Social worker's new office is on the farm

By Louise Kinross Former Holland Bloorview social worker Stephanie Willison (now Deaken) has an unusual work partner.She’s a 10-month old black pig with white fur stockings.“Penelope” is a therapy pig on Stephanie’s therapeutic farm located in Mono, Ont. Stephanie and her husband Darryl purchased the farm to offer programs to children and young adults with a variety of disabilities and their families. BLOOM interviewed Stephanie about Fiddlehead...

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Telling clinician and patient stories improves care

By Louise Kinross “Paying attention to stories makes us better doctors, nurses and healers and is also good for patients, clients and survivors,” said Dr. Allan Peterkin a professor of psychiatry and head of the Program in Health, Arts and Humanities at the University of Toronto.Dr. Peterkin was kicking off the Art Heals Health symposium yesterday that brought together clinicians, artists and educators to talk about how art can be used to improve...

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For people with disabilities, the need to stay fit starts early

By Louise Kinross Last year we reported that children with disabilities are two to four times more likely to be overweight, and two to four times less likely to be physically active, than their peers. The numbers were shared at a consensus-building workshop at Holland Bloorview that brought international experts and families together to address weight management. Canadian Living has an excellent piece on this topic in its November magazine:...

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Jim and the pursuit of happiness

By Karin Melberg Schwier We think about my eldest son Jim’s happiness. A lot. What turns, straightaways, twists to take, what unexpected adventures there might be. I get the same feeling this time of year when we drive out to the Rosthern Youth Farm corn maze on a Sunday afternoon. So much fun and so many possibilities. They give clues and you hunt for prizes.Sometimes we hit a dead end. You never know what might be around the next corner. One...

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I worked in kids' rehab, but I didn't 'get it' till my son had autism

By Tracey McGillivrayThe day I started my job at Bloorview Children’s Hospital over 20 years ago, I read Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley, who has a son with Down syndrome. In it, she writes about the journey of parents raising a child with disabilities, comparing it to an exciting trip to Italy that is unexpectedly re-routed. She describes the shock, the disorientation and ultimately, the acceptance that follows.It galvanized me. As...

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Did disabled man consent to sex with 'prof' who helped him type?

There is a fascinating and harrowing account in this weekend's New York Times Magazine about a relationship between a professor and a severely disabled man.  The man, known as D.J., has severe cerebral palsy, doesn't speak, and has been diagnosed with a significant intellectual disability. The professor, Anna Stubblefield, was formerly chair of philosophy at Rutgers University. She'd been asked by D.J.'s family to help him communicate through...

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'If you see us on the bus:' The family behind the commotion

By Susan Cosgrove If you see us on the bus, I guarantee you’ll hear us too. You’ll want to look up from your phone or book or newspaper and watch the activity. Because the fact is that we are a commotion—everywhere and anywhere we go. I probably look an awful lot like I’m okay with that, but sometimes my vulnerability is hard to hide. If you look a little closer you’ll understand why.If you watch us, you can tell that I’m the mom. In fact,...

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At the Blue Jays game, my son is no longer an outsider

By Keith McArthurMy son Bryson and I were among the tens of thousands who congregated on Front Street after Game 5 of the Blue Jays-Rangers division series. It was undoubtedly one of the best moments of my life.Walking back to the parking lot, we couldn’t move more than a few steps without someone coming up to give Bryson a high five. One generous fan gave Bryson a ball he had caught at the game. Earlier, a vendor who was selling posters outside...

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'Neglect' contributed to autistic teen's death in NHS unit

By Louise Kinross  In 2013 Connor Sparrowhawk (with sister Rosie) drowned in a bath following a seizure in a National Health Services treatment unit in Oxfordshire, England. He was alone. Today a jury inquest ruled his death had been "contributed to by neglect" and said staff had poor communication with Connor's family and inadequate training and supervision.  The 18-year-old had autism, epilepsy and intellectual...

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When I advocate for Thorin, I see Monty too

By Kari Wagner-Peck My son Thorin lives with Down syndrome. Early on, professionals and lay people repeatedly assured us that all children with Down syndrome are happy. In time I came to realize that these people meant more than “happy.” They meant “simple.” They believed people with Down syndrome couldn’t understand the complexities and ambiguities of life, so, as a result, they were happy. I knew this was not a universal truth about people...

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What one mom did to get her disabled son on the playground

Andrea Davila is leading a project that’s raised over $500,000 to build a barrier-free playground at Deer Park Public School in Toronto. Andrea’s nine-year-old sons—twins Tomas and Martin Tobin—attend the school and love it. But Tomas, who uses a wheelchair, is unable to get into the current playground (see photo above): it’s bounded by large stepped logs and covered in wood chips. So Tomas sits on the sidelines, watching. Tomas is part of the...

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How you rate BLOOM

By Louise Kinross What do people most often read on BLOOM?“Real family stories” is the most popular content on our blog and in our magazine and e-letter, according to our summer survey that drew 189 respondents.“It is great from a parent perspective to know you are not alone and there are so many common threads to parenting special needs children, no matter what the disability,” one respondent wrote. BLOOM “celebrates real families and highlights...

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Tuesday morning read and listen

Who knew the Blue Lagoon in Iceland markets its services to wheelchair users and those with other special needs? Check out CurbFree by Cory Lee (in photo above) for this detailed account of his recent trip with a wheelchair. And here Blue Lagoon lists its accessibility features. Canadian lawyer David Lepofsky gave a brilliant talk at the 2nd Annual CP-NET Science and Family Day last week on making education disability-accessible. Please...

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Maritza's dream: Games that make therapy fun

By Megan Jones It started with her brother. Maritza Basaran remembers sitting with him years ago, playing video games. Jaimie, who has autism, loved to hang out in the living room and fool around on his Nintendo. But without strong literacy and fine-motor skills, he couldn’t always play the games he wanted to. He couldn’t read the onscreen text, and sometimes wasn’t able to move fast enough to advance through the levels. So Maritza and her mother...

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She shoots, Cam saves!

By Louise Kinross Cam Jenkins is Holland Bloorview’s family support fund and accommodations administrator. But in his spare time, he’s a goalie with the Silver Streaks—a co-ed sledge-hockey team that’s part of Cruisers Sports for the Physically Disabled, which operates in Peel and Halton.BLOOM: What is sledge hockey?Cam Jenkins: You sit on a sled with two skate blades underneath your torso and a rudder at the front. You have two mini hockey-sticks...

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