Who are We

The Ontario Association for Families of Children with Communication Disorders (OAFCCD) was established in Tillisonburg, Ontario in 1984. 

Our vision is that all children will have access to a continuum of speech and language services to support their successful participation at home, in school and in the community.

Our mission is to work with families and community partners to ensure children have access to effective speech and language services.

Our goals are to:

  • increase public awareness regarding the need and benefits of services
  • provide support and information to families
  • support families to advocate for the speech and language services their child needs
  •  work with community partners to enhance speech and language services
  • advocate with government and provincial organizations for adequate public funding of speech and language services
  • maintain an effective volunteer structure and viable organization

Our association may be of assistance to you if:

  • your child requires speech and language services
  • you have been affected by service delays or cuts at your hospital or school
  • you wish to network with other families for support
  • you need more information about your child's communication difficulties
  • you are looking for information about available community resources and services in your area


What We Do

To achieve our goals OAFCCD provides the following services:

Parent Resource Information:

All parents who contact OAFCCD are provided with:

  • Information about OAFCCD
  • Specific information resources related to their child's disorder and needs
  • and/or information on services available in their local community.

Upon request, OAFCCD will also:

  • connect families with specific service providers or support groups in their local community
  • obtain additional resource information from professional groups, such as the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists or from the School of Communicative Disorders at the University of Western Ontario.

All members of OAFCCD are provided with:

  • Three Newsletters containing information on specific disorders, changes in publicly funded speech and language service provision, and upcoming workshops or conferences for families
  • An invitation to the OAFCCD Annual General Meeting, which features guest speakers and workshops
  • Information on OAFCCD local Chapters and Chapter contacts
  • Contact information for OAFCCD representatives who are involved in planning or advisory organizations in their community for example, District School Board Special Education Advisory Committee Members

Local Chapters provide members with:

  • Regular or occasional meetings
  • Presentations by community service providers on available services
  • Presentations by professionals on specific communication disorders
  • Skill development workshops and resource information

Parent Support Activities:

Individual Parent Support:

  • Parents can be connected with other parents of children with the same communication disorder or need.

Chapter Parent Support:

  • Chapter meetings provide an opportunity for social interaction, the sharing of personal stories and resources
  • Many Chapters have a designated Professional member, who can refer families to additional resources and support services.

Internet Parent Support at www.oafccd.com:

  • OAFCCD Web Site provides information on the organization, recent Newsletters and contact names and numbers
  • Over 50 parent articles are available on the Website under Parent Resources
  • Many of the OAFCCD Position Papers used in Government Consultations are posted on the web site
  • Web site includes links with hundreds of other organizations which provide information on communication disorders or support to families of children with special needs
  • OAFCCD mailing list provides a safe place for members to post questions and connect with other families


Public Awareness Activities:

Provincial level activities include:

  • Provision of information to government about communication disorders and the needs of children and their families
  • Development and distribution of position papers on the needs of children with communication disorders
  • Participation in government consultations, and provincial groups and organizations that provide advice on speech and language services and the needs of families
  • Participation in conferences and meetings held for professionals and parent associations
  • Distribution of provincial Newsletter and other information resources to groups and organizations involved with speech and language services
  • Nomination of parent members to the Special Education Advisory Committees of District School Boards
  • Nomination of parent members to Preschool Speech and Language Committees

Chapter level activities include:

  • Public education displays in community locations and at Information Fairs or community workshops
  • Provision of public awareness materials to local media, especially during May which is celebrated nationally as Speech and Hearing Month
  • Appointment of member representatives to local planning and advisory organizations
  • Presentation of member concerns to organizations that provide speech and language services