Giant Steps is a multi-disciplinary therapy centre that builds the skills and abilities of children with autism through specialized, evidence-based therapies and life skills programming

OUR PROGRAMS

Giant Steps serves children who have a primary diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Full and half day programs of speech, behaviour and occupational therapies combined with a life skills curriculum are available for children 3 – 10 years of age.

Individual therapy sessions are also available for speech, behaviour and/or occupational therapies for children 18 months – 14 years of age.

How we make it happen

At Giant Steps, we are continually fine tuning our delivery of best practices with respect for the unique communication, sensory and behavioural strengths and challenges experienced by each child.

Central to Giant Steps’ programs are 3 core therapies – speech, behaviour and occupational therapies.

Each child’s therapy goals are implemented and evaluated based on data collection and analysis, and each child’s program plan undergoes frequent clinical reviews.

Our therapists are registered with their professional organizations and have extensive experience working in the field of autism.

SPEECH & LANGUAGE THERAPY

Giant Steps’ team includes a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) and a Communications Disorders Assistant (CDA). Our speech team assesses each child’s abilities and methods of communicating, and formulates an individualized communication plan. These plans are implemented by our team and often combine visual strategies, such as the use of sign language and picture symbols, with those that focus on verbal expression and articulation. For non-verbal children and those needing more assistance with functional communication, strategies that include iPads (and other forms of technology such as SmartBoards), PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and augmentative communication devices are developed and expanded.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Using a wide variety of treatment modes and sensory integration strategies, our registered Occupational Therapists works with each child, addressing their individual needs.

Goals and therapeutic strategies are implemented to improve gross and fine motor skills, motor planning abilities and proprioception, oral motor and visual perception skills, independence with self-care, sensory modulation and integration of information from all 5 senses.

BEHAVIOUR THERAPY

Giant Steps’ behaviour therapist is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA). Using principles of applied behavioural analysis and data collection and analysis, our therapist conducts assessments and develops individualized behavioural strategies and modifications to curriculum and programming that are implemented by our team. Our behaviour therapist also educates and trains our staff in positive behavioural intervention strategies and techniques.

ESSENTIAL FOR LIVING (EFL) CURRICULUM

Giant Steps’ approaches our therapies and programming through the lens of the Essential For Living (EFL) framework, so that we may achieve thematic functional outcomes that are meaningful and socially significant for each child.

Essential for Living (EFL) is a communication, behaviour, and functional skills curriculum, assessment, and skills-tracking tool for children and youth with complex needs. EFL targets skills and behaviours within areas that are essential for effective daily living, and which result in a greater degree of independent functioning and improved quality of life.

The central focus of the EFL curriculum are 8 essential skills which have been identified as ‘must have’ skills. EFL is based on an extensive body of knowledge gained over the last 50 years by a vast number of researchers from the fields of applied behaviour analysis, child psychology, disability studies, education, precision teaching/direct instruction, psychology, special education, and speech-language pathology.

OUR DAILY PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Giant Steps offers Monday to Friday full-time or part-time programming as follows:

Full time — 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Part time AM — 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Part time PM — 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Each child receives weekly 1:1 therapy sessions in each discipline (ABA, OT, Speech & Language).
The daily schedule will also include:


Donate