Acquired brain injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurs after birth from traumatic or non-traumatic events. It is not a degenerative condition like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. An acquired brain injury can be a result of falls, injury, collision, assault, concussion, tumor, anoxia (lack of oxygen) or illness such as meningitis. North Simcoe Muskoka Acquired Brain Injury Collective

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorder in Canada. Symptoms continue into adulthood in more than 75% of people.   It is recognized by medical associations and government health agencies as a medical disorder and is not caused by parenting.  A person with ADHD has differences in brain development that can include difficulties with paying attention, sitting still and controlling impulsive behaviour.  Although everyone can have trouble with these things at times, in ADHD these difficulties are so persistent and pervasive that they affect every day functioning at home, school or work  and in the community.

Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada

The Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance

Handout on ADHD

CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (U.S. Organization)   

Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (York Region Chapter) offer a variety of resources and supports for individuals with learning disabilities and ADHD and their families.

ADDitude Magazine is an online publication that is geared toward parents of children with ADHD and adults with ADD.  It features articles and webinars about a variety of topics of interest in this area and has an extensive online library of free webinars and resources.  

ADHD Dude is a website focussed on social learning in boys with ADHD. 

Many YouTube videos for parents and kids on selected topics that may be of interest are available on Youtube as well at #ADHDDude.

How to ADHD includes videos for adults to understand ADHD in themselves or others (geared to youth and adults with ADHD).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a life-long neurological disorder that affects the way a person communicates and relates to the people and world around them. ASD can affect behaviour, social interactions, and one’s ability to communicate verbally. ASD is a spectrum disorder, which means that while all people with ASD will experience certain difficulties, the degree to which each person on the spectrum experiences these challenges will be different.
 

Community Support:

Ontario Autism Program 

Autism Ontario

CTN Events- Coffee Chats and Workshops
CTN Mentor Program

Autism Ontario Learning Resource Site

York ASD Partnership Resources
Autism Canada
Kerry's Place for Autism Services

Autism Teenage Partnership

Autism Ontario- Transition to Adulthood Resources

Adults with ASD

New Diagnosis:
A Guide for Parents of Autistic Kids written by Autistic Adults
York Region ASD Resource Kit
Welcome to the Autistic Community
Amazing Things Can Happen (video)

ASD Next Steps- F Word Profiles

Autism Navigator (parent education videos and courses)

Therapy Options:

Ontario Autism Program (OAP)

OAP Provider List
Foundational Family Services (FFS) Workshops for Parents (OAP)

Autism Ontario CommunityConnect site to find professionals

Parenting Tips:

Fine motor skills, toliet training and independent skills

Feeding and other tips for parents

Blood Tests for children and youth with autism (LifeLabs Program)

Celebrating the autism community- video by Autism Ontario

App for kids with autism

MedicAlert Autism Program

York Region Police Registration for children with autism- Project Lifesaver

100+ Books about Autism and Neurodiversity

Facebook Groups:

Autism Inclusivity

Ask Autistics Ontario
Autism Famiy Support of Simcoe County
 

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)

Vision Resources for Families

Apps for iPads for kids with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI)

Braille tools and other toys

 

"Cerebral palsy" literally breaks down as cerebral = "of the brain" and palsy = "lack of muscle control". In other words: a lack of muscle control due to an injury to the developing brain. Cerebral palsy (CP) is a medical diagnosis that professionals use to describe a wide variety of conditions. CP is an umbrella term and it is important to remember that every individual who has CP is unique. It can be helpful to educate oneself on common traits and causes of CP (please see our Guide to Cerebral Palsy), however these generalizations do not apply to everyone. Ontario Federation of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy Now- Advanced Neurorecovery (Toolkit)

CP Resource Site

CP-NET Research Project Information

World CP Day Poster- 'The 6 F-words of CP" 

Webinar: Mental Health and Well-Being in youth with Cerebral Palsy (CP)

Developmental Apraxia of Speech is a speech disorder that interferes with a child's ability to correctly pronounce sounds, syllables and words. It is the loss of ability to consistently position the face, tongue, lips, jaw to produce speech sounds and for sequencing those sounds into syllables or words.

Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists

Speech and Language Resources

Down Syndrome, also called Trisomy-21, is a congenital disorder arising from a chromosome defect, causing intellectual impairment and physical abnormalities including short stature and a broad facial profile. It arises from a defect involving chromosome 21, usually an extra copy.
Down Syndrome Association of York Region
Down Syndrome Association of Simcoe County

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder which affects each person differently. It is important to note that Epilepsy is NOT a disease but is the second most common neurological disorder after migraines. The effects of epilepsy can range from mild and relatively minor to extremely serious. Epilepsy is not only a health concern but also affects ones; self-esteem and well-being. Epilepsy can cause lack of independence, isolation and social stress, learning and work challenges and direct health and safety risks.
Epilepsy Ontario 
Epilepsy York Region
Epilepsy Simcoe County

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong disability that affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. Each person with FASD has both strengths and challenges and will need special supports to help them succeed with many different parts of their daily lives.

FASD is the leading developmental disability in Canada. It affects 4% of Canadians (over 1.5 million people). That‘s more people than Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and Tourette‘s syndrome.

In Canada, we now use the term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder or FASD to describe the range of impacts that can occur in the brain and body of individuals prenatally exposed to alcohol.FASD is a whole body disorder, affecting both the brain and the body.

There is no known safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy. Experts recommend that the safest option is no alcohol at all.

FASD Canada Website
FASD Ontario Website
Information about FASD- About Kids Health
FASD Ontario Network of Expertise
Indigenous FASD/Child Nutrition Program

Ministry of Children and Youth Services New FASD Initiative

FASD Success Show with Jeff Noble

Social Media Facebook Groups and Twitter Accounts to Follow
 

A syndrome is a disease or disorder that has more than one identifying feature or symptom. Each particular genetic syndrome will have many typical features, depending on which aspects of development are affected by the abnormal genes or chromosomes.
Kleefstra Syndrome
Tuberous Sclerosis
Mitochondrial Disease
Angelman Syndrome
Noonan Syndrome
Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome
Prader-Willi Syndrome
Fragile X Syndrome
Williams Syndrome
Rett Syndrome
Rare Disorders

VOICE for Hearing Impaired Kids
Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf

Hearing Resources for Families

Hypotonia is the medical term for decreased muscle tone, hypertonia is the medical term for increased muscle tone; they are symptoms rather than conditions themselves.

The muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal or voluntary muscles which control movement.
Muscular Dystrophy Canada

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) occurs when the nervous system struggles to adequately process the incoming sensory information from the sensory systems and organize it (or “integrate” it) in order to produce the expected motor, behavioral, or emotional responses.
More information and resources for SPD

Spina Bifida is a developmental birth defect involving the neural tube: incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube results in an incompletely formed spinal cord. In addition, the vertebrae overlying the open portion of the spinal cord do not fully form and remain unfused and open. This allows the abnormal portion of the spinal cord to stick out through the opening in the bones. The terms spina bifida and myelomeningocele are usually used interchangeably.

Spina Bifida Association