Holland Bloorview is pleased to be offering Social ABCs as part of the OAP funded caregiver mediated early years programs for young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Register for the Social ABCs Program
The Social ABCs is an evidence-based caregiver-mediated early years (CMEY) intervention program offered for children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are 48 months of age or under at the time of registration. Developed by a team of Canadian researchers, including Holland Bloorview’s, Dr. Jessica Brian, it is considered to be a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Intervention (NDBI). NDBIs are evidence-based interventions designed to be implemented in natural settings, that build on the child’s interests and motivation, make use of natural opportunities for learning, and use a variety of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) strategies to teach developmentally appropriate skills.
The Social ABCs is currently offered as a 6-week, group-based intervention, delivered virtually. It includes 6 small parent group sessions and 9 individual parent-child coaching sessions.
We offer a unique parent training experience where caregivers are viewed as the experts and are coached and supported by highly qualified coaches. The content of our service is developmental in nature and involves education and coaching around: building communication skills, helping to develop emotion regulation, managing challenging behaviours, sharing positive emotions, encouraging play, and creating social routines, while also focusing on the importance of caregiver self-care.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Family has received a written invitation from the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) stating the family is eligible to register.
- Families of toddlers between the ages of 12-48 months.
- Toddlers who have been diagnosed with ASD.
- Toddlers must be able to move independently (e.g., scoot, crawl, walk, etc.).
- One parent/caregiver per child will be coached. The same parent/caregiver must be available for all sessions.
- Program delivery is in English only at this time.
The 6-week Virtual Social ABCs Program includes:
- 6 small-group parent/caregiver education sessions (1.5 hours each), with coaches and other parents
- These are held weekly (for 6 consecutive weeks) at the same time each week
- 9 individual parent/caregiver-child virtual coaching sessions (1 hour each)
- To be scheduled individually with Social ABCs parent coach, Mon-Fri during business hours (2 sessions per week in first 3 weeks, then 1 session per week for the next 3 weeks.
- These individual sessions are in addition to the 6 group sessions.
- 1 individual parent/caregiver introductory session (30 min)
All group and individual sessions take online through the Zoom for Healthcare platform.
Social ABCs Frequently Asked Questions
What can families expect in the virtual group-based Social ABCs?
In this 6-week intervention, the parent or primary caregiver interacts directly with their child, while a Social ABCs Coach leads them through learning and practicing the techniques in the context of play and social interactions. The caregiver and child interact in the comfort of their own home, while the Social ABCs coach joins them virtually, using Zoom for Healthcare. There is no interaction expected between the Social ABCs Coach and the child during the intervention, as all play and activities take place between the child and their caregiver. There will be 6 small-group meetings with Coaches and other parents, as well as 9 in-the-moment direct, virtual coaching sessions (i.e., individual coaching sessions with just the caregiver and child, and their Social ABCs Coach joining virtually over zoom).
How will families know if they can access Social ABCs through the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)?
Eligible families will be contacted by the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) if they are eligible to register. The OAP will invite families to enroll in a caregiver mediated early years (CMEY) program of their choice. The Social ABCs is one of the programs available. Families can register here if invited.
