COVID-19 resources for Canadian youth with disabilities,
their families & support teams

General health information for families, children and people with disabilities

• Government of Canada: COVID-19 resources for parents and children

• Government of Canada: COVID-19 resources for youth, students and young adults

• World Health Organization Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

• United Nations (Department of Economic and Social Affairs): COVID-19 Outbreak and Persons with Disabilities

• United Nations (Office of the High Commissioner): COVID-19 and the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities: Guidance

• UNICEF Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

• Autism Speaks Canada: COVID-19 Information and Resources

• Children’s Healthcare Canada: COVID-19 and Canada’s Kids

• International Disability Alliance: COVID-19 and the disability movement

• Government of Canada Infection Prevention and Control for COVID-19: Interim Guidance for Home Care Settings

• Government of Canada: COVID-19 and people with disabilities in Canada

• Government of Canada: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Guidance documents

• Government of Canada: Resources for Canadians living with pain during COVID-19

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH & FAMILIES

• NEW Mental Health Commission of Canada and Strongest Families: Supporting Youth Going Back to School

• NEW Kids Help Phone: Supporting the young people in your life during COVID-19

• NEW SickKids: COVID-19 Learning Hub

• NEW Multicultural Mental Health Resource Centre: Mental Health Resources Related to COVID-19

• NEW First Nations Health Authority: Mental Health and Cultural Supports During COVID-19

• NEW Jack.org: Be There

• NEW Bell Let’s Talk: COVID-19 Resources

• NEW Canadian Paediatric Society: Community-based supports for parents

• Strongest Families Institute: Programs for Mental Health

• Mental Health Commission of Canada: External COVID-19 Resources: Children & Youth

• ACCESS Open Minds COVID-19 Mental Health Resources for Families and Youth

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic

• The Ontario Caregiver Organization: Caregiver Mental Health During COVID-19 Outbreak

• Archived: Spark Live: Living with COVID 19: Building pandemic informed approaches to support our child and youth mental health

• Archived: CFHI Webinar Series: Wave 4 of COVID-19: Supporting Emotional Well-Being and Mental Health of Patients and Families

• Children's hospitals launch effort to improve early access to mental health care (Yahoo News) 

Communities to join

Resources for children & youth

Resources for families

Ongoing COVID-19 Research Involving CHILD-BRIGHT Researchers

• Four leading child mental health research teams join forces to understand impact of COVID-19 pandemic (Jennifer Crosbie)

• CHILD-BRIGHT Rapid Review to Evaluate the Risk of COVID-19 to Children with Brain-Based Developmental Disabilities

Resources for Researchers

• Better Care Network: Resources related to children with disabilities and the COVID-19 pandemic

• Indian-Canadian Autism Network: Standard Operating Procedures for Management of Child Development Centres during COVID-19

• Canadian Paediatric Society: COVID-19 information and resources for paediatricians

• WHO Global Coronavirus COVID-19 Clinical Trial Tracker

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research

• NSERC Alliance COVID-19 grants

• CIFAR: COVID-19 Action Fund

• CMAJ COVID-19 Information Compilation

Active surveys

• MedTech4Kids: Caring for Children with Complex Needs during COVID-19

Learning opportunities & webinars

• Archived: Spark Live: Applying principles of disaster psychosocial recovery to the COVID-19 response in healthcare settings and systems

• Archived: Spark Live: Partnering during a pandemic

• Archived: Spark Live: Mobilizing to virtual care: Experience of SickKids Chronic Pain Clinic

• Archived: Spark Live: COVID-19 and Kids: What we know and don't know

• Archived: CFHI Webinar Series: Maintaining and Strengthening Patient/Family/Caregiver Partnerships

• Archived: Spark Live: Conducting health research during COVID-19: Challenges and solutions for leadership and productivity

• Archived: Spark Live: Supporting Families of Children with Medical Complexity During COVID-19

• Archived: Spark Live: Infection control for children with chronic conditions in the COVID-era

• Archived: Spark Live: Acute Management of Paediatric COVID-19

• Archived: Spark Live: Challenges and solutions for delivering homecare and respite services during Covid-19

• Archived: Autism Speaks Canada: Support for Individuals with ASD: Coping with Family and Virtual Interactions During COVID-19

• Archived: Autism Speaks Canada: Coronavirus Impact: Talking to Kids About Changing Schedules, Altered Plans, and Disruption

• Archived: Spark Live: COVID-19: Its Impact on Kids in Pain and their Families

• Archived: University of Calgary: COVID-19 Community Support

• Archived: Autism Speaks Canada: Caring for Children and Adolescents with Autism During COVID-19

• Archived: Spark Live: COVID-19 and the care of the child with chronic disease

• Archived: Spark Live: Establishing and Managing COVID-19 Command Centres in Hospital Serving Children and Youth

• Archived: alumniUBC: How can we reduce COVID-19 anxiety?

• Archived: Autism Speaks Canada: Emotional Support for Families during COVID-19

Testimonials & Commentaries

• Children with disabilities disproportionately affected by pandemic (Lucyna Lach & Donna Thomson)

• Injustices confronted by children & youth during the COVID-19 pandemic (Sydney Campbell & Franco A. Carnevale)

• Desperate families of kids with complex needs consider surrendering their children to the province (CBC)

• Kids with disabilities face health risks and marginalization under COVID-19 (Michelle Phoenix)

• Demanding Disability Rights Amid COVID-19 (TVO The Agenda)

• Why Community Matters More Than Ever For Parents Of Kids With Special Needs 
(CBC Parents)


• Supports for special needs (CTV News)

• Reflections on caring for children with medical complexity during COVID-19 (Dr. Catherine Diskin, Dr. Eyal Cohen, and Dr. Julia Orkin)

• Children with disabilities face health risks, disruption and marginalization under coronavirus (The Conversation)

• Canadian Parent Advocates Should Be Paying Attention To COVID-19 Research (Rachel Martens)

• The one COVID-19 Response Needed Most, That Never Came (Ariana Jalfen)

• Toronto program for youth with developmental disabilities tries to make connections virtually during COVID-19 outbreak (The Star)

• Finding Meaning in the Worse of Times (Donna Thomson & Zachary White)

• ‘It’s Hit Our Front Door’: Homes for the Disabled See a Surge of Covid-19 (The New York Times)

• Canadians with disabilities left with few alternatives amid COVID-19 shutdowns (CBC)

• Invisible vulnerables (Eva Feder Kittay)