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 Academic Intervention
The ultimate goal for the students of Giant Steps is to participate successfully as members of regular classrooms. Being integrated into local schools provides all students with the opportunity to get to know and socialize successfully with kids in their neighbourhoods. Giant Steps'
York Region District School Board
special education teachers are specially trained to formulate goals that focus on academic growth and development based on the Ontario Ministry of Education's curriculum. They also provide support to Giant Steps students, their program assistants and classroom teachers in the children's local classroom settings, offering suggestions and modifications to increase the students' potential for success. Giant Steps teachers observe the children's progress within the classrooms and in the playground, and work with classroom teachers to provide the best possible programs and opportunities for students. Our teachers also act as the communication link between Giant Steps' therapy team, the schools and the students' families.
Speech & Language Therapy
Successful communication is a vital skill that is a main focus of the Giant Steps program. The Speech and Language Pathologist assesses the students' methods of communication and looks at ways of expanding their functional communication, both verbally and nonverbally. Giant Steps Toronto provides communication systems for the children that may include the use of an augmentative system (such as sign language), visual strategies (such as the Picture Exchange Communication System) and articulation and vocabulary expansion. Communication strategies are then put into practice by all members of the Giant Steps team.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy (O.T.) at Giant Steps Toronto strives to maximize the child's function in areas governed by motor and sensory systems: self-care, productivity (functioning at school) and leisure (play). Many of the children have difficulty organizing, sorting and effectively using and integrating information from their sensory systems (vision, balance, movement, muscle sense and body awareness). Treatment techniques are implemented to improve gross motor skills (such as jumping, swinging, callisthenics ), fine motor skills (such as dexterity exercises, printing, keyboarding), hand-eye coordination (such as ball skills), oral skills (eating and speech), visual perception (such as memory and hand-eye coordination exercises) and sensory modulation (tolerating movement and touch).
Music Therapy
A special area of interest for many people with autism, music plays an exciting and important part of the Giant Steps program. Music therapy seeks to take the power of music and use it to soothe, motivate and support emotional development. At Giant Steps Toronto, the children engage in all types of music making: singing, playing, moving, listening and creating music. Music therapy motivates the children to communicate, to maintain focus for longer periods of time and improve such skills as hand-eye coordination. Perhaps most importantly, it gives the children a voice to express themselves regardless of their communication level.
Play/Social Skills
The Play/Social Skills Program at Giant Steps addresses interactive, cognitive, emotional, developmental and social communication skills, drawing from both play and communication therapies. With the support of the play/social skills specialist, the children interact in a variety of activities (such as circle games and dances, action songs, symbolic play with figurines and puppets, and traditional play such as hockey, ball or board games). On an ongoing basis, the specialist also addresses psychological, social and emotional issues. Most importantly, the specialist integrates goals from the other disciplines so that the child can maximize his/her potential.
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