OCATT

02/28/2023

Love this!

Loveeeeeeee NeuroWild

08/19/2022

Please consider signing to give children and their new families time.

We truly believe that children deserve TIME TO ATTACH.
Sign the House of Commons e-petition to help advocate for equal parental leave for ALL families. A national campaign to add 15 weeks of Attachment Leave Employment Insurance Benefits for adoptive parents, kinship and customary caregivers. Attachment leave is about giving children more to improve long-term outcomes for them and their families.
Sign here: https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4095
To find out more about how you can get involved and help advocate for this change go to https://www.adopt4life.com/time-to-attach

06/30/2022

If anyone knows of a young adult who might participate in this research, we are looking for willing voices for an important study.

02/09/2022

If you have a teen with FASD or know someone who has a teen with FASD, we invite you to join our group!

Do you have a child / children aged 13-18 with or suspected FASD? Ottawa Psychotherapist / FASD Specialist Tanya Eichler and FASD Consultant / Mentor Nancy Lockwood are taking registrations for a therapeutic support group for adoptive parents of teens called "Unpredictable Adolescence". The model is based on a group they ran for adoptive parents of young adults with FASD in 2021. Tanya and Nancy had much success with that group (as measured by pre / post surveys) and presented about it at both the recent ABLE2 Symposium and 2021 Kids Brain Health Network Conference.

The goals of the group are to: 1) Build awareness of how our nervous system responds to “triggers” and “glimmers” using exercises based on Deb Dana's polyvagal model; 2) Create supportive peer relationships to reduce isolation, normalize experiences, and share challenges, successes and laughter; and 3) Share resources between peers.

Details are on the attached flyer. Spaces are limited. For more information, please email Nancy Lockwood at nlockwood44@gmail.com .

Health Nexus Adopt4Life—Ontario's Adoptive, Kin and Customary Care Association Child and Youth Permanency Council of Canada Children's Bridge Foundation Adoption Council of Ontario

11/24/2021

Great Article for those of you raising "connection seekers."

“She’s so manipulative!”

“He is only nice when he wants something.”

Have these thoughts ever run through your mind? Maybe you’ve heard something like it from families you work with? It doesn’t feel good!😔 No one likes it when someone else is pulling the strings. And it feels even worse when it’s paired with other squirrelly behavior, like lying or stealing.

Let’s dig a little deeper.
If we’re honest, what is the story we are telling ourselves about the kiddo who lies and sneaks and “manipulates” their way through life? There tends to be a moral spin on it – bad choices, bad kid. Those behaviors start to get mixed up with identity: “She is a liar and a thief!” And then the shame spiral kicks in for parents: I’m a bad parent. Good parents don’t have kids who steal. I’m a failure.💔

😥Oof. That is a lot for a family to hold.
I’m going to throw something out there that might feel radical, but hang with me because I’ve seen it change lives!

💁🏼‍♀️Let’s reframe the narrative.
What if manipulative or sneaky behavior has been adaptive? What if lying and stealing and managing the big people around me has literally kept me alive? Maybe, just maybe, the story is not bad kid…bad parent…no hope. Instead, I see a kiddo who has learned to gather resources without getting close. Now that is something we can work on!

Did you know that in the absence of an affectionate relationship in the early days of life, 🧠the brain starts to trim down its oxytocin receptors (oxytocin is that happy, bonding chemical) to make room for opioid receptors. Yep, the brain starts to protect against close relationships in favor of numbing the pain of neglect and abuse. The brain starts wiring for solo survival, for scrappy self-provisioning instead of trust and connection with a safe grown-up.⁠
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That’s not the end of the story, though!!🙌⁠
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Brains can change. 🌟🌟🌟Read the full post on the new “It’s A Brain Thing!” blog at https://bravebrains.com/blog/what-do-these-big-behaviors-really-mean/.
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11/11/2021

We love this idea! Thought you might as well.

09/09/2021

Today is FASD day. The 9th day of the ninth month to remind us that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. We love and are honoured to support individuals who live with FASD and we are constantly working on finding the best ways to support you in your journey.

05/12/2021

https://kidsbrainhealth.ca/index.php/2021/05/07/better-understanding-the-needs-of-families-living-with-fasd-during-the-pandemic-and-beyond/

Individuals living with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families have faced additional challenges over the last year, ones that might extend beyond the pandemic. In response to this, KBHN Chief Scientific Officer Dr. James Reynolds and his PhD student Maude Champagne undertook a project to...

05/03/2021

Happy to share the opening of Out to play Farm and Forest School. It has programs for 2.5-12 year olds. They have both regular and low-ratio classes. If you are looking for something for your children for the summer check them out. www.outtoplay.org

Out to Play Children's Programs: Connecting through Learning and Play on the Land Signup for our newsletter Welcome! Out to Play is committed to broadening access to connection with the land and outdoor play opportunities for children and families across urban Ottawa. We hold space for the magic of....

09/01/2020

OCATT is happy to be hosting a circle of security parenting group. Check it out and let us know if this is something you are interested in. Since it is online, participants do not need to be in Ottawa!

08/05/2020

These days of tough parenting decisions, this video may help you take care of yourself.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TED...

06/30/2020

Sent from one of our moms. Fabulous!