Inclusive Recreation Programs

The SCDSB offers a variety of inclusive social and recreational programs for students with a developmental profile consistent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The programs focus on using recreation, music, coding, problem solving, and play to support social skills development. Programs are typically run in fall, winter and spring sessions.

Parents/guardians are an important part of the programs and will receive resources and support to help the children develop and practice new skills at home and at school. 

Information regarding the programs is outlined below. When available, information and applications for upcoming sessions are posted on this page as well.

Upcoming session details

 

Coding and Robotics Club

Tuesdays, Oct. 29 – Nov. 26, virtual
Session One - 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Wednesdays, Oct. 30 – Nov. 27, virtual
Session Two - 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Thursdays, Oct. 31 – Nov. 28, virtual
Session Three - 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Session Four - 4:30 - 6 p.m. 

 

Journey to Success Social Skills Program

Tuesdays, Oct. 29 – Dec. 3, virtual
Session One - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Session Two - 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 

 

Music Social Skills Program

Wednesdays, Oct. 30 – Dec. 18, Algonquin Ridge ES, Barrie
Session One - 4:30 - 5:15 p.m.
Session Two - 5:30 - 6:15 p.m.
 


Recreation Social Skills Program

Tuesdays, Oct. 29 – Dec. 10, Ferndale Woods ES, Barrie
Session One - 4:15 - 5 p.m.
Session Two - 5:15 - 6 p.m.
Wednesdays, Oct. 30 –Dec. 11, Couchiching Heights PS, Orillia
Session Three - 4:15 - 5 p.m.
Session Four - 5:15 - 6 p.m.


SIBSHOPS Workshops for Siblings of Children with Special Needs

Tuesdays, Nov. 5 to Dec. 10, Cundles Heights PS, Barrie
Session One - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

To apply for the SIBSHOPs workshop, contact Tara Beuck at [email protected] or Colleen Vanstone at [email protected].

 

Applications for the above sessions are now closed.

Limited spaces are available. Completion of the application form does not guarantee enrolment into the program. You may be contacted for a telephone interview or screening session to assess if the program is appropriate for your child.

Coding and Robotics Club

The Coding and Robotics Club is a five-week program focusing on providing children with a developmental profile consistent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) an opportunity to engage in social interactions and build friendships through a shared interest in computers, coding and robotics through a highly scaffolded progression of robotic themed activities.

A significant portion of each session is devoted to collaborative robotic and coding themed social games, designed to encourage joint engagement, conversation, turn-taking, and cooperation, while building behaviour regulation skills, patience, and perseverance.

Parents/guardians will receive information and strategies to help develop and practice new skills at home and at school.


Topics of instruction
  • Introduction to coding skills (sequences, loops and events)
  • Computation problem-solving strategies
  • Looking for patterns
  • Finding and fixing errors
  • Robotic themed assistive technology literacy and math activities
  • Online and robot graphical activities
  • Action songs and crafts
  • Unplugged computational thinking
  • Coding games
Participation requirements
  • Child must have a developmental profile consistent with ASD
  • Child is able to attend weekly virtual sessions for a five-week period
  • Demonstrates emerging social skills and an interest in building relationships with same-aged peers or peers with common interests

The program will be fully subsidized by the SCDSB and facilitated by LEARNstyle Coding and Robotics Trainers and SCDSB staff.

Journey to Success Social Skills Program

The Journey to Success Social Skills program is a six-week, virtual interactive program designed to improve the conversational and problem-solving skills of children with a developmental profile consistent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by focusing on teamwork. This series aims to target various life skills while providing a fun and interactive experience.

Parents/guardians will receive information and strategies to help develop and practice new skills at home and at school.

Workshop goals
  • Problem solving
  • Communication
  • Adaptability
  • Time management
  • Social skills
  • Sensory integration
Participation requirements
  • Child must have a developmental profile consistent with ASD
  • Child is able to attend daily virtual sessions for a six week period
  • Demonstrates emerging social skills and an interest in building relationships with same-aged peers

The program will be fully subsidized by the SCDSB and facilitated by Tia Services.

Music Social Skills Program

The Music Social Skills program is an eight-week, multi-component music platform designed to improve the emotional understanding and social skills of children and is suggested for children with developmental profile consistent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Music captivates children with its hands-on learning environment and variety of rhythm and songs. Each session provides movement, composition, singing, playing instruments, and is designed to help children learn new social and emotional skills in a fun environment.

Parents/guardians will receive information and strategies to help young ‘musicians’ develop and practice new skills at home and at school during the parent/guardian information session.


Topics of instruction
  • Impulse control, taking turns, and waiting
  • Following instructions
  • Talking and playing with others
  • Joining in conversations and activities with others
  • Labelling emotions
  • Developing an understanding of how situations make them feel
  • Identifying appropriate strategies to manage unpleasant emotions
  • Solving social problems
Participation requirements
  • Child must have a developmental profile consistent with ASD 
  • Child is able to attend weekly in-person sessions for an eight-week period
  • Caregiver must be able to attend one parent/guardian session (date to be confirmed)
  • Demonstrates emerging social skills and an interest in building relationships with same-aged peers or peers with common interests

The program will be fully subsidized by the SCDSB and facilitated by Music Therapy Services of Simcoe County Music Therapists.

Recreation Social Skills Program

The recreation program is a seven-week, multi-component recreation intervention designed to improve the gross motor skills and social skills of children with a developmental profile consistent with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

This recreation program captivates children with its hands-on learning environment and opportunities to practice and learn new skills each week. Each session provides scaffolding, land marking, and cooperative games designed to help children learn new gross motor and social skills in a fun environment.

Parents/guardians are an integral part of the group program and receive support to help young athletes develop and practice new skills at home and at school.



Topics of instruction
  • Talking and playing with others
  •  Joining in conversations and activities with others
  •  How to cope with making mistakes, changes in routine, and feelings of uncertainty
  •  How to handle new situations and learning to ask for help
  •  Solving social problems
  • How to recognize simple and complex emotions in themselves and others
  •  How to express feelings in appropriate ways
  •  How to cope with feelings of anger and anxiety
Participation requirements
  • Child must have a developmental profile consistent with ASD
  • Child is able to attend weekly in-person sessions for a seven-week period
  • Demonstrates emerging social skills and an interest in building relationships with same-aged peers

The program will be fully subsidized by the SCDSB and facilitated by Shawn Delaire, Level 1 Coach and SCDSB staff.


SIBSHOPS Workshops for Siblings of Children with Special Needs

The SIBSHOPs program is a six-week, in person program designed for siblings of children and youth with disabilities or developmental needs. It’s a chance to have fun, make new friends, and talk about what it’s like to have a sibling with a disability or developmental needs.

Workshop goals
  • Play games and enjoy fun activities
  • Make new friendships
  • Meet other children with similar experiences
  • Find common interests
  • Self-discovery
  • Self-expression
  • Hear how others handle challenging situations
Participation requirements
  • Requires active participation, listening, and following directions
  • Participants should be able to work independently with limited support
  • This group is specifically for siblings who do not have developmental needs themselves

The program will be fully subsidized by the SCDSB and facilitated by Catulpa Community Support Services.