I’ve often wondered why there’s very little public outcry when the media reports on the cruel use of seclusion rooms for kids with developmental disabilities and delays in schools across Canada. I’ve worked with kids born with developmental disabilities since I was 16 years old. I started out as a respite worker for families through […]
There has been a lot of discussion recently in Ontario and elsewhere about sex education. We have heard from diverse groups about what is taught and what is not taught in our schools. But there is one group whose voice has been missed. Our students with developmental disabilities need sex education too. And no one’s […]
Inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications — drugs like Risperdal, Zyprexa and Abilify — to seniors, especially those in long-term care with conditions like dementia, has been a hot topic of discussion across Canada in recent years. We have also increasingly heard about the high numbers of these medications being prescribed to children and youth with […]
Restrictions on assets and gifts keep many in a state of deep and profound uncertainty and crisis. A version of this commentary appeared in the Toronto Star, the Huffington Post and the Waterloo Region Record In August 2016, Ontario’s Ombudsman released “Nowhere to Turn,” a report outlining multiple systemic failures in provincial supports and services […]
Almost half of those with developmental disabilities are diagnosed with mental illness or addiction — and they are among the most frequent visitors to emergency departments A version of this commentary appeared in Policy Options, the Vancouver Province and the Winnipeg Free Press With the recent federal commitment to increase mental health funding across Canada, we […]
