Kids Brain Health Network Family Stories about the Secret Agent Society Project in Toronto and Ottawa
When Kai was diagnosed with autism at the age of four, his parents Abby and Paul were surprised—aside from some speech challenges, nothing led them to suspect he was autistic. Unfamiliar with the diagnosis and unsure where to turn, Abby and Paul started to connect with supports in their community.
When Kai enrolled in Secret Agent Society, he struggled with social norms like giving other people a chance to talk during a conversation and not engaging with his peers if they were talking about something he wasn’t interested in,” ~ Abby, Kai’s mother
Dr. Vivian Lee and colleagues speaks with Autism Ontario
The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many, but recent research suggests that the mental health and overall wellbeing of families of children on the autism spectrum have been disproportionally impacted by multiple waves of lockdowns across Canada.
In this panel with researchers Dr. Vivian Lee (Carleton University) and Jonathan Weiss (York University), as well as researcher-parent Dr. Janet McLaughlin (Wilfred Laurier), Matthew Ley (host) will discuss the current research on how autistic children and their families have been impacted by the pandemic but also ways in which families have been able to cope and thrive. Long term implications of the pandemic will be discussed as well as ways we can continue supporting caregivers and families as we move forward past the pandemic.