Families with children with exceptional needs invited to attend virtual PMFRC Speaker Series
Families with children with exceptional needs are invited to learn, laugh and receive advice through a free speaker series hosted by the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre (PMFRC).
"Can't Read, Can't Write, Here's my Book," by Michael Jacques, an author with autism, will be featured on Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., and "I spent years believing I was a bad parent. Now I know better," with Tammy Barclay, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Coach, is slated for Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.
Jacques is a public speaker and activist who wrote his book using speech-to-text technology on his iPad. He was diagnosed with autism and an intellectual disability as a child, but never let it define him. He invites attendees to discover the empowerment that comes from embracing oneself. His father Marcel will be there to answer questions from a parent's perspective.
"His big message is the power of perseverance and to never give up," said Darby Briggs, PMFRC Community Engagement Coordinator.
Barclay will share her story of living in a busy military family household of six children with ADHD and a spouse who was also diagnosed with the disorder.
That shared diagnosis has had a great impact on her family, but with training, patience, and hard work, Barclay now works to strengthen other families as an ADHD Coach, sharing her knowledge to create a peaceful home where strengths are leveraged and love for one another leads the way.
The series will be hosted virtually, allowing participants to attend from the comfort and safety of their homes. Families do not need an official diagnosis to attend any PMFRC programming, including this speaker’s series.
The speakers are intended to empower military families.
"Military life, in general, can be a real challenge for any family, and families with special needs just have that extra added layer of stress," Briggs. "It is extra difficult for their children, or adult children, to adapt to change and for them to find that support system that is so vital for them."
With this in mind, the PMFRC has made concrete efforts to provide programming tailored to families with exceptional needs. This includes adapting and altering current programs and services to be accessible to all, as well as providing unique ones.
From this, the series was born.
"With family day in February, we thought it would be a good time to bring in a couple of new families to us virtually to share their unique stories and start the conversation locally," said Briggs.
The upcoming speakers series is just one small part of families with exceptional needs programming, led by PMFRC Special Needs and Inclusion Programmer Amy MacKenzie.
She was brought on to the PMFRC team to ensure families with exceptional needs received the support they required, and has had an incredibly positive impact on many people, said Briggs.
Having children with exceptional needs is difficult, but the military adds new challenges.
It can be isolating, and many families find their support network dismantled when posted to another location. In Petawawa, it is particularly difficult to connect with a specialist or receive a formal diagnosis, said Briggs.
The PMFRC has set up a secure virtual network to connect people with their doctors and specialists to address this. They've also created a monthly peer-support group to get those families talking to each other and foster a stronger community.
"Families tell us they feel a lot less lonely and better prepared when they can manage those situations and crises when they can be supported by other parents," said Briggs.
Education pieces can be just as important and further speaker series will be hosted by the PMFRC. They will cover different subjects in the months to come. Regardless of diagnosis or lack of one, everybody will be invited to attend.
Interested families can register on the CAFConnection page www.CAFconnection.ca/Petawawa or email Amy MacKenzie, Special Needs and Inclusion Programmer, at SNIP@PetawawaMFRC.com.
