About Sue Simmons

Nothing can prepare you for the moment when your child is diagnosed with autism. I know first hand, and have experienced the same overwhelming emotional roller coaster. My son was diagnosed long before autism was a household word - before our current time, in which we all know someone who is affected by it.

Then, few resources were made available to me - the phone number of a parent of a child with autism… a desperately depressing book. This was my child’s fate?

I would stop at nothing to give my son the shot at life that was his birthright – nor would I sit idly by, watching other parents suffer the same anguish. After amassing a considerable wealth of resources and information, I founded the first parent support group in the Kawarthas. This group gave parents a safe haven to share fears, tears, camaraderie and resources. I dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours offering personal support, information and crisis management. I attended school case conferences, served as the Special Education Advisory Committee’s Autism Ontario Representative at the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board, and the same board’s Autism Team Parent Member. It was through the Parent Support Group that I first heard about the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) Program. Finally, I had found something that would change the course of his life.

Barely able to believe the claims of the RDI Program, I immediately contacted one of the two Canadians certified to deliver the program, and I now find myself here. I can’t guarantee that every child’s success will be as dramatic as mine – there are many variables. However, my son is on his way to many adventures – so many of which he wouldn’t have been able to experience before our family discovered RDI. I encourage you to read on. You too can impact your child’s autism in ways you never dreamed were possible.

Before autism found me, I was on a path of my own – I hold a degree in Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto, and have had successful careers in medical and pharmaceutical sales, marketing and freelance writing. I have completed courses with the Geneva Centre for Autism and the HANDLE Institute for Neurodevelopment. I am deeply committed to supporting families in getting to the root of their child’s autism, rather than “extinguishing” the behaviors that personify it.