Paulette Brassard says the KidsAbility Centre for Child Development has made a big difference in the life of her 3-year-old son Caleb.
Born with Down syndrome, a disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome, Caleb struggles with impaired cognitive ability and physical growth.
But thanks to about two years worth of occupational therapy and physiotherapy sessions at the KidsAbility site in Fergus, Caleb has made great developmental strides.
“It’s gone excellent – he’s progressed quite a bit, actually,” Brassard said. “His fine motor skills are coming along pretty good … and now he’s starting to crawl.”
She explained her son has benefitted from invaluable one-on-one time with therapists, as well as equipment loans that allow the family to work with Caleb at home as well.
From day one, KidsAbility staff members have done a remarkable job making Caleb, otherwise slow to warm to new people, very comfortable, explained Brassard.
“He really enjoys it,” she said. “As soon as I turn into the [KidsAbility] driveway he gets really excited because he knows where he’s going.”
Caleb is one of over 750 children in Guelph and Wellington County served each year by KidsAbility, which treats kids with physical, developmental and communication disabilities, including but not limited to Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy.
“We strive to create programs and services to meet the many different complex needs of those who we serve,” said KidsAbility Community Relations Coordinator Caroline Davidson.
“KidsAbility works to ensure that children and youth with disabilities have the opportunity to realize their full potential and that their families are supported in their journey in partnership with other community agencies.”
KidsAbility serves children who are referred by their doctor, parents or caregivers, through a team of therapists, teachers, doctors and volunteers – including over 50 student and adult volunteers in the Guelph-Wellington area.
Occupational therapist Paula Zimmer said it is a very rewarding experience working with KidsAbility clients, who are so motivated when they come for therapy sessions. She explained parents and family members who are repeatedly reminded of the limitations, also like hearing about what their child can do.
“I get to be the bearer of some of the better News and help them achieve some of their goals,” Zimmer said. “I absolutely love it.”
Four-year-old Claire Stultz, of Guelph, is living proof that the children also enjoy their time at KidsAbility.
Claire was diagnosed at birth with mosaic trisomy 22, a rare disorder in which chromosome 22 is present three times, instead of the usual two, in some cells of the body. She has already undergone heart surgery and is at risk for various developmental delays.
But her mother Leanne Stultz says weekly occupa-tional and physiotherapy sessions at the KidsAbility Guelph site has helped in all aspects of her development.
“It’s made a huge difference,” she said. “I don’t know where we’d be without KidsAbility.”
An accredited charitable organization, KidsAbility was established in 1957 to help children with disabilities. It is accountable to the government and other funding partners for services and to community stakeholders who support its work.
“KidsAbility believes in partnering to enhance the services available to children with special needs and to build community capacity to support these children,” said Davidson.
Herself the mother of a special needs child, Davidson noted the local KidsAbility chapter officially opened in 1999. There was an obvious need for special needs services in the area, as the client list in Guelph-Wellington grew from seven to over 120 in just one year.
Diane Heaton, of Ariss, said “it’s because of KidsAbility” her 2-year-old daughter Hannah has made great improvements. Born healthy, Hannah contacted bacterial meningitis when she was just a few weeks old, which led to severe brain damage. Doctors told Heaton that Hannah would be blind, deaf, epileptic and never be able to walk or talk.
“When we first came home from the hospital all I had was that prognosis,” Heaton said, adding KidsAbility helped eased the helplessness felt by her family in the beginning.
Hannah has been receiving treatment at the KidsAbility Guelph location for almost two years now to work on fine and basic motor skills, which Heaton hopes will improve her bone density and help with muscular development.
Hannah now hears just fine, has some vision and has made strides in controlling her head and improving the strength in her legs, as well as other physical advancements.
“It’s had a massive influence on Hannah,” Heaton said. “There’s no way I would have been able to get her to progress as far as she has on my own.”
Up until seven years ago, clients throughout Wellington County had to travel to the KidsAbility Guelph site, which was difficult for many and downright impossible for others.
That all changed when the Fergus-Elora Rotary Club came forward and helped KidsAbility find, secure and fund a shared space on St. David Street in Fergus.
“They believed in the program and trusted that good things would happen when children with special needs were given early intervention and their families were supported close to home,” said Davidson.
To date the Rotary Club has contributed more than $100,000 to KidsAbility in Fergus, helping to fund two part-time therapists between 2000 and 2003, as well as advertise the organization’s services to the community.
“This was an enormous investment in time, money and energy for a small club to take on,” said Davidson. “They took a risk and it really paid off for clients and their families.”
Thanks to the Rotary Club’s help, KidsAbility officially opened a fully-funded Fergus site in the fall of 2003. Club president Russ Spicer said local Rotarians were more than happy to help.
“We are very pleased we can be of assistance to KidsAbility, as it provides a very necessary service for children with special needs here in our community,” Spicer said.
The Fergus site now boasts two therapists and a social worker offering support for over 190 children and their families in the Centre and northern Wellington areas.
Inspired by KidsAbility’s successful partnership with the Fergus-Elora Rotary Club, a service club in Mount Forest decided to provide funding to help rent an outreach space one day per week in that community.
“KidsAbility Guelph-Wellington has demonstrated strong growth and commitment to our community in the last 10 years,” Davidson said.
“KidsAbility staff love what they do and proudly work hard to create a welcoming, supportive and learning place for children and youths with disabilities and their families.”
Though KidsAbility has expanded over the last decade, there are over 1,200 children waiting for its services, with waits ranging from seven months to three years, depending on the child’s diagnosis.
Officials say those delays, among the longest in the province, can be traced to four main impediments:
– the increasingly complexity of the health needs of KidsAbility clients;
– government funding has been frozen for two years;
– the area is one of the fastest growing regions in Ontario; and
– the lack of a local pediatric hospital means KidsAbility must fill the void left by a lack of specialized care.
Due to the aforementioned funding freeze and the increase in demand for its services, KidsAbility Guelph-Wellington increasingly turns to the community for help raising about $150,000 out of its annual budget of around $1-million.
On April 16, it will host the 5th annual Kids Can’t Wait Radiothon live from the Conestoga Mall in Waterloo.
Anyone interested in aiding the fundraiser, which will be featured on 96.7 ChymFM, Kix 106.7FM, and 570AM News, can tune in, host their own fundraiser, make a donation or visit the event in person. For information call Chris Voisin at 1-888-372-2259 ext. 293.
The organization’s other major fundraising event, the 4th Annual 1km Fun Run/Walk is scheduled for June 6 from 10am to 12pm. To obtain a pledge sheet, to register or for more information call 519-780-0186 ext. 300.
For more information about KidsAbility, to arrange a tour or learn how to get involved, contact Caroline Davidson at 519-780-0186 ext. 238 or cdavidson@kidsability.ca.
