Overview
ACT’s evidence based services are provided by our highly trained staff and offered in our clinic or in your home.
Overview
CommuniCare provides both home care and school care services to the Local Health Integration Networks in the Champlain and South East regions of Ontario. Additionally, we can service government agencies, insurance companies, private businesses, physicians and the general public through self-referrals.
Our team of professionals works collaboratively with individuals to put their needs at the center of their care plan. Therapy is available in the setting that is most convenient to the patient, be it home, workplace, school or in our private clinic. Services are provided in both official languages. CommuniCare will work collaboratively with patients, family/caregivers and other health care professionals to provide comprehensive therapy services.
The services we provide include:
We recognize that change is difficult when your everyday living is disrupted. We recognize that changing behaviour, adjusting to a disability and to and the rehabilitation process are challenging for both the individual and their friends and family as such CommuniCare provides ongoing support and education as required by the individual, his or her family, caregivers and patient care team.
APPLIED BEHAVIOURAL ANALYSIS (ABA)
ACT’s Behaviour Therapists use Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to assist children and youth in developing skills in the areas of: language and communication, play, joint attention, activities of daily living, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and behaviour.
What is ABA?
ABA is an evidence-based, scientific intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It uses evidence-based behavioural principles to produce meaningful change in behaviour.
Skills that are commonly taught through ABA therapy include communication, cognition, pre-academics, play skills, joint attention, social skills, and independent self-help skills like dressing, feeding and toileting. In addition to this ABA therapy aims to replace challenging behaviours by teaching the individual more socially appropriate behaviours.
Strategies that are based in ABA included discrete trail teaching (DTT), incidental teaching or natural environment training (NET), the verbal behaviour approach to language and early childhood interventions like the Early Start Denver Model.
What does an ABA program look like?
ABA is delivered at a lesser intensity than Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI), typically less than 20 hours/week. ABA is used to target specific skills and typically focuses on 1 or 2 main goals identified by parents and the clinician as a priority for intervention (for example learning to get dressed, or decreasing aggression and teaching an appropriate replacement behaviour).
ABA Services at ACT
At ACT Learning Centre ABA clients receive:
- An individualized assessment and service plan that includes incorporates the parent’s goals for their child/youth. The individualized assessment and service plan will be overseen by ACT’s Clinical Supervisor with input from ACT’s senior therapist.
- Each ABA client receives input into each individualized program by ACT’s Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists (included in the ABA rates)
- Therapy/intervention by ACT’s highly trained staff in our clinic or in your home.
- Parent coaching and training to facilitate carry over to the home and community environment.
- Collaboration with other members of the child’s team (preschool, school, community)
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INTENSIVE BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS (IBI)
What is IBI?
IBI stands for intensive behavioural intervention. This is ABA delivered at a high intensity that includes 20 hours therapy or more per week. IBI includes programming across developmental domains in order to improve the child’s quality of life. The purpose of intensive behavioural intervention is to improve a child’s rate of learning and overall developmental trajectory.
Curriculums commonly used in IBI are the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS-R) and Verbal Behaviour Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP).
Services offered in ABA and IBI
- Functional assessment of behavior
- Skills based assessments (ABLLS-R & VB-MAPP)
- Individualized programming to target the child’s unique areas of need
- Communication training, including augmentative communication (PECS, Proloquo2Go) under the guidance and recommendations of ACT’s speech language pathologists.
- Teach school readiness and Social Skill training.
- Parent Coaching
- Consultation with other professionals
Who is involved in the implementation of ABA/IBI therapy at ACT?
ACT’s ABA therapy is delivered by our team of professionals, including an Instructor therapist, Senior Therapist and a Clinical Supervisor. ACT’s speech language pathologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are also members of ATC’s ABA team. Please click on the Our Team link for more information.
IBI Services at ACT
At ACT Learning Centre IBI clients receive:
- An individualized assessment and service plan that includes incorporates the parent’s goals for their child/youth. The individualized assessment and service plan will be overseen by ACT’s Clinical Supervisor with input from ACT’s senior therapist.
- Each ABA client receives input into each individualized program by ACT’s Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists (included in the IBI rates)
- Therapy/intervention by ACT’s highly trained staff in our clinic or in your home.
- Parent coaching and training to facilitate carry over to the home and community environment.
- Collaboration with other members of the child’s team (preschool, school, community)
Offered in:
EARLY START DENVER MODEL (ESDM)
ESDM
The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a comprehensive early intervention program for children with autism or children who are at risk for an autism spectrum diagnosis. ESDM is an evidence based behavioural intervention program that is play based. ESDM focuses on communication, social skills, imitation, play, and gross and fine motor skills. At ACT our ESDM team consists of the Supervising Therapist (either a BCBA, Senior Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist) who have been trained in the ESDM model. The supervising therapist is responsible for completing the ESDM assessment and writing the individualized program for each child.
The parents’ role in ESDM
ESDM recognizes that parents and caregivers are an integral part of the child’s intervention team. At ACT we encourage parents to be active participants in their child’s ESDM sessions.
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THE PLAY PROJECT
What is the Play Project?
The PLAY Project is an evidence-based autism intervention program developed by Rick Solomon, MD, a Developmental and Behavioural Pediatrician. The PLAY Project is devoted to helping parents develop a better connection with their child through play and helping the child to improve their language, development, behaviour and social skills.
The PLAY Project Home Consulting Program offers support and training for families of young children with autism in the home setting or in our clinic. Parents are coached by certified PLAY Consultants under the supervision of licensed speech-language pathologists or occupational therapists to implement methods and techniques that are effective, fun, and useful in day-to-day interactions with their child.
How does the PLAY Project help my child?
You are your child’s first and best teacher and you know your child better than anyone else. The PLAY Project is a parent-mediated model of treatment, meaning that we train you to interact with your child to better facilitate their development. The PLAY Project consultant assesses your child’s developmental and behavioural changes at each visit. The assessment is used to develop the child’s individualized play plan which includes a set of techniques and activities designed to help your child reach these outcomes:
- Increased caregiver/parent and child interaction
- Increased social interaction
- Improved social-emotional development
- Improved autism related diagnostic category/symptoms including behavioural compliance
Our certified PLAY Project consultants are specialists in the fields of child development and autism spectrum disorders who are trained to educate, guide and support you as you learn to nurture your child’s social and emotional development, but we consider you, as parents and caregivers to be the expert on your child.
What is a typical PLAY visit like?
Your PLAY Project Consultant coaches you in the PLAY Project methods, principles and techniques so you can help deliver the intervention with your child throughout your everyday interactions. During visits, you and the PLAY project Consultant work with your child. Siblings and other caregivers are welcome to join in the play-based activities too. Our Consultants show you practical way of making every interaction with your child a growing and learning experience. To keep your child’s autism intervention at the high intensity level, we recommend 2 hours per day of PLAY-time between caregiver and child; this can usually be done in multiple 15-20 minute sessions. Families report that this time is enjoyable and does fit in to their schedules. We can also provide training to childcare workers/nannies to allow them to complete these sessions.
How long is a PLAY Project Session?
PLAY sessions typically include:
- 2 in-home visits per month that are 1-1.5 hours in length, for at least six months
- The visits include the PLAY Consultant modeling different strategies with your child as well as coaching you to try them
- A PLAY Plan is sent within 2 weeks of each visit with detailed PLAY recommendations for methods, techniques, and activities.
- Family support (to get resources, help with school, etc.)
What are typical PLAY Project visits like?
In between coaching and modelling, the PLAY Project consultant will assess your child’s progress and videotape short playful interactions between you and your child. This monthly video analysis helps the PLAY Project consultant develop an ongoing PLAY Plan with individualized suggestions and recommendations for you to help your child keep making progress.
What can I expect after each visit?
Each month, you will receive:
- Videos of you and your child’s playful interaction.
- A written assessment of your child’s progress and PLAY Plan.
- Written coaching, feedback and detailed recommendations.
- Supplemental handouts that will guide you in playing and interacting with your child.
PARENT COACHING
We believe that parent coaching is an essential part of any intervention program. We are pleased to offer evidence based parent coaching programs that are eligible for funding under the Ontario Autism Program. Parents/caregivers may choose to combine parent coaching as a part of their child’s individualized program.
The following evidence-based parent coaching programs are offered at ACT
ABA
Parent coaching and training is available with our BCBA or Senior Therapist to allow parents to follow through with therapy goals in the home based environment.
The Play Project
The PLAY Project™ is a parent implemented, intensive early intervention program for young children with autism that is evidence based. The Play Project is based on DIR/Floortime principles and recognizes that early intervention can make a profound difference in the life course of children because their brains are developing at an accelerated rate. Very young children, including children with autism, learn best through play in the natural environment of the home. The PLAY Project is delivered by parents, who are trained by ACT’s Play Project Consultants. It is a cost effective, evidence based intervention early intervention program geared towards children 6 years of age and under.
DIR/Floortime
DIR/Floortime parent coaching is provided by Cindy Harrison, ACT’s co-founder and Speech Language Pathologist. Parents are coached on how to interact with their child to facilitate regulation, joint attention, communication and language, motor skills, cognition, ideation and execution, and social problem-solving. Floortime promotes the child/youth’s development by developing a nuanced understanding of their sensory, emotional, and communication profile and using that to adapt the way we interact with the child to advance development.
COMING SOON to ACT’S PARENT COACHING PROGRAM
Hanen More Than Words
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
ACT’s Occupational Therapists offer assessment, education and treatment for infants, children, youth and young adults.
Our therapists have the training and knowledge to treat sensory processing, fine motor, gross motor, feeding, self-regulation, and activities of daily living (i.e. toileting).
ACT’s OTs provide assessment and therapy for clients with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, developmental delay sensory processing challenges, visual spatial difficulties and fine and gross motor delays. All of ACT’s OTs are licensed, regulated health professionals.
Offered in:
SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPY
ACT’s speech language pathologists assess and treat communication and swallowing/eating disorders in infants, children, youth and young adults. We also provide consultation and intervention in the area of augmentative communication.
ACT’s SLPs provide assessment and therapy for clients with autism spectrum disorder, developmental disabilities, developmental delay and communication delays. All of ACT’s SLPs are licensed, regulated health professionals with Master’s degrees in Speech Language Pathology.
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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Julie McIsaac, Ph.D. provides parent coaching, mental health support, and intervention to children/youth and their families. She also supervises all programming for clients who are using third-party insurance.
Clients are encouraged to contact their employee benefits carriers to confirm the terms and conditions of their benefits package specific to third-party insurance.
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INQUIRIES
If you are interested in obtaining further information about the private services we offer please submit your contact information below.
This post is also available in: French