Registration for ABA Group Therapy for Autism closes Dec 15 – sign up now!

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS™️)

Ages 3-5 | 6 Weeks | $4,080
Ages 6-9 | 12 Weeks | $12,240

Learn to communicate by exchanging picture cards or expand on picture exchange communication with more advanced goals.

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Program Details

Is your child ready to use picture exchange or enhance established skills? If yes, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS™️) is right for you! PECS™️ offers children with autism a tool to express their wants and needs by exchanging picture cards related to items or activities. PECS™️ may also benefit children who are ready to expand picture exchange communication with more advanced goals. This service includes educational sessions for caregivers, to help you support your child in maintaining their new skills.

Sample Goals

The type of goals your child may target in this group include:

  • Learning to exchange pictures for items or activities they want
  • Using picture exchange in new places, with new people and across distances
  • Tolerating being away from a caregiver for up to 1 hour
  • Responding to their name by looking at the speaker
  • Additional, more advanced goals include requesting, commenting and using sentence structures

Funding

  • OAP funding (childhood budgets, interim one-time funding)
  • Out-of-pocket
  • Charitable funds
  • Private insurance

Eligibility

WHO SHOULD REGISTER?

Your child might benefit from this group if they:

  • Hand lead to ask for what they want.
  • Inconsistently use 5 words or less.
  • Cannot copy (mimic) sounds.

WHO IS NOT A FIT?

Your child may not be eligible if they:

Schedule

AGES 3 – 5

6 Weeks | 2 Days/Week | 2 Hours/Day | $4,080 (Tax Included)
Caregiver must attend each session with their child.

Downtown2 Surrey Place Toronto, ON M5S 2C2

January 8 to February 16, 2024

Monday

12:30 PM – 02:30 PM

Friday

012:30 PM – 02:30 PM

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February 23 to April 5, 2024

Monday & Friday

12:30 PM – 02:30 PM

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Etobicoke2150 Islington Avenue, Suite 102, Toronto, ON, M9P 3V4

January 8 to February 16, 2024

Monday & Friday

09:45 AM – 11:45 AM

SOLD OUT

February 23 to April 5, 2024

Monday & Friday

09:45 AM – 11:45 AM

SOLD OUT

North York2 Champagne Drive, Unit E6, North York, ON, M3J 0K2

January 8 to February 16, 2024

Monday & Friday

09:45 AM – 11:45 AM

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February 23 to April 5, 2024

Monday & Friday

09:45 AM – 11:45 AM

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AGES 6 – 9

12 Weeks | 3 Days/Week | 2 Hours/Day | $12, 240 (Tax Included)
Caregiver must attend some sessions with their child.

Etobicoke2150 Islington Avenue, Suite 102, Toronto, ON, M9P 3V4

January 8 to April 5, 2024

Monday, Wednesday, & Friday

01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

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How It Works

ABA Group Therapy is designed like swimming lessons. Some children progress quickly through the levels, while others repeat a level several times to work on or reinforce a goal. Sometimes, clinicians may recommend repeating a service. Caregivers can also sign their child up for the same level again if they feel they have more to gain from the curriculum.

Why Choose Us

At Surrey Place, our goal is to empower participants and their families in the ongoing journey of growth and development. We work closely with each family, listening to your unique needs every step of the way to create a personalized behaviour plan for each participant.

We offer resources for caregivers to maintain their children’s skills at home. From support staff working to match your child with a program that will best suit their needs to the ongoing care of expert clinicians, our team is here to help your child gain new skills, build self-confidence and reach their full potential.

Unlock Your Child’s Potential

Explore programs that enhance communication skills.

Ages 3-5

Basic Communication

Learn to communicate using single words.

LEARN MORE

Ages 6-18

Early to Intermediate Communication

Learn to communicate with increased vocabulary.

LEARN MORE

Did you know that we offer free events for clients, caregivers and professionals?

BROWSE EVENTS

Wellness Events

Resource Library

Find accessible information developed by our clinicians to help you on your journey.

LEARN MORE

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