New Learning Series to Help Parents and Caregivers See Abilities, Not Disabilities in All Kids
PETERBOROUGH (April 2, 2025) – Spring has sprung, and with it, a new parent learning series that aims to shatter stereotypes about disability with the aim of embracing the abilities in all children and youth.
Five Counties Children’s Centre is organizing the Spring into Learning Series on Saturday, May 3, from 9 am to 3 pm at its site in Peterborough (872 Dutton Rd). The event features personal and powerful accounts from guest presenters, who include: a former Five Counties child client sharing his experiences growing up with a disability; a bestselling author and parent of a child with Down syndrome discussing her personal journey; and a Five Counties clinician who advocates for a care framework that focuses on a child’s strengths, not the need to “fix” them.
While Five Counties supports kids with physical, developmental and communication needs, the children’s treatment centre is organizing the first-ever Spring into Learning Series as an extension of the services it provides to the community, says event organizer Hayley Hodges.
“Spring into Learning Series isn’t just for Five Counties families, but is open to all parents, caregivers and families of children with disabilities and community members who work with the disabled, says Hodges, the Client and Family Engagement Lead at Five Counties. “We want to help parents, caregivers and community members understand they are not alone in caring for a child with a disability and that there are supports available to help assist their family while helping them to better advocate for their child.”
The Spring into Learning Series will include snacks, lunch, mix-and-mingle with other participants, and a chance for attendees to offer input on how Five Counties can better engage and support families. People are encouraged to pre-register online or to call 1-888-779-9916, ext. 215, for more details.
The Spring into Learning Series will feature:
- Former Five Countes client Adam White discussing ‘Seeing the Ability – Not the Disability – in Every Person.’ In his presentation, White will share his experiences growing up with cerebral palsy, and how the support he received from his parents and at Five Counties helped him realize that anything was possible.
- Adelle Purdham, a local educator, parent, disability ally and best-selling author of the book, I Don’t Do Disability and Other Lies I’ve Told Myself, will lead an Ableism and Allyship Workshop. In her workshop, Purdham will encourage parents and other participants to think more deeply about internalized “ableism” – the mistaken belief that people with disabilities are less valuable than able-bodied individuals and need to be fixed. Purdham will share her own journey as mother to a child with Down syndrome, discuss how to talk about disability, explore the concepts of ableism and allyship, and support participants in reclaiming the narrative about their child’s disability. Free copies of her book, I Don’t Do Disability, will be available for all attendees.
- Five Counties Occupational Therapist Ashley Parsons introducing the F-Words, an evidence-based framework that focus on six key areas of a child’s health and well-being. The F-Words represent a shift in thinking, as the framework aims to move from a medical model of “fixing” kids to a strength-based approach that promotes health and development using all aspects of a child’s life.
Category: General News