Le Semeur-Répit, a summertime breath of fresh air for Outaouais parents

Le Relais des jeunes Gatinois offers a wide range of programs for teenagers, adults and seniors throughout the year. For the summer, Le Semeur is aimed at young people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorders (ASD), while Le Semeur-Répit adds a second dimension: respite. This service is designed for young people who do not have access to “regular” day camps because they have multiple disabilities or severe behaviour disorders (SBDs). The goal is to give families a chance to take a breather.

Being in contact with many families who, during the summer, had difficulty accessing certain services, the CISSS de l’Outaouais was receiving a number of complaints from parents looking for a breath of fresh air. The CISSSO approached us because our organization already had a good deal of expertise with the Le Semeur summer day camp. The idea of a summer day camp with specialized services was born. The first camp was held in 2023!

Le Semeur-Répit is a one-on-one day camp. This means a lot of specialists are needed: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, social workers, feeding specialists and attendants for diaper changes, among other things. These CISSSO professionals were present at certain times of the day at Day Camp 2023.

Last summer, parents would drop off their children and take advantage of the opportunity to go to all their appointments. But they always told us to call them if there was a problem. I remember one parent who was at the garage to have his car serviced when there was a situation with his child. We went to pick him up and bring him back to the Relais. This event opened the door to dialogue with this person.

Yes, and they know it! The facilitators and support staff are their allies. This trust is built through contacts and conversations at the end of the day, but also through trial and error. With this or that parent, we’ve been able to re-examine children’s behaviours that we hadn’t understood, that we’d misdiagnosed or that we’d interpreted at face value.

The CISSSO identified the young people because they know them. The day camp ran for eight weeks, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch included.

A small adapted transport vehicle was used for outings, such as water games, within the limits of the participants’ mobility. Some young people with multiple disabilities who couldn’t get into the minibus were accompanied to the park. Those with CPD were more mobile, and could be transported by bus.

At Le Relais, most of the time, two groups were split into one room with multi-handicapped youngsters and another with those with SBDs. Most of the time, the ratios were one facilitator for one young person. That’s a lot of energy, and the kids have a lot of energy too! Summer 2023 was therefore a time of discovery with this new clientele.

At Le Relais, we’ve been running day camps with young people for 40 years. But with this particular clientele, it’s a whole new world and a whole new expertise that comes into play. These young people have their own particular needs. They have their own communication codes, and many of them are non-verbal and use pictograms. So we have to be very attentive to their emotions. We have to get to know each young person and understand how they interact.

The importance of training! In 2023, the CISSSO offered free training courses. A one-morning, fairly general core course for facilitators, support workers and specialists generated a great deal of discussion. In the afternoon, more specialized training was offered, for example, to attendants on the issues of moving young people, feeding or administering medication. The CISSSO gave us a lot of advice on how to better intervene and provide leadership.

In 2024, there will be ongoing training throughout the summer. Support during the camp will enable us to discuss cases and exchange ideas on concrete solutions. Useful training that can be used from day one—a toolbox for employees!

We also want more feedback from parents. In 2023, we gathered their feedback; this year we’ll be more proactive, reaching out to parents to learn more from their expertise and experience. It’s all about increasing parents’ input in identifying young people’s behaviours, reactions and needs.

The importance of inclusion is often emphasized in discussions. With Le Semeur-Répit, it’s more concrete. When facilitators take multi-handicapped youngsters out into the neighbourhood and community, people recognize them.

I believe that Le Semeur-Répit creates social cohesion for the inclusion of disabled people and synergy in our region. It’s an inclusive approach that links children, families and partner organizations. I think it’s a recognition of the fact that here, there are stakeholders involved in promoting inclusion.

I have children of my own and have worked with children for many years. As a father and a citizen, I see the young people at Semeur-Répit as people with disabilities who are being offered integration into the community.

Day camp leaders are often 18–20 years old. They have a certain apprehension of the unknown, certain views and a general lack of understanding of disability. When they see the human dimension and the positive interactions, they change their minds. They realize that these are children with their own joys, sadnesses and emotions, which they must learn to decode.

• Le Relais des Jeunes Gatinois;
• CISSS de l’Outaouais;
• Being a parent caregiver;
• Taking care of yourself;
• Managing guilt;
• Organizations funded to support caregivers;
• Respite services in the resource directory.

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