The KaN Program
Foundational classroom activities for sharing concepts of neurodiversity, understanding feelings, fairness, and more.
Kids Appreciating Neurodiversity (KaN) Program designed for children age 3-8 years.
The program introduces the concept of neurodiversity and its impact on children's experiences with peers at school, through engaging stories and activities. The program also explores wants and needs, and how these relate to fairness.
KaN promotes children's recognition and understanding of a wide range of feelings, both in themselves and in others.
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After developing the program the team worked with a visual storyteller/graphic designer to create program materials.
The program was developed over a two year period in collaboration with an interprofessional group of health professions students, researchers, caregivers of autistic individuals, educators and clinicians.
The need for a program like KaN was identified while conducting interviews (Stanford) with clinicians working in Norther Ontario and with family members of autistic children. Through these interviews, the importance of promoting social inclusion for autistic children, and children with other differences and/or diagnoses in school settings was identified (e.g., with peers).
KaN addresses this need. KaN is also designed to promote increased understanding of autism more broadly within the community and in turn promote more socially inclusive environments.
Get involved...
At this time, we are ready to pilot the program in local daycares, preschools and schools. This will enable our team to evaluate and iterate the program to ensure its usability and applicability for different school contexts across Ontario.
Get the KaN manual...
After piloting and incorporating changes, the KAN Program will be launched on this website.
Delivery of the KAN program: KAN was designed to be co-delivered by health profession students in collaboration with educators. Students are trained to deliver the program, and to work with the classroom educators to tailor the program to each class’ unique context.
How long is the program? It can be delivered over a 4-5 week period, during which four topic areas are covered.
What is the target age?
The program was designed for children 3-8 years (e.g., preschool, JK/SK/Grade 1 classes).
Adventures with Fox - Neurodiversity
Bright and Colourful Brains
Learn that brains influence how we act and feel, and that all brains are different.
Fixing a Boat
Celebrate our different brains and how they give us different strengths.
Adventures with Owl - Needs & Wants
Treasure Hunt
Understand the difference between needs and wants.
Story Time
Learn about needs and wants in a school setting, and how we all have different needs.
Adventures with Penguin - Fairness
When Friends Get Hurt
Understand that fairness isn’t always about being treated the same or getting the same things.
Adventures with Giraffe - Understanding Feelings
Listening to My Body
Learn how our bodies give us cues about how we are feeling.
Ball of Feelings
Recognize how feelings can look different for everyone and different ways we can respond.
Please see the full SLED-VAST Consortium list here.
I’m interested in having KAN delivered in my setting - let’s partner!
Contact Amanda Binns & Farah Friesen at SLED-VAST@utoronto.ca