A Model to Emulate?

March 10, 2018March 10, 2018 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

Canada’s first community designed specifically for people with dementia is opening next year in Langley, British Columbia. It’s called “The Village” – the design of which was inspired by Hogeweyk, the world’s first dementia village, in The Netherlands.

Planned so that people could be “safely” independent and live their own life their way, residents will be able to shop, have a coffee, walk their dog, and get their hair cut in the Village Square, as well as take part in various community-based activities.

Read the full story here.

The Time to Start Planning is Now

February 23, 2018 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

A recent U.S. based study in the Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities shows that very few parents of children with intellectual disabilities adequately plan for the future of their children. The key barriers? Fear, stress, high costs, and lack of time. The biggest reason, cited by 61 percent of parents, was a lack of residential, employment and recreational options and services.

Read the article here.

Creative Spirit Aims for Thousands of Jobs For People With Disabilities

November 20, 2017November 20, 2017 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

A new effort with the backing of some major names in the advertising industry is launching with an ambitious goal: create 130,000 jobs for people with developmental disabilities by 2020. Read the full story here.

Fighting for Down Syndrome

January 7, 2017 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

Some countries are now entering a new era of discrimination against children with Down syndrome. It’s one thing to protect the legal right to have an abortion, but it is quite another to insulate those who have such an abortion from the reality of what they have done.

Check out the full article here.

Another Game Changer

June 11, 2016 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

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Here’s another example of passion, perseverance, and the desire to make a difference. Check out the amazing story of the special needs LifeTown development centre in Livingston, New Jersey here!

Positivity and Down Syndrome

March 11, 2016 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

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In the vast majority of cases, a new analysis finds that parents and siblings of those with Down syndrome report positive feelings about having a family member with the chromosomal disorder.

Read the full story here.

Together we can create a loud, single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down syndrome on March 21, 2016 – the 11th annual World Down Syndrome Day. Go to https://worlddownsyndromeday.org/ for more information!

A Special Dutch Village: lessons to learn?

August 17, 2015March 10, 2018 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

Just outside Amsterdam, the small village of Hogeway only has 152 inhabitants. But Hogeway is more than just a tiny town. It is, in fact , a special, cutting-edge community for Alzheimer’s patients that has its own town square, theatre, garden, and post office. Unlike typical villages however, this one has cameras monitoring residents every hour of every day, caretakers dressed in street clothes, and only one door in and out of town, all part of a security system designed to keep the community safe. Friends and family are encouraged to visit. Residents at Hogewey require fewer medications, eat better, live longer, and appear more joyful than those in standard elderly-care facilities.

Could this be an exciting model or blueprint for similar-type communities for adults with developmental disabilities? Read more about Hogeway here and let me know what you think!

Click here for the terrific CNN profile on this unique community.

Click here for an article about Hogeway by the Daily Mail.

The link to the Hogeway website may be found here.

I believe there are many lessons we can model and apply for adults with developmental disabilities.

The Potential in All of Us

August 21, 2014August 21, 2014 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

You were born with potential.
You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams.

You were born with greatness.
You were born with wings.

You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings.
Learn to use them and fly.

– Rumi, 13th century poet

I believe that individuals with special needs possess a latent potential that can be tapped, developed and encouraged to soar. I know that people with special needs are inquisitive and never stop learning regardless of age or ability. I recognize that everyone has different abilities and needs, likes and dislikes. I believe that everybody has something valuable to offer, and that we should strive to unlock the full potential within each individual. I also believe it’s important to create a safe and confidence-building environment that provides stable, meaningful employment and volunteer opportunities for individuals with special needs. Moreover, it’s also essential to offer on-going work and social skills development, and help build critical relationships with peers so that these individuals achieve maximum success and enjoyment in life.

My desire is to work with other like-minded individuals to provide meaningful and stable work opportunities for people with special needs, and to see these individuals grow, develop and take pride in what they do. I want to create a stable, reliable, safe and welcoming second “home” and “family” for these individuals throughout their lifetimes. Ideally, this will provide renewed hope and peace of mind for their families as well.

This vision – call it a centre of excellence – will work with community partners to encourage and create meaningful and appropriate skills development, employment and volunteer opportunities for individuals with special needs. We will establish key relationships with parents, schools, agencies, associations, potential employers as well as key government bodies. We will build strategic partnerships with service providers to benefit from expertise and services that they already have developed. We will offer on-going social and communication programs that focus on key life, leisure and self-help skills. We will invite guest presentations on specialized topics such as nutrition, yoga and naturopathy, as well as offer specialized programs such as art and pet therapy.

We will continue to grow developmental resources. Services could include various clubs, e.g. photography, computer, art, performance, gardening as well as drop-in facilities such as a gym, games/media room, yoga and art/photography studios.

We will be a highly visible and active force in the community. We will proudly host art and photography exhibits, have an art/craft store, and sell flowers and produce from our gardens. We will hold exhibitions, premieres, musical/theatrical productions and other events.

We will be a shining example of an organization that truly cares, and one that places expectations on its own individuals to participate and offer their unique talents and gifts to others. This philosophy becomes a key component of our approach in developing the individual as a whole, and stressing a strong sense of community. Therefore, we will have our individuals actively participate in the community where possible and appropriate. Examples include participating in food and Christmas toy drives, helping out at events for charities, and visiting individuals who are ill or incapacitated, e.g. hospitals, retirement residences.

A vision without action is just a dream. With support and effort, I believe we can create a model that offers dynamic, inspiring, and meaningful development, employment and volunteer opportunities for people with special needs.

Achieving Happiness

August 20, 2014 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

Here is another fine article about the initial challenges and eventual, hidden joys in raising a child with a developmental disability. Rachel Simmons offers a frank and touching perspective on what it’s like for a driven, overachieving mother to parent a child with developmental delays. Read it here.

If you haven’t already done so, check out another amazing story about parenting a child with a developmental disability – featured in an April 2014 blog post. You can read it here.

Special Ed Apps

August 19, 2014 / Michael Leclair / Leave a comment

Down Syndrome Education International (DSEI) recently introduced its See and Learn Speech Series apps, available from the Windows Store and the iTunes App Store. See and Learn Speech is designed to teach children to hear and produce speech sounds (phonemes), to hear the differences between sounds (discrimination), to develop their speech sound system (phonology), and to produce clear speech. See and Learn Saying Words plus additional new apps in the See and Learn Speech Series are planned for the near future. Check out the See and Learn resources at seeandlearn.org

Apple is also highlighting a growing number of apps catering to individuals with developmental disabilities and other special needs with a featured special education section in iTunes’ App Store. Located in the “Education” category, you’ll find a “Special Education Collection” that includes a variety of useful applications for computers, iPhones and iPads, including apps used for communication, emotion and language development, seeing and hearing, sensory and visual perception, tracking and reference, and life skills. In addition to being fun, engaging and valuable teaching and learning tools, these apps are increasingly popular in the special needs community as assistive technology devices as well as organizational and teaching aids.

After21

Ideas towards a hopeful future for young adults with intellectual disabilities

General Interest