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Families can contact Inspire Centre directly to speak with a team member and begin the referral process.
No, the OAP Urgent Response Service is fully funded by the Ontario government and is available at no cost to families.
After the immediate concern is addressed, families receive a transition plan and connections to longer-term autism services, ensuring continued support.
No, families can self-refer by contacting Inspire Centre directly. Service providers and community agencies can also submit referrals on behalf of a child.
No, the OAP Urgent Response Service provides short-term intervention, typically lasting up to 12 weeks, to help stabilize urgent situations. Families are then connected to ongoing supports if needed.
- Personalized strategies to address the immediate challenge
- Family coaching and training on behavior management
- Crisis planning and prevention strategies
- Coordination with other autism services and resources
Once referred, families typically receive support within a few days, ensuring timely intervention to stabilize and manage the situation.
Urgent needs may include:
- Sudden aggressive or self-injurious behaviors
- Increased emotional distress impacting daily life
- Serious difficulties in school or at home due to new or worsening behaviors
- Safety concerns related to autism-related challenges
Children and youth who:
✅ Are registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)
✅ Are experiencing an urgent need affecting their well-being or safety
✅ Require immediate support to stabilize a situation
The OAP Urgent Response Service provides short-term, immediate support for children and youth with autism who are experiencing urgent needs, such as escalating behaviors, emotional distress, or safety concerns.
Families can contact Inspire Centre directly to speak with our FASD support team and begin the process of accessing services and resources.
Yes, families may qualify for government funding, respite services, and specialized educational programs. Our team can help connect you with these resources.
With early support, life skills training, and community resources, many individuals with FASD can develop independence and lead fulfilling lives. Long-term planning and structured support are essential.
Children with FASD may struggle with:
- Following instructions and routines
- Managing frustration and emotions
- Staying focused and organized
- Understanding social cues
Educators can support them with individualized learning plans (IEPs), sensory-friendly strategies, and structured routines.
There is no cure for FASD, but early intervention, specialized support, and structured strategies can help children develop skills, improve behavior, and enhance their quality of life.
- Use consistent routines and clear instructions
- Provide visual aids and step-by-step guidance for tasks
- Use positive reinforcement and structured support
- Create a calm, low-stimulation environment
- Encourage breaks and movement to help with focus and regulation
At Inspire Centre, our FASD Support Program provides:
- Individualized care planning and service coordination
- Parent and caregiver education on managing FASD-related challenges
- Strategies to support learning, behavior, and emotional regulation
- Referrals to community resources and specialized programs
FASD diagnosis involves a multidisciplinary assessment by healthcare professionals, including doctors, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists, who evaluate developmental, behavioral, and cognitive challenges.
Children with FASD may experience:
- Difficulty with learning, memory, and problem-solving
- Challenges with emotional regulation and impulse control
- Delayed speech and motor skills
- Sensory sensitivities
- Difficulty with social interactions
FASD is a lifelong condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, affecting brain development, learning, behavior, and physical health. Each child with FASD experiences unique challenges and strengths.
Children and youth aged 0 to 19 years (or 21 if still in school) who reside in the districts of Cochrane and Temiskaming, as well as communities in the James Bay area, with a diagnosis of FASD or with suspected FASD.
**Formal diagnosis not required
You can contact Inspire Centre directly to speak with a Service Coordinator and begin the process.
Yes, this service is publicly funded and available at no cost to families.
Yes! Families play a key role in the planning process, ensuring the service plan aligns with their child’s unique needs and goals.
Support continues as long as needed, ensuring your child’s plan remains responsive to their growth and progress.
It provides a clear, structured approach to tracking your child’s progress while ensuring service providers and educators are aligned on common goals.
No, Coordinated Service Planning enhances and organizes your child’s current services by ensuring all professionals work together efficiently.
A Service Coordinator helps:
- Connect families with the right services
- Develop and monitor a customized service plan
- Ensure all providers and educators work toward shared goals
- One coordinated service plan tailored to your child’s strengths and goals
- A dedicated Service Coordinator as your point of contact
- Seamless collaboration between service providers, educators, and healthcare professionals
- Ongoing monitoring and adjustments to meet your child’s evolving needs
Children and youth with special needs requiring multiple services can benefit from this program. If you’re unsure, our Service Coordinators can help assess your child’s needs.
Coordinated Service Planning helps families with children or youth who have multiple or complex special needs by providing a dedicated Service Coordinator to connect them with the right services and monitor progress through a single coordinated plan.
The SmartStart Hub gives you and your family a clear point of entry to a wide range of children’s services. You’ll receive a warm welcome, and you will only need to discuss your concerns about your child’s development one time. The Hub will connect you to local professionals for assessments and child development services—in some cases these may be provided by the SmartStart Hub organization itself. SmartStart Hubs are a clear point of entry to Ontario’s child development services.
Not at all. SmartStart Hubs are intended for families who aren’t sure where to go to access services, or what services they should receive. If you know your child’s support needs and where to go to access a particular service, you can contact that service provider directly.
Many SmartStart Hubs services, including exploratory conversations, may be accessible by phone or video chat for families who cannot easily visit in person.
All 22 SmartStart Hubs will be set up and delivering services to families by January 2023.
There is a SmartStart Hub for every community in Ontario. In most communities, it’s the Children’s Treatment Centre; in Toronto it is Surrey Place. If you aren’t sure where your local Children’s Treatment Centre is, you can find it here; https://www.ontario.ca/page/childrens-rehabilitation-services#section-4.
There is no cost. In Ontario children and youth up to age 19 and up to age 21 for youth in school can access a SmartStart Hub as well as all publicly funded child development services, for example services for kids with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, or communication disorders.
The SmartStart Hub will connect you with a partner agency that can provide the services your child and family need. The SmartStart Hub is your door to a range of child development services.
Yes, agencies that are SmartStart Hubs offer child development services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language therapy. Some offer other services like behavioral therapy, or specialty clinics. If your child needs clinical services that aren’t offered by the SmartStart Hub, or your family can benefit from programs offered by other agencies, the SmartStart Hub will connect you with partner agencies in your area for services.
Your child does not need a diagnosis to access services through the SmartStart Hub.
No referral or diagnosis is necessary. If you have concerns about your child’s development for any reason, you can go directly to the SmartStart Hub that serves your community. You can also access the SmartStart Hub through another service provider in your community, your child’s doctor, your child care provider or your child’s school.
Between Ontario’s Children’s Treatment Centres and Surrey Place, every community in the province has a SmartStart Hub. These providers bring together local professionals to ensure the range of child development services are connected. That means families have one place to go to access the range of services and supports that will help their child reach development goals. Families no longer need to make connections on their own—the SmartStart Hub can do this for them.
SmartStart Hubs will connect you to assessments and services including speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy as well as mental health services, specialty clinics, and family-based supports like respite services and parent coaching.
Twenty-two providers across the province serve as SmartStart Hubs. These providers offer service to every community in Ontario.
The SmartStart Hub in Toronto is Surrey Place. In other communities the Children’s Treatment Centre provides SmartStart Hub services. You can find your local Children’s Treatment Centre at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/childrens-rehabilitation-services#section-4
If you have a referral, you might not need the SmartStart Hub. It is primarily a place where families can go when they have questions about their child’s development and need a place to connect for advice and potentially for services.
Think of the SmartStart Hub as the front door to child development services. You’ll be warmly greeted, and you’ll have a conversation with a professional about your concerns, your child’s development and strengths, and any supports that might be needed. In some cases, the agency that is the SmartStart Hub will be able to offer services and programs for your family and your child. Depending on what is recommended, the SmartStart Hub might also connect you with another provider in your area that can provide services. You won’t need to tell your story again because the SmartStart Hubs works directly with partner agencies in your community.
Anyone with a concern about their child’s development—whether their child is meeting developmental milestones—can contact the SmartStart Hub to start the process of assessment. No diagnosis or referral is required. You might call it a one-stop shop for getting help.
Ontario’s Children’s Treatment Centres and Surrey Place in Toronto are taking on a new service called SmartStart Hubs. As SmartStart Hubs, these agencies will be a clear point of entry to services for children and families. Each Hub will bring together local child development professionals, giving families that have a concern about their child’s development seamless connections to assessments and services.
In most cases, you can contact a Recreation Therapist directly, but some programs or funding sources may require a referral. It’s best to check with your provider.
Yes! The focus is on engaging and enjoyable activities, making therapy feel more like play while still promoting growth and development.
The length of therapy varies based on individual needs. Some children benefit from short-term programs, while others continue for ongoing skill-building and social engagement.
A therapist assesses your child’s interests, strengths, and challenges, then designs a personalized plan that includes activities to help them reach their goals.
Yes! Recreation Therapy is designed to be inclusive and supports children with physical, cognitive, emotional, and social challenges by adapting activities to their abilities.
No, while it can complement other therapies, Recreation Therapy focuses on improving a child’s overall well-being and social participation through play and leisure activities.
Therapy sessions may include:
- Sports and physical activities
- Arts and crafts
- Music and dance
- Games that encourage social interaction
- Outdoor activities
- Improves social skills and communication
- Enhances confidence and independence
- Encourages physical activity and coordination
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Helps children discover and enjoy new hobbies
If your child struggles with social interactions, confidence, motor skills, or engaging in recreational activities, Recreation Therapy can help them build these skills in a fun and supportive way.
Recreation Therapy uses play, sports, arts, and other activities to help children develop social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills while improving their overall well-being and independence.
Children and youth aged 0 to 19 years (or 21 if still in school) who reside in the districts of Cochrane and Temiskaming and communities in the James Bay area with a physical, developmental and/or communication disability.
In many cases, you can contact an occupational therapist directly. However, some programs or insurance plans may require a referral, so it’s best to check beforehand.
Yes! Sessions are designed to be engaging and play-based, making therapy enjoyable while helping children develop essential life skills.
Therapists provide strategies and activities for parents to practice at home, such as sensory-friendly routines, fine motor exercises, and adaptive tools for daily tasks.
Yes! Occupational therapists use sensory integration techniques to help children regulate their responses to sounds, textures, movement, and other sensory inputs.
The duration of therapy varies based on your child’s progress and needs. Some children benefit from short-term support, while others may need ongoing therapy.
Therapy may include:
- Hand-eye coordination and fine motor exercises
- Sensory integration activities
- Play-based learning strategies
- Self-care training (dressing, feeding, hygiene)
- Social and emotional skill development
A therapist will evaluate your child’s motor skills, sensory responses, and daily activities to create a personalized therapy plan that supports their needs.
Occupational therapists help children with:
- Delayed fine motor skills (e.g., trouble holding a pencil or using scissors)
- Sensory processing difficulties
- Difficulty with self-care tasks (dressing, eating, hygiene)
- Handwriting challenges
- Attention and focus issues
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
If your child struggles with fine motor skills, self-care tasks, sensory sensitivities, or social interactions, an occupational therapy assessment can help determine if support is needed.
Pediatric occupational therapy helps children develop the skills they need for daily activities such as dressing, feeding, writing, playing, and social interactions.
Children and youth aged 0 to 19 years (or 21 if still in school) who reside in the districts of Cochrane and Temiskaming and communities in the James Bay area.
In many cases, you can contact a physiotherapist directly. However, some programs or insurance plans may require a referral, so it’s best to check beforehand.
Yes! Physiotherapy can aid recovery from sports-related injuries, improve strength, and prevent future injuries by teaching proper movement techniques.
No, pediatric physiotherapy is designed to be engaging and comfortable. Therapists use play-based techniques to make sessions fun and encourage participation.
Physiotherapists provide exercises and movement strategies that parents can use at home to reinforce therapy and support their child’s development in everyday activities.
The duration of therapy depends on your child’s specific needs and progress. Some children benefit from short-term support, while others may require ongoing therapy.
Treatment may include:
- Strength and flexibility exercises
- Balance and coordination activities
- Play-based movement therapy
- Gait training (walking exercises)
- Postural training
A physiotherapist will evaluate your child’s strength, balance, flexibility, and movement skills. Based on their findings, they will create a personalized treatment plan to support your child’s needs.
Physiotherapists help children with a variety of conditions, including:
- Developmental delays
- Cerebral palsy
- Muscle weakness or tightness
- Coordination and balance difficulties
- Sports injuries
- Post-surgical rehabilitation
If your child struggles with walking, running, balance, coordination, or reaching physical milestones, a physiotherapy assessment can help determine if therapy is needed.
Pediatric physiotherapy focuses on improving movement, strength, coordination, and balance in children with developmental delays, injuries, or medical conditions affecting their motor skills.
Children and youth aged 0 to 19 years (or 21 if still in school) who reside within the districts of Cochrane and Temiskaming and communities in the James Bay area with a physical, developmental or communication disability.
Children from birth to the end of Junior Kindergarten who reside within the Districts of Muskoka, Nipissing, Timiskaming and Parry Sound with a physical, developmental or communication disability.
Children who have graduated from Junior Kindergarten are eligible for School Based Rehabilitation Therapy up to the age of 19 years (or 21 if still in school).
In many cases, you can contact a Speech-Language Pathologist directly without a doctor’s referral. However, some programs or insurance plans may require a referral, so it’s best to check beforehand.
Would you like me to refine these further or format them for use on a website? 😊
Yes, many speech-language services offer both in-person and virtual therapy options to accommodate different family needs and schedules.
Yes! Speech-Language Pathologists also work with children who have difficulties with chewing, swallowing, or transitioning to solid foods. Therapy can help improve muscle coordination and make mealtimes easier.
- Encourage conversations and active listening
- Read books together and talk about the pictures
- Use gestures and facial expressions to reinforce communication
- Give your child time to respond in conversations
- Play interactive language-building games
The length of therapy varies based on your child’s needs, goals, and progress. Some children improve within a few months, while others may require ongoing support over several years.
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) will observe and evaluate your child’s speech, language, and communication skills through play-based activities and structured tests. They will then provide recommendations and, if needed, develop a personalized therapy plan.
Early intervention is key! If you have concerns about your child’s communication development at any age, it’s best to seek an assessment. Many children benefit from support as early as 18 months to 2 years old.
- Limited vocabulary for their age
- Difficulty forming sentences
- Trouble pronouncing certain sounds
- Struggles with understanding or following directions
- Frustration when trying to communicate
- Difficulty with social interactions
If your child has difficulty speaking clearly, understanding or using language, following directions, interacting socially, or struggles with feeding and swallowing, a speech-language assessment can help determine if therapy is needed.
Speech-Language Pathology focuses on assessing and treating communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults. It helps with speech clarity, language development, social communication, and feeding/swallowing challenges.
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Tips for Parents and Caregivers to Nurture Your Child’s Mental Health
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Five Practical Strategies to Support ABA Learning at Home
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