Oak Bridge Quarterly

At Oak Bridge Academy, our commitment to neurodiverse education has always been about more than just academics. We strive to create an environment where every student feels a deep sense of belonging, safety, and understanding. As educators and parents, we recognize that the path to success for an autistic child is paved with emotional support and mental wellness. When a child feels regulated and mentally healthy, the doors to learning and social connection swing wide open. As

Guest Blog by an OBA Grad I write this to you today in hopes of you reading this. Nobody ever said it was hard, nobody ever said it was easy. School comes in the middle of your life quite literally. You sit at a desk for 6 and a half hours and write tests and do assignments. Your life is school, will be school and there is no way around it. Just do your school work and the rest will come. You don't know me and I don't know you and maybe that’s for the better. If you did know

How many of us have had that familiar moment—a little face peeking out, asking for one more glass of water or another bedtime story? As a Ready 2 Learn instructor, one of the most common questions I hear from families is: “How can I help my child sleep better?” Sleep challenges are incredibly common for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In fact, research shows that up to 80% of individuals with ASD report difficulties with sleep ( source ). A lack of sleep can aff

This month Melissa, a parent here at OBA, shares with us her experience as a parent at OBA and the parent training she has participated in at our school Becoming part of the Oak Bridge Academy family has been nothing short of life-changing for my son and has positively changed his trajectory of success for his future. Prior to OBA, we did our best to navigate the public school system and cobble together therapy, social skills, and extra activities when we could. When OBA open

December Holiday Blog Our BCBA's Stephanie and Tina give some great tips on how to enjoy the holidays with your neurodiverce child The holidays are here, and for our students and their families that comes with a lot of emotions. The holiday break means time spent together as a family, which brings happiness and excitement. But it also means changes to expectations and routine, which for some can be anxiety-provoking. Not only do things become very busy, with a lot of people,

Tina & Stephanie: ​OBA's BCBA's A lot of people have heard of Pavlov at some point throughout their life, and how he taught a dog to salivate at just the sound of a bell. This bell was paired with food until eventually, the dog salivated without the presence of the food and just the sound of the bell. With this experiment, he made popular the difference between respondent and operant conditioning, previously discussed by Watson. Although many people may remember learning abou

North is one of our invaluable RBT's (Registered Behaviour Technician) that works in our OBHS Living Skills program. ​This is her story. For as long as I can remember, I always knew my brain was different. Things didn't come as easy to me as I assumed they did for my peers. I thought I was lazy or not as bright as them. I always felt I needed to work harder and was terrified to ask for help. Flash forward a few decades and SURPRISE! It was because I have ADHD and my brain is

It’s that time of year! The back-to-school season is in full swing, being only days away from the start of the 2023-2024 school year. This time often brings about various emotions, thoughts, and feelings from both students and parents/caregivers. These thoughts and feelings might include excitement, nervousness, anxiety, sadness, and many more emotions. Moving to a new classroom, with new friends and teachers can be challenging for any student, but for those with an exception

July's Guest Blogger: Cole (Grade 8 Graduate) Hey guys, listen up! Are you tired of sitting on the couch wondering how to fill in your empty hours into your free time away from school? Well, you’ve come to the right guy! Here are some ultra-cool ways to have fun during summer vacation! The first tip: Don’t let a summer slip by without a visit to the beach. You can try and catch waves, go surfing, build sand castles, go tubing, you name it. After all, it’s the only good time t