While a diagnosis may come with mixed feelings, it also means that you can move forward with services that will help the whole family.

Autism treatment

autism treatment

Jan Stewart is a highly regarded mental health and neurodiversity advocate. Her brutally honest memoir Hold on Tight: A Parent’s Journey Raising Children with Mental Illness describes her emotional roller coaster story parenting two children with multiple mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders.  

Her mission is to inspire and empower parents to persevere through the most difficult of times and have hope, as well as to better educate their families, friends, health care professionals, educators and employers.  Jan chairs the Board of Directors at Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Canada’s largest autism services provider, and was previously Vice Chair at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. 

She spent most of her career as a senior Partner with the global executive search firm Egon Zehnder. Jan is a Diamond Life Master in bridge and enjoys fitness, genealogy and dance.

Are you raising a child with special needs? We're here to help with personal stories, expert advice, the latest research, and tips on how to support your child.

Family

Let us help navigate daily life with your growing family, with everything from kids’ craft and activity ideas to advice on discipline and birthday party inspiration.

Special needs

Why are some people autistic? An expert weighs in on what genetics have to do with it.

Can autism be inherited?

Can autism be inherited

online autism test

Allow your child to redefine what you think you know—especially about play and experiencing the world.

I'm a Mom of a Child Who is Visually Impaired

Valery Brown

valery brown

Valery  Brown grew up climbing hay-bales in fields as far as the eye can see in the beautiful countryside of Haldimand County Ontario, Canada where she lives with her husband and their three children. She is an accredited Montessori Teacher — turned Classical Education homeschool mom, and a licensed Parenting Class Facilitator for peaceful solutions for parents and kids. A wife, a mother, and a lover of Jesus - she knows the joys and the bustle of the too-busy-to-breathe lifestyle of moms everywhere, and the heartache of sick kids. Valery’s own experience parenting kids with trauma ignited a passion for helping families heal from and prevent ongoing childhood trauma in their kids through building strong parent-child connections. She also hopes to inspire parents of children with disabilities to find the grace they need for each day through stories, because she believes stories can change the world.

The services, landmarks and insider tips you need to make your trip to Disney World equally magical for everyone in your family

Navigating Disney World with Special Needs Kids

disney world special needs

Disney World Special Needs

Dan Pitman is married to Alison Lee and the father of three awesome boys. A former Disney Cast Member, he's now a Business Analyst and lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Special needs

My Child has been Diagnosed with Autism: What Next?

Can Autism be Inherited? A Parenting Expert Weighs In

How Accurate are Online Autism Tests?

I'm a Mom of a Child Who is Visually Impaired–Here's What I've Learned

Navigating Disney World with a Special Needs Child