Family Life

“Sleeping like a baby.” We’d all love to look down on our contentedly slumbering child and be able to say those four little words. But it’s not always easy—especially when a child has a disability with underlying conditions that affect sleep.   
By Melissa Martz
September 2010

Kitchen Tips for Kids with Vision Disabilities  
By Deborah Debord
October 2009

To the uninformed eye, the Community Snoezelen Room at Bloorview Kids Rehab in Toronto looks like a child's play space. Bright coloured mats cover the floor, a mirror hangs on the wall at floor level with strands of brightly coloured plastic dangling in front of it. In one corner, there is a large beanbag draped with long, plastic fibre optic strings. In another corner, there is a tall Plexiglas tube filled with water.   
By Meike vanGerwen
May 2009

All of us have been teased at some point in our lives, especially while growing up. Sometimes it’s light-hearted joking between friends or family members. But other times, teasing escalates into something much more sinister and damaging: bullying. According to the website Bullying.org, in Canada, bullying happens every seven minutes on the playground.  
By Melissa Martz
February 2009

As a former journalist, I had the advantage of being adept at doing research. I threw myself into investigating the topic of developmental delays. The Internet, medical professionals, and speech and occupational therapists replaced my friends as mentors and sounding boards.   
By Darlene MacDonald
February 2009

When most people think of weddings, they often think of perfection: happy, smiling faces, impeccable clothes, fabulous cuisine and string quartets. But for some brides and grooms, the special day can be fraught with anxiety and tension. Planning a wedding is stressfuland labour-intensive for anyone, but for people with physical or mental disabilities, they can be downright overwhelming.   
By Laura Yeager
April 2008

You may have heard that some parents are enrolling their young children in sign language classes — even though no one in the family has a hearing disability. While at first blush this sounds like a fad, sign language can benefit children with other disabilities and, indeed, people of all abilities.  
By Melissa Martz
December 2007

Imagine that your every waking hour is consumed with the care and management of one person in your home. Further imagine that this person is so volatile that his siblings and parents feel verbally and emotionally abused, develop stress-related health problems, and frequently collapse in tears of frustration. Suppose that person is an 11-year-old boy whose family loves and adores him, but after years of trying to cope are completely drained.  
By Darlene MacDonald
September 2007

Sean Currie, 40, has lived with his parents, Joan and Pat, his entire life and is happy with them. Sean suffered a head injury in an automobile accident when he was five. Intellectually, he functions at about age 12 or Grade 4, academically. He also has hemiplegia and partial quadriplegia as a result of the accident. He is able to walk, but has some paralysis in each leg and total paralysis of his left arm. “I really like living at home,” says Sean. “I get to go to hockey games with my dad in the wintertime, and I get to help my mom out by watching my nephews when she’s busy.”   
By Lynne Swanson
September 2007

Two years ago, when my son, Zach, was about to turn 10, I looked into registering him for four weeks at a highly recommended summer day camp. Zach has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and copes courageously with challenges, which are often perceived as personality quirks. He's also extremely sweet and bright, and my husband and I wanted him to enjoy summer camp like any kid. The camp's location was perfect - it was just a couple of kilometres from our home in Montreal. The schedule fit well with our other vacation plans and would allow Zach plenty of time to adapt.   
By Lorri Benedik
April 2007

When Joshua's mom agrees to watch his favourite television show with him, the smile on his face says it all. Cameron gets joy from singing along to a musical video. It wasn't until Aaron discovered a computer program called Talk It! that he gained the confidence to type words into the computer. Taylor doesn't understand the nuances of humour, but when his dad enthusiastically explains that it is "raining giraffes and elephants" he delights in sharing a laugh with a grown-up. All of these children have disabilities, and their parents recognize how important it is to make them laugh and feel included.   
By Darlene MacDonald
November 2006

Bernadette and Leigh Derry have been together 20 years, and married for nine. The two, who both have spina bifida and use wheelchairs, have known each other since the age of 13 when they met on a bus in Cape Breton, N.S., that was taking them to a camp for people with disabilities in New Brunswick. At home in their Halifax apartment, Leigh says, "It's nice to have someone to come home to." Bernadette agrees. "Nobody wants to be alone."   
By Anna Quon
November 2006

  
By Jon Temme
September 2006

  
By Beverley A. Brenna
August 2006

  
By Krista Saleh
February 2006

  
By Ruth Zive
February 2006

  
February 2006

  
By Treena Hein and Jaclyn Law
August 2005

  
May 2005

  
By Lisa Richardson
May 2005