Overview
There are many different programs that can support a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Services in Alberta focus on helping your child develop communication, learning, social, and adaptive skills. Supports are tailored to your child’s abilities and needs and emphasize engaging in daily activities.
The Pediatric Rehabilitation website offers webinars, videos, and information to help you support your child to live well and take part in activities that are meaningful to them and to your family. Pediatric Rehabilitation services are available in the community, outpatient, and specialized rehabilitation settings.
Early childhood programs, such as those funded through Program Unit Funding (PUF) and Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD), often provide team-based care. Your child’s team may include a speech-language therapist, occupational therapist, and psychologist. This approach, along with educational supports, will help your child participate in everyday life. These programs aim to be meaningful and practical, meeting your child where they are. This is done by integrating the “6 Fs” of childhood disability:
- function: what your child can do, not how they do it
- family: people who know your child best
- fitness: your child’s mental and physical health
- fun: the activities your child likes to do
- friends: people who are important to your child
- future: helping your child be part of their community
Supportive approaches
The developmental supports for your child will be based on their strengths and needs. Your child’s program may include:
- structured teaching to create predictable routines and learning environments
- naturalistic developmental approaches to let your child learn through play and everyday interactions with caregivers, teachers, and peers
All of these approaches help your child engage in daily activities. This is essential to encourage independence and participation.
A key part of any program is family and caregiver involvement. Parents, teachers, and other caregivers create consistent support that helps your child develop friendships, enjoy activities, and prepare for the future.
Your child’s care team can help you explore different programs and decide which supports best meet your child’s needs. This combination of supports will focus on skill building and meaningful participation in daily life.
Behavioural programs and structured teaching
There are many approaches that emphasize play and positive behaviours to help your child develop social, communication, and adaptive skills. Many programs include principles of a form of therapy called applied behavioural analysis (ABA). ABA builds strategies into daily activities. This helps your child learn in a setting where they’re comfortable. Some common goals include:
- Structured, 1 to 1 teaching to break down complex skills into smaller steps.
- An emphasis on social interactions and developing communication skills through play.
- Placing your child into a standard preschool classroom to support social learning and communication with their peers.
- Focusing on motivation, social engagement, and self-initiated learning to improve communication and independence.
- Emphasis on visual schedules, structured routines, and clearly defined spaces helps your child understand what they are expected to do and reduces anxiety. This can help improve your child’s ability to function in daily life by encouraging independence and reducing stress during change.
Targeted interventions
Some programs focus on specific challenges, such as behaviour regulation, communication difficulties, or social skills development. The goal of these programs is always to support your child’s participation in daily life.
Addressing behavioural challenges
Understanding why your child behaves in a certain way is key to supporting positive changes. Behavioural interventions help your child replace challenging behaviours, such as aggression or self injury, with more appropriate ways of expressing their needs and emotions. This might be:
- teaching other ways to communicate, like using visual supports
- reinforcing wanted behaviours and giving less attention to unwanted behaviours
- helping your child manage transitions and cope with changes in routine
Building communication and social skills
Your child may benefit from structured communication supports. Some common strategies include:
- Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS): coaching on ways to make and keep friends, as well as skills like understanding humour, conversation, and other self-help skills
- Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): using images to help your child communicate their needs
- Social stories: short stories that use clear, positive language and images to help your child learn what they might see, hear, and expect in a specific situation.
These targeted interventions can help your child build meaningful relationships, enjoy social interactions, and participate in activities that bring joy and connection.
Family and caregiver involvement
No matter what program you choose for your child, your family, your child’s teachers, and other caregivers play a central role in helping your child practice skills in everyday activities, from communicating their needs to engaging in play and self-care. Your child’s best chance to thrive is consistent supports across different environments, like home, school, and community.
Parents and caregivers can:
- participate in training sessions to learn intervention techniques
- use the strategies at home to promote skill development
- work with therapists and educators to make sure there’s a unified approach
- encourage fun and friendships to support social development and well being
By working together, your family, your child’s teachers, and their healthcare team can create an environment that fosters independence, friendships, and a bright future for your child. You can help ensure that interventions are about helping your child with ASD engage in their life in a meaningful way, not just about learning skills.
