Children’s Autism Services uses a family-centered approach based on the research-based SCERTS™ model that emphasizes the core challenges and unique learning styles of Autistic children:
- (SC) Social Communication: the development and use of functional, spontaneous communication
- (ER) Emotional Regulation: the ability to maintain a well regulated state
- (TS) Transactional Support: the implementation of supports and strategies in response to the child’s needs and interests
The SCERTS™ model engages and relies on parents who are the primary agents of change and who are able to have the most meaningful and long-term impact.
Specialized Services & Developmental Support Services
Families accessing Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) may have a funding contract to access the following services.
Specialized Services and Developmental Support Services program plans are developed with the family and the service navigation team to provide the professional supports to meet each child at their current age and stage.
Professional supports could include:
- Speech language pathologist
- Occupational therapist
- Behaviour consultant
- Dietician
- Primary consultant
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologist (including counselling services)
Specialized Services provides support to families to learn how to incorporate strategies into their every day routines through regular home visits with members of our consultant team. The consultant team will help the family to break down their goals to form action plans, while providing the family with supports and resources to facilitate the development of the child’s functional skills. The Specialized Services program aims to enhance the family’s feelings of competence and confidence in addressing challenges at home and in the community.
Developmental Support provide a specific goal oriented service to assist families in learning and developing their skills and strategies that support their child’s development in relation to their assessed needs. We provide clinical expertise around all domains of child functioning. Developmental Support services target a specific area of development for a condensed period of time.
Education Services
The Early Education Program provides an emotional regulation approach that focuses on the development of communication skills, functional play skills, fine and gross motor skills, classroom routines and introduces many preschool and kindergarten concepts.
Early Education programming is provided to children between 2.8 and 6 years of age, who have been diagnosed with a severe disability (including severe communication delays or behavioural challenges). A diagnosis of autism is not required to access services.
Programming is available at our site-based locations, or in a community program (e.g. local daycare, preschool, or kindergarten). Programming is 5 half-days per week and runs from September to June.
The Early Education Program offers:
- Small class sizes, with half day programming Monday through Friday each week.
- Play-based instruction and student learning.
- Individualized instruction guided by an Individual Program Plan (IPP) so that children can learn in the way that is most effective and meaningful to them.
- Programming provided by certified teachers, early childhood educators, and trained educational assistants.
- Learning strategies that are supported by speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, behaviour consultants, and psychologists.
- The SCERTS™ Framework – a developmental approach to learning that accounts for individual differences in each student.
- Ongoing educational opportunities for families and staff members.
Children’s Autism Services Accredited Funded School Program is designed to support students with significant emotional regulation needs, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through a strong foundation of emotional regulation, using the SCERTS™ model, programming will be provided to support students to have better access to learning experiences and developmental growth. An emotional regulation foundation is the key to learner growth and success. There is no education without regulation. All the spaces within the physical school building, along with the training and experiences staff bring to the program, create a unique and responsive learning environment for all students. The school program has high expectations for students, with appropriate levels of support provided.
Classrooms will have up to 8 students lead by a certificated classroom teacher, 2-3 educational assistants and a team of multidisciplinary consultants including speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, behaviour consultants and psychologists.
The school program is a demonstration site to support ongoing community capacity building through partnerships.
For the 2024-2025 school year, enrolment will be open for students who are in their grade 1 and grade 2 year.
Respite and Recreational Services
We believe respite care is an essential part of the overall support families may need and provides respite services within the home and community. The respite worker will provide care and supervision according to individual child’s needs while working in a child-focused, family-centered environment.
The respite program is designed to provide support and relief to parents by matching highly trained staff with children receiving services. Staff will provide support in activities of daily living such as feeding, toileting and dressing, as well as providing learning opportunities and behavioural support.
Group Respite programming is available to provide highly trained staff working with small groups of children to engage in group activities, peer interactions and collaborative play.
With Individual Respite programming, children can receive a one-to-one respite worker in the comfort of their own home or in community settings. Staff are trained to provide support in daily living skills, supervision of safety as well as providing opportunities for learning and behavioural support in the home environment. Staff can support your child through routines in the home as needed during the scheduled respite session.
Community Aide is designed to provide support for children in community programs such as swimming lessons, gymnastics, day camps, etc. Community Aides provide appropriate levels of support as well as help to facilitate the child’s inclusion into group activities and routines. The Community Aides are highly trained and provide support in activities of daily living such as feeding, toileting and dressing as appropriate. The Community Aides will also provide learning opportunities and behavioural support as necessary in the context of the community program.
Respite and Community Aide are available:
- On a casual basis: parents can request different dates each month as needed.
- On a regular basis: parents can request for a regular worker to provide support at the same time and day each week.
EPIC is a program at Children’s Autism Services designed to provide both segregated and inclusive opportunities for children and youth to engage in physical activity and recreation. EPIC is inclusive of a variety of activities designed to meet the child where they’re at in terms of ability to engage, thus providing children and youth diagnosed with autism with increased opportunity to participate in physical activity and peer interaction according to their abilities and preferences. Rules, structure, noise, social demands, physical requirements, interest and other factors can impact on a child’s ability to participate.
To get involved as a community partner with EPIC, or for more information please contact Children’s Autism Services at info@childrensautism.ca or call 780-495-9235.
Summer Camps are offered throughout July and August in a variety of community and site-based settings.
For more information please visit our Eventbrite page. Registration for the 2024 summer will open April 1, 2024.
Diagnostic Services
We have a team of professionals available to address the diagnostic question of autism. Areas of assessment may include cognition, language, social communication, adaptive function, and developmental history. Our team will assess for any developmental diagnosis, including autism. An accurate diagnosis is important as it will guide interventions and program planning for the future.
Following the assessment, we’ll discuss next steps with parents, make referrals as required, and help ensure families are connected to the resources they require. Referrals are accepted from: parents/guardians, school personnel, and/or community providers such as physicians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, early interventionists, family liaison workers, mental health providers and case workers.