Neurodiverse Resources

When Naoki Higashida, a 13-year-old boy with autism, was asked whether he wanted to be "normal", he had a very beautiful response:

"To give the short version, I've learned that every human being, with or without disabilities, needs to strive to do their best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive at happiness. For us, you see, having autism is normal - so we can't know for sure what your "normal" is even like. But so long as we can learn to love ourselves, I'm not sure how much it matters whether we're normal or autistic."

As a neurodiversity-affirming therapist, I've put together a list of my favourite writers, courses, websites, and more:

Courses, websites, and more:

• ABA Simplified for Parents is a Youtube dad who breaks down Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) into simple terms, making it easy for other parents to understand without the confusing jargon. 

• ASD Funding is an easy-to-follow guide to everything there is to know about Autism funding in BC. For instance, did you know you could use funding to purchase an iPad without paying out of pocket?

• Pesi delivers cutting edge continuing education to professionals across the nation and have a range of courses that benefit parents too. Including their early intervention course, which focuses on strategies related to social emotional and sensory development.

• ACT specializes in evidence informed training, research, and resoures to support neurodiverse individuals. They have a list of upcoming educational events and free online videos available.

• Understood.org provides a wide selection of easy-to-read articles all about thinking and learning differences, that explain everything from sensory processing, navigating IEPs, to ADHD and more! 

• Uniquely Human is a must-read for anyone touched by autism. In this latest edition, Dr. Prizant discusses how autistic children and adults progress through developmental stages, as we all do. To help them, we don't need to "fix" them; instead, we need to understand them and then change ourselves -our beliefs, attitudes, and actions. 

• Elumind Centres For Brain Excellence is a private out-patient mental health center specializing in optimizing brain functions through various neurotherapeutic modalities. They deliver a comprehensive, personalized case managed collection of holistic therapies that create long-lasting lifestyle changes. Through advanced approaches, they identify the root cause and address the psychological, physical, and nutritional needs of an individual.

Sensory:

• Audra Rutnik is a veteran pediatric Occupational Therapist who has helped many families across North America understand how sensory processing influences behaviour. She teaches that "When you improve the processing, the learning and behaviour takes care of itself."

• Harkla specializes in products for special needs children and helps educate parents on how to create ideal environments for their children to thrive in. 

• Sense-sational You creates sensory friendly clothing to help your child regulate and be independent. Their sound reducing sensory hoodies are always a hit!

• FDMT is a great place to find sensory tools and educational games for all!

Support:

• FSI offers a safe space for families and caregivers to come together for support, inspiration, and troubleshooting. Check out an upcoming event near you!

• Foundary's vision is to transform access to services for young people ages 12-24 in BC.  In Foundry centres, a team of care and service providers work with each young person to create a plan for wellness and help equip them with the tools, support and strategies they need to thrive in life.

• Curiko creates and connects people to meaningful experiences and is for people with or without disabilities, across the neurodiversity continuum. 

• Advice and Support for Mamas of Autistic Children is a place for female primary caregivers of Autistic children to come together for support. 

• Dads need support too!

Having fun is key:

• Super Duper Inc. creates fun and educational materials, including board games designed to develop social and communication skills.

• Spectrum Skateboard Society's ultimate goal is to give children and youth on the Autism Spectrum a chance to feel cool and a chance to feel like they truly belong through their skateboarding camps.

• Canucks Autism Network have various community programs (like swimming, skating, hockey, and much much more!) for individuals on the spectrum across all ages. A lot of my clients have made great memories from these programs. 

• Happy Feet are big believers in making their soccer programs inclusive to everyone. That is why they are incredibly proud to offer programming specifically designed for children on the autism spectrum. 

• Marpole Soccer Club is an inclusive organization dedicated to offering boys and girls of all abilities ages 5 to 17 an opportunity to play community soccer at a recreational or competitive level. 

• The Access2Card program provides individuals with permanent disabilities with a personalized card offering free or discounted admission for their support person at participating venues across Canada.