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Mental Health Group

Building Confidence Mental Health Group
Ages 9-13 | 8 Weeks | $2,100

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Children and teens with autism can sometimes struggle to manage emotions, develop confidence and be patient with themselves. At Surrey Place, we know how important it is to help young people develop emotional and psychological habits that improve mental health. Our mental health groups support youth by teaching them:

These groups increase self-awareness and confidence by incorporating therapeutic techniques from evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavioural therapy.

Our mental health groups are developed and run by clinical psychologists and social workers. This means your child receives support from both disciplines at the same time. Our groups are offered virtually and in-person, so your child will have the opportunity to connect with other youth and practice socializing. We incorporate many interactive and collaborative learning approaches including discussions, visuals, hands-on activities and physical movement.

The Building Confidence Mental Health Group is tailored to support youth ages 9-13 with boosting their self-assurance and confidence. The program will help youth to understand what impacts confidence, discover their strengths, and learn to be more compassionate with themselves. The group will take place in-person with a focus on building skills that can be applied in everyday life.

Sample Goals

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

  • Discuss topics that are important to young people (i.e., hobbies, friendships, education, challenges) and learn to listen to others and share.
  • Learn to make choices and express oneself through different mediums (I.e., drawing, acting, creating, writing, talking).
  • Learn to cooperate and collaborate with other group members.
  • Learn to reframe negative thoughts and see strengths in oneself and others.
  • Additional, more advanced goals include requesting, commenting and using sentence structures
  • Build self-confidence and connection with others.

Eligibility

WHO SHOULD REGISTER?

Your child might benefit from this group if they:

  • Use sentences to ask and answer questions.
  • Understand and follow clear instructions.
  • Can recall and describe past events.
  • Can participate in (up to) 20-minute group sessions without disruption.
  • Can listen to facilitators and other group members.
  • Would like to build self-confidence through teamwork and cooperative activities.

WHO IS NOT A FIT?

Your child or teen may NOT be eligible if they:

  • Do not respond to individual or group instructions.
  • Do not follow group routines.
  • Have difficulty with language or communication.
  • Frequently harm themselves, harm others or destroy objects when upset. For challenging behaviours, consider 1-to-1 Focused Behavioural Intervention. For new or escalating, high-risk behaviour, Urgent Response Services may be appropriate.

Schedule

AGES 9 – 13

8 Weeks | 1 Day/Week | 1.5 Hours/Day | $2,100 (Tax Included)

Downtown2 Surrey Place Toronto, ON M5S 2C2

January 22 to March 25, 2024

(no group on February 19, 2024 or March 11, 2024)

Monday

05:00 PM – 06:30 PM

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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