Oak Bridge Quarterly

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

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,

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

We made it! The end of another successful school year. The halls at Oak Bridge Academy are buzzing with stories of summer plans, vacations, and some well-deserved relaxation. However, as a Life Skills Instructor/Behaviour Therapist and a mother of 4 children, 2 of whom are now adults with ASD, I strongly encourage parents to continue practicing Life Skills throughout the summer at home and in the community. Life skills do not get a summer break! Life Skills such as doing laun

​For as long as I can recall, I dreamt of becoming a Nurse Practitioner. I always loved science while in school, and I wanted to find a career where I could help others, so nursing felt like the perfect option for me. However, I faced a life-changing day when I started my first year of college. My son, Andrew, who was three years old, was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At this point in my life, Autism was something that I had very little knowledge about or exp

This months guest contributor is Holly Kane.  Holly is one of our invaluable RBT's here at OBA and is currently working on a program to support siblings of children with autism and other exceptionalities.  When I describe myself to others, I share that I am a registered behavior therapist, a Master of Applied Disability Studies, Specializing in Applied Behaviour Analysis student, a dog mom, a daughter, and a proud sister. While the first few may carry the most weight, being a