NowWhat? Supports

04/09/2026

Come build skills for life with us this summer at NowWhat? Supports in Ancaster!

🔹 Wide range of programs for kids and teens
🔹 Summer camp, D&D camp, gym-based & community-based programs
🔹 Low staff ratios and tiered support options
🔹 Beautiful home-like setting
🔹 Nature immersion and exploration
🔹 Teen community outings & field trips
🔹 Led by skilled social workers and therapeutic coaches
🔹 Carefully curated small groups for age, stage & interest
🔹 Fun, engaging themes, activities, and challenges
🔹 Joyful, supportive environment for minds of all kinds (ADHD, ASD, anxiety, OCD etc)
🔹 Lunch & snacks included in camp programs!

🔸 PROGRAMS COVERED BY OAP FUNDING & MOST BENEFIT PLANS (psst - teachers - your benefits renew in September - why not squeeze in some last-minute skill-building this summer?)

Not sure where to start? Call 289 678 0581 or email info@nowwhatsupports.ca and we’ll help guide you to the right fit for your child or teen.

➡️ https://nowwhatsupports.ca/camps/

04/08/2026

NowWhat Social Worker Athe J was interviewed by CHCH in this segment, offering his insight into the proposed social media ban for children under 16, in a bid to protect Canadian youth from harmful content, addiction, and cyberbullying. Australia recently passed a similar law in a hotly contested move. What do you think? How would the proposed ban change your approach as a parent, or your teen's access to social media?

The Liberal National Convention kicks off in Montreal in a few days, where members will discuss the party's policies, including setting an age limit on socia...

03/31/2026

It’s Autism Everything Month — awareness, acceptance, and appreciation. I know this can be a month that leads to collective groans for many of us (myself included), so each year I run a mini-series that focuses on action. This year I’m bringing back our infographics and articles that highlight concrete steps we can take across different areas of society. This graphic focuses on ways we can make the world more inclusive for Autistic people, from challenging stereotypes and listening to Autistic voices to advocating for inclusive policies and practices.

To go deeper into each of these actions (and why these specific ones matter), you can read the full article on our website.

03/31/2026

Big thanks to Neighbours of Ancaster Magazine for hosting the 'Live Well, Live Wise' event on Sunday, focusing on women's health in midlife and beyond. Bandit and Sarah enjoyed meeting some amazing women from our community and shared some information about women's support options around intimate partner violence, separation, and divorce - especially through the lens of neurodivergence.

03/30/2026

Got appointments this weekend? Reminder that we are:

CLOSED on FRIDAY
&
OPEN on SATURDAY, SUNDAY & MONDAY.

Wishing you a sweet and springy long weekend!🐣🌷🌸

03/26/2026

HUGE thanks to Ryan, the Hamilton paramedic who came out to the Big House to let our PowerUp group check out the inside of his sweet rig! He really took the time to get to know the kids and was happy to answer ALL our (many) questions!

We got to spend time learning about our bodies, using the different pieces of equipment to check our vitals.

We learned there are only 40 ambulances to service ALL of Hamilton - and there were 96,000 ambulance calls last year!

We heard all about the different equipment and medications that paramedics keep in their amazing go-bags, and in the ambulance.

The kids learned that first responders are regular people, and they now feel more comfortable around those intimidating flashing lights (turns out they're kind of fun when it's NOT an emergency!).

Thank you, Ryan and all our Hamilton first responders, for being there for us when we are at our most vulnerable!

03/18/2026

HWDSB is on the cusp of making some changes to programming that has become a place of belonging for many of the children and families that NowWhat welcomes every day.
But displacing these students will not eliminate their needs - it will redistribute them, increasing pressure and accommodation costs across already stretched schools and supports.

See full blog post & Spec article here --> https://nowwhatsupports.ca/hwdsb-specialty-programs-at-risk/

03/15/2026

Our specialized Social Workers (along with sidekick Bandit) will be at this FREE event on March 29 at the new Dodsworth & Brown funeral home to join a panel of local experts in women's health and wellbeing. They'll be talking about women's wellness throughout separation & divorce - especially through the lens of neurodivergence. Grab a friend, and come invest a few hours in YOU.

Register here to save your seat:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/live-well-live-wise-flourish-in-midlife-a-seminar-for-women-tickets-1984150473478?aff=oddtdtcreator

03/13/2026

🏳️‍🌈 🫶 A safe space means everyone belongs.

Kids, teens, and families of all identities, backgrounds, and neurotypes are welcome here. Our goal is always the same: creating a space where people feel respected, supported, and free to be themselves.

03/08/2026

Therapy is ...
Murals, crafting, and music.
Fitness, movement, and breathing.
Hamsters, baking, and playing.
Noticing, wondering, and feeling.
Connecting, unmasking, and regulating.

03/06/2026

Just a reminder ... pretty much everything is figureoutable. Here's a gentle nudge to drop your shoulders and take a breath. To forgive yourself for not being perfect. To remember that no one has it all together (whatever 'it' is). To accept that we will all die with items left on our to-do lists, so we may as well find a way to breathe and laugh and be OK right now - yep, even in the middle of your doomscroll - and to believe that you're already kind of magical.

03/06/2026

Bandit (or should we say Band-alf?) is getting into the spirit of our magic-themed PA Day today ... we're looking forward to more magical activities at our therapeutic camp this March break!