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“What we do is work on relationships, interactions and emotional regulation to help kids stay regulated and ready to learn.”
— TERRI DUNCAN, Executive Director
people today. The Public Health Agency of Canada reported that almost one
in every 50 Canadian children and adolescents lives with autism. The increased prevalence of autism has to do with several factors, including improved diagnostic measures.
Despite the rising rates, Duncan
and the team at Children’s Autism Services have always been more interested in engaging with autistic children meaningfully. They are especially passionate about facilitating those connections through the Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support — or SCERTS — Model, a framework that emphasizes connection and communication over the behaviour-based approaches commonly applied when working with autistic children. Duncan was first exposed to the SCERTS Model through the work of
Barry Prizant, and since founding Children’s Autism Services in 2004, has integrated it into every aspect of the organization’s work.
“We’re not trying to get kids to do what we want them to do,” Duncan says. “It’s not about control or compliance or behaviour management.”
“What we do is work on relationships, interactions and emotional regulation to help kids stay regulated and ready to learn. But emotional regulation is at the core of everything that we do.”
Through Children’s Autism Services, autistic children and
their families are able to access specialized in-home services, respite care, diagnostic services and early childhood pre-school services, as well as summer camps and recreational
services. Each of the programs is characterized by small group sizes and directed support from registered professionals. The non-profit aspires to develop the functional skills of autistic children and build up the competence, independence and confidence of parents and caretakers. The resounding success of that approach suggests that it is not only singular, but effective.
Fall 2024 will also see Children’s Autism Services open its very own school for autistic children. Kids
in their first two primary-school years can attend for this school year. The school is meant to be a space where children with autism can
not only access specialized services but community members can be educated about the SCERTS Model. The school is set to be named after
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LEGACY IN ACTION