Due to the COVID-19 pandemin, our Parent Chat get-togethers are cancelled, but you can still connect with us on our Connexions Facebook page daily for our daily Livestreams with special guests.  You can also join us on our Parent Chat Facebook Discussion Page to chat with parents and share resources.

The following are some of the resources shared during our past events.

January Parent Chat Resources

We would like to thank our parents for joining us for our January Parent Chat get-together.  The event was very different this time-around as we organized a “Watch Party” of sorts where parents watched a CADDAC Webinar with presenter Dr. Smith, Ph.D. in Child Clinical and School Psychology and registered psychologist in Toronto, who spoke about self regulation and ADHD. 

Dr. Smith provided information about self-regulation, including the factors that influence it, and practical strategies to help those who struggle with it.  Some of the strategies discussed included:

• Keeping in mind that the different demands might exceed your child or teen’s coping skills (i.e., environment is too stimulating or not stimulating enough, etc.)
• Co-regulation is important to first support your child as they develop their own independent self-regulation and coping skills. Co-regulation occurs when an adult uses cues from a child to determine what they need to re-regulate.  This can be a long-term process for children, especially with children who have ADHD.
• Working with your child to figure out what helps them self-regulate by teaching them and practicing new self-regulation skills, making it part of their routine and ensuring the “activities” are age-appropriate.
• Reconceptualising the “behaviour” problem, look at it from a different angle, and provide as much co-regulation as required, whether it’s eliminating any unnecessary stressors, adapting your behaviour (i.e. using a softer voice, changing your words or demands), and modifying the environment (i.e., adjust the lighting, reduce nuisance noise, provide a safe space for soothing, provide materials that self-regulate).
• Creating a Distress Tolerance Box filled with items that your child or teen find soothing.  We’ve come up with a few tools you might find helpful for your child:
  • Paper Fidget Toys that help children Cope with stressful situations: Instructions to make fidget tools with your child, Spinning Fidget Template, I Can Cool Off Flower, Fortune-Teller Finger Game, Fidget Copter Template.
  • List of Different Coping Strategies to give you inspiration and to help fill-out some of the Templates above.
  • Mental Health Activity Cards for Children (child can also colour these- great for quiet time!).
  • A list of What to Include in a Calm Down Kit for Kids.
  • Mental Health Activity Cards for Youth;
  • Mental Health Cards with Words of Empowerment and Mandala Colouring, Version 1 and Version 2;
  • Mental Health Resource Cards that include a list of resources (crisis resources, etc.), as well as important contact information;
  • A Mood Tracker;
• Dr. Smith’s PowerPoint Presentation
• YouTube Video on Why Practicing Can Help with Emotional Regulation

Some of the resources shared:

• Smiling Mind App for Meditations for children and their families
• What’s Up? APP, developed by Jackson Tempra, is a free app that utilizes CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) methods to help users cope with depression, anxiety, anger, stress, self-esteem and more. 
• STOP, BREATHE & THINK APP for Kids to help them discover their superpowers of quiet, focus and peacefulness.
• STOP, BREATHE & THINK APP for Teens to help them tune-in to their feelings.
• Booster Buddy is a free app designed to help teens and young adults improve their mental health.
• Stuart Shanker’s Self‐Regulation Resources
• Ross Greene’s Collaborative Problem‐Solving resources
• Zones of Regulation
• MindUp program
• Smiling Mind. This app has great body scan meditations to help children develop the awareness of what’s happening in their bodies. Learning about what’s happening in your body is one of the first steps of an authentic mindfulness practice.
• Headspace (for Kids). This app teaches parents and children together about meditation for different age levels. They focus on Calm, Kindness, and Bedtime.
• Calm. This app provides mindfulness and sleep stories for children of varying ages. Several parents I know use the app to help their children relax, and restore themselves after a full day of running around.
• Three Good Things: A Happiness Journal. This app is simple and easy-to-use, helping children focus on the positive and recognizing what went well today. (Ages 6 and up.) Every child gets to list three things daily that went well, which begins to train their mind to look for things to appreciate and begin a gratitude practice. 
• Insight Timer. This app is free with meditations for parents and children. They focus on relaxation, managing stress, concentration, and sleep, as examples.

November Parent Chat Resources

We had a great get-together in November with our special guest Meghan Prouse, M.O.T., O.T.R. (Qc), O.T.Reg. (Ont), Occupational Therapist at Elements OT. 

Meghan spent the evening speaking to us about self-regulation and Sensory Processing Disorder.  A huge thank you to Meghan for joining us!  Meghan is not taking on new clients- but she might be able to refer you to one of her colleagues.  You can contact her directly by email .

Resources Shared by Meghan:

• PowerPoint Presentation on Sensory Processing Disorder & Self-Regulation
• Sensory Motor Checklist

October Parent Chat Resources

A thank you to our parents for joining us for our October Parent Chat.  And a HUGE thank you to Lori D’Aoust, a registered yoga instructor and doula from Doula Yogi Lori, who lead us in a deeply-soothing and meditative, relaxing and restorative yoga workshop!  We always look forward to welcoming Lori to our Parent Chat as we always leave so refreshed!!

Here are a few of the resources shared:

• Yoga cards from http://www.littlefeetyoga.com/tools_resources.html.  These parent/child yoga cards include different yoga moves with descriptions, as well as some creative and imaginative yoga art created by kids within the region.  For more information about these, please contact Lori directly at .
• List of Books for Children about Mindfullness
• List of Books for Children about Why Am I Different?

September Parent Chat Resources – Equine-Assisted Therapy with Arianne Dulac

A huge thank you to our parents for joining us on Tuesday, September 24 and for helping us welcome our special guest Arianne Dulac, Therapeutic Riding Instructor at Centre équestre Foulées d’espoir  and Nurse Clinician at Pierre Janet Hospital.   And a huge thank you to Arianne who was so kind to join us, talk to us about her Centre and experience with equine-assisted therapy, and answering all of our questions.

Arianne is co-proprietor of the Centre équestre Foulées d’espoir (located in Gatineau) with her best friend and colleague Catherine Clément. Arianne is a certified Canadian Therapeutic Riding Basic Instructor since 2017. She also graduated with an Attestation of College Studies in Équitation thérapeutique du CEGEP de Sorel-Tracy the same year. Their therapeutic program has been running since June 2018, and since then, they have welcomed numerous students weekly. Arianne also works as a nurse clinician at the Pierre Janet Hospital in the 0-17 program (approximately 2 years).

Arianne spoke to us about the benefits of equine-assisted therapy, and how it could help children, youth and adults with special needs develop their motor, social, emotional and physical skills.  To help her students develop these skills, Arianne offers a number of organized games and activities done while riding, as well as therapeutic vaulting, grooming horses, painting horses and more.  A certified Canadian Therapeutic Riding Basic Instructor since 2017, Arianne noted that her background as a nurse practitioner at Pierre Janet (where she currently works) has been especially important in her work at the Centre.  At present, Arianne offers equine-assisted therapy on a one-on-one basis, as well as for small groups (from various organizations).  

Here are a few of the resources shared:

• Information Pamphlet about the Centre équestre Foulées d’espoir.
• Randomized Controlled Trial of Therapeutic Horseback Riding in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Study that evaluates the effectiveness of therapeutic horseback riding (THR) on self-regulation, socialization, communication, adaptive, and motor behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Therapeutic Horseback Riding as therapy for autistic children: General overview of how equine-assisted therapy can help children with austism.
• The Effectiveness of Simulated Developmental Horse-Riding Program in Children With Autism: Study on the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy with children with autism.
• Therapeutic Horseback Riding: General overview of equine-assisted therapy and the benefits.
• CanTRA: The Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association offers tons of information on equine-assisted therapy.
• Series of articles about equine-assisted therapy written by Arianne Dulac (French only): Qu’est-ce l’équitation thérapeutique, Qu’elle est la clientèle visée par l’équitation thérapeutique?  Quels sont les bienfaits de l’équitation thérapeutique?  Qu’est-ce que la voltige thérapeutique? Qu’est-ce qu l’hippothérapie?

April Parent Chat Resources

A thank you to our parents for joining us on April 2nd.  And a HUGE thank you to Lori D’Aoust, a registered yoga instructor and doula from Doula Yogi Lori, who lead us in a deeply-soothing and meditative, relaxing and restorative yoga workshop!

Here are a few of the resources shared:

• Yoga cards from http://www.littlefeetyoga.com/tools_resources.html.  These parent/child yoga cards include different yoga moves with descriptions, as well as some creative and imaginative yoga art created by kids within the region.  For more information about these, please contact Lori directly at .
• List of Books for Children about Mindfullness
• List of Books for Children about Why Am I Different?

January Parent Chat Resources

We had a great get-together in January with our special guest Meghan Prouse, M.O.T., O.T.R. (Qc), O.T.Reg. (Ont), Occupational Therapist at Elements OT. 

Meghan spent the evening speaking to us about her private practice, answering parent questions, as well as sharing some techniques and strategies to help us work with our children on executive functioning skills (memory, attention, etc.), social skills, self-care, fine motor skills, writing and more. 

Some of the fun games mentioned included: Guess Who?, Operation, Light Bright, Monkey’s in a Barrel, Perfection, Tricky Fingers, Jenga, Spot It!, Twister, Trouble, Clac Clac, Darts, Squigz, Clothes Pins, Paint in a ziploc with plastic numbers / alphabet, etc. (Find a list of local and online toy stores below; April Parent Chat Resources).

A huge thank you to Meghan for joining us!  Meghan is currently taking new clients residing in the Ottawa-Outaouais area. You can contact her directly by email .

Resources Shared by Meghan:

• PowerPoint Presentation by Meghan Prouse (includes information about her private practice)
• To Write or Type: That is the Question!
• Executive Functions
• Visual Perception: An Introduction
• What you Need to Know About Children & Youth with Sensory Processing Issues
• A Parents Guide to Screen Time
• Head Outdoors to Improve Attention Span
• The Importance of Integrating Reflexes
• Great Activities to Strengthen Fine Motor Skills
• Executive Function Activities for 7 to 12 Year Olds
• Executive Function Activities for 5 to 7 Year Olds
• Executive Functions for 3 to 5 Year Olds

Books of Interest Shared by Meghan:

• When my Worries Get Too Big: A Relaxation Book for Children who Live with Anxiety, by Kari D. Buron(Author), Brenda Smith Myles (Foreword)
• What Do You Do When You Worry Too Much, by Dawn Huebner (Author), Bonnie Matthews (Illustrator)
• Why Do I Have To?: A Book for Children Who Find Themselves Frustrated by Everyday Rules, by Laurie Leventhal-Belfer and Luisa Montaini-Klovdahl
• Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at School: Educating Students with NLD, Asperger Syndrome and Related Conditions, by Pamela Tanguay
• Helping a Child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Asperger’s Disorder: A Parent’s Guide, by Kathryn Stewart
• Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children, by Angela J. Hanscom and Richard Louv
• The Potty Journey: Guide to Toilet Training Children with Special Needs, Including Autism and Related Disorders, by Judith A. Coucouvanis
• Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential, by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare
• Calm, Alert and Learning: Classroom Strategies for Self-Regulation, by Stuart Shanker
• Bloom: 50 Things to Say, Think, and Do with Anxious, Angry, and Over-the-Top Kids, by Lynne Kenney and Wendy Young
• Explosive Child, The: A New Approach For Understanding And Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children, by Ross W. Greene PhD
• Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Processing Issues, by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske
• The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder (The Out-of-Sync Child Series), by Carol Kranowitz and Lucy Jane Miller

November Parent Chat Resources

Mental Health First-Aid Kit Resources for Children:

• Paper Fidget Toys that help children Cope with stressful situations: Instructions to make fidget tools with your child,  Spinning Fidget Template, I Can Cool Off Flower, Fortune-Teller Finger Game, Fidget Copter Template.
• List of Different Coping Strategies to give you inspiration and to help fill-out some of the Templates above.
• Mental Health Activity Cards for Children (child can also colour these- great for quiet time!)
• A Mood Tracker,
• I am Grateful for… Activity Page to write down what you are grateful for.  Great activity to share with your child.
• A list of signs of caregiver burnout, as well as contact information on where to find legal, health and mental health supports in the Outaouais (for parents who need support).
• A list of What to Include in a Calm Down Kit for Kids.

Mental Health First-Aid Kit Resources for Youth:

• • Mental Health Activity Cards for Youth (and also adults), Mental Health Cards with Words of Empowerment and Mandala Colouring (also for adults)
  • A Mood Tracker,
  • Mental Health Resource Cards that include a list of resources (crisis resources, etc.), as well as important contact information on where to find legal, health and mental health supports in the Outaouais.
  • Paper Fidget Toys that some youth might find fun and helpful when trying to cope with stressful situations: Instructions to make fidget tools with your youth,  Spinning Fidget Template, I Can Cool Off Flower, Fortune-Teller Finger Game, Fidget Copter Template.
  • List of Different Coping Strategies to give you inspiration and to help fill-out some of the Templates above.
  • I am Grateful for… Activity Page to write down what you are grateful for.  Great activity to share with your child.
  • A list of What to Include in a Calm Down Kit

Resources shared by parents:

• Girls on the Spectrum Ottawa (Facebook Group)
• Special Olympics Outaouais Group Website and Special Olympics Outaouais Group Facebook Group (Offer tons of activities and camps)
• Tourist and Leisure Companion Sticker gives free access to the companions of people aged 12 and older with a permanent disability.
• Adapted Baseball for kids/youth (Video with information) Free every Sunday at the Branchaud-Brière Complex.
• Gatineau Scouts Website
• Uni-Gym Chameleons Gymnastic Group: The objective of the chameleons is to introduce gymnastics to children that have an ASD or an intellectual deficiency. This initiation will allow the athletes to evolve at their rhythm, according to their strengths and skills. For schooled and adolescents, the presence of a tutor is mandatory in the gym, it will be at your discretion to participate more or less with the class.  Age: 3 to 21 years old, 1 accompanying adult mandatory.  Schedule: Friday, 5 to 7 p.m. from September 21st to November 30th.  Cost: $12 per child (1 accompanying parent free). Questions? 819-778-3879, .
• Canadian Down Syndrome Society
• APICO for families who have a child/youth with an intellectual disability (offers various camps and Saturday Craft Activities)
• Camp le Semeur (summer camp and after school/evening activities)
• Access2 Card program helps to ensure that entertainment, cultural and recreational opportunities are more available and accessible to all. Managed and administered by Easter Seals Canada.
• Gold Centre Learning offers a free online training series for parents of children with an ASD.
• Éducaloi: Offers tons of legal information including Caregivers: Practical Legal Tools,  A Tenant’s Right to Cancel a Lease, Protective Supervision for Vulnerable People, etc

• Office des personnes handicapées du Québec: Accueil OPHQ

November Parent Chat Resources

During our chat, we put together our very own Mental Health First-Aid Kit, which included a Connexions star-shaped stress toy and a deck of the following support cards:

• A Mood Tracker,
• Words of empowerment, List A and List B
• A list of signs of caregiver burnout, as well as contact information on where to find legal, health and mental health supports in the Outaouais.
• A List of what to Include in your Individual Mental Health First-Aid Kit.

May Parent Chat Resources

with Special Guest,  Christine Kelm, M.SC.S, Speech-Language Pathologist at the CISSS de l’Outaouais.

There were so many resources shared during this May Parent Chat get-together that we urge you to visit the full list of resources shared at:

Accessing Speech & Language Services & Resources in the Outaouais Region

April Parent Chat Resources:

Miscellaneous:

• All About Me: One-Page printable to create a story of your child to share with teachers, etc.
• Western Quebec School Board: Understanding the IEP
• The Autism Reality Experience is designed to give participants a virtual experience of living with autism. This is a very practical, hands on experience that gives participants a greater insight into autism and helps us see the world from an autistic person’s perspective. 
• TouchTown App is a basic software based treatment and education program that targets students who are developmentally 2 to 12 years old. With a combination of computer lessons and off-computer generalization lessons, the program addresses language learning, communication skills and emotional development.
• The Office des personnes handicappé Québec (OPHQ) ensures compliance with the principles and rules set out in An Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration. It advocates for persons with disabilities and their families, provides them with information and advice, and represents them, both individually and collectively.

Materials, Toys & Equipment:

• KiwiCo offers STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) hands-on projects delivered monthly.
• 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.

Fun & Educational Games & Learning Tools:

• Fun Games for Math Abstract Concepts
• Fun Games to Increase Fluency and Vocabulary on Pinterest 
• Fun Games to Develop Fine Motor Skills
• Free Visual and Task Cards

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.

Online Tutoring & Tools (incl. French second language)

• LEARN Quebec
• Accent Québec
• Canadian Parents for French Québec

Tutoring Services:

• Oxford Learning (Ottawa)

March Parent Chat Resources:

With special guest, Bonnie Baxter, registered dietitian

• Tips for Healthy Eating, by Bonnie Baxter
• Picky eaters? Here’s how to get your kids to eat like the French
• Get Enough is full of healthy recipes, as well as a Get Enough Helper App that can help you keep track of what you eat to ensure you get enough of what you eat.
• Cru Cru’s Fantastic Healthy Feast, which includes very cute and imaginative snacks made in different animal forms, etc.
• A Practical and User-Friendly Guide to Breakfasts + Snacks + Lunches
• Heart-Health Guide for your Family
• Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide

• Build a Healthy Meal: Use the Eat Well Plate (interactive)

February Parent Chat Resources:

With special guest, Lori D’Aoust, Registered Yoga Instructor

• If you’d like to learn more about Lori, make sure to visit her Website at: https://doulayogilori.wordpress.com/
• Yoga cards from http://www.littlefeetyoga.com/tools_resources.html.  These parent/child yoga cards include different yoga moves with descriptions, as well as some creative and imaginative yoga art created by kids within the region.  For more information about these, please contact Lori directly at .
• List of Books for Children about Mindfullness
• List of Books for Children about Why Am I Different?

January Parent Chat Resources (Intro Get-Together):

• • Handwriting Exercises for Kids Print-out
  • Handwriting Checklist Print-Out

• • Special Stories: With Special Stories you can easily create your own stories, visual schedules and wonderful memories, with your own text, images and sound.  An invaluable app for visual learners, to promote language acquisition, word, picture and sound recognition, speech and sight-reading. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/special-stories/id478550473?mt=8 (Apple Store),  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.specialiapps.specialstories (Google Play)

• • Kickstart Program/QuickStart:  Early Intervention for Autism is a charitable organization whose mission is to assist children with autism in reaching their full potential by helping the children obtain early intervention, at the first signs of autism.  QuickStart raises awareness and initiates programs to cut wait-times, build capacity, and promote improvements in early identification and intervention.   https://www.quickstartautism.ca/

• • Emerging Minds:  Offers an interdisciplinary team with a focus on helping children, adolescents, adults and families with autism and other neurodevelopmental challenges.  They offer a variety of services and supports including: Diagnostic, Psychological, Psychoeducational and Interdisciplinary Assessments; Behavioural Intervention (Comprehensive Intervention Program and Parent Partnership Intervention Program) and KickStart Intervention Program in partnership with the charity Quickstart Autism; Behavioural Consultation; Speech Therapy; Occupational Therapy; Services for Teens and Adults; Parent Coaching.   http://emergingminds.ca/

• • Trait D’Union:  TUOI (Trait d’Union Outaouais) is a non-profit organization founded over 25 years ago in the Outaouais region. We provide services to autistic individuals from the region and encourage integration in the community. Our services also address the needs of families of autistic individuals.    http://traitdunionoutaouais.com/en/services-en/services-for-families/

• • Dragonfly Program:   DragonFly® is a programme of The School of Dance devoted to learners with Down syndrome. In a carefully designed environment, students use their individual strengths to learn; one day they may be developing math concepts through dance, on another building their understanding of literature through dance, drama, puppetry and story-telling.  Our innovative programmes are the result many years of careful programme development. The result is our growing expertise of best practices in educating learners with Down syndrome.  DragonFly is delivered in English and French in The School of Dance, New Edinburgh Campus.  http://www.dragonflydownsyndrome.com/

• • HUION Tablet: Offers graphic tablets, pen tablet monitors, tracing boards and accessories.  This is just one example of drawing software that connects to drawing/graphic software like Photoshop. https://www.huiontablet.com/

• Ants Canada:  This an organization promoting the pet ant keeping hobby, myrmecology, ecology, and habitat conservation. Its aim is to make pet ant keeping simple and enjoyable and thereby promote ant awareness and inspire conservation.  They offer amazing ant farms, information on how to start an ant farm, and even has an ant nursery project where ant “farmers” can sell their ant queens for those who are starting a new farm. http://www.antscanada.com/

PLEASE NOTE:  The information and resources provided on this website are provided as general information and not intended as a substitute for health care advice, or to provide specific legal advice for any individual and should not be relied upon in that regard.  If you need emergency medical care or are in crisis, please call 911 immediately.  If you need health care on a non-urgent basis, please consult with your doctor or, call Info Santé/Info Social at 811.  While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and veracity of the information on this website, Connexions Resource Centre is not responsible in any way for damages arising out of the use of this website. And, although Connexions Resource Centre relies on reputable sources and believes the information posted on the website is correct, and attempts to keep the information current, Connexions Resource Centre does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information.