Programs & Services by Service Provider

Friendships are key for a healthy development for children and youth. Maintaining and developing
friendships can be especially tricky to navigate for children and youth with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD). This peer group is aimed at teaching and providing participants with opportunities to practice the
skills necessary for developing friendships. Participants will practice getting to know each other, how to
initiate and end conversations, conversation do’s and don’ts and how to host and be a guest at a play
date. Participants will have opportunities to learn these skills while interacting with each other and
participating in group games.

ACT is a type of therapy that aims to help service users accept what is out of their control and commit instead to actions that enrich their lives. ACT develops psychological flexibility and is a form of behavioural therapy that combines mindfulness skills with the practice of self-acceptance, it encourages individuals to embrace their thoughts and feelings rather than fighting or feeling guilty for them. ACT is about taking effective action guided by one’s deepest values whilst being fully present and engaged.

This is a brief targeted consultation and direct support to help address specific behaviours and support the child’s skill development. The service consists of an initial 1-hour consultation with the parent(s) and child to determine the specific problematic behaviours to address. A brief targeted behaviour plan is developed. The child then participates in 6, 1-on-1 sessions with the ABA Consultant. At the end of the 6 sessions, the parent(s) will participate in another 1-hour consultation to review the progress and retool/adjust the initial behaviour plan.

*Depending on the behaviours and presenting problems, a parent may need to be present during the 1-on-1 sessions with the child.

This skills group aims to teach kindergarten and young learners foundational social play skills such as greetings, sharing, turn taking, and sustained play with peers. Participants will have the opportunity to explore a variety of play activities, participate in small group and gross motor activities, and practice cooperative play. Each session will focus on encouraging learners to join in on play activities, make requests from peers and respond to other peers in a modeled and adult facilitated peer-led environment.

This skills group aims to teach kindergarten and young learners foundational social play skills such as greetings, sharing, turn taking, and sustained play with peers. Participants will have the opportunity to explore a variety of play activities, participate in small group and gross motor activities, and practice cooperative play. Each session will focus on encouraging learners to join in on play activities, make requests from peers and respond to other peers in a modeled and adult facilitated peer-led environment.

This brief targeted consultation aims to support parents and schools for children who have an autism diagnosis and have needs at school. The goals are to assist in the child’s frequency and quality of participation at school (e.g., increasing time that child is at school, reduction of problem behaviours, improvement of social skills, etc.). This service consists of a 1-hour consultation with the parents and a 1-hour consultation with the school team, teacher, or education assistant to determine the undesired behaviour to target, followed by a 1-hour observation of the child at school at specific times when the undesired behaviour is likely to occur.

A brief targeted behaviour treatment plan will then be created and reviewed with the teacher/education assistant. Then, the ABA consultant will meet with the teaching staff for 3, 1-hour consultations over the following weeks to review and recalibrate the targeted treatment plan as needed.

* All preparation, planning, and travel time to and from the school is included.

**Please Note - In-School sessions will depend on coordination with and prior approval from the child's school.

**In-person services will be carried out only within Greater Sudbury. Services outside of Greater Sudbury will be carried out virtually.

Critical Core is a role playing game that features cooperation between players to achieve goals within the game. Using a game master who facilitates the play, players determine their characters strengths and abilities and use these to work collaboratively with the other players. With a focus on skills that are critical for building relationships and having meaningful social interactions, Critical Core makes learning enjoyable for players.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: This caregiver group involves participation in a Parent Management Training (Kazdin, 2008) program that aims to enhance parenting skills to manage challenging behaviours in children, such as aggression, hyperactivity, and non-compliance. The training will take place virtually in a group session. Handouts will be emailed to participants prior to each scheduled session.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND. Facing Your Fears (FYF) is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) program for children and youth with ASD who experience significant symptoms of anxiety. This group focuses on helping children and their caregivers in identifying worries, developing coping strategies, and practicing managing anxiety. This group consists of 12 weekly in-person sessions. Caregiver AND child participation in each session is required.

Individualized targeted 6 session consultation to work on a specific goal. These may include: functional skills such as toileting, eating, hygeine; communication goals (i.e., functional communication); identifying alternatives to disruptive behaviour, etc. In person sessions may include direct work with children and adolescents.

This group is based on the Circles Intimacy and Relationships (Level 1) curriculum by James Stanfield. The group is intended to help children with autism develop and understand social roles, relationship boundaries, and relationship-specific behaviours (e.g., it’s okay to hug your mother, but it’s not okay to hug the mail carrier) by using step-by-step dramatizations and visual examples to teach extremely abstract concepts in a very simple and concrete manner. Each session will focus on explaining the relationship between the level of intimacy between people and the way they Touch, Talk to, and Trust each other based on which “circle” of intimacy they are in. Different relationships and roles will be evaluated using 6 qualifiers: how long have you known the person, how often do you see the person, how many common bonds do you have with the person, how well do you know the person, how deep are your feelings for the person, and how safe are you with the person. The participants will get to keep a take home circle chart of their own that they’ve made that will place strangers, community helpers, neighbors, peers, friends, family members and a sweetheart (if appropriate) all with themselves at the heart of their personalized circle. We will be using words like "romantic touch” to describe interpersonal contact in romantic relationships without going into any explicit detail. The term “sweetheart” will be used to refer to a boyfriend or girlfriend. Consent and the right to withdraw consent will also be discussed. This is not intended to be a course on sexual education. The group sessions are being offered by an ABA consultant who will use ABA strategies (such as rewards, behavioural skills training and other interactive strategies) to assist in the learning of this material.

The RUBI Parent Training for Disruptive Behaviours is intended to equip parents with a variety of techniques and tools that can help minimize disruptive behaviours and increase desired behaviours. It provides families with a wealth of information that can assist in their day-to-day planning for their child by including teaching opportunities for play skills, daily living skills as well as opportunities to apply behaviour management skills for encouraging desired behaviours.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND. We are happy to offer drop-in clinics for adolescents and caregivers to access a 50- minute consultation session with Dr. Price. Clients will be able to schedule a time during one of the clinic days, where they are able to discuss any current mental health concerns, learning basic strategies that can be implemented at home and in the community, and to receive recommendations to plan for next steps.

We provide up to 3, one-hour sessions with a Behavior Clinician to directly support parents and caregivers to address a specific need/goal and the tools to support your child/youth’s skill development. Prior to these consultations, one of our skilled Foundational Family Service Clinicians will conduct an initial call to discuss your child’s current needs/skills and gather general information to help individualize these sessions. *Please note that due to the complexity of some specific needs/ goals, the Foundational Family Service Clinicians may determine that a goal is not appropriate for targeted sessions as they may require a more comprehensive assessment to be completed (i.e., accessing a core clinical service).

Targeted Consultation topics could include, but are not limited to:

• Strategies for toilet training (e.g., assessing readiness, developing a toilet training plan)
• Early learner communication (e.g., using a choice board)
• Social skills (e.g., sharing with a sibling)
• Transition support (e.g., using a visual schedule)
• Self-advocacy skills (e.g., sharing pronouns, advocating for specialized services in the school system)

BCBAs and caregivers troubleshoot, problem solve and consult about a topic of the caregiver’s choice. May be related to skill building, problem behaviour, incorporating ABA principles into daily living, etc. The clinic day consultations are intended to provide general information and may not be suitable for severe challenging behaviour or other complex issues. Please be prepared with some questions or scenarios to direct the conversation.

Children’s Friendship Training is an in person, evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated children who are interested in learning ways to help them make and keep friends. During each small-group session, children learn a new skill and practice it with other group members. Meanwhile, parents learn how to support their children’s social development, coaching them as they practice their skills in the real world. Your child will learn these skills:

• Making a good first impression
• Conversing with other children
• Finding common interests with other children
• Playing fairly and being gracious when winning or losing
• Resolving conflicts
• Handling rejection, teasing, and bullying
• Joining other children at play
• Being a good host on a playdate
• Showing respect to other children and adults

The More Than Words Program is a parent/caregiver training program for early communicators that provides you with the tools, strategies and support you need to help you child reach their full communication potential. Offered within a group setting, and consisting of a mixture of group (parents only) and individual consultations (parent and child), the program empowers parents and caregivers to help their child reach the following three goals:
1. Improved social communication and back-and-forth interactions
2. Improved play skills
3. Improved imitation skills

As a parent and/or caregiver, here are some of the valuable things that are learned when attending the More Than Words Program:
• What motivates your child to communicate
• How to use your knowledge about your child to set appropriate and realistic goals
• How to make interactions with your child last longer
• Tips for using pictures and print to help your child’s understanding
• Strategies for how to talk so that your child understands you
• Strategies for developing your child’s play skills
• Ways to help your child make friends

Children’s Friendship Training is a 10-week, in person, evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated children who are interested in learning ways to help them make and keep friends.
During each small-group session, children learn a new skill and practice it with other group members. Children are given weekly assignments to help them apply the new skills in their daily lives. Meanwhile, parents learn how to support their children’s social development, coaching them as they practice their skills in the real world.
Your child will learn these skills:
• Making a good first impression
• Conversing with other children
• Finding common interests with other children
• Playing fairly and being gracious when winning or losing
• Resolving conflicts
• Handling rejection, teasing, and bullying
• Joining other children at play
• Being a good host on a playdate
• Showing respect to other children and adults

Hanen’s Talkability program is designed for parents of verbal children between the ages of 3-8, with social communication difficulties, particularly those who find it difficult to:
• Have conversations with others
• Play with children their own age
• Talk about things that interest someone else
• Change a routine without becoming frustrated

This program teaches parents practical ways to help their child learn people skills. By “people skills”, we mean the ability to “tune in” to the thoughts and feelings of others by paying attention to non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, eye gaze, and tone of voice. The ability to consider other points of view and to have empathy for others is essential for successful conversations and for making friends. Children with social communication difficulties require extra help to develop these skills.

When you take the TalkAbility Program, you’ll learn:
• How your child carries on conversation and the next steps to take to help him have back-and-forth conversations
• How to encourage your child to pay attention to the social messages people send non-verbally
• How to talk so your child can tune in to what others are thinking; help them appreciate another person's feelings and point of view
• How to help your child tell stories and play imaginatively
• How to help your child make friends

Interactive art sessions for early learners focusing on imitation, direction-following, fine motor skills, and communication. Art exploration with caregiver support.

Speech and Language Individual Consultations are designed to allow for caregivers the opportunity to discuss 1-2 concerns they have about their child’s speech and language development. Families will meet with a registered Speech-Language Pathologist for a total of four 1:1 consultations, which will last 45 minutes each, and be offered in-person or virtually.

During the first consultation session, parents/caregivers will meet with the Speech-Language Pathologist to discuss concerns they have regarding their child’s communication development. At this time, functional strategies and goals will be shared with the caregivers to ensure that they have the knowledge and confidence required to allow them to help their child become a more effective communicator in everyday life. This service is designed for families of children who are not yet using verbal words to communicate, use a limited number of words, communicate with a communication device (i.e. PECS, Proloquo, SnapCore), struggle to produce speech sounds, communicate using incomplete sentences, or have difficulties with social communication and interaction with peers. No matter what the need is, we can help!

The remaining 3 consultation sessions will involve either only the parent, or both parent and child. The Speech-Language Pathologist will guide the parent in implementation of the strategies and goals discussed during the first consultation session.

Art classes for ages 8-12 years old to enhance creativity, emotional understanding, and social skills. Focuses on imitation, relational framing (i.e., making connections), and group interactions.

This group is a unique opportunity for children who are speaking or non-speaking (and using augmentative communication) to have opportunities to socialize and use their skills in a fun and supportive environment. This will also provide an opportunity for children to see other children using AAC and will build their own confidence using their AAC to effectively communicate with their peers. Movement and sensory activities will be incorporated into each group session.

Advanced art and Acceptance and Commitment Training-focused sessions for ages 12+. Develops self/emotion-regulation, perspective-taking, self-awareness, decision-making, and mindfulness through complex art projects. Participants should have sophisticated language and conversational skills.

A Speech-Language Pathologist will conduct a parent interview and screen your child to determine speech, language and/or social communication skills. Based on parent focus and child’s skill level, SLP will work with child, demonstrate strategies and coach the caregiver in order to facilitate learning and help transition skills to home.