Toronto Children's Therapy Centre

Incredibly proud of my OT friend, uni OT sister, and colleague Nadia Imbrogno Noble in her new adventure and opening a safe and fun place for children of all abilities and neurotypes! Bravo!

Hey We Rockers, let's welcome our new owners, Nadia & Mike from York Region, Canada to the We Rock Family! 🤟🏼🎉

We are the Nobles - Nadia and Mike, and our ever growing children Emma and Matthew. We are beyond excited to bring this amazing venue to York Region! We live in Caledon, Ontario, and have lived, worked, and played in York Region since some of the roads were still unpaved, and farm after farm lined Bayview and Bathurst streets.
I'm Nadia! The journey to this time and place began long ago, when I set my sights on working in pediatrics for my career path. Volunteering at (then) York Central Hospital throughout high school, led me to my professional calling as an Occupational Therapist. From the moment of graduation almost 27 years ago, I've been laser focused on 'Play IS an Occupation!'. Helping kids to be the very best version of themselves, to achieve their goals, to support families as they grow, and to do it playfully, respectfully, and joyfully is everything to me. My work has traversed school boards, community organizations, hospitals, and private practice, spanning from Peel Region to Markham, from Thornhill to Lake Simcoe. With Mike by my side, I look forward to bringing my passion, excitement, and O.T. hat to all the new and exciting things to come with We Rock. You can expect to see Emma and Matthew around also, taking part in supporting the various activities that are going to make WRTS the best place to be.
Together as a family, our greatest hope is that We Rock the Spectrum - York Region is going to give families a safe place to land. Where children of all abilities are welcomed into an amazing space where they can move, play, grow, and learn among peers and parents who 'get it'. We are thrilled to be able to bring We Rock to so many families, and we are looking forward to seeing many familiar faces, as well as meeting many new ones!

Happy Mother's Day to all Mom's and caregiver's... this is a beautiful message from this smart Autistic young lady.

TikTok · Kaelynn 10.9K likes, 170 comments. “Anyone who’s familiar with my journey having autism, ADHD, and more learning disabilities than you can count…knows that I largely credit my success in adulthood to my mother. 🌸 My mom balances being a soft place to land…alongside being keenly aware of my potent...

We are soooo excited to announce that there will be a new clinic location in Scarborough! Can't wait to see you there! Visit our website for more information and to sign up for updates. https://www.torontochildrenstherapycentre.ca/

We were inspired by Ahren Belisle’s performance on America’s Got Talent. He uses an AAC device (text to voice on his phone), his body and facial expressions to deliver his comedy. Many of our clients do not use mouth words, but still have lots to say – just like Ahren!!
Annemarie Weeda MSc, CCC-SLP, reg. CASLPO – Speech Language-Pathologist

Early Release: Ahren Belisle's laugh out loud audition is unforgettable! | Auditions | AGT 2023 Engineer by day, comedian by night! Ahren Belisle makes the judges howl with laughter with his hilarious stand-up comedy. » Get The America's Got Talent App:...

Before you do anything hit like and save this as a reminder when you are observing your child!
My previous reel focused on observing your child to identify their sensory preferences. Since the vestibular system is such a power house I wanted to give you examples of what you may observe.

The vestibular system is activated with a change in head position whether up, down or side to side; it gives your body information of how to move your body in space.

Not all vestibular input is created the same, depending upon the intensity, speed, and direction of your head it can be alerting or calming.

Everyone has sensory seeking behaviors based on their sensory preferences. Even a child with vestibular sensitivity will most likely seek out some sort of vestibular input that feels good to them.

When you are observing your child pay attention to what kind of vestibular input they are seeking. Then watch how they respond; do they seem more excited after, more alert, more focused, more tired, more relaxed, etc. It will differ for everyone.

This will give you insight into what type of vestibular input and activities are most regulating for them and will be very helpful for co-regulation.

Think for a second, what type of vestibular input do you seek out? , , , , ,

🌟These sometimes subtle early signs of dysregulation can be easily missed. Often they can be misinterpreted as a child “acting out” (especially by people other than you), when in fact it’s their nervous system heading into a fight/flight/freeze state of dysregulation.

❓Has your child ever had a meltdown or become dysregulated and you think "Wow that came out of no where!" (I have!) Guess what, chances are it didn't!

💫There is always some kind of preceding trigger, stressor, or a build up of over stimulation that led them to that point. It may have been something that happened minutes, hours or even a build up of a few days that led them to that point.

➡️Then later after everyone is regulated you think "Wait a minute I should have seen that coming.” I find this usually happens when I am distracted, dysregulated myself, or tired and I am not fully attuning to my child’s needs.

⭐️Attunement is the ability to be responsive, present and aware of someone's emotions. It is vital in the coregulation process. By attuning to your children and to yourselves we can begin to recognize the subtle changes in their level of arousal that are leading to dysregulation.

🎯Dysregulation can take
on many different looks and it presents differently in everyone. When you begin to attune to your child that's when you notice the little shifts in their level of arousal.

➡️When you start to notice those signs and see them drifting out of the "Just Right" or optimal level of arousal that's when you can step in and coregulate before it gets to a full fight, flight, freeze response often leading to a meltdown. That's when sensory strategies can be best used!

😊Don't beat yourself up if you miss some of the signs, we all do. Take note of it, so next time you will know how to respond, it’s a constant learning process!

🙋🏻‍♀️Are your child’s signs of dysregulation sometimes misinterpreted by others? Let me know in the comments!

Give this a share if this resonates with you and as a reminder for others!

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One of the biggest challenges for parents and educators alike, is navigating non-compliance. For a long time this was seen as disobedience but as neuroscience research reveals more about developing brains, we are learning about the reasons behind such behaviour.

Non-compliance isn't bad behaviour, it's an emotional response to internal emotional signals. Maybe they don't feel safe? Perhaps they're afraid of failing? Do they know how to do the task that has been asked of them? There are so many potential reasons for non-compliance, all of them valid.

Not only that, but non-compliance is an important life skill. How do children stand up for themselves of others by saying 'no' when we've never given them the chance? How do children protect themselves when they've been taught non-compliance will result in punishment?

As always, many lessons learnt in childhood get carried into adulthood. We need to make sure the lessons being carried across a lifetime empower someone, not leave them vulnerable.

Mona, Mona, Mona!

We got to spend some time with our friend Mona Delahooke, Ph.D. today. And, it was fabulous!

There were words of wisdom, lots of laughs, and thoughtful Level UP!s - chatting all things and embracing diversity and supporting difference in authentic and affirming ways.

This cartoon feelZzz like it fits the spirit of the conversation - Image description- Liz Climo cartoon with Bear, rat, lizard, and kiwi lined up - the bear is holding a blue ball and says "let's play catch" the lizard says "wait, what about Mike?" Second frame of the cartoon has a basket tied to the kiwi (Mike's) head and he is positioned under the ball and saying "got it"

Our TCTC team is continuing to learn and grow as we provide neurodiversity affirming therapy services. One of the ways we do this is to learn from Autistic self-advocates who can teach us first-hand about the lived experiences of Autistic people. Below is an excellent article written by an Autistic individual that explains why Autistic people and other neurodivergent individuals “stim” and how these movements and behaviours serve a very important purpose.
Please read the article for further information: https://neuroclastic.com/stimming-what-it-is-and-why-autistic-people-do-it/

Just another Nerdy therapy session!

As a team we strive to learn from, understand, and advocate for the children and families that we work with. We are dedicated to learning, supporting and promoting Neurodiversity. What is Neurodiversity and Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy?

Jacquie Martin, one of our occupational therapists, has taken the lead to support and educate our TCTC team of therapists. She has written a blog to share with our families. Please follow the link to read the blog.

Neurodivesity & Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy neurodiversity, neurodiversity affirming, Autism, therapy

❤️💙💚💛🧡💜

A good article that speaks about the different perspectives on being diagnosed with autism as a young adult, mature adult, versus as a child and it's benefits.

‘It’s OK to be strange:’ How three members of my family are all learning to live on the autism spectrum - thestar.com https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/10/16/its-ok-to-be-strange-how-three-members-of-my-family-are-all-learning-to-live-on-the-autism-spectrum.html

Opinion | ‘It’s OK to be strange:’ How three members of my family are all learning to live on the autism spectrum ‘It’s OK to be weird. It’s OK to be strange. It’s OK to be who you are.’

Writing is kinesthetic, therefore, it provides the brain with another avenue for learning in addition to learning through vision and hearing. The more avenues to the brain, the easier it is to learn any skill. A TCTC colleague sent this article for our families to read:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/sci-tech/handwriting-beats-typing-and-watching-videos-for-learning-to-read-study-1.5506286

Handwriting beats typing and watching videos for learning to read: study A study by Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. suggests that handwriting beats typing and watching videos when it comes to learning to read.

A new Cookie Monster is joining our team. Annemarie Weeda, our fabulous Speech Language Pathologist found him after an extensive search. He passed the interview and reference check and is now on his way to our clinic. “Yum yum yum!”

We are excited to be a part of this new platform connecting families to paediatric professionals who can help their kids. Check them out at www.ehkidshhealth.com

Toronto Children's Therapy Centre updated their business hours.

Registration for our virtual occupational therapy group for mom's with infants is now open! Connect with moms and learn about motor development, feeding and more with Ali Cooper OT. You can guide the conversation with your questions and Ali will offer evidenced based and up to date approaches and information to your questions. Registration is now open! Go to www.torontochildrenstherapycentre.ca/infant-development-parent-group-virtual/ for more information.

Ontario Expanding Supports for Families of Children with Autism | Ontario Newsroom Recognizing the challenges and uncertainty families are facing as a result of COVID-19, the government will be offering an additional extension of funding to purchase eligible services and supports parents feel are most appropriate for their children as the province continues to implement a needs...

Great information about hand development in your pre-schooler.

Did you know that a 3-year old (top left image) and a 6-year old (top right image) have significantly different skeletal structure in their hands?! Notice the bones in the wrist of the 3-year old -- many of them are still mostly cartilage! Look at all the spaces in between the bones where muscles and tendons will change through the years. Even the difference between a 6-year old and a 14-year old (lower right) is huge!

Preschoolers have SO much development to do before they can write the way school-aged children or adults can!

Please do NOT stress if your preschooler does not want to write or draw. Some love it and some don't.

While they are growing, strengthen those little bones and muscles! Here are some great pre-writing, muscle-strengthening activities:

* painting, drawing, coloring
* playdough
* tearing and cutting
* gluing
* poking holes in things (try toothpicks and paper!)
* digging in dirt
* building with LEGOS, marble runs, or other blocks
* beading (try beads, cut straws, or even bobbins!)
* puzzles
* squeezing (try stress balls, squeezing water in a sponge, or using a pipette)
* picking up and throwing balls (use different sizes!)
* playing with toys (watch what their little fingers do when they pick up and move little cars, marbles, action figures, etc!)
These all strengthen and help develop little hands, muscles, and bones. When they are physically ready to write, it will be so much easier than if they were pushed when they didn't want to and weren't ready!

Register for our feeding workshop online. Check out our website for more info, email [email protected] if you have any questions. See you there!

Registration is now open for our virtual social skills group for children in Ontario.

Virtual social skills group for Ontario children now open!