Workshops
Foundational Family Services Pre-Recorded Workshops are available to families/caregivers of children and youth who are registered with the Ontario Autism Program.
Foundational Family Services Pre-Recorded Workshops are available to families/caregivers of children and youth who are registered with the Ontario Autism Program.
Pre-recorded on demand presentations are available for you to access via an access link that you can view at your own leisure.
Once a presentation has been viewed, you have the option to schedule a follow up consultation with a member of ConnectWell’s multidisciplinary team.
To schedule a follow up consultation: Contact Chelsea at 613-257-7121 ext. 3200 or Toll Free (800) 667-2617 ext. 3200. ConnectWell will communicate with you for feedback to evaluate the service and provide you with additional workshops if desired.
It’s common for parents and caregivers to feel overwhelmed in the early stages of navigating the world of autism services and funding. This workshop is intended to answer common questions families have when just starting out on their journey with Autism. Most of this information is specific to the Counties of Lanark, Leeds & Grenville.
Families of children with special needs often require several services to enhance the health, well-being and life quality of their child and family. Respite care is one such service. ConnectWell staff will inform you of the different types of respite services, discuss how to go about hiring your own respite worker, and steps to apply for funding.
How do parents, caregivers and educators contribute to a child’s development of play and social skills? In this workshop, we explore how using an ABA-based approach coupled with a speech and language perspective on social communication can help your child improve the quality of their social interactions.
Learn how to share what is awesome about your child by focusing on the 6 “F-words” (function, family, fitness, fun, friends, future). This presentation will help you develop a plan that outlines experiences and learning opportunities that your child and family find meaningful.
It’s no secret that lack of sleep can have a significant effect on one’s ability to function throughout the day. It can also impact the sleep of others in the family. In this workshop, we will explore common sleep issues experienced by children and youth with ASD and how to promote healthy sleep habits so everyone is well rested.
Does your child have trouble eating certain foods, or is very limited in what he/she likes to eat? This workshop will examine the challenges of picky eating and explore reasons why children become “picky” across several developmental domains. We will discuss strategies that can be used at home to help introduce new foods, encourage food exploration, and help mealtimes become more enjoyable.
This workshop is presented by an ABA and SLP professional who will explore using visuals to support children’s transitions, participation in routines, understanding of language, making choices & managing unwelcome behavior. Participants will learn to identify specific situations in which to use visual supports & how to create and use them with their child. Following the workshop, participants are provided with a package of materials they can customize for their child.
Does your child get upset when told to change activities or locations? This workshop will cover the most common and effective strategies recommended to parents to make transition easier. You will get to practice using visual tools like schedules and first/then strips, in ways that will be helpful for your child and family. Participants will learn to identify transition strategies and tools that can be used to support many transitions and will create an individual plan for their child.
Social narratives are a strategy to describe social situations that an individual may need support navigating. This workshop is designed to teach you what social narratives are and why we use them, how to make your own social narratives, and how to implement your narratives with your child.
Sending your child off to kindergarten can be an uneasy yet exciting time. Join us as we discuss ways to support your child with school readiness, common transitions they will experience at school and how to develop a checklist of actions and strategies to prepare your child for kindergarten.
Are you and your child ready to start toilet training? Perhaps you have tried and feel you need some support? This workshop aims to help parents and caregivers of children with ASD learn skills and strategies to help with the exciting and sometimes challenging task of toilet training.
Learn how to identify possible risks and dangers that may exist in the home and the community for your child/youth with Autism. Explore various strategies and tools that you can use to promote safety whether in your household or out & about in your neighborhood.
This workshop will provide information to caregivers to help their child/youth attend successful self-care appointments (i.e. dentist, bloodwork, doctor’s visits). We will cover how to ease anxiety, prepare your child in advance, communicate with your healthcare provider about your child’s needs, and select tools to help support on the day of the appointment.
Going to school can be challenging for children, even on a good day. This workshop will aid in identifying factors that may be affecting your child’s desire to attend school. Parents, caregivers and educators can explore strategies to help your reluctant student become a more engaged learner.
This workshop focuses primarily on the prevention of escalating behavior. You will learn about recommended strategies from the Crisis Prevention Institute to assist in the prevention of and diffusion of those behaviors. Note: This is not a CPI certified course.
The Hidden Curriculum refers to a set of rules or guidelines that are not directly taught but are assumed to be known, and that affect social interactions, school performance, and sometimes health and well-being. The curriculum includes unspoken rules, slang, metaphors, and body language. This workshop will provide you with practical strategies and tips for teaching these hidden social needs to children/youth and stresses the importance of making these a part of everyday life.
This workshop includes information to help parents talk to their child about their sibling with Autism. The workshop focuses on dealing with positive and negative emotions that may be displayed and provides strategies to enhance understanding and strengthen sibling relationships.
This workshop will introduce participants to many processes & procedures of specific special education services in Ontario. Parents will feel more confident to work with their child’s special education team to effectively address needs for their child now and in the future.
This workshop will help you understand your child’s developmental stage in relation to internet use. Focus on helping caregivers to move towards online safety for their child; teaching technology appropriately while encouraging their child to stay connected with peers.
This workshop will discuss how to start a conversation with your child about their diagnosis. We will aim to offer dialogue to explain and give your child a better understanding so that they can ask for what they need. We will provide resources to assist & guide you.
This workshop will include instructions on how to assist your child with wearing a mask, including strategies to reduce fear associated with mask-wearing.
This workshop is for families with a teen with ASD who is entering or experiencing the onset of puberty. This workshop will support parents as they help their teenager to understand the developmental changes they are going through. Parents will be provided with resources to further support their child’s needs during this time of change.
Preparing your child to transition to Post- Secondary Education is a big step and starts long before the move to college or university happens. This workshop provides strategies to help you build a transition plan, establish goals and a timeline to get your young adult ready. Tips on tools that can be useful for organization and support for self- advocacy will be covered.
This workshop is for parents and caregivers interested in understanding the different developmental stages of sexuality. We will discuss how to introduce this topic and talk about this to their teens.
This workshop will help you understand your teen’s developmental stage in relation to internet use. We will look at how you can protect your teen online and help teach them safe use and where to go for help if they need it.
This workshop is designed to help you develop a plan to address the steps that may lie ahead as your child transitions to an adult. By attending this workshop, you will become aware of changes in funding and services as well as common adult transitions that can require further attention as you move through them.
1) Positive Reinforcement & Pairing
This workshop aims to teach parents and caregivers of children with ASD what positive pairing and reinforcement are. We will explore how to use them effectively and the benefits in doing so to bring about new skills & desired behaviors.
2) ABCs of Behavior
This workshop is intended to assist parents and caregivers of children with ASD in learning how to identify and collect information on antecedents, behaviors and consequences. Knowledge of the ABCs of behavior is an integral part of understanding and managing your child’s behavior.
3) Functions of Behavior
Do you find yourself questioning WHY your child behaves the way they do? This workshop will help parents to understand the function of their child’s interfering behavior and learn about strategies to help that correspond with that function.
4) Promoting Independence: Activities of Daily Living
This workshop will help parents and caregivers of children with ASD learn how to select & teach meaningful activities of daily living to promote greater independence.
1) Introduction to Occupational Therapy & Sensory Processing
This workshop will introduce Occupational Therapy and Sensory Processing to parents & caregivers. The content will cover what Occupational Therapy is, what the sensory systems are, and introductory strategies to improve integration and enhance successful participation for children & youth in daily routines & activities.
2) Sensory Processing Strategies for Self-Regulation
This workshop will review the 8 sensory systems, learn more about how challenges in each sensory system may present in day-to-day activities, and explore general sensory strategies in each sensory system that you can consider trying at home.