Grief Literacy and Developmental Disability

Craig – Supporting Someone in Grief

August 2, 2023

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Craig discusses his personal experience with grief and how he felt when people didn’t reach out to him during a difficult time. He offers advice on how to best support someone who is grieving, emphasizing the importance of simply showing up and letting them know that you care.

Grief, Exhaustion, & Rest

March 21, 2024

Many people consider grief to be a response to the death of a loved one, but we grieve so much more than that. Grief is an emotional response to loss of any kind. Both real or perceived loss can trigger the response. The loss of a job, a miscarriage, a breakup, losing a sentimental item,…

Kristal – The Value of all Those Lost

April 23, 2023

Kristal emphasizes that the lives of those lost to drug poisoning had value, they were an opportunity that was lost, and that the community is missing so much in their absence.

Kristal – Grieving the Whole Person

April 23, 2023

Kristal discusses the importance of recognizing and grieving the entire person who was lost – not just who they were before they had been using drugs.

Christian – Supporting people who may die

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about going from zero overdoses to 50 in a matter of months and how to help people who may die

Christian – Grieving those who died of drug poisoning

April 23, 2023

Christian talks about grieving, stigma and dying from drug poisoning

Jessica M – My Story

June 13, 2023

Jessica talks about losing her grandfather at 14 when her mother was terminal, her mother and aunt died when she was 15. She felt alone until she found a peer support group

Alongside

February 8, 2023

That is also our best, and only role, when supporting a person with a developmental disability to grieve. We must be the one that comes alongside. There is no closer place we can get to. We must be present, be with, perhaps not understanding or comprehending what the person we support is experiencing, but alongside them nonetheless. We must be there, ready to provide whatever we can discover of their unique need in grief.

Caileigh – Through play children learn so much about their grief

February 23, 2023

Caileigh discussed how children learn so much about their grief through play. There’s less confusion, there’s less anxiety, there’s more awareness. For the child and the parent, there is more acceptance of grief.

Jessica M – It’s OK not to cry

June 13, 2023

Jessica discusses how grief is individual and finding the way forward can be different for everyone.

The Reflection Room® project: How storytelling supports processing grief

March 17, 2023

The Reflection Room project is an evidence-based participatory art installation that was developed by researchers at the SE Research Centre and Memorial University in 2016. The project included a research component that evaluated the impact of Reflection Rooms as the project adapted over time to address changing needs.