Entry to School skill-building and childcare consultation help prepare children who are entering school for the first time.
As a parent, planning for your child to enter school for the first time can be stressful. The Entry to School’s skill-building program and childcare consultation are options that can help make the transition easier by preparing children who are entering school for the first time. The Entry to School Program is delivered in two separate streams, depending on your needs: group-based skill-building program and childcare consultation.
In this stream, Entry to School begins with a six-month, group-based, skill-building program, focused on helping children develop school-readiness skills in six areas.
School Transition Supports
After completing the group-based skill-building program, children will receive individual transition support. Families and educators will also be able to access consultation services from Entry to School staff, as needed, during a child’s first six months in school.
Registration
During intake, families will choose their preferred location, service in English or French, school board, semester start date and time of day, all depending on availability.
REGISTER
If your child is already registered in full-time childcare, you may choose the consultation support stream instead of the group-based skill-building program. If you select childcare consultation, transition facilitators will visit the location where your child is registered and provide consultation on school readiness goals to staff. These visits will average around twice a month. The transition facilitator will develop a portfolio of strategies to support your child so that their kindergarten teachers can continue to support these strategies during the transition to school.
School Transition Supports
When your child is ready for kindergarten, they will receive individual transition supports to enter school. Families and educators will also be able to access consultation services from Entry to School staff, as needed, during a child’s first six months in school.
Registration
During intake, families will choose their preferred location, service in English or French, school board, semester start date and time of day, all depending on availability.
REGISTER
The Entry to School Program is appropriate for you and your child if:
- You have a child between the ages of three to six.
- Your child is entering kindergarten or grade one for the first time.
- Your child has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Your child is registered in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP).
- You have received an invitation to participate in the program from Access OAP.
Once your child has been accepted into the program, you will:
- Complete a welcome package that includes consents.
- Sign a service agreement including risk/benefits, sick policy etc.
- Meet with the transition lead to prepare for the start of the program.
- Participate in meetings and training using either virtual or in-person meeting formats.
Entry to School Services includes two components, Entry to School Skill Building and Transition Planning Supports, to help support your child before, during and after their transition into school.
Entry to School Skill Building
Entry to School Skill Building helps equip your child with the tools they need for a successful transition into school. It is a group-based learning program that runs for 15 hours per week for up to six months. Children attend morning or afternoon programs that target key skill development in the areas of communication, play, social interaction, behaviour, pre-academics and attention. Additionally, children learn to follow classroom routines and build important self-help skills such as dressing and toilet training.
Teaching ratios will typically include one facilitator for every three children. This ratio may vary to ensure each child receives support appropriate to their needs.
Classroom-wide consultation will be available from speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and Board Certified Behavior Analysts® to address all development areas and ensure the most current and effective strategies are used within our learning environments.
*Please note that if your child is attending licensed childcare, families may choose to have their child continue in their childcare program and opt for Skill-Building Interdisciplinary Consultation staff and Transition Planning Support in addition to their regular program.
Transition Planning Supports
Once a child begins Entry to School Skill Building, a transition lead will become part of the child’s team. The transition lead observes the child in the skill-building setting and gathers information that is used to help the school better understand the student’s profile. They also help to connect the Entry to School Skill Building team to the receiving school and classroom lead and conduct case conferences to discuss transition plans. Directly before the first school term, a transition folder is provided to parents and schools to help teach teams prepare for the student’s entry.
Once school starts, team members work together through joint visits and resource sharing. The transition lead is available upon request to support the child’s success within the first six months the child is in school.
If you have additional questions, contact us at toronto.autism@surreyplace.ca