June 20

Fourteen joined this ASK Salt Spring gathering to welcome Amanda Myers of GIFTS, Gulf Islands Families Together Society, and Anna Vineyard of The Diverse Village. While different, with GIFTS (https://www.gulfislandgifts.com/) a charity serving Salt Spring families for over a quarter of a century and The Diverse Village (https://thediversevillage.ca/) a newly established nonprofit, they have partnered to fill significant gaps, bringing support, inclusion, and belonging to the neurodivergent ((https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/23154-neurodivergent) children, youth, and adults of our community. 

Amanda offered a moving acknowledgement, sharing some of her Indigenous personal and family history while also reminding us that, in First Nations communities, this acknowledgment is designed be offered at the beginning of a gathering to create the space for the good work about to take place. 

When asked what “excited and delighted” her, Anna shared her love of the change of seasons we are experiencing, a season of joy, growth, and free time for her and her children to explore and enjoy the freedom only summer brings. 

Amanda spoke of her joy with a beautiful momentum of action in our community, delighted that so much good is happening. Noting that it is easy to get stuck and even angry worrying about gaps in our community’s support services, she instead approaches gaps with the excitement of exploring what she can do to fill these unmet needs. She is delighted to watch the partnership between GIFTS and The Diverse Village grow, ever more successfully addressing the needs of the neurodivergent members of our community. 

GIFTS addresses the needs of neurodivergent adults and their families in a variety of ways, including programming, support, development of connections throughout our community, and help navigating a confusing web of funding opportunities. It also offers a safe space in the GIFTS building across from the ArtSpring parking lot. Long essential in supporting youth and families through the complexities of transition to adulthood, GIFTS is now also focusing on their transition to old age. Although there is little research concerning the needs of aging neurodivergent adults, they often need senior supports at an age earlier than expected.

The Diverse Village focuses its attention on the needs of neurodiverengent children, youth, and their families. Growing quickly and already supporting over 40 local families, The Diverse Village began as a support group for parents during COVID held at safely-spaced intervals in Anna’s backyard. While continuing this regular parent support, this young nonprofit now offers a variety of support services, including:

• Equipment,
• Lending library,
• Parent Support Group funding, 
• Educational workshops, 
• Assessment preparation,
• Guidance identifying resources, 
• Support navigating the often complex rules for accessing funding, and,
• Development of safe inclusion activities throughout our community.

We learned that inclusion requires leaving pity at the door and, with an open heart, identifying skills, work, activities, and housing to ensure that our neurodivergent community members experience a rich and full life and that their parents receive the support they need. 

Anna is pleased with the website that has been created that includes a service directory of resources, helpful guides, and a calendar of events as well as important information about the commitment of The Diverse Village (https://thediversevillage.ca/). While events are hosted on Salt Spring, The Diverse Village website serves the Gulf Island community at large, recognizing the increasing number of families raising neurodivergent children in the district.

While funding for GIFTS comes from many sources, an important source of on-going funding is Community Living BC (https://www.communitylivingbc.ca/). A clearly-identified need for GIFTS families is housing, a huge challenge. While this housing could be homes for only neuro-divercgent adults, other housing options are also being sought. As involvement and inclusion is essential, Amanda is considering other less isolated housing options. One possibility is a home sharing program offering homeowners funding to support a neurodivergent adult in their home. While these possibilities are just being explored, it was suggested that Amanda contact our Housing Now (https://www.sgicommunityresources.ca/housing-now-home/) program to explore a possible partnership. 

We learned that Amanda and Anna are putting much energy into developing partnerships. Rather than taking the lead in all areas – especially complex ones like housing – GIFTS and The Diverse Village are happy to partner with other organizations, strengthening community wide support and inclusion for families and individuals.

GIFTS over the years and, more recently, The Diverse Village, is creating and nurturing some amazing community relationships. Anna spoke with appreciation of the support of Country Grocer which has allowed parents of neurodivergent children and youth to shop by offering safe carts in which they can ride. For some parents, this seemingly simple addition of shopping cart options has made it possible for them to shop with their children for the very first time. 

Anna also spoke of some encouraging work with PARC. The creation of a sensory-subdued time set aside at the pool has allowed children and their families to enjoy a relaxing time in the pool with soft lights, low music, and hot tub jets turned low. What a difference for so many! Anna is delighted that these quiet swims will become a regular part of our pool’s scheduling. 

PARC and The Diverse Village are also working together to include neurodivergent children in summer camps by adding extra workers to focus on their needs while also allowing them to participate with their peers – the perfect balance of inclusion and support. The addition of “sensory backpacks” (https://varietyalberta.ca/sensory-backpacks/) to camp programs has been an amazing help. 

Our Library is a longtime friend and partner to GIFTS and now The Diverse Village. Anna spoke with appreciation of its amazing affirming neurodivergent resources such as the Neurodiversity Literacy Kit as well as some exciting Fab Lab (https://saltspring.bc.libraries.coop/programs/fablab/) projects. 

The opening of the Fall Fair one hour earlier, offering a quieter experience is another example of small shifts that make a huge difference. What about adaptive gymnastics and/or  soccer? The possibilities are only limited to the energy of Anna and Amanda to create needed support and inclusion partnerships throughout our community. And, volunteers with lived experience would also be so helpful as GIFTS and The Diverse Village expand their partnerships. Interested? Anna and Amanda are happy to consult with you about expanding the growing opportunities for our neurodivergent community. 

When asked what they needed, Amanda and Anna answered with a full range of wishes. On a more general level, Salt Springers need a better awareness of the benefits of including neurodiverse community members in activities. We also need an understanding of the small tweaks needed to make an activity accommodating for all. The more we understand, the more community partnerships will be created, slowly but steadily achieving that perfect balance between support and inclusion. What if many of us understood and cared enough to offer parents respite care – if only for a few hours a week? Once we fully understand, we are on our way toward providing these often-simple yet profound supports. 

Funding is also desperately needed. While local organizations have already been generous, funding at all levels is needed. Provincially, funding requires understanding a complex bureaucracy and successfully completing a dizzying mountain of paperwork. Unfortunately, this funding is very limited and only supports assessments confirming categories like autism, leaving many who are neurodivergent in other ways such as with ADHD, Down’s Syndome, or Cerebral Palsy, without any provincial funding. 

Even for those who are awarded autism funding, it is limited to only $6,000 to support a family for an entire year. When one considers the requirements of supporting a neurodivergent individual, this limited funding is nowhere near enough. As one example, many families must travel off-island multiple times a month for education, support, and/or health resources not available on Salt Spring. Anna mused what an enormous difference even a monthly BC Ferries pass could make for these hard-working, but stretched, families. You can also give each time you shop and return bottles as both organizations fundraise through the Country Grocer receipt program and at the Return It recycling depot. They also accept donations through their websites. 

Anna spoke of a Newfoundland community that is doing it right, with partnerships throughout the community implementing simple but effective changes that allow the neurodiverse to fully participate. 

https://www.communityventures.ca/autism-friendly-town/#:~:text=This%20video%20spotlights%20the%20small,friendly%20town%20in%20the%20country. We can do that here as well! We have caring individuals, plentiful resources, and a small enough community to make a big difference. Interested in Salt Spring becoming that inclusive community? Reach out to Anna (anna@thediversevillage.ca) and Amanda (gifts@shaw.ca). 

As our time together was drawing to a close, we thanked Anna and Amanda, having learned so much as well as gaining a deep appreciation for their passion, hard work, and unfailing optimism, as they work steadily and tenaciously toward an inclusive and supportive community. (Thank-you Amanda and Anna!) 

Just in case you are interested. . . .This report has been written by Gayle Baker, founder of ASK Salt Spring, currently also a Salt Spring Local Community Commissioner. It has been reviewed and edited by Anna and Amanda.