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Negotiating the Maze supports families advocating for an autistic child or youth in Ontario schools. This updated version reflects current education policies and practices and offers practical guidance, clear explanations, and helpful tips to encourage informed, collaborative school advocacy. Families can use this guide to prepare for school meetings, understand school processes, and consider next steps as they navigate their child’s school journey.

This webinar will provide recommendations regarding movement activities that are can be done when restricted at home or when there is limited access to outdoor space.  Recommendations will be offered for all ages and specific equipment options will be reviewed.

Presenter : Ellen Yack, M.Ed, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Ellen Yack has practiced as an occupational therapist since 1979 and has a Masters’ Degree in Education.  She is recognized for her expertise in the treatment of autism spectrum, sensory processing and self-regulation disorders.  Ellen’s other areas of expertise include developmental coordination disorder, praxis disorders, global developmental delay, attention deficit disorders and learning disabilities.    Ellen’s experience working with children and adults with ASD includes assessment and treatment services offered at her private clinic and consultation and training services that were provided to the Geneva Centre for Autism for over 10 years. Ellen currently provides consultation to the Autism Support Team at the Toronto District Catholic School Board and to a variety of ABA programs and Mental Health agencies.

Join Jonathan Leef for a discussion about the current research on gender identity and sexuality in ASD. This webinar will focus on issues of capacity and consent, gender identity, and sexuality. Our hope is that this webinar will de-stigmatize these issues for parents and clinicians. 

Jonathan Leef, M.A. (Ph.D. Candidate)

Jonathan Leef M.A. (Ph.D. Candidate) is completing his final year of training to be a clinical psychologist, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the School and Clinical Child Psychology Program (SCCP) at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). He has been working with children and youth with ASD and their families since 2002, through the Hospital for Sick Children’s Autism Research Unit, the Child, Youth and Family Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and through Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, where he is also a senior research coordinator in the Autism Research Centre. Jonathan recently defended his doctoral dissertation, which explored the relationships between gender dysphoria and ASD in children.

Everything you wanted to ask your doctor about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and more! This webinar will cover early signs of ASD, when and how to make a diagnosis, early intervention principles, and medical problems including sleep, nutrition, GI problems and toilet training. Dr. Wendy Roberts will also review competence building at all ages and communication strategies.

Presenter:

Dr. Wendy Roberts, The Hospital for Sick Children Developmental Pediatrician Co-Director, Autism Research Unit, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto

During her career as a developmental pediatrician, Dr. Wendy Roberts has been an active participant in a variety of clinical research projects relevant to the goals of improving care for individuals with autism. Her main role in research has been as clinician collaborator and site principal investigator on a variety of projects related to defining the etiology, refining the definition, and searching for interventions for
autism.

A large part of her role has been knowledge transfer through continuing medical education. She has been active in teaching physicians how to identify autism more efficiently, and to follow children closely for developmental and medical issues. Since 2003, Dr. Roberts has been a mentor in the CIHR Autism Research Training Program and has expanded her role in training and maintenance of reliability for use of autism diagnostic measures by colleagues, graduate students and research coordinators in autism research teams working across Canada.

Confidently acknowledging what one is good at is the first step in deciding what kind of work/education may be a good match. In this one hour workshop, individuals will be challenged to think about the talents and abilities they may bring to a future job. Sarah will guide participants in exercises and suggest resources that will help in identifying interests and skills for a potential job.

Other sessions in this series:

• Part 1 of 5 - Resiliency in Job Searching
• Part 3 of 5 - Resume & Cover Letter Development
• Part 4 of 5 - Interview Skills
• Part 5 of 5 - Social Scenarios at Work

Presenter: Sarah Southey, M.S.W

Sarah is a Social Worker (M.S.W.), and is an affiliate of The Redpath Centre. She see’s clients in Mississauga, Toronto and virtually. She has over 12 years of experience working with adolescents and adults with ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities and mental health issues. Sarah focuses her counselling and research on helping people with ASD find and keep meaningful employment. Sarah uses solution-focused and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques in her sessions.

Ask any adult and they likely agree with this simple truth: children have an unparalleled ability to play with anything. Perhaps the best part of being an adult is that we have the privilege to rekindle our creativity through our pretend play adventures with our children. But sometimes, our kids look to us for ideas. Sometimes a child’s well of creativity runs dry, and there is a need to find original activities to pass the time. Perhaps the hardest part of being an adult is when two siblings run out of things to do! In this presentation, attendees will learn about the intersections of play, games, and behavioural treatment for children who live with Autism. Attendees will leave this presentation with knowledge about the importance of play in education, and some simple ideas to create play activities and games that encourage engagement and interactions in children.

Additional Session in this series:

1. Self Care Skills During COVID-19 with Janice Theodoropoulos
2. Fostering Safe Social Connections During COVID-19 with Carly Eby & Michau van Speyk
3. Creating Structure and Stability in the Home with Dawn Marciello & Joan Broto

Speaker: Harley Lang BCBA

Harley Lang is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst who lives and practices ABA in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is a part-time associate with Semiahmoo Behaviour Analysts Inc., where he designs behaviour interventions and consults with schools. Harley is the lead developer of Teaching Games, a community project that disseminates information about behaviour analysis and game-based learning. This past April, Teaching Games published The Playbook, a free resource for parents and educators that describes how to implement game-based learning.