Milestones
Supporting families with children with disabilities
About Milestones
The Milestones Program is designed for families with a child, 0-17 years of age with a disability who have an agreement with Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) Alberta.
Services typically last six months, are free of charge and for families that live in Calgary and surrounding areas south of Calgary. Milestones offers services through three core areas:
- Behavioural and Developmental Aide Support
- Transition to Adulthood Support
- Counselling
The Milestones Program provides parents or caregivers with individualized help to:
- Deepen their knowledge around raising their child with a disability
- Increase their parenting skills and strategies
- Strengthen their family relationships
- Build their connections and support network
- Access community resources and services
- Receive professional counselling
- Prepare for their youth’s transition to adulthood
Behavioural and Developmental Aide Support
Milestones provides parents/ caregivers with in-home support to address the unique needs they have parenting a child with a disability. In-home support focuses on strengthening parent skills, learning new strategies, accessing resources and strengthening their support network.
Transition to Adulthood
Transition to Adulthood supports families with a youth, 16 – 18 years of age, with a disability to help them prepare for successful transition to adulthood. We help the youth and family answer questions, access resources and work towards their transition to adulthood goals.
The Milestones Program is funded by the Government of Alberta.
Check out our Milestones Transition Coordinator, Corrine Grieve, share her experience having a sibling with a disability. Thank you to Easter Seals Alberta for allowing us to share such a great video.
Milestones Referral Form
Counselling
We offer one to one, non-emergency based, counselling with a registered clinician. Our clinician creates a supportive and open environment where caregivers can explore their needs raising a child with a disability.
Individuals who have a referral for counselling that has been approved by the Milestones Program Supervisor can book an appointment with the clinician online. Currently, we are offering phone and video-conferencing appointments.
Clinician Booking
Families who have been approved by the Milestones Supervisor, click to book an appointment.
Not approved or unsure if you are approved? Contact : milestones@mcmancalgary.ca
Groups for Siblings
SIBSHOPS
**REGISTRATION FOR SEPTEMBER 2023 – JUNE 2024 WILL START ON AUGUST 14TH, 2023**
Sibshops provide young brothers and sisters with peer support & information
around their sibling’s disability in a safe setting. Siblings will meet other siblings
to have fun, laugh, & talk about the good & not-so-good parts of having a sibling
with a disability. We will play games, learn, chat, and of course have fun!
MILESTONES WILL BE OFFERING THE FOLLOWING SIBSHOPS GROUPS FROM SEPTEMBER 2023 TO JUNE 2024:
In person ages 8 – 12, 5pm to 700pm, once a month on Tuesdays
Virtual ages 8 – 12, 4:30pm to 6pm, once a month on Wednesdays
COST:
In person: $80
Virtual: $50
**If cost is a concern please let Lindsay know. No Sib will be left out due to cost**
**cost will be pro-rated**
PLEASE NOTE:
- If you have been to Sibshops before, you can sign up again!
- Sibshops is for siblings with no diagnosis
- Space is limited
- Registration will be ongoing throughout the year if space is available
- Unfortunately we are not able to accept Sibs outside of the ages of 8 – 12 years old
Sign Up for Sibshops
Please email milestones@mcmancalgary.ca to be added to our Sibshops mailing lists and be notified of future registrations.
Resources
Check out the videos below, created by our Milestones’ team members for some great tools to use for parents/ caregivers to support their child or youth.
Sensory / Calm Down Kits
Social Thinking
Social Stories
Visual Schedules
INFORMATIVE SITES
- Founder of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions model and author of The Explosive Child, Dr. Ross Green is a leading expert in why challenging kids are challenging and how they should be understood and treated with compassion.
- Founded by Michelle Garcia Winner, Social Thinking is a dynamic way of helping kids and youth learn explicitly how to engage in social information processing; how to attend, interpret, problem solve and respond to different situations.
- Sibshops provides young brothers and sisters with peer support and information around their siblings disability in a safe and lively recreational setting. Siblings get to meet other siblings and chat about the good and not so good parts of having a sibling with a disability and their unique role within their family.
HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS
- Based in Calgary, The Children’s Link Society is known and valued for offering resources, information, connections and hope to families and professionals in the special needs community.
- Inclusion Foothills serves the Foothills and Willow Creek regions in Alberta. They provide support, education and information to families who are living with or are connect to someone with special needs.
USEFUL RESOURCES & ARTICLES
- What Siblings Want Parents to Know
- Growing Up Alongside a Sibling with a Disability
- Interview Questions for Hiring Respite or a Community Aide
- 6 Ways You’re Unintentionally Telling Your Child NOT to Listen
- 7 Benefits of Using Routines with Your Kids
COVID RELATED RESOURCES
