The impetus and inspiration for the Kamloops Infant Home Stimulation Programme ( which became KIDS) was our daughter Shawna and others like her.
Shawna was born in Kamloops March 1972 and soon after diagnosed with Down Syndrome translocation type. Our beautiful daughter was a very passive quiet baby, undemanding and lacking even a suck reflex. Our paediatrician suggested “send her to Tranquille and try again”. Fortunately, with our backgrounds ( my husband,Ron, a newly qualified medical doctor and me a special education teacher), we ignored this advice and we’re able to help her advance developmentally with constant stimulation. But I was still concerned about what might happen with other babies that needed extra help.
Fortunately, in late 1974, about 6 months after welcoming our third child, we attended a Down Syndrome conference and learned about “The Portage Project”. I came away excited about this project that supplied a manual of checklists for infant/child development where all 5 basic areas of development are broken into tiny steps. I wanted to share this with other parents who wanted help and support in raising their child. So I took this idea and a Portage Project manual that I’d purchased, to my Kamloops University Women’s Club and got a very enthusiastic response!! They voted to fund buying several Portage Guides and several members volunteered to be home visitors - public health nurses, teachers and social workers were all keen to help! I led a small committee working on acquiring a Local Initiatives Project Grant for what would become our new nonprofit Society - the “Kamloops Home Stimulation Programme."
In our successful project submission we described our program as a home and parent approach that would provide support and participation in the ongoing learning process for parents of “handicapped “ children birth to five years of age. We also emphasized our concern that the child remain in the home with support rather than placed in an institution as was the case in those days.
Weekly home visits and what that all looked like - for our 5 to 7 families served in 1975 Parent Meetings - which started September and October 1975. Workshops for Home Visitors, parents, and community members - 1975 Speech Development and Physiotherapy for the Hypotonic Child. A Resource Centre and Updating the local library and finally, Spreading the word of our services -Quite ambitious but we did it!
We continued to work throughout the year visiting families and working on our constitution and bylaws. With our funding ($ 20,500) we hired a Head Home Visitor and our new board, which I chaired, met in a room, first in the hospital then in a church, to coordinate and run the program.
There was so much help, not only from our amazing local talent and Ron and the medical community, but also from the new Vancouver Infant Development Program. This led to provincial funding and the new name: Kamloops Infant Development Program Society! Our vision then, as it remains today:-to see all children thrive!
Louise Oyler Founder/President (1975-1980; 2025)