Foundational Family Services
Assisting families to support their child’s development
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View our upcoming services below.
The caregiver-child relationship is a life-long journey of learning and discovery, especially for caregivers raising a child with autism. Access to quality and timely information is critical for families to support their children and youth in reaching their full potential.
Foundational Family Services offer a wide range of evidence-based support provided in various formats to build family capacity to support their child’s ongoing learning and development. They may include:
- Family and peer mentoring
- Caregiver workshops and follow-up coaching sessions
- Brief targeted consultation
- Transition supports
- Family resource and clinic days
Foundational Family Services are available to all families registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) at no cost.
Upcoming Services
Coping with a Diagnosis
Receive information on ways to cope with an autism diagnosis, self-care and ways to incorporate these strategies into your daily life
Family Resource Clinic Day
Meet with our staff one-to-one to receive support on community resources, financial supports and the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
ABA Essentials for Caregivers
7-week program designed to introduce caregivers to essential strategies of ABA including a group session and one-on-one follow-ups
Teaching Early Communication Skills
Understand how early speech and communication skills develop. Learn teaching strategies that can increase your child’s communication
Triple P – Group Stepping Stones
Manage common problem behaviours and developmental issues in children with developmental disabilities ages 12 and under
Foundations of ABA
Understand the basic principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), the scientific methodology that supports skill development
No Fair! How to Teach Emotional Regulation
Learn about emotional regulation, how to identify dysregulation and practical strategies to help your child manage their emotions
Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder
Informative workshops to learn about the basics of autism, including common features, how it affects everyday life and recent research on causes
Orientation to the Ontario Autism Program
Learn about changes to the OAP, how they affect your family and information to navigate childhood budgets and interim one-time funding
Healthy Sleep Habits
Learn about the importance of healthy sleep habits for children and explore strategies to enhance your child’s sleep routine.
Group Teen Triple P
Receive information on ways to cope with an autism diagnosis, self-care and ways to incorporate these strategies into your daily life
Getting Started with Toilet Training
Learn about signs of readiness, different toilet training methods and strategies that can help with the toileting process
Increasing Daily Living Skills
Learn about the variables that influence how your child learns self-help skills and different strategies to teach these skills to your child
Building Conversation Skills
Understand the components of conversations, including questions and comments. Learn effective strategies for teaching conversation skills
Let’s Play! Strategies for Teaching Early Play Skills
Learn strategies to teach early play skills such as imitation, turn taking, increasing length of play interactions and expanding ways to play with toys
Supporting Mental Health in Teens
Learn how to discuss mental health with your teen, listen to caregiver experiences and gain practical strategies to support your teen’s mental well-being
Transition to Adulthood
Explore the transitions your teen may face, like employment, housing, or post-secondary education. Discover strategies and resources to navigate these changes.
Community Resources and Funding
Learn about services, supports, programs and funding options available to families with children with autism in the city of Toronto
Behaviour 2: Dealing with Challenging Behaviour
Develop an understanding of common strategies for addressing challenging behaviours, including case studies and examples
Supporting Executive Functioning Skills
Discuss behavioural strategies to support the needs of your child and allow them to independently initiate and complete daily tasks
Supporting Social Skills
Learn teaching strategies to enhance interactions with peers like greetings, sharing, initiating interactions and having conversations
Creating and Using Visuals
Review the benefits of visuals and provide an overview of the types you can use to support your child, such as daily schedules and token boards
No Fair! How to Teach Emotional Regulation
Learn about emotional regulation, how to identify dysregulation and practical strategies to help your child manage their emotions
Supporting Transitions
Discuss common transitions your child may encounter, such as starting a new activity, changing schools, moving or welcoming a new sibling
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Wellness Events
Did you know that we offer free events for clients, caregivers and professionals?
Resource Library
Find accessible information developed by our clinicians to help you on your journey.