Recommended Online Reading
So many links, so little time. So many books to read, so much information to sort through, and so much stress it’s going to cause. What to leave and what to take when you’re perusing through the multitudes of search results? Now that is the real question.
Sifting through thousands of web links can be someone else’s job in this Prairie Spectrum Mom’s opinion. Which is entirely why I have already been there and done that so that you don’t have to (yay)!
Aside from the websites listed under our Links page (which you should totally check out too, by the by), the below are publications and websites which I have found the most informative and helpful for the questions I had about ASD, special needs services in Manitoba, and general parenting help. This selection is based on my personal opinion of each item when I had the question of “what did I want to know when I first got my child’s diagnosis?” on my mind. You can feel free to pick and choose through whichever ones you like.
To create this list, I used the following guidelines for my searches and criteria of “reliable” information:
Is the website or publication from an accredited source?g. government source, professional academy, recognized association of professionals, professional journal publication, etc. This is the most important standard for me when I am looking through information online.
Is the language they use easy to understand?
Is the information they present easy to follow?
Is it a Canadian source? This is the second most important standard I follow with only a few exceptions. Some American resources are good for the more clinical aspects of ASD online research, such as the Centre for Disease Control website. However, almost all other American websites on the subject of ASD and ASD services have little to no relation to how services in Canada, let alone Manitoba, operate.
Do they talk a lot without really saying anything? Some websites look really impressive at first but after a few clicks, the only thing that is impressive about them is how they look.
Is their information up to date?
And thus, without further ado, I present to you, my go-to list of online recommended reading:
The Province of Manitoba, Department of Families, Information for Manitobans with Disabilities home page – This site is a fantastic resource and I will refer to it many times. There are over a dozen subject links, each with a printable PDF copy. I will list of couple of those PDFs next as they have subject matter that is related to what first happens when families receive a new diagnosis and a basic introduction to Manitoba disability services for children. There is also an email address you can use if you want to request more information specific to your own family’s situation.
PDF: “Services and Programs for Children”
PDF: “A Young Child’s Assessment and Diagnosis”
PDF: “For Parents of a Child with a Disability”
Office locations for Children’s disABILITY Services
The Social Services Appeal Board – A very helpful link! If you are not satisfied with a decision regarding a social service or program you are receiving, this is where you would go to appeal that decision. There is a lot of information here but it is important that if you are serious about filing an appeal, that you know all of the rules and regulations on how to do so. The site does not list Children’s disABITILY Services as one of the programs the board can currently review appeals on, however there are a few other disability related programs, such as Child Care Subsidies, marketAbilities, and Community Living disABILITY Services, that are listed. You can also contact the board directly to see if they would make an exception for a Children’s disABILITY Services issue; I would.
Manitoba Triple P Parenting Tip Sheets
Manitoba Parent Zone – Includes tip sheets and information publications that are useful on so many parenting levels.
The Child Encyclopedia – Contains lots of information and printable pamphlets on behaviour, learning, and articles on autism. Easy to go through and read.
Caring for Kids; Toilet Learning – A good article for getting started on potty training. Caring for Kids is developed by the Canadian Paediatric Society
Recommended Hardcopy Reading Materials. (Ya know, books?)
I’m so glad you asked that J. I haven’t come across many books that I would recommend, but that has to do with the fact that I’ve been very busy with home life, and have had little time for reading, and nothing to do with an overall lack of valuable reading material being available. I did manage to come across two books by the same author that I find very informative.
“The Autism Discussion Page on Anxiety, Behavior, School, and Parenting Strategies” and “The Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism” by Bill Nason. Many excerpts from both of these books are available via the author’s Facebook page “The Autism Discussion Page” if you are looking to review the material before your buy or borrow.
Recommended Social Media Accounts
Twitter and I do not get along…yet. As such the following recommendations are all Facebook pages.
Decoding Dominic – A mother’s perspective on the highs and lows of life with her son, Dominic. Very relatable with fantastic pictures
Autism. From a dad’s eye view – This UK dad ‘gets it’. He also gets brutally honest about what his family life is like and has no thought to mouth filter when it comes to keeping his language PG. Good for a laugh and highly relatable.
Kristina Kuzmic – Ok, this mega-cool-want-her-to-be-one-of-my-best-friends-mom does not have any children with special needs, but she is fantastic with her inspirational, comical, and ridiculously realistic outlook on life as a parent in general.
Autism on The Mighty – This is an American based organization but there are lots of inspirational and heartening stories by parents from all over the place. Everyone is different and has different situations and stories to tell, but in the end, we’re also all people and parents with kids we love.
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If you know of any other books, websites, or social media accounts that you would recommended for the newly diagnosed family or individual, please feel free to drop us a line so that we can take a look at them too.