By Jesse Boily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Town & Country News
A Grande Prairie couple is developing an app to support parents with neurodivergent children, connecting them with other parents and service providers.
MJ Squared is currently in development, but the couple is already helping shape local events and businesses to become more neurodivergent-friendly.
“We have felt isolated in many cases because there has been no focus on families who are caring for a neurodivergent child,” said Demar Anderson, who is developing Mj Squared with his wife Natasha.
“We have a child who has autism, she’s non-verbal, and we always find it challenging to find people who understand what we’re going through.
“There is a lack of community that exists for parents who are caring for neurodivergent children.”
He said that it can lead to feelings of depression and isolation among parents.
MJ Squared is going to be a safe space where parents can connect, share experiences, and get access to the different community resources available in their respective communities.
Demar says it’s all based on their own lived experiences.
“We are at a stage in the world, in Canada, where a lot of people are talking about autism awareness or neurodiversity awareness, but we haven’t actually gotten to the point of acceptance,” said Demar.
“We’ve been doing a lot of collaboration with different stakeholders in the community” that includes the City of Grande Prairie event planners to add sensory-friendly aspects to events.
The addition of the accessibility pass at events such as the Canada Day celebration enables people with physical or cognitive disabilities to access the front of lines.
He said that it’s one step to ensuring that all families can feel included.
Crowds, loud noise and lighting can all lead to overstimulation for a neurodivergent person, which can exclude them and their families from participating in community events … or even going to a restaurant.
Demar said MJ Squared is working with a variety of businesses, from banks to restaurants and community event planners, to help bring awareness and make places and events more accessible.
MJ Squared is also hosting its own event with a Sensory Santa, after finding it difficult to get Christmas photos with Santa while having a neurodivergent child.
“It’s always difficult to find sensory-friendly spaces where you can go and take Christmas photos where your kid is not overwhelmed or overstimulated,” said Demar.
He said last year about 30 families were accommodated but some could not be due to limited space and times.
Demar said the response was overwhelmingly positive, with some parents saying it was the first time they got photos of their child with Santa without crying.
Demar and Natasha are working in the community to help raise awareness about neurodivergent people, and have even partnered with Buff Gym in Grande Prairie to create a sensory-friendly time at the gym.
“Every Monday, between 1 to 4 p.m., if you have a child or you yourself have some form of special needs or neurodivergence, you can go there, work out in a sensory-friendly space, no crowds, less lighting, less noise.”
App development
Demar says the MJ Squared app is in its second stage of development and hopes to launch it in the summer or fall of next year.
It will be similar to other social media platforms, but with a focus on connecting parents and service providers.
“The idea is to have everything on one platform and connect all the resources in our community in one location,” said Demar.
He hopes to launch the app in Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary before expanding across Alberta and Canada.
“There’s absolutely nothing like this that exists in the world right now,” said Demar.
“We have felt isolated and we have felt that depression as well,” he said, noting the additional help parents need raising a neurodivergent child, and just wanting to help their child belong in the community.
He noted families caring for a neurodivergent child have about 30 per cent of their income dedicated to caring for that child.
“Natasha had to quit her job to stay home last year because, like, there was no other option,” said Demar, noting that childcare can be hard to find and even more so if your child is neurodivergent.
He reminds people to check in on friends and family raising a neurodivergent child.
“If you can take their kid out for a night, give them a break, and just support them in whatever way they need, it would be greatly appreciated,” he said.
Ultimately, the couple hopes the app will help more families like theirs.
“Once you have happy parents, you have a happy child,” said Natasha.
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