Month: May 2018

Toilet Training Day 3

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Sleeping Issues, The others

Woke up super early today and started training right away. Yesterday was an amazing day with 4 successes. Today was a different story. Only 2 successes today with 5 accidents. We had our senior behaviour therapy support come in today to help. I read her notes and she wrote parents are taking JB to washroom consistently without IT’s (instructional therapist) help. I guess the other two IT from Tuesday and Wednesday reported that we are taking him. I thought to myself, why are we doing so much work when we paid extra for them to come into our home to do this. I spoke to her about modifying the program as I felt it is too intense. She listened to our reasoning and what we have been doing. She agreed to modify it. So the plan was when he has a success, he moves up to next level but if time has lapse more than an hour since last pee (accident or pee in toilet) we move back to more frequent washroom breaks. At the one and half hour point, it is back to 5 minutes on and 5 minutes off. That way we increase the chance of catching a success. I think what contributed to so many accidents today was the fact that this therapist got him to drink much more water than us and the previous two ITs. I noticed it as she gave him water and even commented on it. I said if it was me, he […]

Toilet Training Day 2

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Sleeping Issues, Struggles

Boy toilet training is hard. It is even harder when you have a routine that is so intense. Toilet training Mase was much more relaxed but likely because he was the only child when we trained and now I got 3 kids. Today was much better we managed to get 4 successes on the toilet and one of them is a bowel movement. The little things in life that gets you excited as an autism mom is funny. Not sure if there is a correlation but last two nights been bad nights in the sleeping category. WELL sleeping is always a struggle, but not sure if it is in my head or not, I feel he is crying extra hard these two nights. I get it, if I’m exhausted training him, I can’t imagine his exhaustion. He must be thinking, women that is enough you are torturing me. I think he is starting to understand the concept. We have started toilet training previously before the diagnosis but it was unsuccessful. However this time around, he was watching his pee as he was doing his business on the toilet. He seems aware with the bowel movement too, which I think are all good signs that he is indeed ready for this. I find it hard for my butt sitting on the toilet for 10 minutes let alone again and again all day long. I asked the hubby, why are we doing this, we are torturing the poor baby? Is it really […]

Toilet Training Day 1

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Sleeping Issues, Struggles

JB’s behaviour therapy team thinks that we should try out this aggressive toilet training method. I took a look at it and although it seems very intense, I figured we’ll give it a try. They charged me more for a at home service and the therapist came in today for two and an half hour. She started at level one and after she left I tried very hard to stick to it. In fact I did till dinner time where I was more relaxed with it as it was impossible to have him eat for 5 minutes at a time. So the idea is 10 minutes on the toilet and 5 minutes off. I know that’s crazy and trust me when the timer went off I thought ummm. I just pulled him off the toilet. At one point he was getting angry and grumpy so we gave him a bit of a break. We then modified the time to 15 off 10 on. You can read more on the plan under staying organized and tips. Progress for the day: Started at 9 am and ended at 8:15pm where I was just exhausted. We got one semi successful session and 5 accidents. I say semi because he was getting angry so we used iPad as reinforcer. Training a boy is harder considering his pee went wild and instead of toilet it went right onto the iPad. I know, that was disgusting and I made sure we sanitized everything twice. We have […]

To my 3 year old son JB

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Happy

Despite how hard it is raising you, I want to thank you for making me a better person. You brought out strength I never knew I had, patient I can only dreamed of having, love that is deeper than the ocean, sympathy that I feel humbled I have. You have given me so much and for that I am grateful. You have turned me into a human I’m proud to be. Words cannot express how thankful I am to have you in my life. I want you to look back at this letter and know that you made me a better person. The hardest part about your autism is me thinking you are in some kind of pain and I have no idea how to help you. I absolutely hate hearing you bawl your eyes out and hate it even more when you hurt yourself when you are frustrated. If mommy can take that all away, she will without any hesitation. Deciding to have you, your brother and sister will forever be one of the best decisions in my life. The joy you bring in my life out-weighs the challenges, you have no idea how much I love you. Yes, autism comes with lots of challenges and the struggle is real, but with it, you have taught me true unconditional love. You will always be my baby boy and I will always be there for you. No matter how hard the road will get you will always have my shoulders […]

Lawson – Children’s Respite Services

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

There is a children’s respite service located at Ellesmere and McCowan for children from age 0-17. Admission Criteria : Must have a confirmed diagnosis of an Intellectual Disability/Autism Spectrum Disorder. Families interested in the program are encouraged to go for a tour before completing an application package. A Medical/Health Information form must be completed by the child’s doctor prior to scheduling a first short visit. Activities : Camp-like environment, includes; Outdoor Play ground, Indoor gymnasium, movies, arts & crafts, games, sensory, community outings, computers, and personal internet access Comments : This is not a medical facility. Therefore, there are no doctors or nurses as staff complement. All bookings are first come, first serve basis. Families may book up to 24 days per calendar year. Bookings may be done up to 6 months in advance and are done on a first come, first served basis. Agency : Community Living Toronto Contact : Charla Rodak Phone : 647-729-1639 Email Address : [email protected] Address : 1712 Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, ON M5R 2S7

LHIN for services such as Occupational Therapy, SPL, Physiotherapy and Person Support

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) is divided by geographical area depending where you live in Ontario to plan, coordinate, integrate and fund health services at the local level. It is funded by Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The idea behind them is they provide services for you while you are waiting for autism services from the city. Some of their in-home services include: Nursing Personal support (help with bathing, dressing, etc.) Physiotherapy Occupational therapy Speech-language therapy Social work Nutritional counselling Medical supplies and equipment To be eligible, you have to not be accessing this service from the City elsewhere. For example, if you are accessing speech through another service then it will not be available through LHIN. For referral contact: 905-895-1240 or 416-222-2241 Toll-Free: 1 888 470 2222 Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 7 days a week Referrals can be made by a health-care professional, a family member or friend, or even by you. Simply get in touch with your local LHIN and they will help you get started. Once you sign up they will assign a care coordinator who manage your initial contact, assessment and follow up. They will set up a meeting with you at your home to discuss and see what you need. Keep this contact as they will be your point of contact going forward. For more information please go to http://www.lhins.on.ca/  

Family Fun Fair on June 9, 2018

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Events

Carnival, Bingo, BBQ, Games and much more brought to you by Community Living Toronto. Saturday June 9, 2018 1712 Ellesmere Road 11am-3pm Admission is only 4 dollars Let them know if you’re coming… Central Michelle Grimley 647-729-1210 email: [email protected] Etobicoke  Georgina Stergiotis 647-294-6906 Email: [email protected]  North York Wendy Dyke 647-274-9281 Email: [email protected] Scarborough Felicita Zanatta 647-729-1635 Email: [email protected] Bus services are available from Etobicoke to take you to fair and departs from 295 the West Mall (ERO) at 10:15am sharp and departs from Lawson at 3pm. Space is limited and if you require this service please your seat with Georgina Stergiotis at 647-294-6906 [email protected] For more information visit https://www.cltoronto.ca/annual-family-fun-fair/  

Incontinence Supplies Grant Program – 400 dollars

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

Incontinence Supplies Grant Program Easter Seals Ontario administers the Incontinence Supplies Grant Program for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The program is for children and youth between the ages of 3 to 18 years with chronic disabilities (physical or developmental) that result in irreversible incontinence or retention problems lasting longer than six months and requiring the use of incontinence supplies. Application for 2018 can be found here. Review the Frequently Asked Questions as there are many answers to your question. Your child’s doctor will need to fill in a part of the application. Once your application has been approved, you will automatically receive a payment every 6 months as long as the file is active. How much will you get? Depends on what grant level you are at. Grant Level A ($400/yr): (3-18 years) Grant Level B ($900/yr): (6-18 years) Level C grant ($200/yr). (3-18 years) Every six months you will receive half of the approved grant amount for the year. The first payment will be made approximately six weeks after the initial application is approved and then every six months after. If you have more questions you can contact the Incontinence Supplies Grant Program at Easter Seals Ontario by Mail: Easter Seals Ontario, I.G. Program One Concord Gate, Suite 700 Toronto, Ontario M3C 3N6 Email: [email protected] Phone: 416-510-5074 Fax: 416.696.1035

CityKids

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

CITYKIDS is a central single point of contact where they have a network of agencies for children with special needs and their families. They serve two groups of children from birth to 6 years old and 6 to 12 years old in the Greater Toronto Area. Specialized services from their partner agencies include: Resource and Consultative support to Child Care and Early Childhood Programs Speech and Language Services Occupational Therapy Behaviour Consultation Access to Infant Development Programs Referral to specialized programs (Geneva Centre, Adventure Place, etc) Family Counseling Information and Referral for Developmental Assessments Referral You can make the referral yourself by contacting the number below.  I left a voicemail and they called me back the next day to schedule for intake appointment the next week. Please note: There is two streams of services provided. Option, if  you want to put your child in daycare then CityKids help coordinate the special needs coordinator to work with the daycare centre. They may pull in a speech pathologist or occupational therapist. Option B, if you don’t put your child in a license daycare then they offer at home services where they come to your house and teach you how to work with you child. You must not be assessing this service from any where else as they view it as duplication of services since it is paid for by the government. Service Navigator, CITYKIDS 32 Heath Street West Toronto, ON, M4V 1T3 Tel: 416-920-6543 Fax: 416-920-1543 E-Mail: [email protected]

To my loving husband

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Happy, The others

I want to start off by saying thank you for being so supportive, optimistic, strong, loving, caring, patient, and our structural piece in the family. You are the most amazing dad and the best husband I could ever ask for. Marrying you was one of the best decision I’ve ever made. You gave me three of the most precious gift I can ever ask for, our children. I’ve continuously underestimated your patients with our children and actually in general. These past few months, I’ve learned that you are way more patient that I anticipated. You have shown me what is unconditional love and I’ve realized there is so much to learn from you. You likely don’t know this, but I often stand back watching you interact with our kids and think to myself how lucky I am. Either that, or I need a break and just leaving you to watch all three of them lol. I will continue to learn from you and together as a team, we will  continue to be there and raise our three beautiful babies. You have such an easy going attitude that I admire and I can always count on you to talk me out of my dark, down, and doomy thoughts. Your sense of humor is at a all time high or have I been just so occupied with JB that I forgotten how funny you are. It is actually possible to love you more, each and everyday. I look forward to spending an eternity […]

To my 5 year old son, Mase

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Happy, The others

Thank you my love for being who you are. You are truly such a wonderful child  and such a delight to be  around. I love your sassy demeanour and your outgoing attitude. You are funny, gentle, smart, brave, kind, loving and simply just perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better child and you have no idea how much I love you. Words truly cannot express the love I have for you and your siblings. You are way more mature than your age when it comes to responsibilities and things you know.  You are honestly the best brother ever. Not only are you gentle with your brother and sister, you are so understanding and caring. When we found out your brother has autism, we started teaching you what autism was and without even telling you that’s what JB has you were able to make the connection yourself. I was shocked one day to hear you say oh it’s because JB has autism. Your brother has been always difficult but before your sister was born at least you had the one on one time with either mommy or daddy. After your sister was born, the attention had to be divided once again. Jealousy is defiantly a factor and I suppose it is inevitable with more siblings. When I see it loud and clear, I feel bad that I’m not able to give you more. You have no idea how much it hurts me knowing that you felt left out. Some days it is […]

Child Disability Benefit

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in tax related

You could be getting a tax free benefit up to $2730 per year that works out to be $227.50 per month for families who is caring for a child under 18 with a severe and prolonged impairment. This amount is based on eligible date of July 2016 to June 2018. Autism fits the criteria but in order to qualify for child disability benefit (CDB) you must be eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC). The CDB is a supplement to the Canada Child Benefit (CCB). I know it sounds confusing but if you had a child in Canada you likely applied for their birth certificate, SIN and CCB at that time. Think of this benefit as a supplement to the money you already get. What does that mean? If you are currently getting the CCB, you get an additional amount for your child who qualifies for this disability benefit. If a request has already been submitted for the CCB there is no need to apply, the calculation is done automatically for the current and two previous CCB benefit years after you get the notice of determination letter from CRA. For years prior to that, a written request will have to be submitted to the attention of the CCB entitlement teat at the tax centre that serves your area. For more information about the child disability benefit (CDB) please refer to the RC4064, Disability-Related Information, visit the CRA website or call 1-800-387-1193. How much would you get? The CDB starts being […]

Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

This is a must open especially if you don’t have money to put into this plan as it triggers bond contribution (aka free money from government) and if you are able to contribute to it, it triggers grant contribution (aka free matching money from government). This is a savings plan designed to help parents or anyone save money for someone who has a disability. Important to note, contribution to this plan is NOT tax deductible so the money you put in was already taxed hence why when you withdraw money this portion will be tax free because you have already been taxed on it when you put the money in. However, money generated from investments, the bond and grant contributions, and rollovers will be taxed when the beneficiary pulls money out. You can contribute to this plan up to the end of the year when the beneficiary turns 59. Beneficiary is the person who will benefit from this account usually your dependent child. Eligibility and contributions Must be eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC). This means if you don’t have an approved disability tax credit you can’t open this savings account. Must have a valid social insurance number (SIN). On March 28, 2014 Service Canada stopped producing plastic cards. All SIN issued after this date is just the paper format instead of a card. Hopefully you haven’t lost this paper, but if you did lose it, you can get the number t by visiting a Service Canada office. Must be resident […]

Summer Camp at Geneva Centre for Autism

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

Geneva Centre for Autism has summer camps for kids 2-18 for 8 weeks throughout July and August at both 1:1 and 1:3 ratio support levels. Registration opened March 12 and last day for registration is June 3, 2018. If you are placed on the waitlist, you should hear back beginning to mid March. With the exception of their funded Bridges 1:1 summer program, all of their camps are offered on a weekly basis at a fixed rate. All camp specific information can be found on our registration website My Community Hub.  When on that site the best way to search is type in Geneva under search and you will see all the programs there. From your serach Zone (1:3 Ratio Support) – $650 (Monday to Friday; 9:30am – 3:30pm) Social Skills (1:3 Ratio Support) – $650 (Monday to Friday; 9:30am – 3:30pm) Zone (1:1 Ratio Support) – $1150 (Monday to Friday; 9:30am – 3:30pm) Bridges (1:1 Ratio Support) – $350 (2 weeks from Monday to Friday; 9:30am – 3:30pm) *This program is subsidized and each family is only eligible for one session* The majority of our programs are full at the moment, but they do have wait list and you can call to be placed on the list. When: 8 weeks of camp available. Week 1: July 3rd- 6th Week 2: July 9th -13th Week 3: July 16th – 20th Week 4: July 23rd – 27th Week 5: July 30th- Aug 3rd Week 6: Aug 7th – 10th Week 7: Aug […]

Family fun day at Canada’s Wonderland

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

One of our determining factor when we choose family activities is to ensure it will be suitable for JB. This year we decided the kids will enjoy the kiddie rides at the park and splash works area so we got season passes and the dinning passes. Season passes was 71.99 each, the all day dining passes was 91.99 each, and parking for the season was 50 bucks. We skipped the all season drinking refills at 29.99 as we figured it is all pop and juice so we really don’t need the extra sugar considering we will be eating unhealthy “take out food” from the dining passes. The dining pass is worth it considering how expensive food is but if I can go back in time I wouldn’t buy it. Most of the food there is not good and maybe because it is all new the service is horrendous. I waited an hour from time I started lining up to time I got food. There was signs stating we can only use the express line as the other lines wouldn’t take the meal pass but the so call “express line” literally didn’t move for 15 minutes. I ended up going to the regular line as the people in front went up  to complain and they agreed to let meal pass members to use the regular line. Even so, it took a hour and they got me the wrong meal. We ate it anyways and will likely never order there again. The […]

Bawling

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Sleeping Issues, Struggles

He bawls as if this is the end of the world. I’m pretty sure he was upset tonight because he wasn’t able to take all the circular foam mats upstairs to bed with him. The hubby let him take two which is manageable. These circle forms are about 12 inches in diameter so needless to say it’s impossible to take them all to bed. Boy was it a crying battle tonight. Baby girl was equally as upset. She put up a fight almost as hard as JB. It amazes me how Mase can sleep through all that. Thankfully that boy slept through it all, at least someone gets a good night rest. I forecast a bad night so I should get some snoozing when I can. Hope you are having a better night then us.

March Break Reimbursement Fund

Posted amyLeave a commentPosted in Resources and funding

The 2018 March Break Reimbursement Fund was available to Ontario families of children or youth with ASD who retain the services of a one-to-one support worker OR who have paid for their child to attend a 2018 March break camp or program, but not both. Make sure you mark your calendar for next year’s application. Maximum reimbursements of $350 per child or youth (up to 18th birthday) will be made to subsidize services purchased between March 12 and March 16, 2018. A minimum of 1,007 families, from across Ontario, are expected to receive reimbursements. Reimbursements will be provided based on a random selection made from all eligible applicants who apply between December 11, 2017 and January 19, 2018. The 2018 March Break Reimbursement Fund is now closed to applications. A minimum of 1007 families will be randomly selected and ALL applicants will be informed whether they were selected or not by email.