Programs & Services (New – in development)

The Communication Clubhouse is a welcoming group intervention program where children ages 5–8 learn alongside peers through play-based experiences. Activities are thoughtfully planned to foster communication, cooperation, imaginative play, and friendship while respecting each child's individual communication style and sensory needs. The small groups allow children to build skills in a fun, encouraging environment guided by a Speech-Language Pathologist. Parents and caregivers have an opportunity to connect with the Speech-Language Pathologist to discuss progress and home carry-over ideas for building communication and interaction skills.

Play.Connect.Grow. is a small-group program designed for children ages 3–8 with autism spectrum disorder. Through engaging play experiences, sensory-friendly activities, and shared routines, children are supported in developing communication, social interaction, self-advocacy, and flexible play skills. Guided by a Speech-Language Pathologist, the program creates meaningful opportunities for children to connect with peers while building confidence and authentic communication in a supportive, strengths-based environment.

Play.Connect.Grow. is a small-group program designed for children ages 3–8 with autism spectrum disorder. Through engaging play experiences, sensory-friendly activities, and shared routines, children are supported in developing communication, social interaction, self-advocacy, and flexible play skills. Guided by a Speech-Language Pathologist, the program creates meaningful opportunities for children to connect with peers while building confidence and authentic communication in a supportive, strengths-based environment.

Play.Connect.Grow. is a small-group program designed for children ages 3–8 with autism spectrum disorder. Through engaging play experiences, sensory-friendly activities, and shared routines, children are supported in developing communication, social interaction, self-advocacy, and flexible play skills. Guided by a Speech-Language Pathologist, the program creates meaningful opportunities for children to connect with peers while building confidence and authentic communication in a supportive, strengths-based environment.

More Than Words is a supportive program that helps parents and caregivers learn practical ways to build their child’s communication, play, and imitation skills. Through group sessions and individual visits, families discover what motivates their child, how to keep interactions going, and how to use everyday moments to encourage meaningful communication and connection.

Each family will receive a total of 9 group workshop sessions (2.5 hours each) on Monday evenings (parents only), and 4 individual consultations, which include parent and child. The program rotates between a few workshop sessions and an individual consultations.

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.

Using strategies grounded in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) this workshop is designed to support caregivers in teaching toileting skills to their child. The program begins with a group information session where caregivers learn the foundational steps involved in toilet training, including building readiness skills, establishing consistent routines, using visual supports, and applying reinforcement strategies to support success. Caregivers will receive a pre-readiness skills checklist to help determine whether their child is ready to begin active toilet training or whether early steps such as pairing the bathroom environment and increasing sitting tolerance should be prioritized. Caregivers will implement strategies at home and participate in a series of individual consultation sessions with the facilitator to review their child’s progress, problem-solve challenges, and receive individualized guidance.

Using strategies grounded in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), the workshop focuses on helping caregivers gradually expand their child’s acceptance of new foods while reducing stress and challenging behaviours during mealtimes. Topics include creating positive mealtime routines, introducing new foods gradually, reducing mealtime pressure, and using reinforcement to support progress. Caregivers will practice strategies at home between sessions and collect simple information about their child’s responses to new foods in order to guide coaching and adjustments to the plan.

MNDFL Collective is excited to collaborate with Kim Boyuk, a local certified yoga instructor, to offer this supportive and restorative monthly event that is specifically designed for caregivers, offering a safe space to unwind, recharge, and cultivate mindfulness. Parenting a child with autism comes with its own unique challenges and these events aim to provide caregivers with the opportunity to take a break from life stressors and engage in gentle, restorative yoga that is designed for all bodies and capabilities to prioritize their own health and well-being. While caregivers take a moment for themselves, they are invited to bring their child with autism to work with our clinician, Gabriela Ron, on improving emotional awareness and building a coping skills toolkit.

This workshop provides caregivers with an overview of how mental health and autism can intersect. The session will cover how to recognize possible signs of mental health concerns, ways to talk with youth about emotional well-being, and practical strategies caregivers can use to support their child. Information about treatment approaches and available services will also be discussed, along with opportunities for questions.

As the summer comes to a close, many caregivers are looking for ways to ensure their children are fully prepared for the upcoming academic year. This interactive workshop titled “Ramping up for the new school year” is designed for caregivers with a child with autism who want to support their children with school-related transitions with confidence and success. Workshop highlights include creating a conducive learning/study environment at home, monitoring academic progress, managing school stress, understanding common challenges children face as they return to school, effective communication with educators, advocating for your child's needs, etc.

In this virtual group, caregivers who have a child with autism will learn about the functions of behaviour to better understand the reasons why their child might be exhibiting difficult behaviours, along with various evidence-based strategies and instruction on how to apply them in the home environment. NEW THIS ROUND: we have added components of our popular “Supporting Resiliency in Children” group, including developing skills and strategies to foster resilience in children using cognitive-behavioral techniques. The goal of this group is to enhance parenting skills to reduce the impact of behaviours on daily living and family relationships.

Caregiving can be deeply meaningful, but also overwhelming, especially when your own well-being takes a back seat. These virtual support drop-in sessions are designed to give caregivers a dedicated and encouraging space to recharge, connect, and learn practical tools for mental wellness. Through the lens of self-care, positive psychology, and strengths-based strategies, participants will explore ways to boost resilience, manage stress and avoid burnout, increase positive emotions, and cultivate a balanced, fulfilling parenting experience.

Facing Your Fears is a family-focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) group therapy program to support autistic children with managing anxiety in everyday life. Please note that this group actively involves BOTH children and a caregiver in each session.

This service is not intended for children who have significant learning problems and who are unable to read at a Grade 2 level. It is also not intended for children who exhibit significant disruptive behaviours that could affect the group sessions, as individual service may be recommended. A brief intake will be conducted over the phone to ensure that the group is a good fit for each child.

A caregiver must attend and participate in each session. The caregiver should remain consistent for each session. Homework completion is required between sessions. A minimum of 4 child/caregiver dyads is required to run this group.

Are you a caregiver looking for the opportunity to consult about specific behavioural skills, learn parenting strategies, better understand your child’s strengths and needs, learn about accessing available supports in our region, and develop next steps to support your child? We are proud to offer these one-on-one, virtual or in-person consultations with our experienced clinical associate, Michelle Bascom.

As a family with a child with autism, have you ever needed psychological support, diagnostic impression, or clinical recommendations/next steps, but didn’t know where to turn? We are proud to offer a unique service where you can book a one-off consultation mental health service where you can book a 50-minute session with Dr. Stephanie Price, clinical and school psychologist, without having to wait months or years on a waitlist. This service is intended for caregivers of children with autism and/or autistic youth who are capable of providing informed consent to participate in this service on their own.

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.