The Children’s Friendship Program helps neuro-diverse elementary school children (who may have Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or similar neurodevelopmental disorders) who have trouble making or keeping friends through skill-building group sessions. This group is overseen by a qualified service provider (a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst) and falls under the Ontario Autism Program’s core clinical services and supports.
Your child is likely to benefit from the program if he or she:
- Has no or few friends
- Is bossy, controlling, or aggressive with other children
- Is shy, reserved, or inattentive with other children
- Has trouble sharing or resolving conflicts
- Is ignored, rejected, or bullied by other children
- Is rarely invited to birthday parties or play dates
During each small-group session, children learn and practice a new skill with other group members. Children are given weekly assignments to help them apply the new skills in their daily lives. Meanwhile, in the parent group, parents learn how to support their children’s social development, coaching them as they practice their skills in the real world.
The group will focus on the following skills:
- Making a good first impression
- Conversing with other children
- Finding common interests with other children
- Playing fairly and being gracious when winning or losing
- Resolving conflicts
- Handling rejection, teasing, and bullying
- Joining other children at play
- Being a good host on a playdate
- Showing respect to other children and adults
Eligibility
Participants must:
- Be a neuro-diverse youth between the ages of 7 and 10 years of age
- Benefit from explicit direction in the program topics
- Be able to manage a group environment of four to eight participants to two staff
- Have a reliable method of communicating their wants and needs
- Not engage in harmful behaviour to self or others
- Respect a closed door
- Have a caregiver available to attend concurrent parent sessions
Details
Sessions will run Tuesday evenings from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. from March 21 to May 23, 2023, at the Oshawa Main Site (600 Townline Road South). The child and parent groups will run simultaneously and come together at the end of each session. Workshop development and program supervision are overseen by Grandview Kids staff, including Autism Therapy Assistants, Recreation Therapists and Board Certified Behaviour Analysts.
