Our groups are designed for children and youth who are registered in the OAP and who need to focus on developing social, vocational, and/or daily living skills.  We will work with you to find the best fit for your child or youth.

The following are examples of groups we have delivered in the past (in alphabetical order):

BUILDING CONVERSATION SKILLS

Figuring out what to say in a conversation can be tricky!  This group will help children and youth with ASD develop their social language skills by working on the content of their conversations.  They will learn about conversation skills through direct teaching, video modeling, role-play, practice activities, and weekly homework tasks.  **Parent/caregiver participation is encouraged as a way to help your youth use their new skills outside of the group.

CIRCLES ®

Do you want to teach your child about safety and strangers? Does your child struggle with understanding social boundaries? The Circles® curriculum will help teach your child basic understandings of social relationships and safety. It outlines who in the community falls into which “circle” and how to interact with each "circle" safely. This group will help children identify who belongs in each of their own personalized circles and how to build relationships within each circle.

COOKING, SCIENCE & CRAFTS (CS&C) - Ages 4 to 13 years

Do you want your child to learn how to break down a skill, or activity, so they can learn to do it themselves? CS&C will teach you and your child how to break a variety of fun activities into manageable steps. We will also have fun homework activities to practice the skill during the week at home. **For safety, parents and caregivers will be required to supervise their child during the group (this may be from immediately beside or in close proximity to your child).

COPING SKILLS - 5-POINT RATING SCALES

Does your child need help identifying different emotions they feel throughout the day? In this group your child will learn strategies to calm themselves down when they feel a loss of control over their emotions. Participants will work on building their own personal rating scale.  They will also learn to understand different levels of emotions: What emotions feel like or look like, emotional triggers, calming strategies, and safe people who can help. 

FITNESS

Is your child/youth interested in community activities such as sports, kickboxing, dance or yoga? Would you like your child/youth to join a community group that offers these activities but they may need to learn the basics first? This group will go over the basics of a variety of school and community activities including: basketball, soccer, kickboxing, yoga and dance. Sessions will also include short lessons on: good sportsmanship, being a team player, and brief guided relaxation strategies.

FOOD EXPLORERS - Ages 6-12 years

Do you want your child to try new foods while also increasing their independence in the kitchen? In this group, we will be exploring fruits, vegetables, and proteins while following some simple recipes. We will also have homework for exploring new foods during the week at home. **For safety, parents and caregivers will be required to supervise their child/youth during the group (this may be from immediately beside or in close proximity to your child/youth).

FRIENDSHIPS

Does your child need help learning how to talk to other people, how to start or end a conversation, or how to handle teasing? This group follows the Children’s Friendship Training (CFT) program to teach your child how to use conversation skills and humour, how to deal with teasing, and how to hang out with friends. **Parents and caregivers will support their children with engaging in weekly homework assignments.

GAMES

Does your child/youth enjoy playing a variety of games?  This group allows your child/youth to participate with peers in a virtual group setting. Your child/youth will be encouraged to communicate, share, and interact with others in the group while working on: turn-taking, shared control, and/or appropriate commenting.  **Note for parents: support may be required from you if your child requires help to participate or communicate.

Look, I Can Do It! - Ages 13+ years

Do you want your teen to learn how to break down a recipe or chore, so they can learn to do it themselves? This group will teach you and your teen how to break down a variety of tasks and recipes into steps, so they feel confident completing them themselves. The teens will also learn how to create a grocery list for the recipes they will prepare. Each lesson will also have homework for practicing these skills during the week at home. **For safety, parents or caregivers will be required to supervise their teen during the group (this may be from immediately beside or in close proximity to your youth).

Additional parent and caregiver involvement options…

• Parent coaching group (parents/caregivers attend and implement their goals at home, this is a great option for families if the child or youth cannot attend)
• Foundational Family Services - parents/caregivers can attend for additional coaching and consultation services