Parent & Caregiver Education

The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a document that is often described as the cornerstone of special education for children who have exceptional needs. Parents, educators, and community partners all play important roles in the planning and implementation of a student’s special education program. Taking a collaborative team approach to setting observable, measurable and realistic expectations and goals for student achievement will often lead to a positive school climate and the best possible outcomes for your child.

This interactive session will help parents understand the IEP and how to participate in the IEP development, implementation, and review process.

Date: September 16, 2024 from 11:30 am to 1 p.m.

This session provides a brief description of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and an introduction to the PPM 140. PPM 140 is a policy that mandates the use of ABA in schools to assist in the education of students with ASD. Perhaps you have heard of these terms or maybe they are entirely new to you.

Learning about and understanding the principles of ABA and how those are incorporated into your child’s special education program through the PPM 140 is key. You will build awareness of your rights as parents/caregivers when planning for and supporting effective educational programs for your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Date: September 19, 2024 from 11:30 am to 1 p.m.

Reinforcement is a natural process involved in learning virtually all new skills. As parents, reinforcement can be one of the most powerful tools we use to support specific goals with our children. In this education session, you will learn how to use reinforcement to teach your child new skills, increase their motivation, expand their interests, and strengthen your relationship with your child. And the good news is, children don’t have to be reliant on planned reinforcers (special rewards) for all this to be possible.

This session will also discuss how to teach our children to eventually work for naturally occurring reinforcement.

Date: September 23, 2024 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience challenges with their child’s school placement, helping school staff understand their child’s needs, and understanding the services and supports your school board may offer. Seeing your child struggle with accessing curriculum or thriving in either virtual or in-school placements can be difficult.

Come and chat with one of Kinark’s School Consultants! Each session allows for an interactive experience for parents and caregivers to bring your questions about the school system and receive support from a School Consultant. You will also learn about other experiences from parents and caregivers, how to effectively advocate for your child, school policies and practices, individualized education plans (IEPs) and effective collaboration, as well as other valuable tips and tools for navigating and interacting with the school system.

Date: September 26, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

This fourth session in the School Series focuses on bringing together the information of the previous three sessions on school policies and procedures to help you to effectively advocate for your child and collaborate with your child’s school team.

This session will provide you with information on what it means to be an advocate for your child and effective ways to advocate. It also provides information on why it is important to collaborate with your child’s school team and ways to enhance collaboration. There will be an opportunity to discuss challenges you may face when working with your child’s school team and tips, tricks, and resources to overcome these challenges.

Date: October 2, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

To access Core Clinical services through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) a Determination of Needs (DoN) will be completed with primary caregivers to determine funding amounts.

This session will provide an overview of the DoN. You will learn about the overall process, and have a better understanding of how to prepare, what to expect, and next steps. At the end of the session there is time allotted to answer additional questions you may have.

Date: October 4, 2024 from 10 to 11 a.m.

Does your child struggle when faced with unexpected events or changes to the routine? Do they insist on having things a certain way or have trouble shifting their point of view? Rigid thinking and behaviours are common and may be tied to anxiety. In this session, we’ll talk about some common issues around rigidity, ways to support your child in these moments, and strategies to help promote flexibility in thinking and behaviour.

Date: October 7, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Parents and caregivers view the safety of their children as a significant concern. Many children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are reported to wander or elope, making them more prone to leaving the safety of a caregiver or support person and wandering from their home, school or community setting. This causes significant risk for those who may not be aware of possible dangers or harm and puts tremendous stress on families.

In this session, you will learn tips and tools you can use to help anticipate the risks, avoid the dangers, and teach the skills your child needs to stay safe at home and in the community.

Date: October 8, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This workshop will empower you with a deeper understanding of modern approaches to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) that respect and celebrate neurodiversity. Gain insights into the diverse experiences of individuals with autism, appreciating the unique strengths and challenges they bring. Explore how today’s ABA practices prioritize the needs and values of both the client and their family, promoting a collaborative and inclusive approach. Discover how contemporary ABA methodologies align with neurodiversity-affirming philosophies to support and enhance the well-being of neurodiverse individuals.

This session is designed to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to support their child’s unique journey through evidence-based, compassionate, and inclusive ABA.

Date: October 10, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

The Behaviour Series is made up of three independent but related workshops where caregivers learn ways to support their child before, during and after displaying challenging behaviour. This session focuses on setting your child up for success by sharing ways that caregivers can prepare their child before potentially challenging situations to help limit challenging behaviour. This workshop provides a variety of practical strategies that may prevent challenging behaviour before an escalation occurs. Please note that this session may have content that overlaps with a previously offered series, Managing Meltdowns: Part 1 and Part 2.

Date: October 16, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Toilet training can be a challenge for anyone! This session will cover what you need to know prior to starting toilet training for your child and set you up to be successful. This workshop will discuss key prerequisite skills and important considerations before starting a toilet training program. As well, you will learn how to decide when to move onto the next step of toilet training. You will learn various strategies and tools that can be used to help your child meet toileting goals including communicating their need to use the toilet.

We will provide you with the information you need to create an individualized toilet training plan for your child to be successful.

Date: October 18, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with autism may experience challenges with their child’s school placement, helping school staff understand their child’s needs, and understanding the services and supports your school board may offer. Seeing your child struggle with accessing curriculum or thriving in either virtual or in-school placements can be difficult.

Come and chat with one of Kinark’s School Consultants! Each session allows for an interactive experience for parents and caregivers to bring your questions about the school system and receive support from a School Consultant. You will also learn about other experiences from parents and caregivers, how to effectively advocate for your child, school policies and practices, individualized education plans (IEPs) and effective collaboration, as well as other valuable tips and tools for navigating and interacting with the school system.

Date: October 21, 2024 from 12 to 1 pm

Sleep concerns can be common in children with autism and many parents struggle with how to address them. You are not in this alone! We are here to support you with ways to develop a healthy sleep routine.

In this workshop you will learn ways to track your child’s sleeping behaviours, identify and troubleshoot potential problems with your child’s current sleep routine, establish and introduce a new sleep routine for your child, and discuss some strategies based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) that aim to promote better sleeping behaviours for your child.

Date: October 23, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This session provides a brief description of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and an introduction to the PPM 140. PPM 140 is a policy that mandates the use of ABA in schools to assist in the education of students with autism. Perhaps you have heard of these terms or maybe they are entirely new to you.

Learning about and understanding the principles of ABA and how those are incorporated into your child’s special education program through the PPM 140 is key. You will build awareness of your rights as parents/caregivers when planning for and supporting effective educational programs for your child with autism.

Date: October 28, 2024 from 11:30 am to 1 p.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with autism may experience challenges navigating all the available supports and services for their child. Come and chat with a Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) to learn more about treatment areas and scope of practice within the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). This session allows for an interactive experience where parents and caregivers can ask questions related to ABA and how it can help support your child. Topics covered may include treatment focus, differences between ABA and other therapies such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, and how to look for a quality ABA service provider.

Date: October 30, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Bullying is pervasive in Canadian schools and communities. Unfortunately, research indicates that children with autism are at a much greater risk of being bullied than their typically developing peers. This workshop engages parents of children with autism who may be concerned about their children being bullied or perpetuating bullying in the presence of their peers.

Content in this workshop is carefully curated to define the common types of bullying, identify a variety of roles that children may play in the context of bullying, and discuss its prevalence. A significant emphasis will be placed on teaching concrete, actionable strategies for parents of children with autism across all stages of childhood (pre-school children, school-age children, and adolescents) to ensure that you are equipped to prevent and address bullying. Moreover, considering that children may routinely socialize with their peers using technology and social media, additional strategies are provided to prevent and address cyberbullying.

Date: November 5, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

This workshop will empower you with a deeper understanding of modern approaches to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) that respect and celebrate neurodiversity. Gain insights into the diverse experiences of individuals with autism, appreciating the unique strengths and challenges they bring. Explore how today’s ABA practices prioritize the needs and values of both the client and their family, promoting a collaborative and inclusive approach. Discover how contemporary ABA methodologies align with neurodiversity-affirming philosophies to support and enhance the well-being of neurodiverse individuals.

This session is designed to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to support their child’s unique journey through evidence-based, compassionate, and inclusive ABA.

Date: November 6, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with autism may experience challenges with their child’s school placement, helping school staff understand their child’s needs, and understanding the services and supports your school board may offer. Seeing your child struggle with accessing curriculum or thriving in either virtual or in-school placements can be difficult. Come and chat with one of Kinark’s School Consultants!

Each session allows for an interactive experience for parents and caregivers to bring your questions about the school system and receive support from a School Consultant. You will also learn about other experiences from parents and caregivers, how to effectively advocate for your child, school policies and practices, individualized education plans (IEPs) and effective collaboration, as well as other valuable tips and tools for navigating and interacting with the school system. This session will primarily focus on providing strategies and methods for effective advocacy.

Date: November 7, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Interested in enrolling your child in a social skills group, school, or community program? Wondering how you can help them be successful in group settings? Wondering how skills are taught in groups and what skills can be learned?

Meet and chat with one of our group facilitators to learn more!

Date: November 11, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

When we enroll our children in social skill groups, school, and various community programs, we want to ensure they have the pre-requisite skills they need in order to be able to learn in these environments. We want them to benefit from what is being taught and these experiences. There are so many skills that a child needs to possess before learning can take place in a group setting. These are skills that are not always explicitly taught and they differ from those of a 1:1 setting.

In this session we talk about those pre-requisite readiness skills, what they are, why they are important and how you can work on teaching these skills at home. We talk about listening and following directions, tolerating transitions, imitation, joining in, group demands and more!

Date: November 13, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The Ontario Ministry of Education recognizes that students develop and learn in different ways and that some children will require special education programs. The Education Act requires school boards to provide special education programs for children who need them. The IPRC process is the pathway to ensuring proper placements and levels of support are secured for children who require them.

In this session, the IPRC process will be broken down into clear steps and your role in this process will be defined. Our clinicians have extensive knowledge in collaborating with school board staff and they will cover important milestones in your child’s school journey through the IPRC lens. There will be several opportunities to ask IPRC related questions throughout session.

Date: November 15, 2024 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with autism may experience challenges navigating all the available supports and services for their child. Come and chat with a Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) to learn more about treatment areas and scope of practice within the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).

This session allows for an interactive experience where parents and caregivers can ask questions related to ABA and how it can help support your child. Topics covered may include treatment focus, differences between ABA and other therapies such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, and how to look for a quality ABA service provider.

Date: November 18, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

The Behaviour Series are three independent but related workshops where caregivers learn ways to support their child before, during and after displaying challenging behaviour. This session focuses helping your child find their calm and shares what caregivers can do during an episode of challenging behaviour to support the child who is experiencing strong and uncomfortable emotions. This workshop provides a variety of practical strategies that may help keep caregivers in a space where they might effectively support the child who is having difficulty returning to a calm state.

Date: November 20, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Reinforcement is a natural process involved in learning virtually all new skills. As parents, reinforcement can be one of the most powerful tools we use to support specific goals with our children. In this education session, you will learn how to use reinforcement to teach your child new skills, increase their motivation, expand their interests, and strengthen your relationship with your child. And the good news is, children don’t have to be reliant on planned reinforcers (special rewards) for all this to be possible.

This session will also discuss how to teach our children to eventually work for naturally occurring reinforcement.

Date: November 26, 2024 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a document that is often described as the cornerstone of special education for children who have exceptional needs. Parents, educators, and community partners all play important roles in the planning and implementation of a student’s special education program. Taking a collaborative team approach to setting observable, measurable and realistic expectations and goals for student achievement will often lead to a positive school climate and the best possible outcomes for your child. This interactive session will help parents understand the IEP and how to participate in the IEP development, implementation, and review process.

Date: November 28, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Many people with autism process sensory information (i.e., information coming in through your vision, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching senses), from the world around them differently from others. This workshop, led by an Occupational Therapist, will explore more about the sensory system, how it affects people with autism every day, and how to support your child day to day.

This session aims to provide caregivers with a general overview of sensory processing and emotion regulation strategies. You will also learn about the functions of behaviour, triggers of dysregulation, and tools/strategies to support sensory regulation that you can implement at home.

Date: November 29, 2024 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

We all know how challenging a picky eater can be, but did you know there are Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) strategies that can help?

You will become more familiar with the importance of good eating habits, issues common to picky eaters, and factors that may influence them, how to increase healthy eating routines, and ways to track how your child’s eating habits are changing. Additional resources on creating and managing a healthier lifestyle will be provided.

Date: December 2, 2024 from 12 to 2:30 p.m.

To access Core Clinical services through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) a Determination of Needs (DoN) will be completed with primary caregivers to determine funding amounts.

This session will provide an overview of the DoN. You will learn about the overall process, and have a better understanding of how to prepare, what to expect, and next steps. At the end of the session there is time allotted to answer additional questions you may have.

Date: December 3, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with autism may experience challenges with their child’s school placement, helping school staff understand their child’s needs, and understanding the services and supports your school board may offer. Seeing your child struggle with accessing curriculum or thriving in either virtual or in-school placements can be difficult.

Come and chat with one of Kinark’s School Consultants! Each session allows for an interactive experience for parents and caregivers to bring your questions about the school system and receive support from a School Consultant. You will also learn about other experiences from parents and caregivers, how to effectively advocate for your child, school policies and practices, individualized education plans (IEPs) and effective collaboration, as well as other valuable tips and tools for navigating and interacting with the school system.

Date: December 6, 2024 from 10 to 11 a.m.

This fourth session in the School Series focuses on bringing together the information of the previous three sessions on school policies and procedures to help you to effectively advocate for your child and collaborate with your child’s school team.

This session will provide you with information on what it means to be an advocate for your child and effective ways to advocate. It also provides information on why it is important to collaborate with your child’s school team and ways to enhance collaboration. There will be an opportunity to discuss challenges you may face when working with your child’s school team and tips, tricks, and resources to overcome these challenges.

Date: December 9, 2024 from 12 to 2 p.m.

After Behaviour: Responding Intentionally and Effectively to Behaviour focuses on the things that caregivers can do after bothvaluable skills and challenging behaviour to make it more likely that the child will display those valuable skills that they possess and make it less likely the child will rely on challenging behaviour to get their needs met when faced with similar situations in the future.

This workshop provides a variety of practical strategies that may reduce the likelihood of challenging behaviour re-occurring after an escalation has calmed and increase the likelihood of developing valuable skills.  The Behaviour Series: Before Behaviour, During Behaviour, and After Behaviour are three independent but related education sessions where you can learn more about ways to support your child who is displaying challenging behaviour and struggling to learn helpful ways to get their needs met. Please register separately for each session that you are interested in attending.

Date: December 11, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

We all thrive on routine. Children with autism do especially well with predictability and repetition. But what happens when your child’s regular routine is disrupted? This workshop will teach you how to establish a healthy routine at home with your child or children and how to manage disruptions.

You will learn the importance of establishing predictable day-to-day routines as well as how to help your child adapt to changes in routine. We will review and provide you with several ABA-based tools that will help you create structure at home such as a first-then board, visual schedule template, choice board, table-top activities, etc.

Date: December 12, 2024 from 9:30 to 11:30 am

Most parents and caregivers view safety as a significant concern. Parents of children with ASD often have additional issues to consider when addressing the safety concerns of their children. This workshop outlines essential safety skills with regards to household and fire safety. You’ll learn tips and tools you can use to anticipate the risks, avoid the dangers, and teach the skills your child needs to stay safe at home.

Date: December 16, 2024 from11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Parents and caregivers of children and youth with autism may experience challenges navigating all the available supports and services for their child. Come and chat with a Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) to learn more about treatment areas and scope of practice within the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).

This session allows for an interactive experience where parents and caregivers can ask questions related to ABA and how it can help support your child. Topics covered may include treatment focus, differences between ABA and other therapies such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, and how to look for a quality ABA service provider.

Date: December 18, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Does your child struggle when faced with unexpected events or changes to the routine? Do they insist on having things a certain way or have trouble shifting their point of view? Rigid thinking and behaviours are common and may be tied to anxiety. In this session, we’ll talk about some common issues around rigidity, ways to support your child in these moments, and strategies to help promote flexibility in thinking and behaviour.

Date: December 30, 2024 from 12 to 1 p.m.