Our clinical team includes experienced Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behaviour Analysts in good standing with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. This service is OAP approved for Core Clinical Service. Our team of experts will work with you and your family in developing individualized services and supports to meet the needs of your child/youth with ASD.
Family-centred care is the fundamental basis of service delivery within Strides Toronto’s Autism Services. This approach values parents and caregivers as experts on their child and as key decision makers in their child’s interventions. It also recognizes their lifelong commitment to their child’s learning and wellness.
This service is for children and or youth who require individualized support across a few learning domains and teaches essential skills based on your child’s individual needs. It involves one-to-one sessions with a behavior therapist and may include small group instruction if appropriate. Areas of focus are identified in collaboration with caregivers and may include communication, social/play skills, learning readiness, daily living skills, self regulating, and management of challenging behaviour. Goals and session durations are personalized for your family’s needs.
For more information about the 1 to 1 ABA service, please contact 416-438-3697 ext. 19055 or email autism@stridestoronto.ca.
Foundational Family Services is a part of the new needs-based Ontario Autism Program (OAP) designed to provide families and caregivers a range of evidence-based services to support their child and youth’s learning and development. Foundational Family Services will be individualized and responsive to families’ changing needs over time.
All families registered in the OAP are eligible to receive these services and supports at no cost. Strides Toronto is pleased to be offering Foundational Family Services in a variety of formats including virtual, and in-person services. You can choose to access these services at any point based on your family’s needs. There are no limits to the number of times you can register for these services.
We offer a wide range of Foundational Family Services. Coaching is integrated into our various services to support parents and caregivers to implement the recommended strategies and transfer skills.
These services and supports may include:
Workshops and Coaching Sessions
We offer a variety of virtual education opportunities on a wide range of topics. Workshops will be delivered online either through video links or through our Zoom Healthcare video conferencing platform.
Brief Targeted Consultation
This brief service includes parent/caregiver coaching and strategies using Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) principles to address your child/youth’s individual strengths, needs, and goals. Consultations will be offered by phone or by video through our secure Zoom Healthcare platform to help address a specific goal.
Transition Supports
We provide supports and services to promote a smooth transition into the school system and the broader community.
Family Resource and Clinic Days
We have an established parent education curriculum, including training packages to support social communication and behaviour management. Strides Toronto encourages active parent and caregiver engagement and participation to better support your child/youth’s needs.
For more information about Strides Toronto’s Foundational Family Services, please contact 416-438-3697 ext. 19055 or email autism@stridestoronto.ca.
Group-based ABA Services are OAP approved for Core Clinical Service and focus on skill-building in the areas of communication, social skills, self-help skills or emotional regulation/group readiness skills. Individualized goals are selected based on assessment results and in collaboration with family goals.
Our clinical team includes experienced Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). Our team of experts will work with you and your family in developing individualized services and supports to meet the needs of your child/youth with ASD.
Family-centred care is the fundamental basis of service delivery within Strides Toronto’s Autism Services. This approach values parents and caregivers as experts on their child and as key decision makers in their child’s interventions. It also recognizes their lifelong commitment to their child’s learning and wellness.
We offer a variety of in-person and virtual services (VS) and Core Clinical resources to support families. Our VS are offered by phone or by video through our secure Zoom Healthcare platform.
Behaviour Consultations
Individualized consultation services are for families looking for support on a specific goal. Behaviour Consultations includes coaching and strategies using Applied Behaviour Analysis principles (ABA) to address your child individual strengths, needs, and goals. Behaviour consultations will include clinical assessments to obtain information, and individualized Behaviour Intervention Plan, and parent training. Topics may include behaviour reduction, toileting, sleep, community outings, or a specific goal of your choice. Coaching is available to support parents and caregivers in implementing recommended strategies to help with long-term outcomes and to help transfer skills. Parents attend all Consultation Services sessions. Consultations are offered by phone or by video through our secure Zoom Healthcare platform. Depending on the goal and your family’s needs, consults are offered in 6 and 12-week durations.
For more information about Behaviour Consultations services, please contact 416-438-3697 ext. 19055 or email autism@stridestoronto.ca.
Caregiver-Mediator Early Years Program supports families with children 12 months to 48 months (4 years). The programs help young children learn new skills and meet individualized goals. Programs are offered at no cost and available for up to six months per child for families registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). Through these programs, caregivers learn therapeutic strategies and techniques from professionals based on their child’s individual needs. The programs are play-based, child-led and developmentally appropriate.
Eligibility Details
- Children and youth ages 12 to 48 months who are registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
- Receive invitations to register for Caregiver-Mediated Early Years Services from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
- If your child is receiving core clinical services or has an active behaviour plan, you’re not eligible to receive caregiver-mediated early years programs.
Upcoming Programs
| Project ImPACT | September 2024 Program | |
| About | Project ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers) is a program that will help you and your child (1 – 4 years) increase social communication, imitation and play skills. The Project ImPACT program consists of two parts: • Caregiver workshop (virtual) • One-on-one coaching session (virtual/in person). Together, you and your coach will develop priority goals and activities to support your child’s learning throughout the day. | |
| Duration | 2 sessions per week for 6 weeks — one (1) caregiver workshop and one (1) one-on-one coaching session each week. The program starts on the week of September 23, and ends on the week of October 28, 2024. | |
| Date & Time | Caregiver workshop • Sep 24 – Oct 29, 2024 • Tuesdays, 10 AM – 12 PM • Virtual One-on-one coaching session Coaching sessions will be scheduled with families individually. • Sept 25 – Oct 31, 2024 • Time slots: Wednesdays, 9 AM – 12 PM & Thursdays, 3 PM – 4 PM • In-person and virtual | |
| Capacity | 8 | |
| Registration | Click HERE (Scroll to the bottom of the page, find the ‘BOOK EVENT’ section, and click ‘Next’ to begin your registration) |
| Project ImPACT | November 2024 Program | |
| About | Project ImPACT (Improving Parents as Communication Teachers) is a program that will help you and your child (1 – 4 years) increase social communication, imitation and play skills. The Project ImPACT program consists of two parts: • Caregiver workshop (virtual) • One-on-one coaching session (virtual/in person). Together, you and your coach will develop priority goals and activities to support your child’s learning throughout the day. | |
| Duration | 2 sessions per week for 6 weeks — one (1) caregiver workshop and one (1) one-on-one coaching session each week. | |
| Date & Time | Caregiver workshop • Nov 1 – Dec 6, 2024 • Fridays, 10 AM – 12 PM • Virtual One-on-one coaching session Coaching sessions will be scheduled with families individually. • Nov 5 – Dec 10, 2024 • Time slots: Tuesdays, 9 AM – 12 PM & Thursdays, 3 PM – 4 PM • In-person and virtual | |
| Capacity | 8 | |
| Registration | Open Soon! |
The entry to school program includes two main parts. The first part is a six-month, group-based, skill-building program, focused on helping children develop school-readiness skills in six areas:
- Communication – conversation, expressing wants and needs, understanding words and language, social communication, and non-verbal communication
- Play – toy exploration, and engaging in group play/games
- Social interaction – understanding of social boundaries, interactions with peers, and learning new behaviours by observing/imitating peers
- Functional routines – following classroom routines, and self-help skills such as dressing and toilet training
- Behavioural self-management – emotional regulation and being able to wait their turn
- Pre-academics, learning and attention – developing new learning skills, working within a group setting, and independent work
The group-based program is multi-disciplinary and supported by staff with expertise in:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Applied behaviour analysis
- Speech-language pathology
- Occupational therapy
- Early childhood development
After completing the group-based part of the program, children will start the second part of the program, which provides them with individual transition supports as they enter school. Families and educators will also be able to access consultation services from entry to school program staff, as needed, during a child’s first six months in school.
Call our intake line at 416-438-3697 ext. 19055 for more information.
Eligibility Details
To participate in the Entry to School program, your child must be:
- registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
- between three to six years old as of December 31 in the year they are starting school
- starting kindergarten or Grade 1 for the first time
Rapid and personalized care to support children with autism to keep themselves from harm as well as their loved ones.
Children with autism are particularly vulnerable to harm, including inappropriate behaviours, negative thoughts, and physical aggression. Safety is a critical issue among their families and caregivers. Our new Urgent Response Service provides timely services to address a specific need, designed to prevent risk escalation to self, others, and/or property. Children and their families can receive up to 12 weeks of personalized services and support, which may include:
- Short-term consultation with a child’s intervention team, caregivers and educators
- Respite services
- Direct support to the family and professionals involved to implement behaviour therapy with the child using a mediator model approach.
Each child and family will have an Urgent Response Service Coordinator working with them to develop and oversee the service plan. The coordinator will also provide service navigation to other services within or outside the Ontario Autism Program.
If you have additional questions, contact Surrey Place at 1-833-575-KIDS (5437) or childrens.registration@surreyplace.ca
Referral Details
All referrals are welcome. Families can self-refer or can be referred by a clinician, care coordinator or other relevant professionals. Upon referral, you will be screened to determine if you are eligible.
Eligibility Details
- Ages: 0 to 18 years
- Must have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP).
- Showing one of the following high-risk behaviours that have escalated in intensity over the last 14 days:
- Suicidal ideation or behaviour
- Violent thinking
- Fire starting
- Harm to animals
- Risk of exploitation
- Self-injurious behaviour
- Aggression
- Inappropriate sexual behaviour
- Flight risk
- Property destruction