Resources / Links

EarlyON Child and Family Centres

Are you a parent with a child under 6 years old? EarlyON Child and Family Centres offer free drop-in programs for caregivers and children from birth to six years old in Ontario. You can also connect with EarlyON agencies for online programs, parenting resources, and community supports and services. Visit york.ca/EarlyON to access links to the agencies’ websites and online programs.

York Region Public Health – Promoting Healthy Child Development

York Region Public Health is dedicated to providing parents with valuable programs, services and information to help as their babies and children grow and develop.

For more information about York Region Public Health services, call Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 or click here

Early Intervention Services of York Region

Early Intervention Services provides information, education and support to families and their infants and young children with special needs in York Region.

Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS)

CDSS is a national non-profit organization providing information, advocacy and education about Down syndrome.  The CDSS supports self-advocates, parents and families through all stages of life.

Canadian Stuttering Association (CSA)

The CSA is an internationally recognized not-for-profit organization for people who stutter. Their mandate is to promote awareness of stuttering and support for people afflicted with this disorder.  The CDA offers education and resources about stuttering, and helps to faciliatate the formation of self-help groups across the country.

Child & Family Collaborative (C&FC)

C&FC was established by and for the community of professionals in York Region who provide early development and child care services to children aged prenatal to twelve.

Children’s Treatment Network of Simcoe-York

The Network provides comprehensive, coordinated care and services to kids with complex physical, developmental and communications needs who live in Simcoe County or York Region.

College of Audiologists and Speech‐Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO)

The purpose of the College is to regulate the professions of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. The College serves and protects the public interest, and governs its members in accordance with the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA), the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Act, 1991 (ASLPA), and the regulations, policies and by-laws of the College.

Click here to view the CASLPO brochure (available in 8 languages).

Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC)

CDAAC is committed to supporting excellence in Communicative Disorders Assistant practice and professional growth of all members.

Early Intervention Services of York Region

Early Intervention Services provides information, education and support to families and their infants and young children with special needs in York Region.

Hanen Centre

The Hanen Centre is a Canadian not-for-profit charitable organization committed to supporting parents, early childhood educators and speech-language pathologists in their efforts to promote the best possible language, social and literacy skills in young children.

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services – Speech and Language

Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders (OAFCCD)

OAFCCD’s vision is that all children will have access to a continuum of speech and language services to support their successful participation at home, in school and in the community.

Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (OSLA)

OSLA is the strong, collective, influential voice for the professions in the Province. OSLA represents, promotes and supports its members in their work on behalf of all Ontarians, especially those with communication disorders, swallowing difficulties, or hearing health care needs.

The Stuttering Foundation

The Stuttering Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization working toward the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering. The Stuttering Foundation provides free online resources, services and support to those who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering.

York Region Early Literacy Specialists

The Early Literacy Specialist supports early literacy as well as numeracy throughout York Region by providing resources, workshops, seminars and consultations for parents, caregivers and early childhood professionals. They work with individuals and community groups and collaborate on projects and initiatives to support parents and caregivers.

ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families (US)

ZERO TO THREE is a nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development. On their site you will find information,  interactive tools, parent handouts, charts, Tip Sheets, FAQ’s, articles, and powerpoint slideshows all designed to help you in supporting and nurturing the health and development of babies and toddlers.

Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC)

This is the national body that supports and represents the professional needs of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and supportive personnel inclusively within one organization. Through this support, SAC champions the needs of people with communications disorders.

The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children

In Britain, stuttering is referred to as stammering. Stuttering and stammering refer to the same speech difficulty so there is no difference between the two terms. This excellent website has resources for parents, older children, teachers and clinicians.

• Info for parents: https://actionforstammeringchildren.org/support/for-parents/
• Support for children and young people: https://actionforstammeringchildren.org/support/young-people-support/r
• Info for teachers: https://actionforstammeringchildren.org/support/support-for-schools/
• Info for Speech-language pathologists: https://actionforstammeringchildren.org/support/for-therapists/

The Stuttering Center of Western Pennsylvania

The Stuttering Foundation has many excellent resources for parents, caregivers, teachers and people who stutter.

York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN)

The York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN) is a group of organizations with a history of partnering together to meet the unique needs of children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The partnership network was formed in response to the new Ontario Autism Program to support families in York Region and Simcoe County. We believe that our ‘whole’ will be greater than the sum of our individual ‘parts’.

Ontario Autism Program

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) offers support to families of children and youth on the autism spectrum. Children and youth who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by a qualified professional are eligible for the program. Children receive services and supports until the age of 18.

York Region Autism Ontario

The York Region Autism Ontario Chapter offers a variety of programs and events for Autistic individuals and their families, provides information to the community, and supports families with service navigation.

Geneva Centre for Autism

The Geneva Centre strives to build the capacity and skills of individuals, families, community agencies and professionals to help individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder realize opportunities for successful community inclusion.

Kerry’s Place Autism Services (KPAS)

KPAS has been committed to enhancing the quality of life of people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for over 35 years through innovative personalized supports, expertise, collaboration and advocacy.

Hear On – YouTube Channel

The Hear On suite of learning videos was created for families of children identified with permanent hearing loss. They were each created with a clear parent need for information in mind. They are roughly ordered as we think parents may best make use of them. But of course each family has their own particular journey. The videos start with the first ABR appointment and move on from there. Watch them in order, or jump around as you like. Invite others important to your child’s care to come watch as well. Welcome. Please come back often to see if we have posted something new.

Each video was crafted and revised based on the input and feedback of established professionals in the field of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology. We are also hoping to collect feedback from parents who can help us by pointing the way to new videos and how to revise our current videos to better meet their needs. Let us know what you think. Contact us through the link here.

Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

AG Bell is based in Washington, DC and provides resources that focus on listening and spoken language for those families who have chosen an auditory path for their child with hearing loss.

Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC)

This is the national body that supports and represents the professional needs of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and supportive personnel inclusively within one organization. Through this support, SAC champions the needs of people with communications disorders.

LS&S (Learning, Sight and Sound)

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services – Hearing – ENGLISH

This is the Ministry site for the Infant Hearing Program with basic information about the screening process and contact information for the various regions across the province.

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services – Hearing – FRENCH

Ceci est le site internet du ministère pour le programme d’audition pour les nourrissons, qui contient des informations de base sur le processus de dépistage et des informations de contact pour les différentes régions de la province.

My Baby’s Hearing

Boys Town National Research Hospital is located in Omaha, Nebraska. It is one of the sites involved in the development of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs across the United States. The site is geared towards parents of children recently identified with hearing loss.

Ontario Infant Hearing Program

This site provides information about the services available through the Infant Hearing Program in Ontario.

Silent Voice

Silent Voice including the Silent Voice American Sign Language (ASL) Services of the Infant Hearing Program (IHP) resource-rich site, designed as a one-stop shop for parents and caregivers of Deaf children!

VOICE for Hearing-Impaired Children

VOICE is a parent group that works to advocate for hearing-impaired children and focuses on the development of auditory and verbal skills.

CVI Now

CVI Now provides parents with information and methods that can help to support their children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). It provides information about CVI, practical suggestions for support, and research to guide parents in advocating for their child’s needs and supporting their visual development.

Paths to Literacy

Paths to Literacy offers a variety of resources for families and professionals to support children who are blind or have low vision in developing foundational early literacy, language, and communication skills. This resource recognises that literacy goes beyond reading and writing and that literacy-rich experiences can start in the early years. The site includes creative resources that families can use at home.

Lighthouse Guild: Tele-Support for Parents

Lighthouse Guild’s Tele-support connects parents of children who are blind or have low vision with professional guidance, emotional support, and practical advice from experienced individuals and fellow parents. This service helps families access resources, share experiences, and find support to nurture their child’s development.

Ontario Parents of Visually Impaired Children (OPVIC)

OPVIC is supportive organization of parents, family members and guardians of children with visual loss in Ontario. The organization is run by volunteers and provides advocacy support, educational workshops, and networking opportunities to help parents gain insights, share experiences, and find the knowledge needed to support their child’s growth and development.

Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind is an agency dedicated to helping those who are blind or partially sighted to overcome challenges of vision loss and live full active lives. This site provides the latest news on community resources and programs, and vision health for individuals of any age.

Choosing Sunglasses For Your Kids

Rules to keep in mind when buying sunglasses for children

Family Connect

For parents of children with visual impairments

Little Bear Sees

This is a website dedicated to providing awareness about Cortical Visual Impairment. The focus is to offer information on assessment tools, resources and strategies to help children with CVI learn to use their vision.

LS&S (Learning, Sight and Sound)

LS&S specializes in products for the blind, visually impaired, deaf, and hard of hearing. Here you will find a great collection of low vision aids, hearing helpers, daily living aids, and information designed to help you or a loved one regain independence.

Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services – Vision

This is the Ministry site for the Blind-Low Vision Program with basic information on the program as well as contact information for the various regional offices.

Ontario Association of Optometrists

This is a website dedicated to helping member optometrist provide high standards of eye health and vision care. Families can visit the site to learn more about purchasing eye glasses, eye exams and information on general eye health.

VIEWS

VIEWS is a non-profit organization that advocates for children and young adults with vision loss. This site keeps families up-to-date on current initiatives, as well as events such as community programs, camps and workshops for parents

WonderBaby

WonderBaby is a resource for parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. It emphasizes sharing real-life experiences and practical advice that parents have developed while supporting their own children. WonderBaby covers a wide range of topics.

Services For Children Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision