Autism Ontario | Potential Programme Events

NEW SESSION! Weekly Family Swims at Trinity Swim School Newmarket
Wednesdays: May 16, May 23, May 30, June 6 and June 13, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Fridays: May 18, May 25, June 1, June 8 and June 15, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Trinity Swim School Newmarket, 1215 Stellar Dr, Newmarket (Click here for Map)
Click here to print poster.
Join us for an opportunity for families to enjoy unstructured and free swimming at Trinity Swim School’s private facilities. Families can register for either Wednesday or Friday to enjoy time in the water together. Lifejackets and swim toys will be provided at the pool!
Supervision of children/youth at this Social Learning Opportunity is the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian and caregivers. Childcare will not be provided. An adult must accompany all swimmers with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (regardless of age) and all children under 10 years of age.
Cost: Free for families who have a child/individual diagnosed on the autism spectrum! Extended family and workers are also welcome. This Social Learning Opportunity is courtesy of the Potential Programme, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, and by Autism Ontario - York Region.
Pre-registration required by Monday May 14. *Please note: if a minimum of 5 families is not registered on a specific day, that day may be cancelled. Please also note that your registration is for all 4 open swims. The maximum capacity for this event is 100 participants. This program will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Click here to register online instantly!
For more information, contact Shona Casola at shona@autismontario.com
Cancellation Policy
Due to the expected popularity of this program, families are required to notify Autism Ontario - York Region if their plans change and they are not able to participate in the program. This may enable other families to benefit from participation. Thank you for your cooperation.
To cancel your registration for this event, please click here .
SIBSHOP! Friday June 8 (P.A. Day), 9:00am - 3:00pm
Exceptional Learning Centre – Richmond Hill Site 9005 Leslie Street, Unit 209, Richmond Hill ON (at the corner of Leslie & HWY 7, behind Tim Horton’s). Click here for Map
Click here to print poster.
An opportunity for siblings, aged 5 years – 11 years to come and enjoy a full day of fun. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in age appropriate activities that help them explore their feelings about being a sibling in a safe and fun way. This group will also provide the opportunity for siblings to build friendships with others who understand what their life with ASD is like. Participants will be required to bring their own lunch, drinks and snacks to this full day event.
NOTE: This program is a drop-off program and is intended for siblings of children with Autism only. Unfortunately, this program is not designed to support individuals diagnosed with an ASD. Please e-mail shona@autismontario.com if you have any questions or require clarification.
Cost: Free! This Social Learning Opportunity is courtesy of the Potential Programme, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, and by Autism Ontario - York Region.
Register online by Monday June 5. Click here to register online instantly!
For more information, contact Shona Casola at shona@autismontario.com

Cancellation Policy
Due to the expected popularity of this program, families are required to notify Autism Ontario - York Region if their plans change and they are not able to participate in the program. This may enable other families to benefit from participation. Thank you for your cooperation.
To cancel your registration for this event, please click here

Music with Anthony and Laurence
Wednesday May 16, 2012
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Loyal True Blue and Orange Home, 11181 Yonge St, Richmond Hill (Click here for Map)
This program will be held in the Atrium (ground floor). Follow the signage from the back doors of the building.

Click here to print poster.
Anthony and Laurence play acoustic guitars and sing; they also bring additional guitars, drums and other percussion instruments, along with microphone and speakers. This session is loosely structured; Anthony and Laurence perform a variety of kid's favorites, top 40 and classics and take requests. Participants are encouraged to sing and play along, and to take the mike if they'd like! Your child will have a great time using the universal language of music, and will burn off some steam too! This program is designed for the whole family!

Supervision of children/youth at this Social Learning Opportunity is the sole responsibility of the parent/guardian and caregivers. Childcare will not be provided.

Cost: Free! This Social Learning Opportunity is courtesy of the Potential Programme, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, and by Autism Ontario - York Region.

Attendance is limited to 15 families for each session and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click here to register online instantly!
For more information, contact Sarah Dougald at chaptermgr.york@autismontario.com

Successful Transitions: Tips for making Change a Positive Experience
Thursdays, May 24, 31, June 7, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Toronto - Markham Event Facilities
7095 Woodbine Avenue, Markham (Click here for Map)

Does your child or client with autism experience challenges during daily and/or large-scale transitions (e.g., when changing daily activities, starting school, going to the dentist)? This series of workshops will help you to set-up individuals with autism for success during these transitions. Participants will leave with solid strategies to facilitate transitions. Follow-up workshops sessions will consist of coaching sessions to review and provide feedback on the implementation of these strategies.

Presenter Biography: Nancy Defina-Marchese’s approach comes down to her love of working with children with autism and her belief that each and every family member’s voice should be heard throughout the process. Nancy discovered her passion for the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) in 1998 when she first started working with children with autism. Since then, she’s had the privilege of working with hundreds of children with autism and their families across Ontario. She’s enjoyed supervising Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) programs through various non-profit and private agencies, as well as training clinical staff on how to implement these programs. A Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA), Nancy completed her Master of Arts in Psychology with a specialization in Behaviour Analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno. She takes pride in the fact that she stays connected with the latest research which she incorporates into her client’s programming, and has presented at both provincial and international conferences. She has an upcoming publication in the flagship journal, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA). Nancy is also a part-time faculty member at George Brown College in the Behavioural Science Technology program.

Cost: FREE! -
This Speaker Event is being offered free of charge by the Autism Ontario Potential Programme, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services and Autism Ontario York Region.

NOTE: This speaker event is intended to be a learning opportunity for parents and it is therefore not appropriate to bring children to this event. Thank you for understanding. Please contact Shona if you have an questions or concerns regarding this.

Pre-registration required by Friday May 18. Attendance is limited to 30 individuals; places will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click here to register online instantly!
For more information, contact Shona Casola at shona@autismontario.com

NOTE: By registering and participating in this event, you are acknowledging that you may be contacted by Autism Ontario or one of its agents inviting you to participate in short surveys as part of the evaluation process of the Potential Programme. However, participation in these surveys is not mandatory.