Centre's Autism Centre Aims to Be Friendly to the Environment
January 5, 2010
It has been a year since we moved our Autism Services into its new site at 120 Middlefield Road. At the site, we provide intensive behavioural intervention and a school-stream program for children with autistic disorder or an autism spectrum disorder. Associated services are also provided, including child and family support and transition services. In our commitment to provide a healthy environment for our children and staff, Aisling Discoveries included features that reduce energy requirements, improves the quality of the indoor environment and incorporates sustainable planning strategies. We are pleased that our Autism Services have been consolidated under one roof with sufficient space for therapy, gross motor activities and parent meetings. We’d like to share the benefits and accomplishments of our environmental efforts by providing our Case Study of the process we undertook to create a healthy space for the children and families that we support.
New Home for Centre's Autism Services
January 5 2009
The new site for our Autism Services opened its doors to children on January 5, 2009. We provide intensive behavioural intervention and a school-stream program for children with autistic disorder or an autism spectrum disorder. Associated services are also provided, including child and family support and transition services. We are pleased that our Autism Services will be consolidated under one roof with sufficient space for therapy, gross motor activities and parent meetings. The program is located at 120 Middlefield Road, near McCowan and Sheppard.
Growing Healthy Together Moves to Aisling Discoveries
December 10 2008
We are pleased to announce that Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre has been selected as the new sponsor of Scarborough’s Growing Healthy Together Prenatal Program. This program is part of the federal government’s Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program. The program offers prenatal teaching, nutrition information, food supplements and support to pregnant women experiencing a variety of risk factors linked to low birth weight, including low income, newcomer status, poor nutrition, etc. The program is designed to encourage healthy pregnancies, to reduce the number of infants born with low birth weight, and to support breastfeeding and positive parenting. Currently there are seven programs, offered weekly at six sites, in the Scarborough area - Warden Woods, Bridlewood, Cedarbrae, Corvette, Malvern, Morningside. The program is overseen by an active Community Steering Committee comprised of organizations committed to the goals of the program. Working with moms during the prenatal period will provide us with an ideal opportunity to promote the healthy development of children and families.
Community Priorities Fund Creates Additional Service to Children and Families
June 25 2008
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services has been issuing a call for proposals during the past few years, to address community priorities in the area of Children’s Mental Health. This year, the Ministry approved a plan that was submitted by the East Quadrant Children’s Services Network which included additional services to be provided by Aisling Discoveries. Songs, Rhymes and More is a joint program of our Infant Child Treatment (ICT) team and Babies Best Start. It is a group aimed at caregivers with limited English and their young children. We will be able to deliver 2 groups this year with this additional funding. Community Priority Funds will also be used for specialized family assessments that will be conducted by the ICT team to help guide the treatment process. Aisling Discoveries will also participate in an expansion of East Metro Youth Services’ Whatever It Takes (WIT) program. WIT provides intensive case management for children and youth with complex needs. A child and family therapist from our agency will provide this service in collaboration with the WIT team at East Metro Youth Services, while remaining a staff of our agency.
United Way Membership Renewal
May 7 2008
We are pleased to announce that our agency’s membership has been renewed for a period of three years – from 2008 to 2010! With this renewal, we will be able to continue our work in various homeless shelters (Helping Hands Program) and schools affiliated with the shelters (Helping Hands at School Program) and continue the community development and parenting programs we provide in high priority neighbourhoods (Community Parents Count Program). We are very grateful to the United Way for providing additional funds to continue the Kid Builder groups. These groups aim to increase the resiliency of children living in homeless shelters by guiding them to feel hope for a brighter future.
Raising Public Awareness About Autism
April 25 2008
Aisling Discoveries staff from our Toronto Partnership for Autism Services (TPAS) program once again participated in a number of events to raise public awareness of autism. Today, staff hosted a “Toonies for Autism” campaign in the lobby of our building and raised over $400 from generous tenants at 325 Milner Avenue in support of Autism Ontario’s public education efforts. The children in our autism program participated in special events and numerous staff plan to participate in Autism Speaks’ Walk Now for Autism event on June 8. It was great to see so many children and staff dressed in orange and purple to reflect the colours of Autism Ontario on April 25!
10th Anniversary for Aisling Discoveries
January 1 2008
The year 2008 marks Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre’s 10th Anniversary
year! We have much to celebrate since our inception in 1998. Our Centre has experienced a great deal of growth to meet new and emerging needs in east Toronto, while continuing to deliver programs to children and families that are rooted in the rich legacy passed on to us from our predecessor agencies, Discoveries Child and Family Centre and Aisling Centre for Children and Families. Watch for our special celebration in June 2008.
More Children to Receive Autism Service
September 18, 2007
As part of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services’ recent announcement of expansion of autism services for children, Aisling Discoveries will be providing intensive behavioural intervention to 8 more children by the end of 2007. We are currently hiring new staff and setting up a new centre-based program. We have seen our autism program grow from one to six teams over the course of six years. This speaks to the great need for this service, but it also speaks to the great work done by our staff in developing this program during the past several years.
First Group of Fathers Complete the Dads’ Connection Program
September 18, 2007
The Dads’ Connection is a new program that works with fathers who have been involved in domestic violence. The program helps dads to improve their parenting by teaching them about the harmful effect that family violence can have on their young children. We recently completed our first group series and initial feedback from the group participants indicate that the dads found the program very helpful.
Building parenting skills
September 7, 2007
We are pleased to announce that Aisling Discoveries will be delivering 6 additional groups that will assist parents in dealing with issues such as family violence, attention deficit disorder, anger and aggression and parent/infant relationships. Funding has been received from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services’ Community Priorities Fund.
