By: Monika Sharma
Karlee’s Respite Services is an organization that provides affordable in-home respite care for families of children with developmental disabilities in the GTA. This organization strives to provide support in an educational environment for both the participants and their families. With services that are life, social, community, and academic-based, as well as various goals communicated with the parents/guardians of participants, KRS delivers an impactful program for children with developmental disabilities.
During the third quadmester of this year, I completed a two-credit virtual Co-op program at KRS as a respite worker. This virtual placement was impactful and innovative for a grade 11 student figuring out what career path to turn to, despite not being able to go in-person because of COVID-19 restrictions. Throughout the course of three months, l learned about various developmental disabilities such as autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and a few others that participants at KRS were diagnosed with. With this information, alongside various media resources provided by Karlee, I evaluated how it may affect the child’s day-to-day life, and what, as a respite worker and community member, I could do to help support those living with disabilities
One of the main components of research and resources I used to educate myself was with a Youtube series called Special Books By Special Kids (SBSK). This is a non-for-profit organization focused on raising awareness of the neurodiverse community, children and adults diagnosed with a multitude of disabilities, or those dealing with mental health illnesses. This channel allowed me to learn of a reality I did not have prior experience with, ask questions, and reflect with my employer about how I could positively contribute towards those in my community dealing with the same. This organization allowed for thought-provoking analysis that I would share with Karlee on a daily basis.
On the few days I was not watching SBSK, listening to a lesson on types of communication, reading A Curse so Dark and Lonely (retelling of Beauty and the Beast with the female protagonist who is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy), I was learning in-depth about Karlee’s organization. As a current SHSM business student at Sandalwood, KRS allowed me to dive into the entrepenuriship aspect of an organization like this, and how one could go about starting one. As an overwhelmed grade 11 student balancing school and extracurriculars, I often wonder what life after high school or, as some like to call it, ‘the real world’ might look like, and I caught a glimpse after asking Karlee a few questions. I asked, “Your website mentioned that you have several different jobs/roles in the community, how are you able to balance all of that at the same time?” to which she replied with “I have to definitely figure out what I'm able to handle, which has taken some time to figure out and this also changes often. I need to set boundaries with myself so that I don't put too much on my plate that I can't end up handling. But overall, I enjoy it as I like staying busy and love all of my jobs.” This perspective gave some insight into what it’s like for an individual to own a business, be a Peel Board Staff Member, and a community member who strives to make the GTA an inclusive environment that provides support, and positively influences those she encounters.
Karlee’s Respite Services include pre-scheduled weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly sessions, as well as last-minute sessions when required. If you are a parent/guardian of a child with developmental disabilities and are looking for additional support, live in the GTA, or have any general inquiries, be sure to check out their website www.karleesrespiteservices.com or follow KRS on Instagram and Facebook.