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) Parent Support Groups, led by clinicians who are who are parents of neurodiverse children 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 Parent 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. 

 

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. 

Our clinical team includes Registered Behaviour Analysts, R.B.A.s (Ont.) who have many years of experience identifying the strengths and needs of children and youth with autism, 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.