All About Connections Group
Parents/guardians are welcome to invite anyone they would like to be a the meeting. Participants usually include the parents, therapist(s), and community professionals working with the child (e.g., preschool or daycare provider, Infant Development Program consultant, Behavioural Consultant, Supported Child Development consultant).
Aquatic Groups
A physiotherapy group that uses water as a medium to promote the development of motor skills. Aquatic therapy can help pediatric clients with an assortment of neurological, genetic, developmental, and orthopedic disorders.
Dance Group
This is a physiotherapy group focusing on strength, balance, and coordination, using dance and music to enhance the skill-building. An occupational therapist often adds a fine motor skills component to the sessions.
Food Groups: Autism Food Group, SOS Fun Food Group, Feeding Group
All food groups are designed to promote appropriate sensory/oral sequencing to decrease children’s sensitivities to food textures and tastes. There are two components to these groups:
- Parent Education – to increase parents’ understanding of the steps to eating and how to help their child(ren) experience positive mealtimes, and
- Children – to develop the appropriate individual sensory/oral motor approach to make mealtimes fun and ensure proper nutrition.
Fun With Fine Motor Groups
The purpose of this ‘fun’ group is to further develop the child’s fine motor skills in preparation for Kindergarten.
Get Up and Go
This physiotherapy group provides children with an opportunity to practice pre-walking and walking skills in a group setting by focusing on pre-requisite skills (weight-bearing, standing, balance, supported walking, independent walking, strengthening of the trunk and lower extremities). Sessions take place in the pool and at the Centre.
Hanen Programs®
Several programs are offered to support parents and professionals in their efforts to help young children communicate effectively:
- It Takes Two To Talk: This unique and exciting program focuses on working with parents to facilitate children’s expressive and/or receptive communication skills by maximizing opportunities for communication development in everyday situations.
- Learning Language and Loving It: This program teaches teachers and daycare providers to make language learning a natural part of everyday conversation, play, and daily routines.
- Target Word for Parents of Children Who Are Late Talkers Parents: learn to create language learning and opportunities during interactions and conversation with their child while following the child’s lead and ensuring that conversational turns are balanced. Parents learn to use focused stimulation and to simplify their own expressive language to facilitate their child’s vocabulary growth.
- More Than Words: This program was designed specifically for parents of children (5 years old and under) on the autism spectrum. Addressing the unique needs of these children, the program provides parents with the tools, strategies, and support they need to help their children reach their full communication potential.
How Does Your Engine Run?
This is a play-based group designed to teach children ‘engine’ words to develop an awareness of their emotions (self-regulation). Families will learn strategies that help their child change their reactions to match individual tasks.
Language Groups
Speech groups developed to build the understanding of language and concepts and how to use appropriate language in social interactions.
Phonemic Awareness Groups
Speech groups designed to develop important pre-reading skills, including listening and letter recognition.
Phonology Groups
Speech groups designed to increase the awareness of specific sounds, how to make those sounds, and how to use the sounds in words.
Pre-Kindergarten Groups
Joint physiotherapy and occupational therapy groups. The purpose of the Pre-K group is to provide opportunities for children to refine their gross and fine motor skills in preparation for Kindergarten.
Sensory Play Groups
Multi-disciplinary groups that focus on motor skills, sensory regulation, and/or communication for children 3-4 years of age.
Social Play Groups
Single discipline or multi-disciplinary groups designed to facilitate early play and social skills with peers.