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:
- 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
Triple P – Group Stepping
Stones
Manage common problem behaviours and developmental issues in children with developmental disabilities ages 12 and under
Preparing Your Child to be
Home Alone
Determine if your child is ready to stay home alone, provide behavioural strategies to set them up for success and create a plan for your child.
Getting Started with Toilet
Training
Learn about signs of readiness, different toilet training methods and strategies that can help with the toileting process.
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.
Caregiver Connect: A Parent Support Group
Weekly sessions to discuss topics like managing stress, providing engaging activities, supporting changes and advocating for your child.
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.
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).
Healthy Sleep Habits
Learn about the benefits of healthy sleep habits and common children’s sleep issues, including falling asleep independently and night awakenings.
Teaching Early Communication Skills
Understand how early speech and communication skills develop. Learn teaching strategies that can increase your child’s communication.
Parent Advocacy
Explore the seven principles of being an advocate. Families will have the opportunity to participate in discussions and interactive activities
Building Conversation
Skills
Understand the components of conversations, including questions and comments. Learn effective strategies for teaching conversation skills.
Supporting Transitions
Discuss common transitions your child may encounter, such as starting a new activity, changing schools, moving or welcoming a new sibling.
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.
Behaviour 2: Dealing with Challenging Behaviour
Develop an understanding of common strategies for addressing challenging behaviours, including case studies and examples.
Family Resource Clinic Day
– IN PERSON EVENT
Meet with our staff one-to-one to receive support on community resources, financial supports and the Ontario Autism Program (OAP).
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.
Eating and Mealtime Routines
Discuss nutritional considerations, common eating challenges during mealtime routines and learn strategies to address them.
Foundations of ABA
Understand the basic principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), the scientific methodology that supports skill development.
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.
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.
Getting Started with Toilet Training
Learn about signs of readiness, different toilet training methods and strategies that can help with the toileting process.
Community Resources and Funding
Learn about services, supports, programs and funding options available to families
with children with autism in the city of Toronto.
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).
Behaviour 2: Dealing with Challenging Behaviour
Develop an understanding of common strategies for addressing challenging behaviours, including case studies and examples.
Supporting Social Skills
Learn teaching strategies to enhance interactions with peers like greetings, sharing, initiating interactions and having conversations.
Transitioning to Post-Secondary School – Caregiver Session
Caregivers learn about the challenges their teens face, skills needed for success, disclosing a diagnosis, navigating services and more.
Supporting Mental Health in Teens
Learn teaching strategies to enhance interactions with peers like greetings, sharing, initiating interactions and having conversations.
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.
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.
Supporting Executive Functioning Skills
Discuss behavioural strategies to support the needs of your child and allow them to
independently initiate and complete daily tasks.
Not what you’re looking for?
Browse our calendar to view all services.
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.