For Canadian parents and caregivers of autistic children

Calm, practical help for life with your autistic child

Plain-English guides you can use tonight, from waiting for an assessment to meltdowns, First-Then boards and toilet training. Each one gives you the short answer first, links every fact to its source and says how strong the evidence is.

Find a guide Waiting for an assessment? Start here

Free to read. No sign-up, no ads, no tracking.

Start with what's on your mind

We're on a waiting list. What can we do now?You don't need a diagnosis to start helping your child. What to try at home, provincial help before a diagnosis, private costs and how to use the wait.
Will my autistic child talk?An honest look at whether autistic children learn to talk, what helps at home, why signs, pictures and AAC don't stop speech, and how to reach a speech-language pathologist in Canada.
Is it a meltdown, a tantrum or a shutdown?A meltdown is overwhelm, not bad behaviour. How to tell it from a tantrum or a shutdown, and what helps before, during and after.
How do I use a First-Then board?A two-step picture board that shows what happens first and what comes next. How to make one, the words to use, and what to do when it isn't working.
Can my child start kindergarten in diapers?A step-by-step picture approach to toilet training, why constipation comes first, wetting at night, starting kindergarten in diapers, and help with the cost.
How do I help my child find calm?Why feelings can be hard to notice and name, how to teach them, calm tools and a calm space, signs of anxiety and where to get help in Canada.

Guides by topic

All 7 guides

For child care and schools

Guides for child care and school staff

Practical, sourced help for early childhood educators, teachers and educational assistants: daily routines, visual schedules, meltdowns, IEPs and what human rights law expects. Parents can share them with their child's program or school.

Supporting an autistic child in child care: a guide for early childhood educatorsPractical help for ECEs with autistic children aged 2 to 5: the room and the day, communication and play, written plans, inclusion programs and the move to kindergarten.
Worried a child might be autistic? How to talk with parentsNotice and note what you see, talk with the family in private, describe rather than label, and start help that needs no diagnosis. With consent rules and routes by province.
Visual schedules, First-Then boards and calm spaces for the classroom and playroomGroup and individual visual schedules, First-Then boards, transitions, communication, sensory changes and a calm space the child can always leave, for child care and school staff.
Meltdowns, biting and big feelings in child care and kindergarten: what staff can doBehaviour is communication. How to prevent meltdowns, keep everyone safe during one, respond to biting and hitting, plan with families and follow the rules on restraint.
IEPs, IPPs and IIPs for young autistic students: a guide for school teamsIEPs, IPPs and IIPs by province: who writes the plan and by when, working with families and EAs, example kindergarten goals and accommodations that help.
Sent home, excluded or on a modified day: what child care and school staff need to knowBefore an autistic child is dismissed, excluded, sent home or put on a shorter day, human rights law expects real accommodation first. What that means for staff.
Educational assistants and young autistic students: making support workThe EA's role, what research says about how assistants are used, and practical ways to give just enough help, fade it and help a student learn alongside classmates.

See the guides for staff

Guides you can check for yourself

The answer comes first
Every guide opens with a short answer, then the detail, then the questions parents ask most.
Every fact is sourced
Figures, rights and program rules link to the Government of Canada, provincial governments, the Canadian Paediatric Society or the research itself.
Honest about evidence
We say when research is strong, when it is thin and when experts disagree, and we never promise results.
Dated, and clear about review
Each guide shows when it was checked and whether a professional has reviewed it yet.

Read how we write and check our guides

Useful to keep

About this site

Who writes the guides on Rocks Make Pebbles?

Our editorial team researches each guide from Government of Canada and provincial pages, professional bodies such as the Canadian Paediatric Society and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada, and published research. We use AI tools to help research and draft, and a person checks every guide against its sources and decides what we publish. We are recruiting Canadian speech-language pathologists, psychologists, pediatricians, occupational therapists, behaviour analysts and autistic adults to review the guides. Every guide shows whether it has been reviewed yet.

Are the guides for every province and territory?

Yes, but autism services, school support and funding are run by each province and territory, so they differ. Where a rule applies only in some provinces, the guide says so and points you to the right place. The guides are in English for now and don't yet cover services that exist only in Quebec. A French version is planned.

Do I need a diagnosis to use the guides?

No. Many families wait more than a year for an autism assessment. Visual supports and ways of helping communication do not need a diagnosis, and some provincial services help before one.

Who runs this site?

Rocks Make Pebbles is published by TCG Community Apps Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales, which also publishes our guides for UK families. The guides are free, with no ads, sponsorship or affiliate links.

Is this medical advice?

No. Our guides give general information to help you understand your options and ask good questions. For advice about your own child, talk to your family doctor, pediatrician or speech-language pathologist, or your child's daycare or school. In an emergency, call 911.