Learn About Our Summer Programs for Autism

Summer is just around the corner, and what better way to keep your child or teen with autism entertained than with our exciting summer programs! Our highly trained clinical team is proud to announce three new programs designed specifically for children with autism.

Healthy Living Camp (Ages 14-18) – REGISTRATION CLOSED

Location: 2 Surrey Place, Toronto (Intersection: College & Bay St.)
Schedule:
Group A: July 17 – July 21, 2023, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – SOLD OUT
Group B: July 31 – August 4, 2023, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Group C: August 14 – August 18, 2023, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Group D: August 21 – August 25, 2023, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Cost: $1,650.00

This group can be paid for using OAP funding or out-of-pocket.

Is your teen ready to enhance their nutrition, fitness and daily living skills in a supportive group-based environment? If yes, this program is right for you!

Welcome to Healthy Living Camp, the ultimate summer camp experience! This program focuses on educating teens aged 14-18 on healthy lifestyles in a fun and supportive environment. At Healthy Living Camp, your child will have the opportunity to work with certified personal trainers in a real gym, receiving excellent guidance and support. Our team of experts including physiotherapists, nutritionists and behaviour therapists will help your child as they learn about health and fitness, empowering them to make informed choices for their well-being.

This summer camp provides youth with opportunities to boost their independence, expand their understanding of healthy living and explore new environments using the TTC. At Healthy Living Camp, your child will make friends, explore the city and stay active while gaining important life skills. Please note that TTC fare is not included.

Social Stars (Ages 8-10) – SOLD OUT

*This service is now full for summer 2023. Please check back for fall and winter groups.*

Location: 2660 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough (Intersection: Eglinton & Brimley Rd.)
Schedule: July 11 – August 31, 2023 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Cost: $2,640 (Personalized 1-to-1 support is available at extra cost, if needed)

This group can be paid for using OAP funding or out-of-pocket.

Is your child ready to work on their social skills in a supportive group-based program? If yes, Social Stars is right for you!

Social Stars is a half-day summer program designed for children aged 8 to 10 with autism. This program focuses on developing early social skills like greetings, sharing, turn-taking and playing with peers using ABA-based strategies. Caregivers gain invaluable support through educational workshops, observations, and coaching sessions for caregivers to help maintain the skills their child learns. At Social Stars, your child will have a blast while learning essential skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.

 

Conversation Club (Ages 10-12) – SOLD OUT

*This service is now full for summer 2023. Please check back for fall and winter groups.*

Location: 2660 Eglinton Avenue East, Scarborough (Intersection: Eglinton & Brimley Rd.)
Schedule: July 11 – August 17, 2023 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $1,320 (Personalized 1-to-1 support is available at extra cost, if needed)

This group can be paid for using OAP funding or out-of-pocket.

Is your child ready to enhance their conversational skills in a group-based environment with their peers? If yes, this program is right for you!

For children aged 10 to 12, Conversation Club is an interactive and enjoyable group service that helps improve communication skills and interactions with others. The program includes goals such as initiating and maintaining conversations, taking turns speaking, reading non-verbal body language, and appropriately ending conversations. Your child should have a strong speaker and listener vocabulary, emerging conversation skills, and an interest in making friends and socializing with peers to join the program.

 

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