Read through my clients' experiences

 

David and Mary Harling

  • “ Jesse Stepanek has been working with our autistic son since 2008. We are very pleased with Jesse and the care he provides. Jesse is very responsible and kind and we trust him implicitly with our son. Jesse has an admirable work ethic, he is always punctual and plans activities ahead of time. Our son looks forward to his visits with Jesse, and they enjoy many activities which Jesse plans. Jesse is very safety conscious, and we always feel comfortable when our son is on outings with him. ”

B. C.

  • “ Jesse has worked with my eleven-year-old son, who has Asperger's, for a year now. His weekly visits are a high point of Adrian's week. They do a number of outdoor activities together, such as baseball, biking, swimming or tobogganing. Sometimes they play board games or go to the Science Centre or the ROM. Throughout, Jesse helps my son with skills such as crossing at streetlights or not talking too much about video games. In Adrian's words, "Jesse's strong point is being a very nice fun guy. ”
 

Mary O Hearn

  • “ My son is 14 years old with (PDD) Pervasive Developement Disorder. Jesse came into his life and it's been wonderful. Tyler loves his hockey and soccer. Jesse is working on social skills and street safety and they have been to the Science Centre and Tyler loves Subway. They love playing on the Wii. ”

J.M.

  • “ Before I met Jesse my life was pretty much empty and going nowhere. I woke up at noon and didn't have any reason to do anything or focus on anything. Then I met Jesse and finally started getting my life together. Thanks to him, we figured out schedule to keep myself motivated. He helped me to get myself together enough so I could get outside by myself, use public transit, and was finally able to get a job. Jesse still helps me and now we are working on fitness and health. Jesse is a really great guy. ”
 

M.H.

  • “ Our family first met Jesse two years ago, as a result of a recommendation from a family friend. We were looking for a life skills coach for our –then- 20 year-old son who has Asperger's and also suffers from anxiety-related mental health issues. Jesse is a very reliable, responsible and patient person who has great intuitive insights into our son's condition. Jesse now comes to spend time with our son four times a week, and his visits are the best part of our son's week.

    Jesse has been of outmost importance in helping our son improve his communication skills and overcome some of his anxiety. Jesse has introduced our son to cooking and baking, thus not only bringing him important everyday life skills, but also exposing him to activities that our son now thoroughly enjoys. In fact, they cook together at least once a week, and as a result, our son takes and interest and occasionally initiative in our family's daily cooking activities.

    Through Jesse, our son has a friend near his own age, with whom he can talk about music, films, and other topics that interest him. Our son enjoys playing cards and other games such as monopoly, chess or billiards with Jesse. Jesse also spends time with our son outside, playing soccer or basketball. Importantly, Jesse is essential in helping our son attend school, as he accompanies him to and from school twice a week.
    It was Jesse's initiative to start bringing along his dog Pepper. While our son was anxious about dogs before he met Pepper, he now looks forward with great enthusiasm to Pepper's visits. Through his interactions with Pepper, he became interested in dogs and feels relaxed around them when he meets them outside. Thus Jesse has been instrumental in introducing happy occasions to our son's life and in enhancing our son's capacity to relate to other beings and consequently to enjoy his life more.

    Jesse has been indispensable for our entire family. He offers advice and consults with us regarding our son's progress on regular basis. He is an excellent role model for our son. His support has been and continues to be invaluable to our entire family. Thank you, Jesse!     ”

Donna Luk

  • “ Jesse Stepanek has been a Respite/Youth Worker for my son, Peter, for over two years. For most of this period, Jesses saw my son twice a week and, since my son has moved to a supported independent living facility, Jesse now meets with him once a month.

    My son, Peter, is in his late 20's and has Aspergers Syndrome and Jesse's work with him centered around two goals: To help him live a more active lifestyle and to assist him to learn independent living skills.

    To help Peter become more active, Jesse was very proactive in his approach and planned all their outings. Regularly, they would go swimming, biking, play soccer or basketball, or go biking. They also spent much time walking and talking.

    Independent living skills included buying of groceries and simple cooking, washing clothes, room clean-up, b udgeting, time management and the accomplishment of routine chores.

    Jesse was always punctual and reliable and he never let Peter down. He established a great rapport with Peter and was empathetic and non-judgmental so that Peter trusted him and very much looked forward to their time together. I recommend Jesse highly.     ”

P.M.

  • “ There are virtually no support systems once a child reaches 18 years. I was always told my son would be slow to mature but I wasn't prepared for the shock of his graduation from high school into nothingness. He didn't have the skills necessary to succeed in either a simple job or any form of post-secondary education. I sought support wherever I could but we just couldn't find a solution to get my son moving forward again. It's hard to believe that he wallowed so long doing nothing because I just couldn't help him anymore. I was simply lost and out of energy. Once Jesse started meeting with my son, his spirits started to rise and within six months he working at a job five days a week and he loves it. Is there anything greater I could say about Jesse. ”