COVID-19; Kids Can Speak to start our GRADUAL RE-OPEN!

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Hi families!!!

We have some exciting news.  We apologize for the length of this update email!

In March 2020 Kids Can Speak made the difficult decision to suspend all face-to-face, in-clinic appointments with our families. Since then, we have continued to “see” families online—while we began to plan for the day that we could once again WELCOME YOU BACK!

We are excited to announce that our gradual and safe approach to “in person” visits will begin July 13, 2020. This will be slow, measured and cautious. We will begin to welcome you back with limited “in person” visits.  As we gain more comfort and guidance from regulating bodies, we will increase the number of “in person” appointments we are able to offer. 

During this time, tele-health will continue to be a primary form of service delivery.  We have discovered over this time that virtual appointments have provided a rich learning environment at home while we isolate.   We appreciate that virtual appointments are not for all of our families.  Many barriers have been shared with our team.  These barriers could support the necessity for an “in person” visit at Kids Can Speak.  We are committed to support your family’s unique situation to find the best therapy solution for you.  We know that families will have varying degrees of comfort as they consider returning to the clinic; online options will continue!

Our priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our families and staff. We will be cautiously monitoring developments as we move through re-entry.  We will continue to make decisions with the information available guided by the recommendations from Public Health and our government officials. 

In addition to our already stringent adherence to health and safety measures, to reduce the risk as we begin resuming in-person services a full list of measures will be emailed to you prior to in person bookings.

It has been a very uncertain and uneasy time for many; we are so excited to begin to welcome you back!  As we navigate this process together, we appreciate your patience, resilience and support.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Warmest regards,
KCS Team

Excited to Welcome Stephanie Picone!

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Kids Can Speak, Brantford's Speech Clinic is so excited to welcome Stephanie Picone!

Stephanie is a student at King’s University College at Western.  She is majoring in psychology and she is taking a few linguistics courses. In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with family and friends, exercising, practicing yoga, swimming, and traveling.

Stephanie would like to work in small groups or one on one with clients to help them overcome their communication obstacles. In the past, she has volunteered and job shadowed at Lansdowne Children’s Centre. She is currently volunteering at the Adult Recreation Therapy Centre with an aphasia group.

"I remember when I first began volunteering at the Adult Therapy Centre in December during my Christmas break with a small group and making observing of everyone’s difficulties with communication. When I returned back to the Recreation Centre at the beginning of May I noticed an especially significant improvement in a couple of clients. You could tell it meant a lot to them that they finally felt understood by others in conversation. This is why I want to become a speech therapist."

Stephanie would like to give people who have struggled with speech impediments, a sense of confidence and self-worth to improve their day-to-day lives in the aspect of communication with others.

Excited to Welcome Courtney Humble!

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Kids Can Speak, Brantford's Speech Clinic is SO excited to welcome our new volunteers!

Courtney Humble is a fourth year student at the University of Western Ontario in London. She is currently studying an Honours Double Major in Psychology and Linguistics and will be graduating in April of 2016. Following her undergraduate career, she will be applying to the Speech and Language Pathology Master’s Program, and hopes to eventually become a practicing SLP. Courtney currently works part-time as a personal support worker at Lansdowne Children’s Centre working with local kids in the community with developmental disabilities. Support to these children is provided through recreational programs as well as the Every Kid Counts Program in which Courtney assists special needs children/youth participating in a variety of different summer camps around the city. She has previous volunteer experience in the field of speech therapy through organizations such as the March of Dimes Aphasia Camp, as well as the London Speech and Language Centre. In addition to these opportunities, Courtney has held a student volunteer position in the Voice Production and Perception Laboratory working on a variety of different projects under the discretion of Dr. Phillip C. Doyle, Ph. D.  

        Aside from being a student, Courtney spends her time working at a local pottery studio where she is able to express her more creative side! She also enjoys spending time with family and friends whenever she can and is an avid animal lover. Courtney has a true passion for working with others, and is particularly interested in helping individuals who are either unable or have lost their ability to communicate, an invaluable aspect of the human existence.

“I am both ready and excited for all the opportunities that await me! All of my experiences thus far have assured me that I am working towards a career I am truly passionate about.”

Resources for parents and caregivers who have children with Autism

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According to Autism Speaks Canada, Autism now affects 1 in 68 children and is 5 times more likely to affect boys.  Speech and Language Pathologists are often the first contact for families who have children with red flags for Autism.  Families are usually concerned because their child doesn't respond to his or her name, or he/she doesn't look at faces or say any words.  When families feel ready, speech and language pathologists can help families with the appropriate referrals to explore the possibility of a diagnosis.  As speech language pathologists, we don't need a diagnosis to help your child develop his or her communication skills- we simply determine where your child is at and how we can get him or her to the next level.  If families receive a diagnosis, I often hear "what's next?"  I have come across an amazing on-line Resource Kit and felt I needed to share!  Have a peak at the link below!

Click here!