Sherry and Maggie
Sherry made contact with Surrey Place Centre, before her daughter Maggie was even born. Through pre-natal testing, Sherry had learned that her new baby would have Down syndrome and, at the recommendation of her doctor, turned to the one place she knew would be able to help her.
“Surrey Place Centre helped us figure out ahead of time how we were going to begin with Maggie’s care,” Sherry says. “At two weeks old we brought Maggie to the Music Group at Surrey Place Centre. This is when we officially started her care.” Sherry found it so wonderful to bring her daughter to a place where she could connect with other parents who were going through the same thing. “Interacting with the other parents at Surrey Place Centre was my lifeline in the first year of Maggie’s life,” she says.
She enjoyed being in an environment where her daughter didn’t stand out and she really looked forward to the social interaction she received during Music Group. She also enjoyed being exposedto professionals such as Occupational Therapists and Behaviour Therapists who would come to visit the class each week. “Surrey Place Centre offered us a real cross-section of professionals to interact with in a low-stress setting,” Sherry says. “We were even able to get a hearing test done for Maggie, immediately.”
Equally beneficial to Sherry and her family were the in-home visits they received from their Developmental Therapist, Denise. Denise worked with Sherry on Maggie’s feeding issues and shared some of her own similar stories. She spent quality time with Sherry’s other daughter, Quinn when she needed it. “I love how both my daughters’ faces light up when Denise visits,” Sherry says. “Thegreatest thing about Surrey Place Centre is that they treat the whole family.”
Denise and her team have also helped Sherry prepare Maggie to transition into preschool and they are planning to visither classroom to make sure things are going well.
Today, Maggie is a happy 2-year-old who loves to make people laugh and imitate sounds. She is a sociable little girl, which Sherry partly credits to her time interacting with the staff at Surrey Place Centre. “The professionals here don’t leave you when its time to transition to a new phase,” Sherry says. “They really want to help you strive for the next step and make sure all the services are interacting properly.”
“We are so fortunate to live in this city and be able to take advantage of the services at Surrey Place Centre.”
- Maggie’s mother, Sherry
Melvin
Melvin first visited Surrey Place Centre as a client in 1969, when he was 21 years old. During his first visits, he met with a social worker. He returned to Surrey Place Centre in 1999 and has received services for the last 11 years. He’s worked with a therapist, a psychologist, an audiologist and a Behaviour Therapist. He enjoys coming to Surrey Place Centre because it gives him a chance to see a lot of familiar faces.
Today, when he visits Surrey Place Centre, staff member Cheryl helps him with all the struggles he faces at this point in his life. They talk about his past and what he has been through. “Sometimes my mind is over worked,” Melvin says. “And with Cheryl’s help, I try to go through my memories so they don’t bother me as much.”
Over the years, Melvin has seen many changes at Surrey Place Centre. He’s seen new staff and expansion to the building. “The great thing about Surrey Place Centre is that the staff always go where the people are, in order to help them,” Melvin says. “They make time to go into the person’s environment.”
Melvin is such a fan of Surrey Place Centre that he has attended meetings and speaking engagements where he has shared his story with others. He believes that donations to Surrey Place Centre are really important, because if the Centre did not exist, he doesn’t know where people like him would go for help. “I have participated in different programs and received so many services at Surrey Place Centre,” Melvin says. “It has provided me the help I needed in order to live my best life to its fullest potential.”
"Surrey Place Centre has helped me greatly over the years.”
- Melvin
Natalia and Ivana
Natalia came to Surrey Place Centre at a very difficult time in her life. Her now 18-year-old daughter, Ivana, who has Down syndrome, was experiencing a troubling regression in her behaviour. Though she used to be a very active young woman, she went through a period where she stopped talking and lost interest in activities she used to previously enjoy. “It was so painful to see her behaviour change,” says Natalia. “She entered into a different world that was so much different from where she used to be.”
Ivana’s teacher told Natalia about Surrey Place Centre and she decided to call us for help. She was desperate to do all she could to help her daughter. Their first meeting at Surrey Place Centre included her husband and son, as well as Ivana’s teacher. She even brought Ivana to Surrey Place Centre for a hearing test, where it was discovered that Ivana had some hearing loss and she was given a hearing aid. This change alone helped her become more socially engaged. Ivana began to see a therapist at Surrey Place Centre named Melody. She enjoyed her regular visits with Melody and would talk to her mother about her and look forward to the time she would see her again. She has also had the opportunity to explore artwork and photography as a means to express herself and develop self confidence. “I love that Melody gave Ivana a camera to take pictures with,” Natalia says. “It made her so happy.”
Natalia can see that Ivana is improving every day, and this pleases the entire family. “Because of Surrey Place Centre, Ivana is back to where she was before the changes,” Natalia says.
“My whole family is so grateful to Surrey Place Centre for everything!”
- Ivana’s mom, Natalia
Shelly and Daniel
Shelly’s son Daniel was diagnosed with autism when he was only 18 months old. Once a spot became available, Shelly was able to take Daniel to treatment at the Surrey Place Centre location downtown. At that point, Daniel could not speak any words and would not respond to his name. He was having difficulty communicating his needs with Shelly and would get very upset if she could not figure out what he wanted. He preferred repetitive, non-functional activities and would engage in non-contextual noises and laughter. His gross motor skills were also poor.
Daniel has come a long way since first coming to Surrey Place Centre for Intensive Bahaviour Intervention (IBI). The Surrey Place Centre TPAS team taught him to communicate using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) paired with language until he learned to use words to ask for what he wanted. The therapists also taught him how to observe and learn from his environment, as well as how to point to what he wanted. “From the very beginning, my son’s treatment was consistently customized to his needs,” Shelly says. “The staff working with Daniel was dedicated to his treatment and displayed an exceptional level of professionalism.” Surrey Place Centre also helped Shelly and Daniel with a very difficult milestone – his transition to school. After four years in the program, Shelly dreaded the thought of Daniel getting discharged from the program and starting full time school. Thankfully, her Transition Coordinator, Melanie, at Surrey Place Centre was extremely supportive of her family from the early stages. “Melanie is very resourceful and knowledgeable and was there for us every step of the way,” Shelly says.
As Daniel was about to be discharged from TPAS, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services launched Connections for Students, a new collaborative service approach to implementing a seamless transition for children exiting the Autism Intervention Program (AIP) and entering full time school. An Autism Spectrum Disorder Consultant from the Surrey Place Centre School Support Program worked with a consultant from the school board and the school transition team to give Daniel the support he needed to adjust to his new environment and continue to learn and develop.
Today, Daniel is 8 years old and has adapted well to school. He is a sweet and affectionate boy who is always trying to make his mother laugh. “Today I look at my son and I am thankful and proud of
how far he’s come,” Shelly says. “TPAS was the best thing that ever happened to Daniel!”
“I feel deep admiration and respect for the Surrey Place Centre TPAS team. They put so much into getting Daniel to where he is today.”
- Daniel’s mother, Shelly