GoStrengths! is a 10-session program that provides youth with tools to cope effectively with challenges, and deal with stress, anxiety, and negativity. Youth will practice evidence-based methods to increase happiness. Session content includes:

- What is well-being and why should you care?
- Emotional Intelligence
- Resilience
- Problem-solving
- Character Strength Development
- Self-confidence
- Optimistic Thinking
- Social Connections
- Goal-Setting

This is a parent/caregiver mediated program offered to families who would like to work on a specific goal. The 12-week program includes 6 or more face-to-face or virtual meetings throughout the 12-week service. A meeting will occur for the following: discussion around suitability of the goal, observation, assessment, strategy development, parent/caregiver direct support/coaching, and generalization and maintenance.

Join us in person for Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues is a 12-session program teaching the skills needed during conversations. Sessions are taught using a variety of activities, videos, workbooks, and role-plays. Topics covered include;

- When To Start the Conversation
- Cue: Interested
- Cue: Not Interested
- How To Start a Conversation
- Cue: Bored
- Take Turns
- Maintain Conversation
- Talk on Topic
- Cue: Disbelief
- Cue: Confused
- My Cues
- End Conversation

We provide up to 3, one-hour sessions with a Behavior Clinician to directly support parents and caregivers to address a specific need/goal and the tools to support your child/youth’s skill development. Prior to these consultations, one of our skilled Foundational Family Service Clinicians will conduct an initial call to discuss your child’s current needs/skills and gather general information to help individualize these sessions. *Please note that due to the complexity of some specific needs/ goals, the Foundational Family Service Clinicians may determine that a goal is not appropriate for targeted sessions as they may require a more comprehensive assessment to be completed (i.e., accessing a core clinical service).

Targeted Consultation topics could include, but are not limited to:

• Strategies for toilet training (e.g., assessing readiness, developing a toilet training plan)
• Early learner communication (e.g., using a choice board)
• Social skills (e.g., sharing with a sibling)
• Transition support (e.g., using a visual schedule)
• Self-advocacy skills (e.g., sharing pronouns, advocating for specialized services in the school system)

This is a brief targeted consultation and direct support to help address specific behaviours and support the child’s skill development. The service consists of an initial 2-hour consultation with the parent(s) and child to determine the specific problematic behaviours to address. The child then participates in 4, 1-on-1 sessions with the Behaviour Analyst. At the end of the 4 sessions, the parent(s) will participate in another 2-hour consultation to review the progress and retool/adjust the initial behaviour plan.

*Depending on the behaviours and presenting problems, a parent may need to be present during the 1-on-1 sessions with the child.

The Balance program is designed for young children who engage in high levels of uncooperative behaviour and/or some disruptive behavior (e.g., tantrums), especially when they cannot have their way. This program aims to create balance between child-led and adult-led interactions and allows for some shared control over daily activities. Caregivers will work alongside a behaviour analyst to create opportunities for their child to communicate their needs, accept disappointment and build overall cooperation.

The VB-MAPP is a developmental assessment and curriculum that assesses language, learning, and social skills, as well as behavioural barriers that are interfering with your child’s ability to learn more advanced skills. This assessment program is based upon Applied Behavior Analysis with a focus on Skinner’s (1957) analysis of verbal behavior. The VB-MAPP can help identify your child’s strengths and weaknesses across a variety of critical skills. The assessment also makes it easy to compare and contrast your child’s skills with those of same aged peers.

This group is a unique opportunity for children who communicate using PECS, sign language/gestures, a high-tech device (iPad), communication book, or other forms of AAC, to have opportunities to socialize and use their skills in a fun and supportive environment. This will also provide an opportunity for children to see other children using AAC and will build their own confidence using their AAC to effectively communicate with their peers. Movement and sensory activities will be incorporated into each group session.

Reciprocal imitation training (RIT) is a naturalistic intervention designed to teach learners to imitate spontaneously during on-going play interactions with a play partner as a means of social interaction. RIT can be implemented in a variety of play settings and during daily routines.

The child’s individual skills will determine an appropriate form of communication: words, word approximations or using a picture exchange. Initial sessions will be with parent/caregiver then sessions include coaching the child to begin to communicate with the parent/caregiver.

This group is a unique opportunity for children who communicate using PECS, sign language/gestures, a high-tech device (iPad), communication book, or other forms of AAC, to have opportunities to socialize and use their skills in a fun and supportive environment. This will also provide an opportunity for children to see other children using AAC and will build their own confidence using their AAC to effectively communicate with their peers.

Join us in person for Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues is a 12-session program teaching the skills needed during conversations. Sessions are taught using a variety of activities, videos, workbooks, and role-plays. Topics covered include;

- When To Start the Conversation
- Cue: Interested
- Cue: Not Interested
- How To Start a Conversation
- Cue: Bored
- Take Turns
- Maintain Conversation
- Talk on Topic
- Cue: Disbelief
- Cue: Confused
- My Cues
- End Conversation

Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relationship Skills (PEERS®) is a social skills training intervention for youth. It is designed for motivated youth interested in learning ways to help them make and keep friends. They are taught essential social skills such as conversational skills, maintaining friendships, using humour appropriately, and handling disagreements. Teens have an opportunity to practice these skills through role-playing and other activities.

16 weeks of 1.5-hour sessions, for both teens and parents (or designated social coach). (Teen sessions and adult sessions will run at the same time but in different rooms).

Teens will learn how to:
 Use appropriate conversational skills
 Use humor appropriately
 Use electronic communication
 Enter & exit conversations
 Be a good host during get-togethers
 Be a good sport
 Handle arguments and disagreements
 Change a bad reputation
 Handle rumors and gossip
 Handle rejection, teasing, and bullying

Job Tips utilizes real-world scenarios & strategies to support teens and adults transitioning to the workplace. Sessions are taught using evidence-based strategies such as visual supports, social stories & comics, role-playing scenarios, video modeling, as well as self-assessments, and graphic organizers.

Topics include:
 Determining Interests
 Job Search
 Resumes & Cover Letters
 Interview Skills
 References
 Disclosure

Celebrate the New Year with us! Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is not therapy, but rather a venue for sibs to have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts, play some great games, learn something about the services/diagnosis of their brothers or sisters, and have some more fun. This all-day session includes snacks and lunches.

Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is not therapy, but rather avenue for sibs to have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts, play some great games, learn something about the services/diagnosis of their brothers or sisters, and have some more fun.

Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is not therapy, but rather avenue for sibs to have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts, play some great games, learn something about the services/diagnosis of their brothers or sisters, and have some more fun. This all-day Hallowe’en-themed session includes snacks and lunches.

Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is an opportunity for those who have a sibling with an ASD diagnosis. Sibshops is not therapy, but rather avenue for sibs to have fun, laugh, talk about the good and not-so-good parts, play some great games, learn something about the services/diagnosis of their brothers or sisters, and have some more fun. This all-day Hallowe’en-themed session includes snacks and lunches.

Roots & Wings Psychology is excited to offer a new service called Sleep Tight. Good sleep is crucial in supporting our children/youth’s growth and development as well as healthy brain and body functioning throughout their day. The Sleep Tight program is a time limited service that offers a sleep assessment and treatment plan, along with one month of follow up support.

Goals of the treatment plan are developed collaboratively with caregivers in consideration of the client, family values, as well as safety and subjective experience. Goals can include but are not limited to: falling asleep quickly, staying asleep throughout the night, rise without difficulty in the morning, decrease drowsiness during the day, and fall and stay asleep unassisted.

Roots & Wings Psychology is pleased to offer social skills groups using the POWER-Solving®: Stepping Stones to Helping Children Solve Life’s Everyday Social Problems curriculum. This comprehensive social skills curriculum teaches problem solving, anger management, social conversation, and developing friendship skills. Examples of skills targeted include, but are not limited to: setting and achieving a goal within a given situation; staying calm when told ‘no’, or when things don’t go their way; starting, maintaining, changing the topic, and ending conversation appropriately; accepting others who are different from them; and learning how to play a game appropriately.

Eligible participants must be between 7 and 11 years of age with no externalized behaviours (i.e., physical aggression, property destruction, self-injurious behaviours), and well-established verbal repertoire (i.e., can read and write close to their grade level).

Pizza and drinks will be provided at each session.

This workshop is a condensed version of the Parent Management Training (Kazdin, 2008) program. It aims to enhance parenting skills to improve challenging behaviours in children, such as aggression, hyperactivity, and non-compliance. The training will take place virtually. Handouts will be emailed to participants, as appropriate.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND. This service is intended for caregivers or adolescents (age 13+) to receive direct individual support from a psychologist or clinical associate working under the supervision of Dr. Stephanie Price or Dr. Matias Mariani to address challenges related to a range of issues (e.g., family problems, parenting stress, bullying at school, worries, etc.). The goal is to provide time-limited counselling to better manage emotions, improve problem-solving, and learn various coping skills.

The Cool Kids Program for ASD (Chalfant, Lyneham, Rapee, & Carroll, 2011) is an evidence-based, structured therapy designed to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, aged 9 to 12 years effectively identify, manage, and overcome anxiety. The program uses a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach and incorporates various techniques and strategies to help young individuals develop the skills necessary to better identify feelings, cope with anxiety, foster social skills, and improve overall function. All materials will be provided.

Note: All applicants must undergo an intake interview to determine eligibility.

This Social Resilience Builder Group for Teens is intended for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, aged 13 to 18 years. This group is adapted from The Resilience Builder Program (Alvord, Zucker, & Grados, 2011) that is designed to support individuals to bounce back from stress by developing resilience and protective factors, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, flexible thinking, and social competence. All materials will be provided.

Note: All applicants must undergo an intake interview to determine eligibility.

People interact socially many times in a day. For children with autism, developing social skills may require more practice and more opportunities. In this workshop series, caregivers are provided an overview of the importance of social skills and are introduced to various strategies that can be used with their children to target specific social skills. Caregivers will be given an opportunity to identify a relevant social skill to teach their child, utilizing a strategy reviewed in the workshop and will have opportunities to practice and report back in a 1:1 follow up consultation.