Programs & Services

Family Support Groups

Kinark is pleased to offer two categories of support groups for families of children and youth with autism.

Parent Support Groups: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) 

Being a caregiver for a child with special needs can be challenging, but it’s also a unique opportunity for personal growth. Exhausted? Sad? Angry? Feeling isolated? Our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Caregivers Support Groups, led by clinicians who are also caregivers themselves, can help. 

ACT presents activities that foster the well-being of caregivers by increasing emotional resilience through mindfulness exercises, acceptance, and values-based processes. With ACT, you’ll acquire skills to struggle less and become more flexible when facing difficult situations and feelings. Rather than attempting to change unwanted feelings or thoughts, ACT helps you develop a new, mindful relationship with those experiences. ACT processes have been scientifically shown to lead to greater life satisfaction without having to eliminate our challenges. ACT shows us that it’s possible to struggle less, reminds us of who we are, and reconnects us with what we value most in life. 

Join us for our free virtual ACT-based Caregiver Support Groups. Over six weeks, we aim to engage in dialogue and guide you away from feeling stuck, helping you evolve into your fullest self. 

Interested in Parent Support Groups? Click below to complete the interest form.

Sibling Support Groups

Being a sibling of a child with special needs can be challenging, but it is also a unique opportunity for personal growth. Do you have a child or youth who has a sibling with autism? Our Sibling Support Groups, led by our highly trained multidisciplinary staff, can help. 

At Kinark, we can empathize with the unique experiences of having a sibling with special needs. Our Sibling Support Group aims to create a space where siblings can come together to build relationships through fun and interactive activities. With a focus on mindfulness and open discussion, siblings can share their experiences and the emotions that come with being a sibling. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment where siblings can enjoy, interact, and express themselves without fear of judgment, alongside other like-minded peers. 

Join us for our free Sibling Support Groups. Over five sessions, we will explore topics including relationships, values, feelings, emotions, and reflection—through meaningful and engaging activities! 

Interested in Sibling Support Groups? Click below to complete the interest form.

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 If you would like more information about our Family Support Group services, please contact our team at autisminfo@kinark.on.ca. 

 

Are you looking for a March Break Camp that offers social opportunities for your child? Join us March 10 – 14, 2025!

Our week-long camp will help children build essential social skills, which may include building friendships, handling disagreements, good sportsmanship, and more. From March 10 to 14, children can engage in playful and interactive activities in a safe and supported environment. 

Don’t miss out on this fun and supportive opportunity! 

At Kinark, we strive to provide the best support for every child. For March Break camps, children may not be suitable if they have challenging behaviors that disrupt group learning, require 1:1 support, or are not toilet trained (for in-person groups). Our groups are designed with a 1 staff to 3 participant ratio, which may not be sufficient for children needing more individualized attention. If your child falls into these categories, we can recommend alternative services better suited to their needs. Our goal is to ensure your child receives the appropriate care to support their growth and success.

Our March Break Camps:

• use evidence-based strategies of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in a fun and supportive environment.  
• are supervised by a Registered Behaviour Analyst, R.B.A. (Ont.)
• are eligible for Ontario Autism Program (OAP) Core Clinical Services funding. 

March Break Camp Locations:

• Barrie
• Etobicoke
• Markham
• Oshawa
• Thornhill
• Virtual

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AIM Explorers March Break Camp  

Goals Include:  

• Identify the feelings and thoughts that can affect their behaviour at home, school, and in their relationships with others 
• Learn new ways of thinking that can help them persevere through difficult situations 
• Learn important tools to help them balance their own emotions, develop their personal values, and make better choices
• Identifying common interests 
• Using humour appropriately 
• Being a good sport 
• Handling disagreements 
• Any other skills as opportunities arise 

Session details: 

• Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
• 5 sessions x 6 hours each 
• Recommended ages: 7-12 
• Cost: $2400 

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Friendship Crew March Break Camp  

Goals Include:  

• Starting and entering conversations 
• Maintaining reciprocal conversations 
• Choosing appropriate friends 
• Good sportsmanship 
• Handling disagreements  
• Identifying common interests 
• Using humour appropriately 
• Being a good sport 
• Handling disagreements 
• Any other skills as opportunities arise 

Session details:

• Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
• 5 sessions x 6 hours each 
• Recommended ages: 7-12 
• Cost: $2400 

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Virtual Camps

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Exploring Feelings 

Strong feelings can be confusing to anyone, and especially to a child. Kinark’s Exploring Feelings program is based on curriculum developed by world-renowned Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Tony Attwood, and helps children recognize connections between the way they’re thinking and feeling. 

In this group, children will learn to: 

• Recognize and understand their emotions 
• Understand how emotions can affect their body, thoughts, behaviour, and speech 
• Identify situations that may provoke certain feelings and begin to build their “Emotional Toolbox” with tools they can use during difficult situations 

Session details: 

• Virtual 
• Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 
• 5 sessions x 2 hours each 
• Recommended ages: 7-12 
• Cost: $650 

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PEERS® Bully Proofing  

PEERS® Bully Proofing is an evidence-based social skills group for motivated teens who are interested in learning skills to handle and respond to teasing and bullying. 

In PEERS® Bully Proofing, the topics covered will include: 

• Handling teasing 
• Responding to embarrassing feedback 
• Minimizing cyberbullying 
• Managing rumours and gossip 
• Handling physical bullying 
• Handling disagreements 
• Changing a reputation 

Session details: 

• Virtual 
• Monday to Thursday, 1 to 3 p.m. 
• 4 sessions x 2 hours each 
• Recommended ages: 12-18 
• Cost: $550 

We offer Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) assessment and treatment sessions for children and youth.  Our SLP services focus on the assessment and treatment of a broad range of speech, language, and communication impairments. These sessions support a child’s ability to communicate more effectively and participate in daily activities.

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Connections for Students (CFS) is a collaborative approach to improving transitions for school-aged children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This service is offered to support a child’s individualized needs through brief targeted consultative services that support the successful transition of a student with ASD into and/or within the publicly funded school system.

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Caregiver-mediated early years (CMEY) programs are offered through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) and support families with young children between the ages of 12 months to 48 months (4 years). These programs help young children learn new skills and meet individualized goals.

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Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment sessions now available!

Kinark Autism Services offers individual Occupational Therapy (OT) assessment and treatment sessions to families of children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

These sessions provide support with concerns related to self-care, productivity and leisure. Occupational Therapy can also support sensory processing, sleep, selective eating, and emotion regulation concerns to enhance overall quality of life. Sessions can be provided in-person within a clinic setting or virtually (if appropriate).

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Kinark offers a range of psychological assessments for children and youth between the ages of two and 18. A psychological assessment is used to evaluate a child or youth’s development, thinking, learning, emotions, behaviour and/or day-to-day functioning. The information gathered through assessments helps to support children, youth and their families in making informed decisions and to better advocate in health care, school, and community settings.

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Kinark Autism Services provides Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) services for children and youth with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

Our clinical team includes Registered Behaviour Analysts, R.B.A. (Ont.)s who have many years of experience identifying the strengths and needs of children and youth with ASD, and developing individualized services and supports. Our approach is family-centered, flexible, individualized, and developed in collaboration with you to meet the needs of your family.