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In this webinar, Dr. Anagnostou will be discussing with families a new understanding of the many ways that genes affect our brains, and our brains affect our behavior and thinking skills. We will explore how our genes and brain contribute to Autism, as well as contribute to many co-occurring neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions such as anxiety and ADHD. 

Understanding how our genes, our brains, our thoughts, and our behaviour are all interconnected will influence how we think about interventions, and how such understandings affect stakeholder priorities.

This webinar is appropriate for families and caregivers of autistic children, as well as professionals working with autistic children.

Speaker: Evdokia Anagnostou

Evdokia Anagnostou is a Child Neurologist and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto and Assistant Director of Holland Bloorview’s Research Institute. As a Senior Clinician Scientist, she co-leads the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Holland Bloorview and the University of Toronto. She holds a Canada Research Chair in translational therapeutics in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the Dr. Stuart D. Sims Chair in Autism at Holland Bloorview.

Dr. Anagnostou has received extensive international funding to understand the underlying biological differences associated with ASD and other neurodevelopmental differences, translate such understandings into potential novel interventions. She also has funding in health system innovation, stakeholder engagement, and in understanding the meaning and impact of ASD in marginalized populations. She serves on multiple government committees on improving diagnostic and intervention pathways, and several editorial boards and grant review panels.

She has also been recognized for her contributions to training young clinicians and scientists and for her commitment to women in STEM. She currently represents the region of America –North on the INSAR Global Senior Leaders committee.

Disclaimer: Opinions reflected in this webinar are those of the speaker(s) and presenter(s), and do not necessarily reflect Autism Ontario’s views. Please note Autism Ontario does not endorse any specific therapy, product, treatment, strategy, opinions, service, or individual. We do, however, endorse your right to information. Autism Ontario strongly believes that it is important to do your own research and make your own informed decisions. 

As we approach the holidays and school winter break, you may be decking the halls, lighting the Menorah, or building a snowman. You may also be wondering: “how can I encourage my child to take a well-needed break from school or therapy, without losing the momentum and structure of daily routines?” 

Join Bethany Brewin (Occupational Therapist, M.Sc. O.T.) and Danielle Nolan (Social Worker, MSW RSW) for a winter-themed webinar that aims to support caregivers in continuing to build skills across a variety of areas, while having fun as a family and enjoying all the season has to offer. 

Bethany and Danielle will provide information on 5 different activities that you can do at home during the holidays, with minimal supplies or preparation. The activities will highlight 5 skill areas: fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory skills, calming/mindfulness skills, and socio-emotional skills. This webinar is appropriate for children of all ages. 

We hope these activity recommendations give you some ideas of where to start when looking for fun activities to try with your family. 

Share your feedback by sending us photos and videos of your family in action to:  submissions@autismontario.com

Speaker Information: 

 Danielle Nolan, MSW, RSW

 Danielle is the Social Worker on Autism Ontario’s newly formed, Subject Matter Expert team. She lives in the East Region and has a particular interest in supporting rural populations. She completed her Master of Social Work designation at the University of  Toronto, where she gained practicum experience at the Hospital for Sick Children. Over the past 7 years, Danielle has worked in child welfare and children’s treatment. Most recently, Danielle was the social worker in an Autism Hub. She provided brief- and ongoing emotional and instrumental support to children with ASD and their families.

Bethany Brewin, M.Sc.O.T. 

Bethany is an experienced occupational therapist living in Simcoe County. She attended the University of Toronto for her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. She has worked with children, youth, and families across Canada, as well as providing consultation services to childcare settings, schools, and community organizations. Bethany has presented on a variety of topics over the years, from fine motor skills to the impact of screen time on early childhood development. She is particularly passionate about connecting with the world around us through mindfulness: engaging our senses to connect with our surroundings. Bethany is part of Autism Ontario's "Subject Matter Expert" team.

Disclaimer: Opinions reflected in this webinar are those of the speaker(s) and presenter(s), and do not necessarily reflect Autism Ontario’s views. Please note Autism Ontario does not endorse any specific therapy, product, treatment, strategy, opinions, service, or individual. We do, however, endorse your right to information. Autism Ontario strongly believes that it is important to do your own research and make your own informed decisions.

À l'approche des Fêtes et des vacances d’hiver, vous êtes peut-être en train de décorer la maison, d'allumer la menora ou de construire un bonhomme de neige. Il se peut aussi que vous vous demandiez « Comment encourager mon enfant à prendre une pause bien méritée de l'école ou de la thérapie, sans briser l’élan et la structure des routines quotidiennes? ». Bethany Brewin (ergothérapeute, M.Sc. en ergothérapie) et Danielle Nolan (travailleuse sociale inscrite, maîtrise en travail social) offrent un webinaire sur le thème de l'hiver, qui a pour but d’aider les aidants à continuer de développer des compétences dans divers domaines tout en permettant à la famille de s’amuser et de profiter de tout ce que l’hiver peut nous offrir. Bethany et Danielle vous proposeront cinq activités différentes qu’on peut faire à la maison pendant les vacances avec un minimum de matériel ou de préparation. Les activités privilégient cinq types d’habiletés : motricité fine, motricité globale, habiletés sensorielles, habiletés d’apaisement et de pleine conscience, et habiletés socio-émotionnelles. Ce webinaire convient aux enfants de tous âges. 

Nous espérons que ces recommandations vous donneront quelques pistes d’activités amusantes à essayer avec votre famille. Faites-nous part de vos commentaires en nous envoyant des photos et des vidéos de votre famille en action, à l'adresse suivante : submissions@autismontario.com. 

Biographie des conférenciers :

 Danielle Nolan, MSW, travailleuse sociale inscrite

Danielle est la travailleuse sociale de la nouvelle équipe d’experts en la matière d’Autisme Ontario. Elle habite la région de l’Est et s’intéresse particulièrement au soutien des populations rurales. Elle a obtenu sa maîtrise en travail social à l’Université de Toronto, et fait un stage pratique au Hospital for Sick Children. Au cours des sept dernières années, Danielle a travaillé dans le domaine de la protection de l’enfance et du traitement des enfants. Plus récemment, elle était travailleuse sociale dans un centre pour l’autisme. Elle a fourni un soutien émotionnel et instrumental, tant bref que continu, à des enfants autistes et à leurs familles

Bethany Brewin M.Sc. en ergothérapie

Bethany est une ergothérapeute chevronnée qui habite le comté de Simcoe. Après avoir a obtenu sa maîtrise en sciences (ergothérapie) à l’Université de Toronto, elle a travaillé auprès d’enfants, d’adolescents et de familles un peu partout au Canada, en plus de fournir des services-conseils à des garderies, des écoles et des organismes communautaires. Au fil des ans, Bethany a présenté des conférences sur divers sujets, allant de la motricité fine à l’impact du temps d’écran sur le développement des jeunes enfants. Elle s’intéresse avec passion à l’importance de s’ancrer dans le monde par la pleine conscience : mobiliser nos sens pour se connecter à notre environnement. Bethany fait partie de l’équipe d’« experts en la matière » d’Autisme Ontario.

Déni de responsabilité : Les opinions exprimées dans ce webinaire sont celles des conférenciers et des présentateurs et ne reflètent pas nécessairement les points de vue d’Autisme Ontario. Prenez note qu'Autisme Ontario ne donne son appui à aucun produit, thérapie, traitement, stratégie, opinion, service ou individu en particulier. Nous appuyons cependant votre droit à l'information. À nos yeux, il est très important que vous fassiez vos propres recherches afin de prendre vous-même des décisions éclairées. 

Caregiving can be a uniquely rewarding experience, while at the same time mentally and physically exhausting. Without proper support, it can take a toll on your health and your psyche. This series of four short webinars will cover key skills such as self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion and assertive communication that you can use to better support yourself through the day-to-day challenges that arise in caregiving. 

Session 1 - Caregiver Burnout: Where Do We Go From Here 

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and caregivers have been left to cope with a whole host of novel challenges when they have already been stretched thin. This workshop will talk about what burnout is and help caregivers identify what it looks like for them. We will also provide tips on preventing burnout as well as resources for seeking support. 

Additional Sessions:

Session 2 – No Time Like the Present: Being Mindful Amidst the Chaos 

Session 3 - Cultivating Compassion: Nurturing the Inner Caregiver 

Session 4 – Assertive Communication: A Balancing Act 

Speaker: Dr. Sivapalan

A family doctor by profession, Dr. Sivapalan believes in the potential for change to the current diagnostic landscape for children with Autism. After six years of a busy and fruitful family practice, Dr. Sivapalan left his practice to help facilitate this change. With an interest in child development, Dr. Sivapalan has worked collaboratively with multiple stakeholders to design the M-DOC, a unique developmental screening initiative whose goal was to increase access to diagnosis and intervention support for newcomer communities. In addition, Dr. Sivapalan helped develop the CARES initiative, which employed a task-shifting model to provide mental health support for caregivers and siblings of children with autism. As a social doer, Dr. Sivapalan has initiated and managed various social impact projects both at the local and global level. Most recently, Dr. Sivapalan became the chief operating officer for “The Dunya Project”, a Canadian agri-tech start-up that is building a connected, climate-controlled modular hydroponic habitat to alleviate the devastating gap in access to affordable foods irrespective of climate conditions. 

Speaker: Kiruthiha Vimalakanthan

Kiruthiha Vimalakanthan, MA, is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of Waterloo. She is currently completing her pre-doctoral residency at Surrey Place. Driven by her passion to improve access to mental health supports in diverse communities, Kiruthiha has consulted on various projects at the South Asian Autism Awareness Centre (SAAAC). Kiruthiha’s primary role at SAAAC is the development and supervision of the CARES initiative, which employs a task-shifting peer-based model to provide mental health support for caregivers of children with autism. Preliminary outcomes of this program were recently published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 

Disclaimer: Opinions reflected in this webinar are those of the speaker(s) and presenter(s), and do not necessarily reflect Autism Ontario’s views. Please note Autism Ontario does not endorse any specific therapy, product, treatment, strategy, opinions, service, or individual. We do, however, endorse your right to information. Autism Ontario strongly believes that it is important to do your own research and make your own informed decisions. 

Joignez Vicki Laframboise pour discuter comment les habiletés sociales régissant les échanges virtuels (médias sociaux) à l’adolescence
sont tout aussi complexes et imprévisibles que dans un contexte physique. Lors de ce webinaire, nous présenterons les différentes plateformes populaires auprès des jeunes et leurs diverses utilisations. Nous aborderons ensuite les règles non écrites à mettre en pratique afin de favoriser une meilleure compréhension des règles sociales omniprésentes dans les échanges en ligne.

Sarah Calvin, responsable régionale à l’Organisme de soutien aux personnes aidantes naturelles de l’Ontario (OSANO), travaille au niveau de l’engagement communautaire dans l’Est ontarien et auprès des communautés francophones. Si vous soutenez une personne qui est dans le besoin et que vous vous sentez anxieux ou débordé par vos responsabilités d’aidance naturelle, vous n’êtes pas seul.