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Our Wellness Services Are Expanding

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

It’s been six months since Ontario declared a state of emergency to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During that time, we heard first-hand from people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their caregivers that it’s been challenging to get the support they need. Many individuals with IDD rely on in-person, therapeutic supports, which were temporarily lost during the pandemic. 

Our goal is to address pandemic-related developmental and mental health needs, providing a better quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, caregivers and teachers. 

Angel, an MMW client meets with her therapist online during a counselling session. 

We were quick to recognize this concern, and in May 2020, we started offering our high-quality Wellness Services online to current or past clients, families, caregivers and the broader community. Our Wellness Events include parenting in behavioural techniques, teacher strategies, communication strategies, stress management, mental and physical health, and service navigation. Our goal is to address pandemic-related developmental and mental health needs, providing a better quality of life for individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, caregivers and teachers. 

Wellness Events are designed to build awareness and enhance knowledge, skills and resiliency in our target population. 

Wellness clients attend their programs online.  

Thanks to the United Way Greater Toronto and the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund, we will expand our array of online services. Over the next eight months, we will provide 120 online Wellness Events; 120 learning activities on topics of nutrition, community, and learning at home; 48 online social activities including caregiver coffee chats, mindfulness sessions, and Zumba classes; and 109 learning aids in forms of videos and a new resource library on our website. 

Participants have regularly shared feedback about how our events have helped: 

“What I enjoyed most about the webinars was that they were lucid, easy to understand, and presented by knowledgeable specialists who gave us practical and easy-to-use advice. I would absolutely recommend online Wellness Events to others; more of us should take advantage of these informative webinars!”

Rose, Wellness Event participant

“The Resource Clinic that I joined was a one-to-one clinic. It was an amazing time as the entire hour was used for focusing on questions and answers of my child’s case. It was very informative and time well spent!” 

Judy, Wellness Event Participant 

Check out our events calendar to register for new events, or sign-up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all of our upcoming events! 

About United Way Greater Toronto

As the largest non-government funder of community services in the GTA, United Way Greater Toronto reinforces a crucial community safety net. United Way’s network of agencies and initiatives in neighbourhoods across Peel, Toronto and York Region works to ensure that everyone has access to the programs and services they need to thrive today. Mobilizing the network and other community support, United Way tackles #UNIGNORABLE issues linked to poverty. United Way’s work is rooted in ground-breaking research, strategic leadership, local advocacy and cross-sectoral partnerships committed to building lasting solutions to the GTA’s greatest challenges. 

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By 2 months

Has your baby had their hearing screened? YES NO

By 6 months

Does the child?

Startle in response to loud noises? YES NO
Turn to where a sound is coming from? YES NO
Make different cries for different needs (hungry, tired)? YES NO
Watch your face as you talk? YES NO
Smile/laugh in response to your smiles and laughs? YES NO
Imitate coughs or other sounds such as ah, eh, buh YES NO

By 9 months

Does the child?

Respond to their name? YES NO
Respond to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door? YES NO
Understand being told no? YES NO
Get what they want through using gestures (reaching to be picked up)? YES NO
Play social games with you (Peek-a-Boo)? YES NO
Enjoy being around people? YES NO
Babble and repeat sounds such as babababa or duhduhduh? YES NO

By 12 months

Does the child?

Follow simple one-step directions (sit down)? YES NO
Look across the room to a toy when adult points at it? YES NO
Consistently use three to five words? YES NO
Use gestures to communicate (waves hi/bye, shakes head for no)? YES NO
Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes? YES NO
Bring you toys to show you? YES NO
Perform for social attention and praise? YES NO
Combine lots of sounds together as though talking (abada baduh abee)? YES NO
Show an interest in simple picture books? YES NO

By 18 months

Does the child?

Understand the meaning of in and out, off and on? YES NO
Point to more than 2 body parts when asked? YES NO
Use at least 20 words consistently? YES NO
Respond with words or gestures to simple questions (Where's teddy? What's that?)? YES NO
Demonstrate some pretend play with toys (gives teddy bear a drink, pretends a bowl is a hat)? YES NO
Make at least four different consonant sounds (p ,b, m, n, d, g, w, h)? YES NO
Enjoy being read to and sharing simple books with you? YES NO
Point to pictures using one finger? YES NO

By 2 years

Does the child?

Follow two-step directions (Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma.)? YES NO
Use 100 to 150 words? YES NO
Use at least two pronouns (you, me, mine)? YES NO
Consistently combine two to four words in short phrases (Daddy hat. Truck go down.)? YES NO
Enjoy being around other children? YES NO
Begin to offer toys to other children and imitate other children's actions and words? YES NO
Use words that are understood by others 50 to 60 per cent of the time? YES NO
Form words or sounds easily and without effort? YES NO
Hold books the right way up and turn the pages? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 30 months

Does the child?

Understand the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little/a lot, more)? YES NO
Use some adult grammar (two cookies, bird flying, I jumped)? YES NO
Use over 350 words? YES NO
Use action words such as run, spill, fall? YES NO
Participate in some turn-taking activities with peers, using both words and toys? YES NO
Demonstrate concern when another child is hurt or sad? YES NO
Combine several actions in play (puts blocks in the train and drives the train, drops the blocks off.)? YES NO
Put sounds at the beginning of most words? YES NO
Use words with two or more syllables or beats (ba-na-na, com-pu-ter, a-pple)? YES NO
Recognize familiar logos and signs involving print (Stop sign)? YES NO
Remember and understand familiar stories? YES NO

By 3 years

Does the child?

Understand who, what, where and why questions? YES NO
Create long sentences using five to eight words? YES NO
Talk about past events (trip to grandparents house, day at child care)? YES NO
Tell simple stories? YES NO
Show affection for favourite playmates? YES NO
Engage in multi-step pretend play (pretending to cook a meal, repair a car)? YES NO
Talk in a way that most people outside of the family understand what she/he is saying most of the time? YES NO
Have an understanding of the function of print (menus, lists, signs)? YES NO
Show interest in, and awareness of, rhyming words? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 4 years

Does the child?

Follow directions involving three or more steps (First get some paper, then draw a picture and give it to Mommy)? YES NO
Use adult type grammar? YES NO
Tell stories with a beginning, middle and end? YES NO
Talk to try and solve problems with adults and with other children? YES NO
Show increasingly complex imaginary play? YES NO
Talk in a way that is understood by strangers almost all the time? YES NO
Generate simple rhymes (cat-bat)? YES NO
Match some letters with their sounds (letter b says buh, letter t says tuh)? YES NO