The Children's Link Society
Suite 211, 8855 MacLeod Trail SW T2H 0M2 Calgary, AB, Canada

Love this! #Disability #SpecialNeeds #Parenting #YYCSpecialNeeds

The Society for Treatment of Autism, in conjunction with the Calgary Foundation, is offering a variety of programs for people with ASD, with sessions beginning ...in late January and running through to March. There are two support groups (one for teen girls, and the other for adult women) and two workshops (one about emotional regulation and the other about executive functioning skills). All sessions take place over Zoom, and are facilitated by a psychologist. For more information on each program, please check the corresponding poster attached to this post. See more

Another great blog post from the Autism Awareness Centre, 'A Different Kind of Christmas'- has a number of different ideas for things to do over the holidays https://autismawarenesscentre.com/a-different-kind-of-chr/

Such a cool website if you haven't checked it out yet! Lighten UP Calgary has a whole list of the best residential Christmas Light displays in Calgary and surrounding areas sorted by community. Great idea for a Christmas lights drive by or walk in your community over the holidays! https://lightenupcalgary.ca/

Our January Newsletter went out this week! Check it out at the link below: https://mailchi.mp//childrens-link-january-2021-newsletter

"Six children and youth with facial differences from across Ontario are featured in a public awareness video by the national charity AboutFace aimed at reducing stigma and building understanding of facial differences." https://globalnews.ca///beyond-my-face-facial-differences/

Thank you Canalta Hotels for your generous donation to our 2020 Holiday Celebration!

We can't thank Bonavista Cares and Carol Cooper from Usborne Books at Home Canada enough for donating 100 books to our families for our Holiday Celebration! It made our Storytime with Santa evening so special

Great online seminar being offered by Audrey Veltri at IG Wealth Management- Making Cent$, Tax Considerations for Canadians Living with a Disability! Date: Thursday, January 28th, 2021 Time: 7:00PM-8:30PM MST... Register at: https://bit.ly/2LRx5j8 #WealthManagement #Disability

You're invited! Join us at the Children's Link Virtual Preschool Resource Fair on Saturday, February 6, 2021 from 10:00am-12:00PM Preschool programs and service providers will be available to answer your questions. Family registration is free! Register at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2021-preschool-resource-fair-ti (agencies who would like to showcase their organization can sign up at this link as well)... A huge thank you to Pacekids Programs for sponsoring this year's event!

Wellington Airport in New Zealand has launched the sunflower lanyard initiative in partnership with Autism NZ to let airport staff know that passengers with hidden disabilities such as autism, ADHD, dementia or a visual impairment may need extra help. https://www.airport-technology.com//wellington-airport-su/

Coming January 2021 to JB Music Therapy! ComMusicate is a music therapy program designed to enhance and improve speech, language, and communication skills This exciting first series of sessions will be facilitated by the founder of the program, Noreen Donnell, together with a Communicative Disorders Assistant, Tara Dawson. *For children 4-6 years old *8 online sessions between January 18 and February 10, 2021. ... For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.jbmusictherapy.com/program/commusicate #wellnesswellplayed #musictherapy #musictherapist #commusicate #yyc #calgary

Loved hanging out with Santa at our Holiday Celebration? There are still spots left to book with Santa this year and Santa will kindly be donating 20% of all proceeds to Children's Link (thank you so much Santa!) Book a virtual one on one visit or story reading with Santa here: http://www.reindeersleigh.com/book-a-visit-with-santa

An important update - https://edmontonjournal.com//edmonton-public-school-board-

Introducing Our Board- Meet Sean! What inspired you to get involved on the Children's Link Board? I've been on the Children's Link Board for 2 years now. I remember meeting Eryn at her first AGM as a guest speaker. She had reached out with the interest on accessibility and the impact barrier free environments have on people. This was something that I really appreciated recognizing that it was only a part of what this organization looks at and provides to their members. ...As the AGM was coming to an end Eryn and I had an opportunity to chat with one another. She spoke so passionately about the work that's being done and the value it provides that I could tell this was more than just a "working for a paycheck" type of position for her. Needless to say, by the end of our conversation she had a board member submission form in hand and requested I fill it out. Knowing the work and direction this organization was headed towards I jumped on the opportunity to contribute and be a part of its future. What do you like to do in your free time? In my free time I try and maximize the time with my dog Iggy and my partner Christine in the garden. During the winter I tend to be a little more restricted however try and enjoy a few games of poker, a decent bottle of wine, or a good bottle of whiskey. What are your favourite way(s) to practice self-care? I am sure I focus on what I do have instead of what I'm missing. I try to ensure that I get out and about once in a while without spending too much time alone are isolated. At Universal Access we celebrate the wins, milestones, and little victories of each team member while also ensuring camaraderie and family like support. #ChildrensLink #MeetOurBoard #YYC #Calgary #CalgaryAlberta

Recreational Respite December 2020 virtual group programs are open for registration for children, youth and adults with disabilities! Programs include recreational and independent skill mastery opportunities. Check them out at: recrespite.com/virtual-services/ To register or for more information including program descriptions, call 1-877-855-7070 or e-mail [email protected]

Happy New Year from the Children's Link team to you and your family! Here's to a happy and healthy 2021 "Celebrate endings for they precede new beginnings." -Joanation Huie... #NewYears #YYC #Calgary #YYCSpecialNeeds #NewBeginnings

Now more than ever, it's important we find ways to create some balance in our lives as we face the additional fatigue and burnout from everything going on in the world Join us with Ashley Johnson from HashTag Lets Talk - Through Transitions we Transform on November 26th from 8:00pm-9:30pm on Zoom to talk about the HOW in how to create some balance during this exhausting time. To register for free and receive the link to attend, please e-mail: [email protected] #ChildrensLink #YYC #Calgary #Disability #SpecialNeeds #YYCSpecialNeeds #YYCDisability #BurnOut #Balance #CaregiverBurnout #SelfCare #BurnoutToBalance #HashtagLetsTalk

Bedtime Story With The Elf 2020 Join for a magical start to your Christmas celebrations with a FREE live Christmas story on December 24th! https://www.facebook.com/events/746961372562344/

Really great blog post from Melanie at Calgary Alternative Support Services Inc. about the benefits of journaling, and how it can help us to deal with our feelings, thoughts and emotions. https://www.c-a-s-s.org/journalling/

Great article on how digitalization during COVID-19 has made Canadian art more accessible (and why it should stay that way)! https://thevarsity.ca//how-digitalization-during-covid-19/

Thank you so much @TheBestCalgary! We're so honoured to be listed as one of the 9 Best Calgary Charities https://www.thebestcalgary.com/best-calgary-charities/

Alberta Education announces special consideration for special education students in light of this week's announced pandemic restrictions: https://www.alberta.c...a/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-scho Supporting students with disabilities and in outreach programs All students with disabilities who require support and services in any grade and students in outreach programs can continue to receive supports and services in-person at school, regardless of the shifts to at-home learning before and after the winter break. This exemption for in-person learning was based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. In consultation with parents, schools are expected to continue to provide students with disabilities with services and support they need. Parents should work with their teacher and school principal on appropriate arrangements.

Introducing Our Board- Meet Courtney! What inspired you to get involved on the Children's Link Board? I was inspired to get involved after a colleague shared the with me the great work that Children's Link is doing. Being a mom, I was immediately drawn to the cause and feel passionate about volunteering with causes that help children. I feel it's important that those of us who are not in the special needs community step up and help advocate for those who are - both child...ren and their parents - so that they feel supported and are not left to always be advocating for themselves. Being a parent is challenging and supporting one another is key. What do you like to do in your free time? I have a one-year old and a five-year old so my free time these days is usually spent chasing after them. One of our favourite places to go as a family is the Zoo - a good walk and fresh air does wonders. What are your favourite way(s) to practice self-care? Making time for self-care is tricky when you work full-time and have small children but I try my best to find a little bit of time for self-care. Lately I've really enjoyed listening to podcasts, my current favourite is Armchair Expert. #ChildrensLink #MeetOurBoard #YYC #Calgary

A huge THANK YOU to the Kiwanis Club of Calgary Chinook for all of the efforts of your incredible volunteers and for your amazing support at our Holiday Celebration! We couldn't have done it without you- thank you for helping us deliver so much joy to our families this year

We are SO looking forward to tomorrow night! Have you registered yet? Join us with Ashley Johnson from 8:00PM-9:30PM on Zoom to talk burnout, selfcare, and creating balance during this chaotic time. Bring yourself or join us with a friend! E-mail [email protected] to register. #YYC #Disability #Calgary #CalgaryAlberta #Lethbridge #MedicineHat

Feeling stressed? Looking for ways to manage your stress? Alberta Health Services is offering free workshops to help you transform and manage your stress. Check them out in the link below! https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page15660.aspx #AHS #COVID19 #Stress #Resilience #YYC #Calgary #YYCSpecialNeeds

Society for Treatment of Autism has a new pilot program- Job Seeking During Covid-19! This program aims to support Autistic job seekers (ages 15 years and up) with the unique challenges and barriers that have been brought about due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the flyer for more details! Any questions can be sent to Joanne Greig at [email protected] or Preeti Saini at [email protected] #SocietyForTreatmentofAutism #STA #JobSeeking #Employment #Disability #SpecialNeeds #Autism #YYC #Calgary #YYCSpecialNeeds #YYCDisability #YYCAutism