Foundational Family Services

Assisting families to support their child’s development

To Register

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: 

Foundational Family Services are available to all families registered with the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) at no cost.

Upcoming Services

OCT 3 – NOV 28, 5 PM – 7 PM

Triple P – Group Stepping Stones

Manage common problem behaviours and developmental issues in children with developmental disabilities ages 12 and under

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 4, 11 AM – 1 PM

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

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 5, 12 PM – 2 PM

Getting Started with Toilet Training

Learn about signs of readiness, different toilet training methods and strategies that can help with the toileting process

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 11, 1 PM – 3 PM

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

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 12, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Building Conversation Skills

Understand the components of conversations, including questions and comments. Learn effective strategies for teaching conversation skills

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 16 & 23, 5 PM – 7 PM

Behaviour 2: Dealing with Challenging Behaviour

Develop an understanding of common strategies for addressing challenging behaviours, including case studies and examples

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 18, 12 PM – 2 PM

No Fair! How to Teach Emotional Regulation

Discover effective strategies to help your child manage their emotions.

LEARN MORE

OCT 18 – NOV 22, 1 PM – 2 PM

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

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 19, 9 AM – 4 PM

Family Resource Clinic Day- In Person

Meet with our staff one-to-one to receive support on community resources, financial supports and the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 20, 10 AM – 12 PM

Teaching Early Communication Skills

Understand how early speech and communication skills develop. Learn teaching strategies that can increase your child’s communication

LEARN MORE

OCTOBER 25, 9 AM – 4 PM

Family Resource Clinic Day- In Person

Meet with our staff one-to-one to receive support on community resources, financial supports and the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)

LEARN MORE

OCT 26 – NOV 30, 11 AM – 12 PM

Caregiver Connect: A Parent Support Group

Weekly sessions to discuss topics like managing stress, providing engaging activities, supporting changes and advocating for your child.

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 1, 1 PM – 3 PM

Supporting Transitions

Discuss common transitions your child may encounter, such as starting a new activity, changing schools, moving or welcoming a new sibling

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 3, 10 AM – 12 PM

No Fair! How to Teach Emotional Regulation

Discover effective strategies to help your child manage their emotions.

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 6, 5 PM – 7 PM

Getting Started with Toilet Training

Learn about signs of readiness, different toilet training methods and strategies that can help with the toileting process

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 8, 10 AM – 12 PM

Supporting Social Skills

Learn teaching strategies to enhance interactions with peers like greetings, sharing, initiating interactions and having conversations

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 15 & 22, 10 AM – 12 PM

Foundations of ABA

Understand the basic principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), the scientific methodology that supports skill development

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 16 & 23, 1 PM – 3 PM

Behaviour 2: Dealing with Challenging Behaviour

Develop an understanding of common strategies for addressing challenging behaviours, including case studies and examples

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 20, 1 PM – 3 PM

Eating and Mealtime Routines

Discuss nut LEARN MORE ritional considerations, common eating challenges during mealtime routines and learn strategies to address them

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER 29, 10 AM – 12 PM

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

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 1, 10 AM – 12 PM

Getting Started with Toilet Training

Learn about signs of readiness, different toilet training methods and strategies that can help with the toileting process

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 5, 1 PM – 3 PM

Supporting Executive Functioning Skills

Discuss behavioural strategies to support the needs of your child and allow them to independently initiate and complete daily tasks

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 6, 10 AM – 12 PM

Community Resources and Funding

Learn about services, supports, programs and funding options available to families with children with autism in the city of Toronto

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 7, 1 PM – 3 PM

Healthy Sleep Habits

Learn the benefits of healthy sleep habits and common sleep issues in children such as falling asleep on their own and night awakenings

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 11, 10 AM – 12 PM

Transitioning to Adulthood

Discuss the different types of transitions your teenager may encounter and learn strategies that can help manage them

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 12, 10 AM – 12 PM

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

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 13, 5 PM – 7 PM

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

LEARN MORE

DECEMBER 14, 1 PM – 3 PM

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

LEARN MORE

Not what you’re looking for?

Browse our calendar to view all services.

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