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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.”

You wouldn’t know Daniel Ferriera has been diagnosed with moderate spastic diplegia cerebral palsy if you were to hear the long list of accomplishments and powerlifting goals he has smashed since his diagnosis.

Daniel is a Grandview kid. He has overcome every challenge that has come his way and never gives up. Daniel is truly living his life to its fullest potential and he isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

The Beginning

According to Daniel’s mom, Anita, Daniel was twin B born two months early in an emergency situation. He was rushed to Women’s College Hospital, going home with his family three weeks later after being bounced around to numerous hospitals. They knew almost immediately that Daniel had cerebral palsy.

Daniel’s journey with Grandview Children’s Centre began almost right away, at around 6 months old. Their experience started with infant development and the preschool outreach program, which equipped Daniel with what he needed for day-to-day activities at the YMCA daycare.

Then, came Campbell Children’s School.

“We were absolutely blessed to have two full years there,” said Anita. “That was a huge changing point for us in that it opened up bicycle options and he had to get a wheelchair at that time and we learned about Botox and serial casting.”

Whatever Campbell Children’s School recommended for Daniel, his family investigated and implemented.

“Back then we didn’t know what he was going to be able to do,” says Anita. “He has moderate spastic diplegia and it’s pretty significant so we didn’t know what that looked like for the long term. Well, we just said ‘it’s not going to stop us’ and on we went.”

Daniel and his twin brother, John, both used services at Grandview Children’s Centre. Daniel had Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy services from 6 months on. He participated in swim therapy, karate classes and music classes just to name a few. John used Speech-Language Pathology, Social Work and took part in Siblings Day as well.

While involved with Grandview, Daniel took part in anything and everything he could to keep himself busy and active.

“We took wheelchairs hiking, to the beach, we carried the kids in a wagon…nothing slowed the kids down,” says Anita.

Athletic Pursuits

Once Daniel was in mainstream school and walking on his own, he began taking part in every sport he could get his hands on. From track and field, to basketball and volleyball. He couldn’t be stopped and nothing could slow him down.

Now in grade ten, this is still very much the case. Not only is he an honour student, but Daniel is also crushing his weightlifting goals.

A few years ago, Grandview therapist Marj Kennelly asked Daniel to join the Abilities Centre. Some might say the rest is history.

Powerlifting Success

“They had a six week course there about strengthening and conditioning. I signed up for it and I really liked it,” says Daniel. “After that, it just kind of took off. My parents got me a personal trainer at the Abilities Centre and then he recommended that I try powerlifting. So, I went online and found my coach, met with him and everything has just been going from that point.”

Anita can’t say enough about how incredible it was to have Marj in their lives.

“Marj was Daniel’s Physical Therapist in Campbell Children’s School, then she picked him back up at the Abilities Centre,” says Anita. “Marj has been an amazing support working with a teenager, because now it’s his input and she works with him. He’s been able to takeover his own self-care, which is incredible.”

Daniel and his mother say that Marj would always kickstart Daniel when he needed it.

“Sometimes teenagers get into a comfy kind of pattern, which maybe isn’t the best pattern as far as muscle and bone development. Marj had an exceptional way of motivating him in being honest about how if you choose this pathway, this is what you’re choosing for your body,” says Anita. “I have a great respect for her ability to relate to the teenagers and for Daniel’s sake be able to kick-start him and get him on the right track.”

This year, Marj Kennelly is actually retiring from Grandview Children’s Centre.

Since this encouragement from Marj, Daniel has worked long and hard to become the weightlifting champion he is today.

What started at the provincial level in Ottawa, Ontario has grown. After this competition, he attended the Nationals in Calgary, receiving a 92.5 kilogram record for bench-press in para, however he also competed in the able-bodied competition as well. This result qualified him for worlds, which he attended this past May in Finland, coming 4th in the world.

What’s Next?

What’s next for Daniel? Even bigger dreams.

In December 2019, he will be participating in a para competition in Guatemala.

This will get Daniel the qualification he needs to go to Kazakhstan for the World Para competition. After this level of competition comes the Pan American Games in Peru.

We could not be more proud to have Daniel Ferriera as part of the Grandview Kids family.

The classrooms at Campbell Children’s School have been busy learning during their last few weeks before summer vacation. Each classroom has been focusing on something different and the kids were incredibly excited to share what they’d been working on.

Explorer Room

The Explorer Room has been exploring a few things during the month of June, but lately the kids have been focused on learning about shapes. Throughout this classroom, you can see posters that highlight different types of shapes and the names of those shapes. The kids have been putting shapes together to create different items and have even been incorporating shapes into their artwork.

The Explorer Room has also been curious about beards! For fun, the kids made felt beards and were wearing them around the class. The teacher’s at Campbell’s always allow the students to explore what they’re curious about!

Curiosity Corner

Believe it or not, the curiosity corner has been getting curious about circuits and coding!

Travis, one of the students from Curiosity Corner, demonstrated his ability to complete a circuit. He was not only able to complete the circuit so music played, he was also able to alter it and make the song play on a loop.

Odin, on the other hand, was able to demonstrate how he had been working on coding using the Osmo tablet. The tablet sees what Odin does on the desk in front of him, following his sequence, which moves the character across the screen. Odin was so quick with the Osmo, it was hard to keep up!

The Windows of Opportunity

This classroom has taken the nice weather as an opportunity to explore nature.

In the far corner of the classroom, you can see that the classroom fish named Bill had recently acquired a few new friends.  The classroom has a small fish tank full of tadpoles at different stages of growing. Hunter was excited to share the life stages of a frog, pointing out one of the tadpoles who had already sprouted legs.

This classroom was also excited to show the chrysalis they had, getting ready to turn from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

Cozy Corner

The students of the Cozy Corner classroom have been spending time making pickles!

They learned about how this yummy snack is made and actually made some themselves. The students were excited to share that they helped to create these snacks and some even remembered the entire process and specific ingredients for next time.

A few of the kids decided to try them, making a couple sour faces, but ultimately decided they were tasty.

We love to see how much these kids love to learn!

At Grandview Kids, keeping up-to-date with new advancements in psychological and paediatric studies is critical in order to best work with and treat the children in our care. Our research team dedicates much time and effort into reading and fact checking these studies in order to confirm their legitimacy as educational tools. Our team has compiled a list of readings to keep you in the loop with our recent research. We hope you find them helpful!

What we’re reading now:

1. Measure of Processes of Care: a review of 20 years of research. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 445-452. Barbara J. Cunningham., Peter L. Rosenbaum (2013).
2. Parents’ perceptions of the services provided to children with cerebral palsy in the transition from preschool rehabilitation to school-based services. Child: care, health and development. 455-463. M. W. Alsem, M. Verhoef, J. W. Gorter, L. C. M. Langezaal, J. M. A. Visser-Meily and M. Ketelaar (2016).

Here is a list of their most recent readings:

Most of these studies and articles can be found with a simple google search!

Developing a classification system of social communication functioning of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 1-7. Di Rezze, B., Rosenbaum, P., Zwaigenbaum, L., Cooley Hidecker, M. J., Stratford, P., Cousins, M., et al. (2016).

Folinic acid improves verbal communication in children with autism and language impairment: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Molecular Psychiatry, 00, 1-10. Frye, R. E.,  Slattery, J., Delhey, L., Furgerson, B., Strickland, T., Tippett, M., et al., (2016).

Clinically relevant copy number variations detected in cerebral palsy. Nature Communications. Oskoui, M., Gazzellone, M. J., Thiruvahindrapuram, B., Zarrei, M., Andersen, J., & Wei, J., et al. (2015).

Parents’ adoption of social communication intervention strategies: families including children with autism spectrum disorder who are minimally verbal. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 45, 1712-1724. Shire, S. Y., Goods, K., Shih, W., Distefano, C., Kaiser, A., Wright, C., et al.  (2015).

Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen and risk of adhd.  Pediatrics, 140(5), 1-11. Ystrom, E., Gustavson, K., Brandlistuen, R. E., Knudsen, G. P., Magnus, P., Susser, E., et al.  (2017).

Stay tuned for more reading materials in the future:

We hope that you find articles like these ones as informative and educational as we have, and can make use of the information provided in them. At the very least, maybe you learned something new and exciting, like we did.