Parenting a teen is both a rewarding and a complex journey
Dreaming and planning for your child’s teen years ideally starts early. All parents have hopes and expectations for their teen, but those with autistic and neurodivergent teens and/or with an intellectual disability face greater challenges. You and your teen will need to work together to identify opportunities to develop skills, and find resources to support them. This Toolkit offers tips to parents as they navigate the teen years with their child and prepare for the next developmental stage of young adulthood.
Adolescence is a time of rapid brain development along with significant physiological and emotional changes. Teens’ social relationships and academic expectations are likely to to shift in the midst of changing bodies, gender identity development and a growing sense of self. This toolkit offers ideas that are a part of this developmental stage while recognizing that each teen and family are unique. Trying to be prepared for the teens years may help you and your teen along the journey.
An Overview of this Toolkit
This Toolkit offers information, practical tips, exercises and resources to help guide you through the teen years and transition into adulthood. Sections include:
- What to Expect Now that your Child is a Teen
- Knowing your Child/Teen: A Parenting Exercise
- Parenting Approaches that Work with Teens
- Strategies for Communicating with your Teen
- Puberty, Sexual Health, Gender Diversity & Safety
- Self-Esteem, Identity, Disclosure & Advocacy
- Belonging: Friendships, Fitness, Recreation and Community
- Dealing with Mood, Depression & Anxiety
- Thriving in High School & Preparing for Adulthood
- My Teen’s Life Planning Map
To access the toolkit, visit AIDE Canada’s website, by clicking the button below that says, “Navigating the teen years toolkit.”
Navigating the Teen Years Toolkit
Here at Sinneave, we believe that investing resources into helping autistics and their families navigate the transition to adulthood is beneficial. Whether you want to pursue post-secondary education after high school, develop the skills you need to get a job, or desire to live independently, we offer programs and services that can assist autistic youth and young adults in achieving their goals.
In our Launch + Skills personalized coaching program, individuals ages 15+ work with our life skills coaches to determine goals and then make a plan to achieve them.
Our EmploymentWorks program combines in class learning with hands-on job sampling in the community to build essential job readiness skills, helping participants get and maintain employment and thrive in the workplace.
If you want to learn more about the programs and services we offer, contact us to book an Information & Navigation appointment. Email info@sinneavefoundation.org or call us at 403 210-5000.
About AIDE Canada
The Autism and/or Intellectual Disability Knowledge Exchange Network (AIDE Canada) is a tool to connect members of our community to the information and resources that they need. They deliver credible, reliable, and evidence-informed resources in an unbiased and accessible way. For more information about AIDE Canada, visit their website by clicking the words, AIDE CANADA.
