Simcoe - Orillia
1st session of Secret Agent Society with Autism Ontario Simcoe County, Kerry's Place & SCDSB

About event:

Parents and schools are an integral part of the group program and receive resources and support to help young ‘secret agents’ develop and practice new skills at home and at school.

Topics of Instruction:

• 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
• Talking and playing with others
• Dealing with bullying and teasing
• How to cope with making mistakes, changes in routine and feelings of uncertainty
• How to handle new situations and learning to ask for help
• Understanding what it means to be a good friend
• Solving social problems

What are the participation requirements?

• Child must have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Have difficulties establishing and/or maintaining friendships
• Child must have verbal communication skills and an IQ within a normal range (or above)
• Child must be able to participate in a group setting without additional support beyond that provided within the program
• Child and at least one caregiver are able to attend weekly sessions for a 9 week period
• Demonstrates emerging social skills (interest in engaging with peers, attempts to verbally communicate, manages emotions in a non-aggressive way) and an interest in building relationships with same-aged peers
• Children must be between 6 to 12 years of age

When will SAS run?

• SAS consists of 9 consecutive weeks of program with a six month follow up session
  • Child groups will take place from:
  • Thursday April 5th, 2018 – May 31st, 2018
• Two groups will be set and take place sometime between 4 to 7 p.m. (Each group session will be 75 minutes).
• Parent information sessions will take place simultaneously during the child sessions at the dates and times above

What is the cost of SAS?

• The program will be fully subsidized by Simcoe County District School Board.

How do I apply for the SAS program?

• Please complete an initial application by March 12, 2018 at: ​https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=ZH49V0PV2Ez2gxkrcTrNZmyAaIHGdlMre6TJiGxhxpUNThPQzROOFBKT1g3TVZQNjRCUEdPWVFIVy4u
  • Please use the Mozilla Firefox web browser.

You will be contacted for an initial telephone interview to assess the appropriateness of the program for your child. An in-person intake visit will be scheduled following the initial phone screening if the program is appropriate.

Please note that only children who meet the participation requirements will be eligible for the
program. If the program is not suitable for your child, we will attempt to provide a referral.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Jamie Read
705-252-7429
jamie@autismontario.com

Crystal McEwan
ASD After School Social Skills Program Coordinator
cmcewan@scdsb.on.ca
 

  Download event flyer 05-04-2018 05-04-2018 America/Toronto 1st session of Secret Agent Society with Autism Ontario Simcoe County, Kerry's Place & SCDSB Secret Agent Society (SAS) is a 9 week, multi-component social skills intervention designed to
improve the emotional understanding and social skills of high-functioning 6 to 12-year-old children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

SAS captivates children with its espionage-themed games and eye-catching resources. An animated computer game, Helpful Thought Missile action game, Challenger board game and Secret Message Transmission Device game have all been designed to help children learn new social and emotional skills in a fun environment. Harriett Todd Public School, 11 George St, Orillia, ON L3V 2V1 jamie@autismontario.com