Program focus: Behaviour Difficulty, Child Development, Mental Health, Parenting
The Community Support program works in partnership with other service providers to develop and deliver flexible mental health services that are responsive to unmet and emerging needs of children from birth to age 12 and their families.
Programs are based on current best practice and determinants of health and are created in relation to needs identified in the community in cooperation with community partners and families. Activities in the program include groups, workshops and presentations to families and/or community organizations to increase awareness and facilitate knowledge transfer to enhance the social emotional well-being of families with children under 12 years of age.
Program goals are to assist families in establishing and achieving their goals for the healthy development of their children; to enable children to function more successfully in all social contexts (home, school, neighbourhood); and to enhance the capacity of the community to promote the healthy development of children.
The services strive to be accessible to all families in relation to location, literacy level and cultural sensitivity. Areas of service include:
School Services
Program provides parenting workshops and presentations; parenting groups; class wide anti-bullying and social skills programs; and staff training.
Community Agencies
Program provides parent education, parent groups, and participates in community development activities.
Shelter Services
Program provides parenting groups, children’s groups, brief counselling, staff consultation and training to school and shelter staff.
EarlyOn
Program provides parent education, groups, and brief consultation on topics related to children under 6 years of age.
Strides Toronto has been providing services for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental disabilities, and/or dual diagnoses for over 20 years. As a trusted agency in Toronto, a high degree of inter-professional partnership is in place to support information sharing and collaboration among services and the community.
We are proud of the high-quality, evidence-based practices our Autism and Developmental Services provide to the children, youth, adults, and the families we serve. Our service offerings are flexible and consider individual needs. Individualized intake assessments are completed to help determine a plan for service.
Behavioural interventions and family services are integrated and coordinated with other services (e.g., mental health) which a child or youth and their family may be receiving. The wide range of services available to children, youth and their families are frequently evaluated and monitored to be flexible and responsive to changing evidence and practice.
Developmental Services provides therapeutic programming and respite to youth and adults with an autism spectrum disorder and/or a developmental disability. The services delivered strive to promote independence, encouraging the development and maintaining of a peer network, empowering them to build their capabilities, with the goal of enhancing their social and life skills development.
Family-centered care is the fundamental basis of service delivery within Strides Toronto’s Autism and Developmental Services. This approach values parents and caregivers as experts on their child and as key decision makers in their child’s interventions. It also recognizes their lifelong commitment to their child’s learning and wellness.
We offer a variety of in-person and virtual services and resources to support families. Our virtual services are offered by phone or by video through our secure Zoom Healthcare platform.