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The Exceptional Caregivers Life

MARCH 4, 2025

New podcast 

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Connect with a community that gets it. Real and compassionate conversations about the highs and lows of caring for individuals with disabilities and complex needs, hosted by Surrey Place’s Family Advisory Council members Liz Phipps and Wendy Robertson. Stories of successes and challenges—of finding joy, hope, humour, respite and community to keep going on a journey that is often hard, exhausting and isolating. 

Hear about lived experiences with caring for individuals of all ages with autism, down syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Emanuel Syndrome, medical fragility and other complex needs. Learn about finding community, self-care, advocacy and gratitude. Hopefully, you will be inspired by the relatable stories of these exceptional caregivers.

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Listen:

Spotify Link
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Episodes

Image of Linda and Sara

March 5, 2025 

Finding Your Community 

Wendy and Liz are joined by guests Linda Koehler and Sara Marcelin-Elliott for the first episode to share their lived experience of caring for a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Linda is a caregiver to her grandson with an autism, ADHD and global developmental delay diagnosis and Sara is a mother to an exceptional teen with dual diagnosis. This episode is all about finding families, the pros and cons of community, and the stages of community throughout your child’s life. 

Listen:

Spotify Link
Youtube Link

Hosts

Image of Liz Phipps

Liz Phipps

Liz Phipps is a passionate autism advocate, dedicated to creating inclusive environments for individuals on the autism spectrum. With 15 years of experience in advocacy, outreach and public speaking, Liz has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about autism and dismantle misconceptions surrounding neurodiversity. Liz’s son, Jack, and his diagnosis inspired her to pursue not-for-profit work, developing and implementing programs that promote understanding, acceptance, and support for individuals with autism and their families. With senior levels roles at Unity for Autism and Autism Canada her goal has always been empowering those on the spectrum. Additionally, Liz has been profiled in The Toronto Star, on CBC Radio, and Global TV. Currently, Liz works at Surrey Place, supporting families on their autism journey. 

Image of Wendy and her daughter Bridget

Wendy Robertson 

Wendy is a dedicated mother of twin daughters, including Bridget, who is Autistic as well as developmentally and intellectually disabled. With 15 years of experience navigating the autism journey, she has become deeply involved in the community, serving on multiple special needs councils and actively participating and organizing fundraisers. Wendy is a long-time member of the Family Advisory Council (FAC) at Surrey Place while also working in finance. She enjoys staying active and loves to laugh, always finding joy in both the challenges and blessings of life with a child with complex needs.

Credits & Thanks 

Special thanks to the Family Advisory Council for making “The Exceptional Caregivers Life” podcast possible. Foundational support was provided by the Arthur and Audrey Cutten Foundation and the Harry E. Foster Foundation. 

All episodes are produced by LeadPodcasting. 

Stay in touch with us! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our programs, services and work we are doing at Surrey Place. Sign up here at https://www.surreyplace.ca/subscribe/ 

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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