Find a long list of speech and language services from the CISSS de l’Outaouais and Western Quebec School Board to community resources and online tools and information on bilingualism and more.
Referral Services through Info-santé/Info-social
Info-Santé is a free service available 24/7 to answer any questions regarding your physical health or that of a family member. You will be connected to a nurse who will give you advice and who can direct you to the proper service (such as a medical clinic or hospital emergency ward). Info-social complements Info-Santé by connecting you to a qualified social worker 24/7. By calling 8-1-1, you can consult a social worker who will evaluate the situation and direct you to the appropriate psychosocial service.
By calling 8-1-1, option #2, you will be forwarded to the appropriate program to determine if your child meets eligibility criteria:
- Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais – Speech Therapy 1-5 Years
- Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais – Children Aged 0 to 18 with an Intellectual Disability (ID) or an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais – Physical Disability
Services through the School Boards
- Western Quebec School Board – Complementary Services Department
- Handbook for Parents of Children with Special Needs from the Québec Federation of Parents’ Committees (QFPC)
- PowerPoint Presentation on the IEP (Adaptive vs Modified defined) by the WQSB Complementary Services Department – SEAC April 2018
- Commission scolaire des Portages de l’Outaouais – Orthophonie (French information)
- Commission scolaire des Hauts-Bois-de-l’Outaouais – Orthophonie (French information)
Other Services in the Community (Private)
- Ordre des Orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec Geo-Specific Database
- Association Québécoise des troubles d’apprentissages – Liste des orthopédagogues et tuteurs
- First Words Preschool Speech and Language (Ottawa, Ontario) – Speech-Language Pathologists in Private Practice
***If you are Accessing private services and have insurance or benefits coverage through your employer (or spouse), it is important to:
- Ask the insurance company if you need a Doctor’s referral to ensure coverage
- Ask the insurance if there is a limit to the number of hours or dollars covered
- If the clinic you choose is in Ontario, ask the insurance company if it is covered.
Information on Bilingualism/Multilingualism
- 6 Potential Brain Benefits Of Bilingual Education (Online Article, Anya Kamenetz)
- A Short Guide to Raising Children Bilingually (Online Guide, McGill University)
- Helping Children Learn English as a Second Language (Online Article, Hanen Centre)
- Can children with language impairments learn two languages? (Online Article, Hanen Centre)
- Bilingualism in Young Children: Separating Fact from Fiction (Online Article, Hanen Centre)
- BOTTE – BOOT: Bilingualism in Ontario: Communication DisOrders and Typical Development
- The Hola Blog offers bilingual language development resources from a bilingual speech language pathologist
- Myth vs Fact: Bilingual Language Development (Visual from the Hola Blog)
- 20 Things to Know about Raising your Bilingual Child (Artile by Chantal Mayer-Crittenden)
Articles, Websites and Books on Speech and Language
- Websites:
- The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) offers a wide range of resources on speech and language development, including fun articles with Tips on Playing with a Newborn and Learning to Talk One Word at a Time.
- The Hanen Centre offers numerous articles, tips, books geared towards parents on a wide range of language-related topics including speech & language delays, autism, literacy, etc.
- Mommy Speech Therapy offers helpful speech tips and techniques to help your child speak clearly, as well as free downloads. Her article, The Process of Articulation Therapy, offers great information on articulation therapy, as well as a helpful visual.
- Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) offers tons of information sheets on various speech and audiology delays/disorders and other interesting resources, as well as a fun Kid’s Hub with activity and colouring sheets.
- Nobody’s Perfect is a parenting program offered in communities by facilitators to help support parents and young children. At Nobody’s Perfect sessions, you can learn about your child’s feelings, behaviours, body, and safety as well as sharing what it is like to be a parent.
- Articles:
- Information for Families: Helping Children Who have Word Retrieval Difficulties by Caroline Bowen.
- What is dyspraxia? offers some great information about dyspraxia including a great visual.
- Books (Amazon link provided, but these books can be found at most libraries or ordered/purchased at any bookstore):
- More than Words by Fern Sussman: This guidebook provides a step-by-step guide for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other social communication difficulties. Presented in a user friendly format, the books research-based strategies show parents how to turn everyday activities with their child into opportunities for interaction and communication.
- It Takes Two to Talk by
- Talkability: People Skills for Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum; A Guide for Parent by Fern Sussman: This Hanen Centre guidebook gives parents and professionals tools and practical strategies to support young children aged 3-7 with Asperger syndrome, mild autism or social difficulties face special communication challenges.
- Amazingly… Alphie!: Understanding and Accepting Different Ways of Being by A great book to share with a child with a speech or language delay or disorder. Alphie the computer feels like a loser because he is programmed differently from the others and does not follow instructions the same way, until a technician named Chris comes along who understands that Alphie just works differently.
- Visuals:
Tech Support for Literacy
What to look for in Apps and programs:
Activities that build foundation of literacy through phonological awareness (sound awareness)
- Rhyming
- Dividing syllables
- Playing with syllable or sound order
Some suggested Apps or programs from speech-language pathologists who work with school-age children:
- Hearbuilder
- Accessible Literacy Learning (ALL)
- Google Read&Write (to help students hear and write text)
- WordUp! App
- Spelling City (Website and App)
- Nessy (Videos, Worksheets and Games; help for children with dyslexia)
Other Tech Support Apps include:
Articles about Tech Tools and Using Technology:
- Technology Corner: Building Early Language and Literacy in a Tech-Driven World
- E-Book or Paper Book: “What’s Best for Young Children?”
- Recommendations about Media Use from the American Academy of Pediatrics
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs
- Helping Young Readers in a Digital World
Fun & Educational Games & Learning Tools on Pinterest
- Fun Games to Increase Fluency and Vocabulary on Pinterest
- Fun Games to Develop Fine Motor Skills on Pinterest
- Free Visual and Task Cards on Pinterest
Literacy-Based Materials, Toys & Equipment
- SuperDuper Publications and Materials offers a wide variety of products and materials for language and motor skills.
- Do2Learning provides thousands of free pages with social skills and behavioral regulation activities and guidance, learning songs and games, communication cards, academic material, and transition guides for employment and life skills.
- Kidzclub.com offers thousands of free teaching resources to target reading, writing, vocabulary, stories, crafts and more!
- Teachers Pay Teachers offers a wide range of materials for language, reading, writing articulation, etc. You can search by age, grade and free.
- BB.ca offers a slew of toys and games. There are also materials and resources under the Special Needs drop-down of their Website.
- A l’échelle du monde is located in Gatineau and has supplies/materials for children with special needs, as well as tons of amazing toys and craft supplies. Their Website is French-only, but it’s awesome to find such a HUGE store filled with high quality toys within the Outaouais area.
- Special Needs Toys offers a full-range of visual, auditory, cognitive and motor toys and more.
- Fat Brain Toys provides a comprehensive listing of toys appropriate for specific disabilities. Caregivers of individuals with special needs can browse through the site and purchase developmentally appropriate toys, games and tools.
- Different Roads to Learning carries over 500 products carefully selected to support the Autism Community. You’ll find everything from basic flashcards, books and timers to advanced social skills tools to support you at every step.
- From over-sized building blocks and bungee jumpers to snapwall playsets and sand and water activity tables, eSpecial Needs offers a variety of appealing active play toys for children with special needs, including autism.
- Fun and Function designs sensory toys and therapy equipment for individuals with special needs to help children learn adaptive responses for what they may lack or crave.
- PlayAbility Toys designs and develops toys for children with special needs. Toys are geared towards children on the Autism Spectrum, individuals who are blind & visually Impaired, cognitive challenges, hearing impaired, physical challenges, speech delay and more.
- Special Needs Toys offers a wide range of special needs toys, from mobile Multi-Sensory, to Swings, Trampolines and other Sensory Integration kits, Switches, rewards and small Sensory toys.
- Lakeshore Learning does not have a special needs toy section, however a number of their products are perfect for children with special needs. The store is dedicated to creating innovative educational materials that spark young imaginations, instill a sense of wonder and foster a lifelong love of learning. Although not specifically targeted towards children with special needs, a number of their products can be very useful for children with special needs. As well, they offer tons of free resources.
Respite Services & Funding
- The Local Community Service Centre (CLSC)offers various family support services under their Respite-Sitter Program where an amount of money is given annually to eligible families to help alleviate the cost of respite services.
- Founded in 1999, the Lighthouse, Children and Families contributes to the well-being of children whose lives are threatened by illnesses that require complex treatment, in order to support and guide their families.
- The CRFO offers low-cost respite services for families and groups in the Outaouais. Though the Website is in French-only, the services are bilingual.
Online Tutoring & Tools (incl. French second language)
Tutoring Services
- School Success (Gatineau)
- Oxford Learning (Ottawa)
A special thank you to Christine Kelm, M.SC.S, Speech-Language Pathologist at the CISSS de l’Outaouais, for helping us gather the many resources in this Online Directory on Speech & Language.
