KERRY’S PLACE AUTISM SERVICES IS PLEASED TO BE DELIVERING A CAREGIVER-MEDIATED EARLY YEARS PROGRAM THROUGH THE YORK SIMCOE AUTISM NETWORK (YSAN) AND TORONTO AUTISM SERVICES NETWORK (TASN)
Kerry’s Place Autism Services is excited to work in collaboration in both regions and continue to provide high-quality services to children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.
With this shared vision of support, families in both regions of York Simcoe and Toronto will benefit from a single access point to receive consistent, high-quality, family-centered autism services.
Caregiver-mediated early years (CMEY) programs offered through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) support families with young children ages 12 months to 48 months (4 years). These programs help young children learn new skills and meet individualized goals.
To access CMEY services, families must be invited to participate in a caregiver mediated early years programs. To receive an invitation, children must be registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). To register your child with the OAP click here.
Through the CMEY programs, parents and caregivers learn therapeutic strategies and specific techniques from professionals based on their child’s individual needs. The programs aim to build parents’ and caregivers’ capacity to support their child’s skill development in:
- social interaction
- play
- communication
- emotional development
- adaptive development and self-help skills
The programs are play-based, child-led and developmentally appropriate. Programs are free of charge and available for up to six months per child.
For more information about the OAP and the caregiver-mediated early years programs, you can visit the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services website here.
REGISTRATION
If you have received an invitation from the OAP to participate in the caregiver-mediated early years program and would like to register please contact the York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN) by emailing caregivermediatedservices@kinark.on.ca, or call 1-800-283-3377.
- To learn more about the network and available services visit the YSAN website.
- To learn more about the Toronto Autism Services Network (TASN) and available services please click here.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE CMEY PROGRAM?
Children who have a diagnosis of Autism, have registered with the OAP, and are aged 12 to 48 months (4 years) at the start of intervention. Children must be registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). To register your child with the OAP, click here.
All eligible families will be sent an invitation directly from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Please add OAP@ontario.ca to your safe contact list in your email system to ensure you do not miss any pertinent communication from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.
About TASN
The Toronto, TASN includes seven agencies—Geneva Centre for Autism, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Kerry’s Place Autism Services, Lumenus Community Services, SAAAC Autism Centre, Strides Toronto, and Surrey Place—with decades of experience providing high-quality services to children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. TASN’s supports are coordinated with other clinical services to create a comprehensive, wraparound support team that can make informed decisions to meet each family’s individual needs.
For Toronto, TASN’s will offer three caregiver-mediated early years programs to support families with young children who are 12 months to 48 months at the start of the intervention: Project ImPACT (12-48 months), Social ABCs (12-42 months) and Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) (12-48 months).
About YSAN
The York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN) is a group of organizations providing autism services within York Region and Simcoe County committed to working together to provide accessible, high-quality services that result in improved outcomes for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. To learn more about YSAN, visit their website here.
PLAY Project
The PLAY project is an evidence-based, playful, practical, parent-implemented program that supports the development of social interaction, communication, play and preschool skills in children on the autism spectrum. It is developmentally appropriate and fun, with strategies that you can use in your daily activities with your child.
The PLAY project is designed for children:
- at all levels of need;
- is appropriate for children aged 12 months to 48 months;
- who communicate at a variety of levels, from no words up to and including sentences.
Pivotal Response Treatment
Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is an evidence-based treatment for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)aged 12 months to 48 months that uses your child’s interests to build their motivation, language, as well as social and play skills. Over 12 weeks of individualized coaching, caregivers will use the skills they have learned throughout all parts of their day to improve how they interact with their child.
Benefits of PRT include:
- Greater parent engagement with their child
- Improved understanding of what motivates your child to learn
- Reduction in challenging behaviours
- Increased play skills
- Improved communication skills
- Greater interest in social interactions
- Strategies for using reinforcement to build your child’s skills
Caregivers will participate in an introductory session followed by weekly one-to-one coaching sessions with a PRT clinician. Sessions may be held at a community treatment centre, the program office, the family home, or virtually. At the conclusion of PRT, caregivers will be provided with a summary of their child’s progress and recommendations for next steps.
Social ABCs
The Social ABCs is an evidence-based, parent-led, early intervention program designed for toddlers between the ages of 12 months and 42 months, who are displaying social and/or communication challenges which may be signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The two main targets of Social ABC’s are:
- Fostering vocal social communication that is intentional, directed, & functional
- Encouraging positive emotion sharing between toddler and caregiver
The Social ABCs is parent-led and will provide families with a set of strategies to help their child communicate and interact socially. Parents are coached to learn the strategies through a parent friendly manual and one-on-one coaching sessions. In between sessions, parents are expected to implement the strategies throughout their daily activities with their child.
Social ABCs can be delivered virtually or in person, at a YSAN partners office or in a family’s home. Coaches from our network have a strong foundation in Early Childhood Development, Autism Spectrum Disorders (pre and post diagnosis) and extensive experience supporting families and children with a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of ASD.
