Are you parenting a child with autism? You may have asked yourself many questions such as, What can I be doing to support my child with autism at home to complement professional services and supports? Where do I go for professional help and support? How can we – as a family – move OUR child with autism forward? Where do I start? and, if you have been parenting your child or youth with autism for a while already, Where do I start and where do I stop?
Pathways to Potential will address these questions – and more – about parenting a child with autism by providing you with:
- Perspectives and insights
- Points to ponder such as the role of mindset
- Self-care, attitude and beliefs
- Strategies and techniques
- Resources, and bottom line
- Direction and hope
As its title suggests, Pathways to Potential will explore pathways to realizing potential and thereby bringing out the best version of each child with autism. Pathways to Potential is unique in that it recognizes that interaction amongst family members provides the child with autism natural opportunities to develop two primary deficit areas: the capacity to connect and the ability to form and sustain relationships.
You will be introduced to the Hedley family and follow them on their personal autism journey. You will be introduced to various strategies, ideas and concepts that can help you support AND help you create an approach to expand and enhance your child or youth with autism.
You will meet Erik Hedley, a young man with autism and his mother, Teresa Hedley, as they share firsthand their experiences, challenges, accomplishments and family stories which illustrate how they interacted, supported, advocated and encouraged self-awareness and self-regulation – as well as other essential life skills in Erik.
This e-learning course is not intended to be “the” way forward. Rather, it is “a” way of approaching autism support and fostering growth in individuals with autism through family relationships, school and learning experiences and social interactions. It is a springboard for your own journey!
From “Lost Boy” to “This”
Watch the videos below as Teresa and Erik share part of their autism journey.
A child with autism is like a gift unopened. Let’s open your gift together…
A special thank you to Teresa and Erik Hedley who have so honestly and openly shared their personal autism experiences for this course, and in so doing, have authored the content for Pathways to Potential: Parenting Children and Youth with Autism.
Teresa Hedley is a teacher, a writer and an autism advocate. In addition to instructing, Teresa has a master’s degree in curriculum development and training and has developed print materials for the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation.
A former Ottawa-Carleton Special Education Advisory Committee member representing Autism Ontario, Teresa has also consulted to families of children with autism as a Parent Resource Consultant.
Outside of education and advocacy, Teresa is a mother to three young adults. Her son Erik, 21, has autism.
As a Canadian Armed Forces family, the Hedley-five has lived coast to coast in Canada. Teresa also lived outside Canada for a number of years, teaching and providing teacher training in Japan, Greece, Spain and Germany.
From 2012-2018, Teresa and her son Erik collaborated and wrote a 20-article series for Autism Matters magazine, a publication of Autism Ontario. The mother-son series aims to build resilience in children with autism and in parents supporting children with autism.
Teresa is working with The Family Education Centre first and foremost from a mother’s perspective. She also shares from a teacher’s point of view, and most importantly, from the shoes of autism – her son Erik’s perspective.
Disclaimer:
This e-learning course is meant to be an educational and general interest program and is NOT intended to replace professional therapy, counselling or advice. You should not depend on the information in this e-learning course and its associated forums, discussion groups, and services for medical, psychological, legal or financial decisions. Please consult a mental health professional for advice or treatment regarding any mental health concerns. Peel Family Education Centre, Teresa Hedley or any of our partners or affiliates are not liable to anyone for any act or omission taken in reliance upon any information provided in this e-learning course.
* The course content presentation will be enhanced periodically through customized instructional aides and interactive media segments such as drag-and-drop activities or sliding content presentations. This is intended to enhance the e-learning experience, appeal to all adult learners and to honour the visual thought processes of those with autism, not to overly gamify the material. For parents, it is a snapshot of best teaching practices and learning that is aligned with the neurology of those with autism.
*For the best experience while completing your e-learning, we recommend using Chrome as your browser.