Programs & Services by Service Provider

Faces and Emotions will teach children to understand the meaning behind the different facial expressions that they see in others, and those made by themselves. This skill will support the learners to improve their ability to connect and interact with people in a meaningful way.

Family Craft Event is an opportunity for families with children under 19 years of age with ASD to spend a few hours of their day socializing and having fun with other autism families while creating and exploring. Sensory crafts and activities will be available to families. Light snacks and refreshments provided.

This Family PD Day Event is an opportunity for families with school aged children with ASD to spend a few hours of their PD Day socializing, having fun, and meeting with other autism families while creating and exploring activities. Light snacks and refreshments provided.

Caregivers will work together with the Occupational Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist and BCBA, to choose a goal. They will then have 9 sessions of 1:1 coaching and/or consultations with any of the professionals, based on what the needs and goal is.

Following a brief screening by the team, you will discuss strategies related to skill acquisition or a behaviour of concern that the family may find challenging. Caregivers will leave the initial consult with specific, measurable goals. The professionals will develop strategies and will then help coach the family or work with the child directly for the remaining sessions.

This is a parent/caregiver mediated program offered to families who would like to work on a specific goal. The 12-week program includes 6 or more face-to-face or virtual meetings throughout the 12-week service. A meeting will occur for the following: discussion around suitability of the goal, observation, assessment, strategy development, parent/caregiver direct support/coaching, and generalization and maintenance.

Focused ABA targets one or two behavioural goals at a time. You will virtually meet with our BCBA to help develop programming based on identified goals (joint attention, transitions, communication, selfhelp skills, play skills, etc.). ABA therapists will work 1:1 with your child to help achieve goals. Parents will have the opportunity for BCBA coaching to help generalize learning to the home environment.

Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is not therapy, but rather a venue for sibs to have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts, play some great games, learn something about the services/diagnosis of their brothers or sisters, and have some more fun. This all-day session includes snacks and lunch.

Curious and creative? Join us for a STEM-themed social skills group focusing on:
- Teamwork
- Compromise
- Flexible thinking
- Confidence
- Creativity

Join us for an art-based social skills group. While unleashing your creative side, we will focus on
increasing conversation skills such as:
- Joining conversations
- Taking turns
- Staying on topic
- When others are bored
- Using a cover story to exit conversations

Increase independence moving around Thunder Bay. Specific targets will be selected based on participant experience. Program targets could include:
- Navigating sidewalks & intersections
- Planning your route
- Reaching destinations within the city using transit
- Social rules & etiquette for using transit and traveling with members of the public

Join us for an art-based social skills group. While unleashing your creative side, we will focus on increasing conversation skills such as:
- Joining conversations
- Taking turns
- Staying on topic
- When others are bored
- Using a cover story to exit conversations

Calling all 5 & 6 year olds! Practice and boost social skills through Game On!. Relevant social skills will be covered to enhance the social skill toolbox involving playing games with others, focusing on the individual needs of each participant. We will also focus on joining play with peers, following the rules of the game, and being a good sport.

Calling all 7 & 8 year olds! Practice and boost social skills through Game On!. Relevant social skills will be covered to enhance the social skill toolbox involving playing games with others, focusing on the individual needs of each participant. We will also focus on learning to play (the game, if required), following the game rules and appropriately handling situations that occur while playing games.

Practice and boost social skills through Game On!. Relevant social skills will be covered to enhance the social skill toolbox involving playing games with others, focusing on the individual needs of each participant. We will also focus on learning to play (the game, if required), following the game rules and appropriately handling situations that occur while playing games.

Practice and boost social skills through Game On!. Relevant social skills will be covered to enhance the social skill toolbox involving playing games with others, focusing on the individual needs of each participant. We will also focus on learning to play (the game, if required), following the game rules and appropriately handling situations that occur while playing games.

Learn gentle, value-based sleep solutions without "cry-it-out." Our course includes personalized assessments and tailored strategies to improve your child's sleep. Appropriate for caregivers of children 0-18 years old.

Personalized Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr) sessions tailored to your goals. Initial assessment identifies key behavior changes—like improving treatment adherence or enhancing selfcare behaviours to mitigate caregiver burnout. Includes daily email support for one week and a follow-up session to refine strategies and confirm progress.

Learn Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACTr) strategies to prioritize your well-being and enact meaningful behavior changes based on your values. Ideal for caregivers seeking to manage stress and enhance life balance. Tailored support to reduce burnout through practical, value-driven adjustments.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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