What's new?

New Youth Mental Health Centre in Calgary

The Summit: Marian & Jim Sinneave Centre for Youth Resilience is Calgary’s first community-based mental health centre just for young people. It provides three new resources for kids, teens, and their families: the Owerko Family Walk In Services, the Tallman Family Treatment Services and the Ptarmigan Day Hospital.

The centre is a much needed service as mental health issues, especially among teenagers, are still at crises levels. Below are two articles for further reading.

Suicide attempts/ideation during the pandemic This CTV news article highlights a recent University of Calgary study about emergency mental health visits of children/teens, but also describes the continued and unprecedented need for more services.

Teen Girls Are Not Alright "Rates of sexual violence, suicidality, and sadness have hit a record high among teen girls, according to an alarming new report from the Centre for Disease Control out of the USA". Canadian girls are unlikely to be faring much better.

ADHD Bill tabled in Ottawa

Member of Parliament, Heather McPherson, and a mother of a son with ADHD, introduced a private member's Bill in the House of Commons last Thursday aimed at "helping Canadians living with ADHD and increasing its early detection in children"!

Read the CTV news article

Watch the YouTube video

This Bill is greatly supported by the on-going advocacy efforts of CADDAC. If you are interested in seeing this Bill succeed, here is how you can help!

Alberta 2023 Election

Learning Disabilities and ADHD need more attention at the provincial level in Alberta. With party candidates wanting to hear from Albertans, this is a perfect opportunity to add your voice to the launch of the Network's advocacy efforts.

Check out the new Advocacy section on our website and an election Toolkit just for you.

Teenage Dick

“The high-stakes tragedy and political drama of Shakespeare’s Richard III are transported to the hallways of a contemporary high school in this darkly comedic adaption. Taunted with the nickname “Dick” and bullied because of his disability, Richard, the play’s brilliant, charismatic anti-hero, is determined to have his revenge, and plots a ruthless path to power in a dramatic student council election."

A relaxed performance is designed to reduce anxiety "for those with sensory concerns, autism spectrum disorders, learning disorders, dementia; or anyone for whom the regular theatre experience can be challenging".

Read/Write Literacy Programs

These Structured Literacy programs from Foothills Academy Community Services provide explicit and intensive instruction to children struggling with reading and spelling.

Spring registration is now open and Summer registration will open on April 11.

Learn more and register here.

Still Distracted After All These Years

Dr. Kathleen Nadeau explores what life holds for those with ADHD over 60. True to her passion for the underserved, seniors are now at the top of that list.

Since little research currently exists, Dr. Nadeau draws on her lifetime of professional experience for strategies on how to navigate retirement, partner loss, increased medical issues and other concerns specific to seniors and their caregivers.

CHADD article by Dr. Nadeau about the book

Youtube Webinar about the book with Dr. Nadeau

2 Day Skills Practice Intensive: Strengthening Executive Skills to Promote School Success

with Dr. Peg Dawson

Author of the "Smart But Scattered" series, Dr. Dawson is presenting for two days on executive skills in the classroom. "Executive skills are sometimes called “the hidden curriculum,”...but they are absolutely critical to school success. This workshop will provide participants with a framework for understanding these key skills, how they develop in diverse populations, and how to support executive skills by embedding them into classroom routines and lessons and by tailoring interventions to meet the needs of individual students and classrooms."

Monday, May 1, 2023 – Tuesday, May 2, 2023

8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Riviera Plaza and Conference Centre Calgary Airport

Free Lunch & Learn

Neurodiversity in the workplace...what does it mean for you as an employer? How does your work environment affect the productivity of your neurodiverse employees?

Since nearly one in five individuals live with neurodiversity, schedule a free Lunch & Learn on Neurodiversity in the Workplace. Build your knowledge of Learning Disabilities & ADHD, how to best support your neurodiverse employees and improve your business.