In the News
Kinark Autism Services Highlights Entry to School Program on CP24 Breakfast
August 30, 2024 – Kinark Autism Services, a division of Kinark Child and Family Services, was recently featured on Toronto’s CP24 Breakfast to promote Kinark’s support of the Entry to School (ETS) program.
Scott Bark, Senior Director of Autism Services, and Shannon Borch, Clinical Lead, highlighted the program’s benefits and the process for accessing these services. The ETS program helps children with autism, aged three to six, develop essential school-readiness skills as they prepare to enter kindergarten or grade one for the first time.
New Regulations for Behaviour Analysts
July 11, 2024 – As of July 1, 2024, Behaviour Analysts in Ontario are now regulated by the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO). This new regulation, mandated by the Government of Ontario in 2023, aims to enhance safety and reduce the risk of harm for vulnerable Ontarians receiving Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) services.
As an organization that provides ABA services, Kinark Child and Family Services adheres to these regulations, ensuring all relevant staff are registered with the CPBAO. All our core clinical services are supervised by a Registered Behaviour Analyst (Ont.), making them eligible for OAP funding.
With this new regulation in place, Ontarians can feel assured that all practicing Behaviour Analysts are qualified to provide safe, quality care and are held accountable to a regulatory body for upholding professional standards. For families, this means more safety and protection. Behaviour Analysts in Ontario are required by law to deliver professional services competently and ethically.
For more information about this change, please visit the CPBAO website.
Kinark Autism Services highlighted in Today’s Parent article on summer travel tips for Autistic children
June 11, 2024 – Kinark Autism Services, a division of Kinark Child and Family Services (Kinark), was featured in a Today’s Parent article where experts share ways to prepare Autistic children for travel. Scott Bark, Senior Director of Autism Services, knows that travel can be a source of anticipatory anxiety for many autistic children and emphasizes how important it is to familiarize them with upcoming travel plans ahead of time.
New research brief from Kinark Child and Family Services highlights virtual autism services as an effective and sustainable method for the delivery of quality care
January 15, 2024 – Kinark Autism Services, a division of Kinark Child and Family Services (Kinark), has published its latest research brief on best practices in virtual autism services and recommendations to maximize the potential of virtual care to make needed supports more readily available and less costly for families. Kinark is releasing the research brief with the aim of increasing the availability of evidence-based services and support to families in rural, remote, and underserved communities across the province who have been unable to access crucial in-person core services.
Kinark Child and Family Services announces expansion of autism services and locations, increasing access for families in need of immediate support
October 30, 2023 – Amidst a growing demand from Ontario families for increased access to autism programs and services, Kinark Autism Services, a division of Kinark Child and Family Services, today announced the opening of two new centres and expanded access to a wide range of programs and services, including home-based and virtual care, to help address immediate needs for children and families living with autism.
Media Relations
In keeping with our commitment to privacy and confidentiality for our clients, we do not publicly discuss any information about clients or former clients and their families. To protect privacy, we will not confirm that any individual is, or was, a Kinark client.
To protect the privacy and confidentiality of children and families receiving services from our agency, and to maintain an appropriate environment for our clients, photography and filming activities at any of our sites is prohibited. More privacy information is available on our Privacy page.
Media Inquiries
For media inquiries please contact:
Communication Department
Email: communications@kinark.on.ca
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The Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
OAP Updates
Dec. 3, 2021 – The Ontario Government announces the launch of the Entry to School program to support families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are entering kindergarten or grade one for the first time. To read the update, please visit the Ministry’s website here.
June 25, 2021 – The Ontario Government announces caregiver-mediated early years (CMEY) programs to support families of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder between the ages of 12 months and 48 months. To read the update, please visit the Ministry’s website here.
February 3, 2021 – The Ontario Government announces new core services for children in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP). To read the Ministry’s statement, click here.
Oct. 8, 2020 – The Ontario Government provides an update on the needs-based Ontario Autism Program (OAP). The updates have been added to the Ministry’s website: click here. Minister Todd Smith delivers an update via video: click here.
August 4, 2020 – The Ontario Government announces foundational family services to children and youth with autism and their families. To read the update, please visit the Ministry’s website here.
Kinark Autism Services is operated by Kinark Child and Family Services and has achieved an Accreditation Canada Primer Award from Accreditation Canada.