Autism Services
Helping children and youth reach their highest potential. Providing individualized services for children, and designed to meet the unique needs of their families
For more information:
Call to book an intake:
1-888-616-3456
The Autism Services team provides services to children and youth and their families in a variety of settings including at home, school, our Autism Services clinics, in the community, or virtually. The services provided are individualized for your child and are designed to meet the unique needs of your family. We involve families in every step. Canopy Support Services is here to help.
To find out more about our Autism Services and supports, we invite you to book an intake with our Central Navigation team. Once an intake is completed, and in collaboration with our clinical team, you will be provided with guidance on the duration, intensity, setting, and format of the supports and services that are most appropriate for your child and family. To book an intake, please contact our Central Navigation Team today.
Canopy Support Services has been providing Autism Services to individuals and families in Northumberland, Peterborough, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Haliburton for more than 20 years. Our dedicated and highly experienced staff deliver family-centered and evidence-based services and supports based on the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Autism Services are provided by qualified clinicians. All behavioural interventions are overseen by Registered Behaviour Analysts with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. These services are aimed at helping children and youth reach their highest potential.
Angela Rose,
Director of Autism Services
“Hi, I’m Angela and I am the Director of Autism Services. I have been with Canopy for over 20 years and have seen and experienced every change that the OAP has undergone over that time. At Canopy, we try to make access to our services as seamless and simple as possible. I take so much pride in our program that develops strong clinicians who are making a difference in our community and in the lives of children and youth with ASD.
We look forward to seeing how we can help you and your child!”
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“We are extremely excited to expand the new Autism Services clinic in the Northumberland area to address a service-gap and to bring autism services closer to home.”
— Himanshu Shah, Chief Executive Office
Canopy Support Services has been instrumental in supporting my child to develop more meaningful social interactions. Henry was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 3 years old - at the age of 7 Henry struggled to have conversation and be able to make connections with his peers.
After attending the Friendship class at Canopy we noticed a meaningful difference. Henry felt more confident in participating in school and started approaching his peers to engage in conversation. This change was even noted on his most recent report card from school: Henry “actively engages in our classroom discussion especially about animals or any topic related to science…”.
Attending the friendship class allowed Henry to develop skills to engage other children and to practice these skills in a safe space. Thank you to the entire team at Canopy for making a very real difference in our child’s life!
- Alysia & Rachel, Parents of an Autism Services Child
Please note, informed consent was obtained for this unsolicited testimonial and the information should not be captured or reused without express permission from Canopy Support Services. Canopy abides by all applicable privacy and confidentiality laws.
Individual Services
Canopy Support Services offers a range of fee-for-service options that are customized to meet the needs and goals of individual families.
ABA-Based Services
ABA-Based Services are available for children and youth and their families who require individualized support to develop new skills and/or reduce challenging behaviours. This program can assist in improving social and communication skills, regulating emotions, and increasing independence. Individual Behavioural Treatment is available at varying intensities and durations depending on your family’s situation and needs. Sessions can be scheduled in your home, in either our Peterborough or Cobourg clinic locations, or in the community.
Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI)
Developed for young children with ASD, this intensive, evidence-based ABA service targets a broad range of skills including communication, play, social development, self-help/independence, and pre-academic skills. Treatment is provided one-to-one and in small groups for up to 27 hours per week.
Skill Building Groups
Participating in skill-building groups with peers provides social interaction as well as the opportunity to learn and practice new skills. We offer a variety of groups with age-appropriate themes that use the principles of ABA including:
Social skills
Independence
Self-regulation
Customizable themes are also possible
Who is eligible?
Individual services are geared toward children under 18 years of age with a diagnosis of ASD, however, no diagnosis is required to be eligible. These services can be purchased using OAP funding, personal funds, or other funding sources.
How do I access services?
To learn more about Canopy’s fee-for-service programs, please contact our Central Navigation Team today.
1-888-616-3456 ext. 200
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When you call Central Navigation, they will answer your questions and if applicable schedule you an intake appointment with a Specialist. The intake will take place over the phone and last approximately 45 minutes. The specialist will ensure they gather the relevant information to match you to the relevant Canopy Services.
AS Group Programming - IN-PERSON
Social Work
Autism Services has a registered Social Worker on staff to support families registered in the OAP. The Social Worker is available to support children, youth and families through two different streams of services:
Case Management
The Social Worker can support families registered in the OAP with navigating local community resources, supporting referrals as needed, completing applications for funding sources and targeted advocacy supports.
Counselling Services
The Social Worker offers 1:1 counselling services using a fee for service approach where individuals can purchase blocks of service. Families can use OAP Core Clinical Services funding, their own funds, or other funding sources to purchase mental health services for their child or youth. They can offer support in the following areas:
Coping strategies
Stress
Life transitions
School struggles
Self-esteem
Depression
Anxiety
Anger
Interpersonal relationships (peer & family)
Substance use
The Social Worker practices from a client-centred, strengths based approach, using the following treatment modalities:
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Solution Focused Therapy
Who is eligible?
Social work services are geared toward children under 18 years of age with a diagnosis of ASD, however, no diagnosis is required to be eligible. These services can be purchased using OAP funding, personal funds, or other funding sources.
How do I access services?
To learn more about Canopy’s social work services, please contact our Central Navigation Team today.
1-888-616-3456 ext. 200
Foundational Family Services
Offered for free, Foundational Family Services are designed to provide families with more evidence-based tools to work with as they raise a child with unique needs. Foundational Family Services and supports are available to all families registered in the Ontario Autism Program.
Our foundational family services include:
Family and Peer Mentoring
Caregiver workshops and follow-up consultations
Transition supports
Brief behavioural consultation
Clinic days or resource kits
Who is eligible?
All individuals registered in the Ontario Autism Program are eligible to receive Foundational Family Services. Families should be prepared to provide their child’s OAP number at the time of registration.
How do I access services?
You can register for these services at any point based on your needs, at no cost. There are no limits to the number of times you can register for these services. To learn more about the current offerings check out our calendar of events or call or email our Central Navigation team.
1-888-616-3456 ext. 200
Check out our upcoming groups and workshops!
Caregiver Mediated Early Years (CMEY)
Young children with ASD are most successful at meeting their individual goals when parents and caregivers have the confidence and ability to help them work towards developmental milestones. Through CMEY, our Autism Services staff teach parents and caregivers play-based, child-led therapeutic strategies that will help their child develop social, communication, emotional, play, and adaptive skills to enable them to participate in valued family activities.
We offer the following Caregiver-Mediated Early Years Programs:
Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Supports (ESI/SCERTS)
Using instruction, modeling, practice, and feedback, this intensive, evidence-based program helps parents learn strategies to support their child build social, communication, and emotional regulation skills through valued daily family routines.
Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)
This child and family-centered intervention capitalizes on a child’s interests and initiations in everyday environments to teach caregivers strategies to support the development of communication, language, play, and social behaviors. PRT is incorporated into the child’s day-to-day interactions with family members, peers, teachers and other professionals. Applied across a family’s daily routine, these therapeutic strategies create a strong foundation for parents to increase their child’s motivation to learn to communicate, engage and initiate social interaction.
To learn more about this OAP support, please visit the OAP CMEY website.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for CMEY Programs, individuals must be:
12 – 48 months old
Have a confirmed diagnosis of ASD and be currently registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
Currently living in Peterborough, City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland or Haliburton
How do I access services?
To participate in a CMEY Program, caregivers must receive an invitation from the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services. Invitations are delivered to families via the child’s Access OAP portal. When you receive an invitation, please contact our Central Navigation team to begin the registration process.
1-888-616-3456 ext. 200
“Amazing! Our son is non-verbal and with the help of PRT Therapy, he has learned how to request more with sign language and some words. After a few weeks, we learned how to involve it in our everyday life”
— April, Parent of an Autism Services Child
Please note, informed consent was obtained for this unsolicited testimonial and the information should not be captured or reused without express permission from Canopy Support Services. Canopy abides by all applicable privacy and confidentiality laws.
Urgent Response Service
In partnership with Resources for Exceptional Children and Youth (RECY), our Urgent Response Service provides time-limited services and supports to respond rapidly to high-risk behaviours to prevent further escalation or risk to a child/youth, others or property.
High-risk behaviours include:
Suicidal ideation or behaviour
Violent thinking
Fire starting
Harm to animals
Risk of exploitation
Self-injurious behaviour
Aggression
Inappropriate sexual behaviour
Flight risk
Property destruction
URS provides services and support for up to 12 weeks. It is not a 24/7 service and it is not intended to replace existing emergency or crisis supports.
To learn more about this OAP support, please visit the OAP Urgent Response website.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for the URS program, individuals must:
Be under 18 years old
Have a confirmed diagnosis of ASD and be currently registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
Exhibiting a high-risk behaviour (the behaviour must have started or escalated in intensity over the past 14 days)
Currently living in Peterborough, City of Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland or Haliburton
Screened eligible for the URS
How do I access services?
To learn more about the URS program and the registration process, please contact Resources for Exceptional Children and Youth:
905-427-8862 ext. 426
If this is an emergency or someone is in immediate danger or thinking of suicide, call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.
Do you have questions about the Ontario Autism Program?
Are you wondering how to register for OAP Funding and Services? If your child is eligible for OAP?
For all these questions and additional information on the program, visit:
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