Justin’s Surrey Place Volunteer Story

How hands-on experience and meaningful connections shaped Justin’s understanding of neurodiversity.

For Justin Cross, some of the most meaningful lessons in psychology have happened outside the classroom. While studying human behaviour at McMaster University and exploring his interest in clinical psychology, Justin began volunteering at Surrey Place in 2022.

His first role was as a vaccine coordinator during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping families access a vaccination experience that was responsive to their children’s individual needs.

Since then, Justin’s volunteer experience at Surrey Place has grown alongside his education and developing career. Most recently, he supported the Building Confidence Group, working alongside children and youth with autism spectrum disorder as they developed confidence, social connections and other protective factors that support mental well-being.

Through these experiences, Justin has gained hands-on skills and professional experience, while developing a deeper understanding of neurodiversity, the importance of individual perspectives and the value of meaningful connections.

Table of Contents

•  Learning Through Experience
• Building Confidence Through Connection  
• Seeing Beyond the Diagnosis      
• Bringing Perspectives into Research    
• Carrying the Lessons Forward       
• Take the Chance

Learning Through Experience

Justin first came to Surrey Place after learning about the organization’s COVID-19 vaccine program. At the time, Surrey Place was supporting children and families who might have found it difficult to access vaccination through a typical doctor’s office or public-facing clinic.

As a vaccine coordinator, Justin connected with families, learned about their children’s individual needs and documented accommodations to help the team create a more supportive vaccination experience. The role gave Justin an opportunity to learn more about an area of psychology he was already interested in and encouraged him to continue exploring volunteer opportunities at Surrey Place.

His next opportunity was with the Building Confidence Group, where children and youth come together in a supportive group setting to build confidence, social skills and protective factors that can support their mental well-being. When Justin first joined the group, much of his role involved observing and learning from the clinical team. Over time, he became more involved, eventually leading activities and groups and developing activities informed by cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness approaches. For Justin, the experience was an opportunity to learn by doing and gradually take on more responsibility within a clinical setting.

Building Confidence Through Connection

While Justin gained valuable experience through his volunteer roles, the relationships he developed with the children and families became one of the most meaningful parts of his time at Surrey Place. “I've developed one-on-one connections with these kids,” he says. “You learn their mannerisms, personalities and the way that they tell jokes. Really, the relationships have developed with the kids and the families. That’s probably my favourite part.”

One experience in particular stands out.

When one young participant first joined the Building Confidence Group, Justin remembers her as having low confidence and often keeping to herself. Over time, he watched her become more comfortable, engaged and confident within the group. After returning from a school year away, Justin learned that she had written her own song, Bunny on Your Head, and uploaded it to YouTube.

Justin had an idea: why not turn her song into a dance video?

At the time, Justin was also a member of the McMaster University rugby team. He brought the idea to his teammates and began working with the children in the group to develop the dance. Over several months, the children shared dance moves they wanted to include, while Justin taught the choreography to his rugby teammates.

Together, they created a music video featuring the children’s ideas and favourite dances alongside members of the McMaster rugby team. When Justin showed the finished video to the group, the response was unforgettable. “Everyone was excited,” he says. “I think seeing the reaction once we showed it to the class was a very touching moment.”

For Justin, the experience reflected what he had come to appreciate throughout his time with the group, which was the importance of creating opportunities for children and youth to express themselves, connect with others and share what makes them unique.

Seeing Beyond the Diagnosis

Justin’s time at Surrey Place has also changed the way he thinks about neurodiversity. His academic studies have given him a foundation in psychology, but working directly with children and youth offered a different kind of learning. “You can read all you want about it. You could even watch videos online to get a perspective. But when you see it in person, and you interact with the clients, you learn how much it can vary from person to person.”

That firsthand experience helped Justin understand that there is no single way that autism or other neurodevelopmental differences look or are experienced. It also challenged him to think beyond diagnoses and labels. “I wish people didn't put people in a box,” says Justin. “These youth, they want to make connections. They want to make friends. They want to laugh. They want to make jokes. They want to do everything that any child would want to do. They just have autism. It’s just a part of their life.”

For Justin, the children and families he worked with also offered an important lesson in finding joy and positivity. Some children might arrive having had a difficult day, while others are ready to make jokes and bring laughter to the group. Justin says he learned to look for the positives and find ways to make someone’s day a little better.

Bringing Perspectives into Research

Justin’s interest in psychology extends beyond his volunteer work. He has also been involved in research at The Hospital for Sick Children as part of the Precision Child Health initiative, including research exploring how artificial intelligence could potentially be used to identify mental health conditions through electronic health records.

For Justin, his research and hands-on experiences complement one another. Working directly with autistic youth has helped him think about potential research questions and areas that may warrant further exploration. It has also reinforced the importance of including the perspectives of young people and families in that process.

“You can get firsthand perspectives from the youth,” he says. “Maybe they have an idea that could become something real in the research field.” Justin sees value in bringing together research, clinical experience and, most importantly, the lived experiences of children and families. “As a researcher, you can really dive into the research and be really up to date with the most effective treatment methods and what everyone is looking into specifically,” he explains. “And as a healthcare professional, you can apply that directly to your patients and then vice versa.”

For Justin, the two areas can inform one another, helping researchers and clinicians continue to ask meaningful questions and explore ways to better support children and youth.

Carrying the Lessons Forward

This fall, Justin is beginning his doctoral studies in clinical psychology. He hopes to work with children and youth and continue exploring autism and mental health through both clinical practice and research. His path to psychology has included many experiences, from his studies at McMaster to his research work and volunteer experience at Surrey Place. Each has offered opportunities to learn and explore the areas of psychology he is most passionate about.

His time at Surrey Place gave him one of his first opportunities for sustained, hands-on experience working with autistic youth. “It really helped me figure out I want to work with children in my career, children, youth, adolescents, as well as their families,” he says.

As he prepares for this next chapter, Justin says one lesson from Surrey Place will remain especially important: listening to the people at the centre of the work. “It's always important to hear the families and hear the children, hear what they have to say so that we can make patient-informed healthcare decisions, because ultimately it affects them or affects their life.”

That is also the kind of psychologist Justin hopes to become. “I hope to become a good psychologist. One that makes science-informed decisions and always listens to what the patients have to say.”

Justin credits Dr. LeighAnn Wayland, who mentored him during his time with the Building Confidence Group, as an important part of his experience at Surrey Place. “This group was something I really looked forward to every week,” he says. “It was always the highlight of my week on Monday, seeing all the kids.”

For Justin, volunteering was an opportunity to learn, build relationships and gain experience while continuing to explore his interests in psychology. “It grew me as a person. It grew my network, it grew my professionalism, and I learned so much from it.”

Through Dr. Wayland’s mentorship, Justin gained insight into the work of a psychologist while continuing to develop his skills and knowledge. “She really helped me to learn more and helped me get into the field.” As Justin begins his doctoral studies, he carries those lessons and the relationships he built along the way into his next chapter.

Take the Chance

Looking back on his time at Surrey Place, Justin says volunteering has helped him grow both personally and professionally. He also encourages anyone considering volunteering to take the opportunity, even if they aren't sure exactly where it will lead.

“I had no idea if I would like working with children, if I would like working with autistic youth,” he says. “But since I took the chance, I took the risk, it really opened me up to working with youth with autism. I actually do love this. This is awesome.”

For Justin, volunteering was an opportunity to learn, build relationships and gain experience while continuing to explore his interests in psychology. “It grew me as a person. It grew my network, it grew my professionalism, and I learned so much from it.”

His advice is simple: “Just do it. Go for it.”

Interested in volunteering with Surrey Place? Learn more about opportunities to get involved and make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families.