Registration is open for ABA Summer Camps for autism 2024 – book now!

Forward Focused

Annual Report 2022/23

Message from our CEO and Board President

To our community:

2022 marked the 60th anniversary of Surrey Place – a significant milestone that few organizations achieve and one that we are so proud to reach. These years have been full of change, growth, innovation and collaboration. To mark this special the occasion, our staff and clients shared memories and discussed Surrey Place’s impact on their lives in this special video.

Throughout this past fiscal year, our focus has been on building a future for – and with – our clients, families and communities. We seized new opportunities and identified improved ways to provide our clients and families with the highest quality of care at every stage of their lifelong journey. Notably, Surrey Place was selected by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) to lead the SmartStart Hub in the Toronto region.

Our Medical Services team led impactful initiatives to better serve the intellectual and developmental disabilities community. We funded a medical consultation model like no other service in Ontario that became permanent, helping physicians build capacity for current and future healthcare providers.

Furthermore, we invested in new partnerships with established institutions like The School of Optometry, Vision Science and the University of Waterloo to advance our service offerings and better support the needs of our clients.

We took meaningful strides in our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility commitment. We hosted a foundational EDIA training for members of the Leadership Forum, developed an EDIA framework encompassing the collaborative efforts of our Anti-Racism Black Consultation and Training Group, our Indigenous Consultation, and the Working Towards EDIA Group and created several new policies with an EDIA lens.

We know that our work would not be possible without our staff for their tremendous efforts, our clients and partners for their trust, our donors, and all levels of government in our communities. Thank you for your continued support.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff at Surrey Place, we are thrilled to share our achievements with you in this year’s annual report.

Sincerely,

Dr. Terri Hewitt, Ph.D., C. Psych.
Chief Executive Officer

Fern Goncalves, M.Ed., CHRL
Board President

Our Impact

24,382
Unique Clients + Caregivers* per year, including
DSO-Toronto Region clients

0-6 years old
67%

6-18 years old
18%

18+ years old
15%

23,000+
Infant Hearing Screenings

2,451
People served in Toronto through the Preschool Speech & Language Program

700+
Online Wellness events

550+
Staff employed at
Surrey Place

Autism “Now What” Marketing Campaign Video

Celebrating 60 Years

Since 1962, we have earned a reputation as an agency that works with individuals to provide high quality support because we understand their unique experiences like no other. When families turn to us for the first time, they are often grappling with a new diagnosis, suspected diagnosis or have questions about their child’s development that make their future feel uncertain.

In 2022, we worked with the marketing agency DonerNorth to launch our powerful campaign “Now What.” The campaign celebrates 60 years of supporting families during moments when they don’t know where to turn. Looking forward, we are renewing our commitment to provide the clarity parents need to empower their child’s success. At Surrey Place, we’re here to help.

Strategic Plan Achievements

Our Financials

Funding Sources

Provincial government 93.6%

Municipal government 0.7%

Fee for service & grant revenue 4.6%

Other revenue 1.1%

DOWNLOAD FINANCIAL REPORT

3 Year Expenditure Trend ($’000)

2020-21$57,879,416

2021-22$70,547,332

2022-23$97,765,272

Meet Our Donors & Funders

This section reflects donations and funders for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023.

Board of Directors 2022/23

President

FERN GONCALVES, M.ED., CHRL

Senior HR Advisor, Employee Experience, Engagement and Development Goncalves Consulting

Vice President

CAROLYN ACKER, C.M., R.N., M.A., D.SC. H.C.

Management Consultant Carolyn Acker & Associates

Treasurer

ANDREA ENGLERT-RYGUS, B.COMM., CSMP

Chief Procurement Officer and Vice President, Customer Relationship Management Plexxus

Directors

AMANDA KENNEDY, M. SC.

Principal Kennedy Consulting

MICHAEL RICHARDSON, HBA

Partner & Co-Owner Eclipsys Solutions, Yoppworks and GoSpaces

MICHAEL ROOKE, BBA, CPA, CA, LPA

Associate Partner Tinkham LLP

KEMI ODUWOLE LL B, LL M, M. CIARB

Managing Partner Topmarké Attorneys, LLP.

BAABA FORSON, B.A. (HONS.), LL.B.

Lawyer – Ontario Public Services

HELEN WOJCINSKI

President & CEO
Wojcinski & Associates Ltd

ASHAN M. FERNANDO

Marketing Manager
Canadian Published Children’s Author

By 2 months

Has your baby had their hearing screened? YES NO

By 6 months

Does the child?

Startle in response to loud noises? YES NO
Turn to where a sound is coming from? YES NO
Make different cries for different needs (hungry, tired)? YES NO
Watch your face as you talk? YES NO
Smile/laugh in response to your smiles and laughs? YES NO
Imitate coughs or other sounds such as ah, eh, buh YES NO

By 9 months

Does the child?

Respond to their name? YES NO
Respond to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door? YES NO
Understand being told no? YES NO
Get what they want through using gestures (reaching to be picked up)? YES NO
Play social games with you (Peek-a-Boo)? YES NO
Enjoy being around people? YES NO
Babble and repeat sounds such as babababa or duhduhduh? YES NO

By 12 months

Does the child?

Follow simple one-step directions (sit down)? YES NO
Look across the room to a toy when adult points at it? YES NO
Consistently use three to five words? YES NO
Use gestures to communicate (waves hi/bye, shakes head for no)? YES NO
Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes? YES NO
Bring you toys to show you? YES NO
Perform for social attention and praise? YES NO
Combine lots of sounds together as though talking (abada baduh abee)? YES NO
Show an interest in simple picture books? YES NO

By 18 months

Does the child?

Understand the meaning of in and out, off and on? YES NO
Point to more than 2 body parts when asked? YES NO
Use at least 20 words consistently? YES NO
Respond with words or gestures to simple questions (Where's teddy? What's that?)? YES NO
Demonstrate some pretend play with toys (gives teddy bear a drink, pretends a bowl is a hat)? YES NO
Make at least four different consonant sounds (p ,b, m, n, d, g, w, h)? YES NO
Enjoy being read to and sharing simple books with you? YES NO
Point to pictures using one finger? YES NO

By 2 years

Does the child?

Follow two-step directions (Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma.)? YES NO
Use 100 to 150 words? YES NO
Use at least two pronouns (you, me, mine)? YES NO
Consistently combine two to four words in short phrases (Daddy hat. Truck go down.)? YES NO
Enjoy being around other children? YES NO
Begin to offer toys to other children and imitate other children's actions and words? YES NO
Use words that are understood by others 50 to 60 per cent of the time? YES NO
Form words or sounds easily and without effort? YES NO
Hold books the right way up and turn the pages? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 30 months

Does the child?

Understand the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little/a lot, more)? YES NO
Use some adult grammar (two cookies, bird flying, I jumped)? YES NO
Use over 350 words? YES NO
Use action words such as run, spill, fall? YES NO
Participate in some turn-taking activities with peers, using both words and toys? YES NO
Demonstrate concern when another child is hurt or sad? YES NO
Combine several actions in play (puts blocks in the train and drives the train, drops the blocks off.)? YES NO
Put sounds at the beginning of most words? YES NO
Use words with two or more syllables or beats (ba-na-na, com-pu-ter, a-pple)? YES NO
Recognize familiar logos and signs involving print (Stop sign)? YES NO
Remember and understand familiar stories? YES NO

By 3 years

Does the child?

Understand who, what, where and why questions? YES NO
Create long sentences using five to eight words? YES NO
Talk about past events (trip to grandparents house, day at child care)? YES NO
Tell simple stories? YES NO
Show affection for favourite playmates? YES NO
Engage in multi-step pretend play (pretending to cook a meal, repair a car)? YES NO
Talk in a way that most people outside of the family understand what she/he is saying most of the time? YES NO
Have an understanding of the function of print (menus, lists, signs)? YES NO
Show interest in, and awareness of, rhyming words? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 4 years

Does the child?

Follow directions involving three or more steps (First get some paper, then draw a picture and give it to Mommy)? YES NO
Use adult type grammar? YES NO
Tell stories with a beginning, middle and end? YES NO
Talk to try and solve problems with adults and with other children? YES NO
Show increasingly complex imaginary play? YES NO
Talk in a way that is understood by strangers almost all the time? YES NO
Generate simple rhymes (cat-bat)? YES NO
Match some letters with their sounds (letter b says buh, letter t says tuh)? YES NO