Family

Special needs

Are you raising a child with special needs? We're here to help with personal stories, expert advice, the latest research, and tips on how to support your child.

What is Autism? How to Recognize Signs and Symptoms

What is Autism? How to Recognize Signs and Symptoms

Author, Autism mom and Chair of Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Jan Stewart shares what you need to know.

Jan Stewart

Your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: Now what?

Your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: Now what?

Surrey Place

My son's autism diagnosis made me realize just how ableist I had been

My son's autism diagnosis made me realize just how ableist I had been

Putting a label on my child’s glorious, sometimes confusing personality traits was harder than I expected. But my hesitation was really ignorance.

Natalie Stechyson

Parents of "twice exceptional" kids actually face lots of hurdles

Parents of "twice exceptional" kids actually face lots of hurdles

While giftedness is a strength, parenting a "twice exceptional" kid who also has ADHD or anxiety comes with lots of stress.

Juliette François-Sévigny and Mathieu Pilon, The Conversation

How to tell your child they have autism

How to tell your child they have autism

Raina Delisle

Tips for a Successful School Year When Your Kid Has ADHD

Tips for a Successful School Year When Your Kid Has ADHD

If you want to give your kid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder the best school year yet, follow these suggestions.

Keith McArthur

4 Strategies for Planning Family Outings When Your Kid Has ADHD

4 Strategies for Planning Family Outings When Your Kid Has ADHD

Public places can be hard if your kid has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These strategies will help you leave the house without losing your cool.

Keith McArthur

I said I wouldn’t adopt a child with FASD—and now I have four

I said I wouldn’t adopt a child with FASD—and now I have four

People say: “If you adopt older children, rather than babies, you know what you’re getting.” Well it turns out we didn’t.

Christen Shepherd

Please treat my daughter like she’s human

Please treat my daughter like she’s human

Is it too much to ask for a child with special needs to be spoken to like a person?

Heather Lanier

The system is set up for special-needs kids to fail

The system is set up for special-needs kids to fail

The shortfall in government funding for kids with special needs means families have to make impossible sacrifices to fill the gap.

Corrina Allen

Working through the five stages of dyslexia

Working through the five stages of dyslexia

I was devastated when my son was diagnosed with dyslexia. It took four years of heartache and hard work, but he is now reading—and I couldn’t be more proud of him.

Shoshana Sperling

6 myths about autism that way too many people believe

6 myths about autism that way too many people believe

There's a lot of misinformation circulating about autism. We asked the experts what parents really need to know to decipher fact from fiction.

Arlene Karidis

When the pandemic is over, my family won't go “back to normal”

When the pandemic is over, my family won't go “back to normal”

Missing trips to the movies and birthday parties is nothing new for some parents—pandemic parenting is actually a whole lot like disability parenting.

Kathy Heath

10 Best Weighted Blankets for Kids 2024

10 Best Weighted Blankets for Kids 2024

Best weighted blanket for kids: Our favorite blankets designed to help soothe ADHD, anxiety and sleepless nights.

Bryce Gruber

How I knew my son had autism

How I knew my son had autism

When I first questioned if everything was ‘normal’ with my son, people seemed shocked, but I could feel that something wasn’t quite right.

Lauren Flack

What the pandemic taught me about my son's loneliness

What the pandemic taught me about my son's loneliness

Melanie Williams's son was born with Down syndrome. Isolation and social distancing are experiences he faces in his everyday life.

Melanie Williams, Macleans

10 things NOT to say to an adoptive parent

10 things NOT to say to an adoptive parent

Even the most well-intentioned comments sometimes make adoptive parents face-palm. Here are the 10 worst things you can say.

Christen Shepherd

Why distance learning can be harder for families of children with disabilities

Why distance learning can be harder for families of children with disabilities

Families who typically work in close collaboration with school staff are struggling without face-to-face networks.

Jess Whitley

"You were an exceptional child that needed exceptional care"

"You were an exceptional child that needed exceptional care"

In this touching essay, one mom looks back at raising her daughter, who was born with developmental delays.

Susie Sokol, Maclean's

How to know if your kid is struggling with executive functioning skills

How to know if your kid is struggling with executive functioning skills

Many kids are easily distracted or struggle with transitions, but for some, they're a sign of a sign of a bigger problem with executive functioning skills.

Vanessa Milne