Introducing Kai Helsdon

Burlington, ON

My name is Kai Helsdon and I recently finished the Individualized Transition to Life Course offered by Integrated Autism Consulting.

I am planning to use everything that I learned from this program to eventually move out on my own, and in the future, to move in with my girlfriend. 

I graduated with my diploma in Recreation Therapy from Mohawk College this year and will use these skills to gain experience as a recreation therapist.

I am also an autism advocate, supporting individuals with autism by sharing my life experiences to assist others in understanding their strengths and how to plan for their future, whether it is going to college, gaining employment or finding that leisure activity that fits into their life. 

 Overall this program was very helpful, because it taught me about budgeting, planning my week and how to be successful in different kinds of relationships.

After I completed the program, I was lucky enough to go to South Africa for three weeks and really got a chance to learn about new cultures, history and of course amazing wildlife. It was a trip of a lifetime, I was in my element!

Now that I am home, I can turn my focus to getting work and achieving the goals I set in the Transition to Life Course. I started by securing a part time job at Mountain Warehouse in Burlington. This is a retail store that caters to people that love the outdoors. A perfect fit for me so I can start earning money and get a bit ahead while sharing my love of the outdoors and my experience in guiding and travels.

More exciting though, some networking at a Mohawk College event and a cold call I made while I was still in school turned into an interview and now I have been engaged by “Now What Supports” in Hamilton. I am currently developing recreation therapy services to support neurodiverse people on the spectrum in both a group setting as well as individually. The plan is to expand and develop this into a full-time position with this team. It’s really exciting as I didn’t have any idea that this might be waiting when I got back from South Africa. So now I have a part time job in a retail store that I love and am developing a part time position that can turn into full time as we expand. It’s amazing to be at the start point of an amazing career that has the potential to combine all my love of the outdoors, helping others and incorporating recreation into the lives of people

Kai has been an amazing individual to coach through the Transition to Life course. He has plans for his future and needed to have some tools to meet his goals.  He has the skills, now he needs to put his plans into action.

Well done Kai!!! Congratulations!