My Outlet Issue #2 | 2026
- audriechad
- Mar 31
- 6 min read
A Year of Building Something That Matters!
Founder’s note
One year ago, I walked away from my corporate role on Bay Street — and I haven't looked back.
What may have appeared as a leap of faith has become a year of extraordinary momentum. In just twelve months, My Outlet has touched the lives of countless kids, teens, families, and organizations, and I'm deeply proud of what we've built together.
Growing Our Reach
This year, we coined our signature program, brought on talented new facilitators, and expanded our enrichment programming across the Peel Region. We moved into a beautiful new studio in North York — which we celebrated with an open house just weeks ago — and we're already setting our sights on Vaughan and South Etobicoke. We launched our inaugural webinar for postsecondary students marking Neurodiversity Celebration week a couple weeks ago with our Beacon Expert Panel webinar, toured universities and colleges, delivered professional development training for camp and school staff, and showed up on TV, at conferences, and in classrooms.
And our family keeps growing. We've welcomed neuroscientists, PhDs in child learning and education psychology, occupational therapists, paediatricians, social workers, public speaking experts, co-op students and more into our sphere or partnerships and My Outlet community — a cross-disciplinary team united by a shared vision.
What's Ahead
The opening of our new North York location at Gravitate Studio is just around the corner. We can’t wait for April 12th to welcome our Spring cohort of My Outlet Signature participants.
This summer, I'm thrilled to announce something very close to my heart. For the first time, we're bringing together a team of co-op students across disciplines — illustration, clinical research, child and youth work — to create a first-of-its-kind book series for kids. These books will build language, fluency, and understanding through relatable characters, vibrant illustrations, and lived experience. I can't wait to share them with you.
The Power of Lived Experience
If there's one lesson this year has reinforced, it's that our challenges are not our ceiling — they're our foundation. Watching leaders like artist Alicia Keys and MD & Stanford Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Anna Lembke and countless others share their stories with vulnerability and purpose has reminded me: the people who turn what they've lived through into something valuable for others are the ones who change the world.
That's the strength-based approach at the heart of everything we do at My Outlet. Every facilitator, every partner, every member of our team brings their own lived experience — not as a weakness, but as a superpower. This year, I've reflected deeply on how the challenges I've navigated as a child, working professional, spouse and parent have given me the ability to connect with so many different audiences. And that connection is everything.
Human Connection in an AI World
In a year dominated by AI hype, one truth has only become clearer: technology will never replace human connection. My Outlet exists to build exactly that — community, understanding, friendship, and the kind of relationships that help people grow in ways that matter to them. That's something no algorithm can replicate.
Thank You!
What moves me most is the community forming around this work. The encouragement from our staff, advocates, partners, and collaborators is deeply touching. So many friends, colleagues, and even new acquaintances have told me they wish something like My Outlet had existed when they were young, or when their children were small. Every one of those conversations reinforces the value of what we're building and the size of the opportunity ahead.
This is the start of something with tremendous social impact — and we are just getting started. Thank you for being part of this journey.
With gratitude, Audrie Chad Founder, My Outlet
News and upcoming events
Spring Session Begins on Sunday, April 12th
📍 8 sessions: April 12, 19, 26 · May 3, 10, 24, 31 · June 7
1947 Avenue Road, 2nd Floor — Gravitate Studio, Toronto, ON
We're excited to share that as of the Spring Session, My Outlet North York will be moving to a new location at 1947 Avenue Road, 2nd floor (Gravitate Studio). Our new home features two beautiful, well-lit and spacious rooms, allowing us to travel from one room to the other for each of our program blocks. This mobility will allow for a clear delineation between blocks, supporting the transition from one block to the next. You may also find parking and access easier too!
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our Kids Signature Program Open House! It was so great to meet you, chat about what My Outlet is all about, and connect with families.
If you missed us this time, don't worry — we're always happy to answer questions and help you figure out if the program is the right fit for your child.
Thank You for Joining The Beacon Expert Panel
The Beacon Expert Panel | Zoom
What a night! The Beacon Expert Panel webinar brought together incredible expertise on supporting neurodivergent university students — and the response from our community was amazing.
The survey results and attendance numbers showed us what we already suspected: this conversation matters. A lot.
Thank you to our expert panelists for sharing their knowledge and to everyone who joined us. We're excited to continue these important discussions.
Share your story
Have a story or insight to share? We’re collecting — and we’d love to learn together. This year, we’re expanding our Share Your Story initiative to include video interviews.
If you’re interested in contributing your perspective or experience, we invite you to reach out and be part of this collaborative initiative.
My Outlet at OCA 2026 Connects
Audrie Chad | OCA Connects 2026
Back in February, My Outlet had the privilege of contributing to the Ontario Camps Association Conference 2026 through a workshop led by our founder, Audrie Chad.
Together with an engaged and experienced group of camp leaders, we explored what neuroinclusivity looks like in practice and why it is inseparable from organizational culture, where everyone plays a role. Research and emerging thought leadership were brought directly into real camp scenarios, making the intangible tangible.
We were also inspired by sessions highlighting how strong culture is built and sustained over time. Learning from leaders like Heather Davidson and Hilary Szwalek reinforced the value of continuous feedback, adaptive leadership, and real-time support networks, especially for organizations operating across multiple locations and teams, much like My Outlet.
A key theme echoed throughout the conference: the growing need for year-round, supportive spaces for neurodivergent children and youth. Camp leaders consistently emphasized how vital it is for these environments to extend beyond the summer, offering continuity, understanding, and skill-building in areas such as emotional regulation, executive functioning, self-advocacy, communication, and relationships.
We were honoured to hear My Outlet recognized as a meaningful resource for families seeking to carry the camp feeling throughout the year, in spaces intentionally designed to support neurodivergent needs, from staff training and responsive environments to regulation-friendly design.
Grateful to OCA for creating space for these important conversations and excited about what’s possible through continued collaboration across Ontario 💫
My Outlet grateful to Laura Smith for her engagement and support
Audrie Chad with MP Laura Smith
Audrie Chad had the opportunity to meet with MP Laura Smith to share the evolution of My Outlet and outline our vision for scalable, community-driven impact. She engaged thoughtfully with our work, demonstrating a genuine interest in how our programming, education initiatives, and workshops are advancing awareness, understanding, and practical capacity around neurodiversity and inclusion.
We discussed My Outlet’s active partnerships across public and private school systems, the launch of our new North York location for children’s programming, and our Beacon Expert Panel webinar. This event aligned with Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 16–20), further amplifying our commitment to education and advocacy at a critical stage of development.
We’re in the early stages of building something meaningful, and I’m grateful to Laura Smith for her engagement and support as we continue to grow.
My Outlet on TV
If you missed it, our founder Audrie Chad was recently featured on What's Buzzin with Chris & Cam on Rogers TV!
A big thank you to Chris and Cam for the warm welcome and thoughtful questions. It was an honor to share what we're building.
The conversation covered the My Outlet story, our approach to neurodiversity and inclusion, and how families and organizations can get involved or access our services. Audrie shared why it's so important to create environments where strengths are recognized and supported — at school, at work, and in the community.
Quick Tip
Name the Feeling First
When your child is dysregulated, skip straight to naming what you see: "You seem really frustrated right now."
Don't ask "What's wrong?" or jump to solutions yet. Just acknowledge.
Why it works: Naming emotions helps regulate the nervous system before problem-solving can even begin.
Looking Ahead to Spring
As we wrap up this newsletter, we're looking ahead with so much excitement. Our new North York location at Gravitate Studio opens April 12 for Spring sessions of the Kids Signature Program, and we can't wait to welcome families into this space.
Thank you for being part of the My Outlet community. Here's to a spring full of growth, connection, and celebrating different minds.
See you soon! 💙
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