Autism Support Worker

Autism Support Worker (Respite and Home Support)

About our family

We are a Calgary family of four looking for someone to join our team. One of us works shifts as a physician, the other is at home full time. We have two young boys, ages 7 and 3.5.

Our older son is autistic. He is a smart, funny, perceptive kid with deep passions and a great sense of humour. He benefits from support for his communication and regulation. He attends school part time, and he receives support from a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist and a psychologist via Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD). Our younger son is a sweet, funny and energetic kid who loves to play with his big brother. He attends dayhome full time during the week.

The role

This role combines respite and support for our older son, care for his younger brother, and help keeping the household running, including food prep, light tidying and organizing. The ideal candidate is warm and calm, has experience working with Autistic kids, enjoys helping a family keep the household running, and can roll with a day that goes a little sideways.

How we do things

We use a neurodiversity-affirming, low-demand approach. In practice that means we respect our kids' capacity and bandwidth, try to follow their lead, and offer choice whenever possible. We have a care team we trust who also follow a low-demand approach.

Building a relationship with our son takes time, but once he trusts someone, he can become very attached. Being consistent and predictable, being genuinely curious about whatever he is interested in, and reading his cues to know when he needs space or when he is keen to engage are strategies that work well to form a strong bond with him.

At the beginning, this role may largely be home support tasks done while our son is nearby doing his own thing, and that is more than ok! Help with running our home is deeply valued and appreciated, because it gives us the bandwidth as parents to genuinely enjoy our kids in the evenings, to play and be present rather than scrambling. As he becomes comfortable with you, the time you spend with him directly will grow too.

An open household

Our family values diversity, and we want our to home to be a comfortable place to be, not just a workplace.

Neurodivergent applicants are warmly welcomed. If you are autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent and this work appeals to you, we would be glad to hear from you, and we are happy to talk at any point about what would help you do your best work here. Lived experience of disability, your own or in your family, is something we value.

We welcome applications from everyone, and encourage students and recent graduates, people aged 18 to 30 entering or returning to the workforce, newcomers to Canada, Indigenous applicants, and people with disabilities.

Schedule: Day, evening, weekend, flexible hours (to be negotiated). Start as soon as possible.

Education: Secondary school graduation certificate, or equivalent experience

Experience: 1 to 2 years relevant experience, including experience with autistic children

Tasks

• Provide personal care and companionship; assist clients with bathing and other aspects of personal hygiene; assist clients in water (i.e. pool)

• Guide and assist children in the development of proper eating, dressing and toilet habits, and follow parents' lead with toilet training

• Implement treatment plans and collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team (FSCD)

• Prepare and serve nutritious meals, cook, and shop for food and household supplies

• Launder clothing and household linens; perform light housekeeping and cleaning duties

• Assume full responsibility for household in absence of parents

Requirements: CPR certificate. Valid driver's licence. Criminal record check (vulnerable sector), driving abstract and references required. Physically capable of repetitive tasks (light cleaning), lifting up to 50 lbs. Non-smoking home. Language of work: English Benefits: Free parking. Variable or compressed work week. To apply: Include a cover letter and your answers to: Do you have experience working in this field? Do you have the required certifications listed in the job posting?