

While volunteering at a Family Engagement art event, a child was reluctant to try the activity, stating, “I am just not good at art.” After some gentle persuasion, he tried it and created a beautiful abstract painting. He was so delighted with the outcome that he created a second artwork. After completing everything, he stated, “I think I am an artist- I never knew this, and I can’t wait to tell my mom!.” Seeing the joy in his discovering his inner talent and potential was beyond heartwarming. 

What is the best part of volunteering at Grandview Kids for you? 

There is a sense of community and caring, where everyone is welcome and belongs. There is a connection at Grandview Kids between clients, caregivers, and staff that you do not find in other organizations.

Who inspires you to volunteer or give back? 

The children and youth at Grandview Kids are my inspiration.

What would you say to someone who was thinking about volunteering at Grandview Kids?

At Grandview Kids, a volunteer is indeed a member of the team. Grandview invests in its volunteers and supports them well by providing comprehensive training, weekly updates, and staff support, all while offering a wide variety of volunteer opportunities.

Written by Grandview Kids OT, Suvaathy V.

October is Occupational Therapy (OT) Month in Canada! OT month is about celebrating and raising awareness about occupational therapy, a very diverse profession with one main goal: helping people live the best lives they can.

What is Occupational Therapy?

When we think of the word “occupation,” we often think of “work,” but occupations are everyday activities that you need to do, want to do or are expected to do. Occupations generally fall into three categories:

Self-care: feeding, sleeping, dressing, toileting, personal hygiene
Productivity: participating in school activities (handwriting), routines, chores, job skills
Leisure: play development, participation in community activities, sports

OT is a health profession that enables people across their lifespan to engage in activities essential for their well-being, independence, and overall quality of life. OT considers the person as a whole by considering how their ability relates to their environment and the activities they want to do.

What do Occupational Therapists do?

When someone cannot participate in daily activities due to injury, illness, disability or social and environmental barriers, an Occupational Therapist will work with them to develop strategies to help them participate in meaningful occupations. Occupational Therapists work in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics, schools and the community.

At Grandview Kids, Occupational Therapists work with children, their families and other professionals to help children carry out their daily activities to the best of their ability. Occupational Therapists can help identify the child’s strengths and abilities, suggest ways to simplify the activity, implement adaptive equipment to help the child do the activity, suggest changes to the environment to support the child in doing the activity, break down the activity into small steps and help the child develop new skills to do the activity.

In honour of OT Month and World OT Day, we asked staff what OT means to them and why they chose to pursue the profession.

“I love the variety of the work I can do as an OT. The fact that it focuses on the person and what brings value to their life and what they want to be able to do is key. I can pull out my creative and practical brain to help solve their challenges as they see them. I became an OT after being amazed by young people doing their thing at Easter Seals camps and wanting to support them to be able to do that.” – Marika Beaumont, Clinical Manager

“My favourite part about working in Cccupational Therapy is how creative we get to be to support our clients in a way that is meaningful and motivating to them! Every person is so unique, and being able to support a client in a way that suits them is super rewarding!” – Emily Fredericks, Occupational Therapist

“I love OT because it is a profession embedded in kindness and human connection – dedicated to understanding a person and their dreams, learning what is meaningful, inspiring hope-filled environments and discovering how to get there together. We choose to look at things from a different perspective. To see a person with an injury, illness or disability and to also see the same person’s strength, potential and goals is a pretty incredible thing.” – Suvaathy Vigneswaran, Occupational Therapist

During OT month, there are two special dates to remember:

October 12: Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Appreciation Day
- By working collaboratively with occupational therapists, OTAs play a key role in supporting the delivery of OT services to clients, families, and communities.
October 27: World Occupational Therapy Day
- This year’s World Occupational Therapy Day theme is “Occupational Therapy for All.”

Let’s take this month as an opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the dedicated OTs and OTAs who positively impact so many lives. If you know an OT or OTA, take a moment to express your gratitude and recognize their tireless efforts in helping others!

Originating in the United States as Lesbian and Gay History Month in 1994, it is a month-long observance of the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights movement. LGBT History Month was founded by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson, who believed that it was important to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the LGBT community and to raise awareness of the discrimination and challenges that LGBT people face.

While this awareness month is preceded by the acronym “LGBT,” it is critical to recognize that it is not entirely inclusive of the community it aims to represent. When referring to sexual and gender-diverse communities, opt instead for the acronym “2SLGBTQI+,” which represents Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, queer, intersex and additional people who identify as part of sexual and gender-diverse communities. Note that the Government of Canada has officially adopted the acronym “2SLGBTQI+” as a more comprehensive alternative to “LGBT.”

Breaking down the acronym further: The “2S” at the front recognizes Two-Spirit people as the first 2SLGBTQI+ communities. The “I” for intersex considers sex characteristics beyond sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The “+” is inclusive of people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities, who use additional terminologies.

Read this helpful FAQ-style document from SEE Change Happen* to learn more about LGBT History Month. It includes information on the difference between this awareness month and Pride Month, how the 2SLGBTQI+ community has been erased in history, what the role of an ally is, and more.

*SEE Change Happen is a United Kingdom (UK)- based organization. The UK observes LGBT History Month in February, as referenced in the FAQ. While the article is from last year, it provides a solid basis for understanding the significance of acknowledging and understanding 2SLGBTQI+ history.

Written by IDEA Study Research Assistant, Kaylan

The IDEA Study is a research study that Grandview Kids and Ontario Tech University have partnered on. It investigates the intersection of race and disability and how this intersection affects access to paediatric rehabilitation and developmental services. To help identify this study, a logo has been created, and it can be found on all material related to the IDEA Study. Read on to learn more about the IDEA Study logo!

Starting with the inner circle of the logo, this has the words “IDEA Study” in the centre. This comes from the fact that the research team is approaching this study through the lens of Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility. If put together, these words form the acronym “IDEA” which is how our study is known outside of its official name, “Building knowledge and understanding of the intersection of race and disability in accessing paediatric rehabilitation services.”

Inclusivity or inclusion involves appreciating, recognizing and using the skills and talents of individuals of all backgrounds.³ Diversity involves including the numerous identities, races, communities, backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, beliefs and cultures of the people, including those from underserved communities.³ Equity involves systematically and consistently treating all individuals fairly, justly and impartially.³ Accessibility includes that programs and services, facilities and information and communication technology are constructed, designed, developed and maintained such that they can be used independently and fully by individuals with disabilities.³

The outer circle of the logo includes symbols that represent disability. The goal of using these symbols of disability was to represent the Grandview Kids community. Grandview Kids serves children and youth with physical, communication and developmental needs, and their families. As such, the symbols in the logo include a sunflower, which represents non-visible disability; the forward movement symbol of a person using a wheelchair which represents physical disability; a rainbow infinity symbol representing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which is a developmental disability; and the universal access symbol for sign language interpretation which represents communicative disability. While not all disabilities are represented within this logo, these were chosen for their design aspects and their collective broad representation of the Grandview Kids community.

We hope that this explanation has clarified why the IDEA Study logo was created and what it symbolizes. For more information, please visit https://grandviewkids.ca/research/ideastudy/.

References

About the author

Kaylan is a current Ontario Tech undergraduate student working on the IDEA Study as a Research Assistant. She is also a former Grandview Kids client who is passionate about helping other children and youth with disabilities. She believes that being a part of the IDEA Study is a way to give back to the Grandview Kids community that helped her live the life she does today and to help other children and youth with disabilities like her.