Living in an ableist world gives disabled student a unique outlook

By Louise KinrossAmina Aumeer is a social service worker student at Seneca College who just finished a four-month placement at Holland Bloorview supporting our Client and Family Integrated Care team. She worked closely with Adva Budin to administer the family support fund and our family accommodations. Amina and her twin sister Aaliyah—who have cerebral palsy—have been receiving services at Holland Bloorview “ever since I can remember,” Amina...

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Assessing kids for autism varies widely in Canada

By Louise Kinross The way Canadian children are assessed for autism varies widely, with a median wait for families of seven months to get a diagnosis, according to a Holland Bloorview study published in Molecular Autism. Ninety Canadian pediatricians responded to a survey, with 57 saying they diagnosed autism. Of those 57, about half said they used an interdisciplinary team, but each team was composed of different professionals. Use of standardized...

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Christa Couture sees beauty in resilience

Photos by Jen SquiresBy Louise Kinross I was scrolling through Twitter when my eyes locked on an image of a pregnant woman. Taken from the side, her belly was the centre of the photo, and her closest leg had a brilliant floral pattern on it that matched her cropped shirt. It was a prosthetic leg. I clicked on the link to find this CBC piece by Canadian folk singer and songwriter Christa Couture: I Couldn’t Find Any Disability Maternity Photos,...

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A brother unites a family and inspires research

By Louise Kinross Five siblings have created research scholarships in occupational science and therapy at the University of Toronto in honour of their brother Peter Rappolt. Peter (bottom centre), the youngest in the family at 57, has a developmental disability and severe, chronic mental illness. His brothers and sisters have worked together for decades to advocate for him in the health system. The Peter Rappolt Family Scholarships for Research...

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After a near drowning, a teen accepts she's 'a different person'

By Louise KinrossRecently, Holland Bloorview family therapist Caron Gan sent me this message:‘Yesterday I went to pick up a prescription at my local drug store and was served by a former [patient]. She had sustained a significant brain injury from a near drowning, and was not expected to live. In spite of this, she made a great recovery and was determined to be a pharmacist...Her mom has been instrumental in supporting her daughter. Seeing...

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In Canada, disability researcher says 'racism is very polite'

By Louise Kinross Sadora Asafaw has worked as a special-needs coordinator in Holland Bloorview's Spiral Garden and as a recreation assistant running programs for the hospital's inpatients. She recently defended her master’s thesis in Environmental Studies at York University: Amplifying the Experiences of Black Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: At the Margins of Policy and Practice. Sadora did in-person interviews with...

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