For many people, a first hospital visit happens during a stressful moment. For students with disabilities or members of the neurodiverse community, that experience can feel especially overwhelming.
A new initiative called Discovery Day is working to change that.
On April 30, 10 students from Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School took part in the pilot of Discovery Day, a hands-on visit to Cambridge Memorial Hospital designed to make health care settings feel familiar, welcoming and safe. The program is a partnership between the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Project SEARCH.
Supported by their teacher and educational assistants, students rotated through four interactive stations during the 90-minute visit. Using a stuffed animal buddy, they practised common procedures: trying on an aerosol mask, administering medication, applying a cast and experiencing a saline lock. Each activity mirrored real hospital care in a gentle and accessible way.
Discovery Day was the vision of Cambridge Memorial Hospital oncology nurse Tara Farias, whose experience as a parent of a child with autism shaped the program.
“When a child’s first experience in a hospital happens during an emergency, it can be frightening and confusing,” Farias said. “But when we create opportunities for positive, supported exposure, that fear can turn into familiarity. Discovery Day is about helping young people feel safe, confident, and understood.”
Project SEARCH interns Anthony and Ryder also played a key role on the day, leading groups and offering peer support throughout the session.
“Partnership is at the heart of Discovery Day,” said teacher Stephanie Garibaldi-Alischer. “Together, we are working to foster inclusive, welcoming care and create more positive experiences for patients and families in our diverse community.”
For WCDSB, the day was a meaningful reminder that learning happens everywhere, and that when schools, hospitals and families work together, every student can feel seen, safe and welcomed.
