Simcoe/Dufferin Ballroom

This is the story of a conversation between colleagues, in the middle of a pandemic, that led to an incredible opportunity and a brilliant, community based, developmental service model for children presenting with differences in communication, socialization, sensory processing and potentially diagnosed with ASD, in the Niagara EarlyON Centres.

Four years in the making, a unique partnership between Niagara Children’s Centre, the Regional Municipality Children’s Services and EarlyON provider agencies created unforeseen benefits for all organizations as well as for parents and children.  It started with an attempt at embedding a Resource Consultant Program for children with special needs into the local EarlyON Centres that failed miserably! Getting to the crux of the failure, the partners recognized they needed to develop the program from the inside out to bring children to the EarlyON, as they weren’t coming on their own.  

Driven to help families feel they are part of their own communities and that they can participate in programs with their children that their neurotypical peers were engaging in, partners found some answers and the program has skyrocketed from there.  What began as an intensive, preschool resource group of eight children in one agency, has become five high powered, interactive, therapy and resource driven programs in local community EarlyON Centres. 

Come hear about our evolution, our partnerships, our resources, our creativity, our hurdles, our successes and most importantly, our families!  

Three Key Takeaways
1. To motivate participants to explore opportunities to partner with their local EarlyON
2. To highlight the importance of utilizing support personnel to their maximum potential
3. To think creatively about what it is that our clients really need and how best to serve them, even in unconventional ways

Jackie Van Lankveld, Manager, Clinical Services, Niagara Children’s Centre
Sandra Noel, Manager of Children’s Services, Regional Municipality of Niagara