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 each program 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

Wednesday, Nov. 1 to 29, virtual

Session One - 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Session Two - 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Session Three - 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 2 to 30, virtual

Session Four - 4:30 - 6 p.m.
Session Five - 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Apply for the Coding and Robotics Club program.


Music Social Skills Program

Wednesday, Oct. 25 to Dec. 13,Terry Fox ES, Barrie

Session One - 4 - 4:45 p.m.
Session Two - 5 - 5:45 p.m.

Apply for the Music Social Skills Program.


Recreation Social Skills Program

Tuesday, Oct. 24 to Dec. 19,Mapleview Heights ES, Barrie
Session One - 4:15 - 5 p.m.
Session Two - 5:15 - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25 to Dec. 20,Cundles Heights PS, Barrie
Session Three - 4:15 - 5 p.m.
Session Four - 5:15 - 6 p.m.

Apply for the Recreation Social Skills Program.

Escape Room Social Skills Program

Thursday, Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, virtual
Session One - 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Apply for the Escape Room Social Skills Program.



Applications for the above sessions must be submitted by Oct. 16, 2023 at 4 p.m.

Limited spaces are available. Interested parents/guardians should complete the initial application form and submit it to the SCDSB. This does not guarantee enrolment into the program. You may be contacted for an initial telephone interview or virtual screening session to assess if the program is appropriate for your child.

Coding and Robotics Program
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.

Escape Room Social Skills Program
The Escape Room Social Skills program is a six-week, virtual escape room designed to improve the conversational skills and problem-solving skills of children with a developmental profile consistent with ASD by focusing on teamwork.

The virtual escape room program includes take-away resources for the student and their parent/guardian to continue their learning and sustain the impact of the goals and outcomes. Each session will be guided by a recreation therapist to improve the individual person-centred growth.

Workshop goals
  • Participants work through a series of puzzles, codes, games and tasks to solve their way through the virtual escape room
  • Problem solving
  • Communicating
  • Teamwork

Participation requirements
  • Child must have a developmental profile consistent with ASD
  • Child is able to attend weekly 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 Recreational Respite.

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 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 nine-week, multi-component recreation intervention designed to improve the gross motor skills and social skills of children with a developmental profile consistent with 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 sessions for a nine-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.