Children with Special Needs

The Infant and Child Development Services program provides in-home support for families who have infants and young children who have been diagnosed with, or are at risk of having a developmental delay. It is primarily funded by York Region, and in part by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Who is eligible?

The Infant and Child Development Services program supports families who have children from birth to school entry who live in York Region and have one or more of the following:

• An established risk: A diagnosed developmental disability, disorder or medical condition
• A biological risk: Events that occurred prior to, during, or soon after a child’s birth that may impact a child’s development
• Delays in development: Child demonstrates delays in developmental functioning including signs/red flags for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  Areas of developmental delay may include communication, fine motor, gross motor, cognition or activities of daily living/self-help:
  • For children under 12 months, delays in development in one or more areas listed above
  • For children 12 months and older, delays in development in two or more areas listed above

What services are offered?

Infant and Child Development Services ensures families have the required supports to enable their children to fully participate in everyday routines.  Our staff support families by providing:

• In-person home visits and video conferencing visits with families
• Coaching to parents and guardians to support their children’s participation within the routines of their daily life
• Routines-based interviews to understand a child’s functioning in everyday routines including their strengths and areas for growth
• Child development screening and assessment
• Development of Family Service Plans
• Neonatal follow-up clinics for children at higher risk of developmental delay (doctor’s referral required)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) monitoring for siblings of children who have a diagnosis of ASD
• Activities and play groups that teach your child new skills and promote development
• Workshops and support groups for parents and caregivers
• Referrals to community agencies
• Transition to school support

Where are services provided?

Services are provided in individual and group settings. Services can be provided in:

• The family/caregiver home (in person and/or by video conference)
• Local community settings (such as libraries, EarlyON child and family programs, recreation centres, parks)
• York Region Early Intervention Services offices

What happens next?

Participation in the program ends when the child’s development is no longer delayed, the child transitions to school, the family leaves York Region, or at any time parents/caregivers choose.

If a family transitions their child into a licensed child care program, including licensed centre-based and home-based child care programs, Montessori schools, nursery schools and preschools, the child/family may be transferred to the York Region Inclusion Support Services (ISS) program if the child requires a support to fully participate in the child care classroom environment.

York Region Infant and Child Development Services provides neonatal follow-up services for infants and children at higher risk of developmental delay due to prematurity or birth complications. The program is offered in partnership with Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, Oak Valley Health and Southlake Regional Health Centre. The goal of the program is to monitor the development of infants and children through early intervention and build on the care that is provided in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Who is eligible?

• When appropriate, infants/children who were cared for in the NICU or are at high risk of developmental delays because of complications experienced during birth, will be referred to the neonatal follow up program by the hospital team. 

What services are offered?

Services are provided by a multi-disciplinary team, including a physician (neonatologist or pediatrician), an early interventionist (child development specialist), and an occupational therapist or physiotherapist. All specialists focus on the child’s growth and development in all areas (gross and fine motor, feeding, speech and language, play skills and problem solving).

Specialists assess, monitor and provide early intervention strategies and suggestions to the child’s parents to promote optimal developmental outcomes.

Parents/caregivers receive information about their infant/child’s development, ask questions and discuss concerns, are connected to community resources and receive referrals to community supports.

If there are speech and language concerns, families are referred to the York Region Preschool Speech and Language Program (YRPSLP) to meet with a speech language pathologist (SLP) for an assessment.

The clinic is not intended for primary medical care.

What happens next?

Participation in this program ends when the child turns 36 months old (age three), when the neonatal follow-up team determines that the child no longer requires monitoring, or at any time parents/caregivers choose.

How often are the appointments?

• Appointments are typically scheduled at regular intervals ending at 36 months corrected age, conducted in person at the local hospital clinic and/or by video conference
• The first appointment is four-to-six weeks after discharge from the hospital. The next appointments are at four, eight, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months corrected age

What happens at a typical appointment?

• The doctor completes a physical exam and the team assesses the child by completing developmental screens (tests)
• The team discusses their assessment with the parents/caregivers and provides recommendations
• Information specific to your child’s screening appointment will be made available to families in accordance with the procedures related to each specific hospital and clinic team
• Appointments last approximately 45 minutes
  • Parents/caregivers must bring the child’s Ontario Health card and any relevant reports from the child’s therapists or physicians. They are also encouraged to bring a list of their questions.

How can appointments be changed or cancelled?

Please contact the hospital where the appointment is scheduled as soon as possible to change or cancel an appointment:

• Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital (905-883-1212 ext. 7576)
• Oak Valley Health (905-472-7534)
• Southlake Regional Health Centre (905-895-4521 ext. 2288)

Where are the clinics located?

York Region Infant and Child Development Services provides a developmental monitoring program for infants and children who are at higher risk of having developmental delays or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) due to having an older sibling with this diagnosis.  The goal of the program is to monitor the development of infants and children in order to facilitate referrals and provide intervention at the earliest detection of developmental concerns. 

Who is eligible?

• Infants/children who have an older sibling with a suspicion of or diagnosis of ASD
  • Are between six and 36 months of age 
  • Reside in York Region 

What services are offered?

Services are provided by an Early Interventionist who is skilled in identifying red flags for Autism and has received additional training to administer play-based screens and questionnaires to identify concerns relating to Autism or other developmental delays.  

Early Interventionists assess, monitor, and provide early intervention strategies and suggestions to the child’s parents/caregivers to promote optimal developmental outcomes. They will initiate referrals for additional services including Infant and Child Development Services (ICDS) or Inclusion Support Services (ISS), York Region Preschool Speech and Language Program (YRPSLP) and diagnostic assessment as required. 

Parents/caregivers receive information about their child’s development, ask questions and discuss concerns, are connected to community resources, and receive referrals to community supports.

What happens next?

Participation in this program ends when the child turns 36 months old (age three), or the family is referred to receive services with one of our other programs (Infant and Child Development Services/Inclusion Support Services). 

How often and where are the appointments?

• The first appointment occurs when the child is as young as six months old 
• The following appointments occur at 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months
• Appointments are conducted in person at a designated York Region office 

 What happens at a typical appointment?

• The Early Interventionist will spend some time getting to know you and your child by completing screening questionnaires and playing with your child 
• The Early Interventionist will then implement an age-appropriate, play-based screening tool to identify red flags relating to Autism Spectrum Disorder. 
• The Early Interventionist will discuss their assessment with the parents/caregivers and provide recommendations
• Appointments last approximately one to one and a half hours
• Parents/caregivers are encouraged to bring a nut free snack and drink to the appointment 

Providing early intervention services in licensed child care

The Inclusion Support Services program supports the active and meaningful participation of children with special needs in licensed child care programs. In partnership with the early learning and child care program, an Inclusion Support Services Early Interventionist will help implement inclusive practices so that all children have equal access to programming. The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Who is eligible?

The Inclusion Support Services program supports early learning and child care programs who care for children with special needs from birth to age 13 in licensed child care, home care and after-school programs in York Region

What services are offered?

This program ensures that children who may require support have equal access to inclusive licensed early learning and child care programs in York Region. It provides support to individual children through collaborative consultation visits with educators and support for families’ service coordination needs, as required.

The Inclusion Support Services program strengthens early learning and child care educators’ capacity to engage in inclusive practices for children with special needs in licensed child care settings.

Services include:

• A Routines-Based Model of Intervention
• Child development screening
• Development of Individual Program Plans for children
• Collaborative consultation visits with early learning and child care educators to promote inclusive practices and connect to additional supports as required
• Coaching educators to implement goals and strategies that teach children new skills and promote development
• Adaptation suggestions to the classroom environment to include all children within the program
• Service coordination activities for families (such as referrals to community agencies)
• Transition to school support
• Professional development and capacity building opportunities for early learning and child care staff/educators to promote best practices in inclusion

Where are services provided?

Services are provided in:

• Licensed early learning and child care programs including licensed home care
• Licensed after-school programs located in York Region

Referrals to Inclusion Support Services for school-age children ages four to 13 years come directly from licensed school-age programs. Support will take place in the after-school care setting.

Inclusion Support Services will focus on the needs of the classroom by removing barriers that prevent the active and meaningful participation of all children. In partnership with the early learning and child care program, an Inclusion Support Services Early Interventionist will help develop a classroom plan and provide a plan of services and supports for early learning and child care professionals that help build more inclusive practices in the after-school program.

York Region will provide training, support, and resources through:

• Classroom consultations
• Online capacity building educational opportunities
• Positive Early Childhood Education Program (PECE) coaching
• Connections to other resources in the community, including children’s mental health

This is a collaborative consultation to help build the capacity of educators to support the inclusion of all children in their classrooms.

Please refer to this Questions and Answers document for School-Age Programs for information for school-age providers.

Please refer to this insert for information on Inclusion Support Services support for school-age children.

How do I make a referral?

Licensed school-age programs can make a classroom or child-specific consultation request by submitting the Inclusion Support Services School-Age Consultation Request Form. If the request is for a child-specific consultation, programs will need to obtain consent from the parent/caregiver before submitting the request.

Inclusion Support Services School-Age Consultation Request Form

Inclusion Support Services staff offer the Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) program to licensed early learning and child care (ELCC) programs throughout York Region. PECE is a training program that builds on the capacity of early learning and child care staff in supporting children of all abilities. The program encourages responsive care and rich learning opportunities to promote children’s social and emotional skills, and interest in learning. 

The PECE programs helps educators to: 

• Manage common classroom behavioural difficulties and address developmental concerns  
• Improve communication with co-workers and parents about behaviour or related concerns 
• Reduce stress associated with child care responsibilities 

Early learning and child care programs must already be enrolled with Inclusion Support Services to participate in the PECE Program. To learn more about the PECE Program and the benefits for early learning and child care classrooms, please visit the PECE website 

To begin, speak with your Early Interventionist for more information to determine if PECE is right for your program. 

Therapy services support the development of children who require occupational therapy (OT) and physiotherapy (PT). Therapy services are funded by York Region and by the Children’s Treatment Network (CTN).

There are two streams of services:

1. Early Intervention Services (EIS) Collaborative Consultation
2. CTN-funded occupational therapy and physiotherapy or CTN Therapy Services

Who is eligible?

EIS Collaborative Consultation

• Families and children enrolled in the following Early Intervention Services programs:
  • Infant and Child Development Services (ICDS)
  • Inclusion Support Services (ISS)

CTN Therapy Services

• Children from birth to school entry who have functional limitations resulting from neuromotor, neuromuscular, degenerative, or chronic musculoskeletal conditions 
• In the absence of a diagnosis, eligibility is determined following a therapy screen appointment with a therapist (OT or PT)

What services are offered?

Services may be offered in one-to-one and group settings:

• EIS Collaborative Consultation: include assessment and screening, education, coaching, consultation, monitoring, referrals to community supports and services
• CTN Therapy Services: include the supports listed above as well as direct intervention and prescription of seating and mobility equipment

Physiotherapy services

Physiotherapy services are provided by physiotherapists who help maximize a child’s mobility and participation in daily routines.

Physiotherapists:

• Address concerns regarding physical function (mobility, strength, endurance, range of motion, balance, coordination and muscle tone)
• Prescribe equipment (such as walkers and standing frames) and specialized positioning devices (such as braces and garments)
• Support participation in sports and leisure activities

Physiotherapists are registered health professionals with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.

Occupational therapy services

Occupational therapy services are provided by occupational therapists who help maximize a child’s participation in daily routines in their natural environments (school, child care and home). Occupational therapists provide support in the areas of fine motor, play/leisure and self-care (feeding, dressing and bathing).

Occupational therapists:

• Address concerns with daily function (mobility, strength, range of motion, motor planning, sensory system function and muscle tone)
• Prescribe seating and materials (such as hand splints, wheelchairs and bath seats) to improve performance and participation
• Recommend changes to the environment (such as home, vehicle and classrooms) to promote accessibility and function

Occupational therapists are registered health professionals with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.

How are services provided?

EIS Collaborative Consultation

• The Early Interventionist (EI) is the primary service provider who can make referrals to other team members, such as the OT or PT, as needed, based on the outcomes in the Family Service Plan (FSP) or the goals in the child’s Individual Program Plan (IPP)
• The EI, OT and PT work collaboratively with the parents/educators to recommend strategies to support the outcomes in the FSP or the goals in the child’s IPP
• The collaborative approach supports:
  • The integration of the care plan into the child/family’s daily routines
  • The shared goal of assisting caregivers/ELCC professionals to help children reach their highest functional potential

CTN Therapy Services

To learn more about how CTN Therapy Services are provided, please visit the CTN Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Services webpage and read the CTN Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Intervention Guide.

How can you access therapy services?

• For EIS Collaborative Consultation, parents/educators may speak to their Early Interventionist who, when appropriate, can initiate a referral based on an identified outcome in the FSP or goal in the child’s IPP
• For CTN Therapy Services, parents may call the KIDS Line at 1-888-703-KIDS (5437).  With parental consent, physicians and other professionals can refer by faxing a developmental screen (ERIK or Looksee checklist) and the referral form to our Intake line at 905-762-2115 or by calling CTN ACCESS at 1-866-377-0286.  Physicians and other professionals can refer using the Physician’s referral form or the Local Team referral form, respectively available on the CTN website.

Where are services provided?

Both individual and group services are provided. For EIS collaborative consultative services, the location aligns with the early interventionist’s service location.

For CTN Therapy Services, the service location is determined by the child’s needs and goals. Services locations may include:

• Virtual video conference
• Family/caregiver home
• Licensed child care centres
• York Region offices
• Local community settings (such as recreation centres, child and family programs, parks)

What happens next?

Access to EIS Collaborative Consultative services ends when the child is discharged from the Infant and Child Development Services or Inclusion Support Services programs.

Services for children receiving CTN therapy services end when any of the following are met:

• The child enters school or turns five years and 11 months of age
• Therapy services are transferred to school-aged therapy supports
• The child has progressed well and no longer meets eligibility requirements for the CTN-hosted therapy support
• The family no longer lives or attends licensed child care in York Region
• At any time that the family chooses

Creating positive mealtime experiences for children

• Sensory Considerations and Strategies for Positive Mealtime Experiences (ctnsy.ca)
• Caregiver Strategies to Support Positive Mealtimes
• Mealtime Adventures: Caregiver Strategies to Support Positive Mealtimes
• Mealtime Adventures: Sensory Considerations and Strategies for Positive Mealtime Experiences

About the Ontario Autism Program (OAP) and York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN)

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) offers a range of programs and is implementing an autism program that is comprehensive, needs-based and family-centred. The introduction of a variety of caregiver-mediated early years (CMEY) programs will support families with young children ages 12 months to 48 months (four years) learn new skills and meet individualized goals.

The York Simcoe Autism Network (YSAN) is a group of organizations providing autism services within York Region and Simcoe County that are committed to working together to provide accessible, high-quality services that result in improved outcomes for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. To learn more about YSAN and their services, please visit their website

The Regional Municipality of York (York Region) is pleased to be part of the YSAN partnership.

Who is eligible for the caregiver-mediatedearly years (CMEY) program and how to access services

Children who have a diagnosis of autism, have registered with the OAP and are ages 12 to 48 months (four years) at the start of intervention may be eligible for the CMEY program. To access CMEY services, families must be invited by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to participate. To receive an invitation, children must be registered with OAP.

If you have received an invitation from the OAP to participate in the CMEY program and would like to register, please contact YSAN by email at @email, or phone at 1-800-283-3377.

Through the CMEY programs, parents and caregivers learn therapeutic strategies and specific techniques from professionals based on their child’s individual needs. The programs aim to build parents’ and caregivers’ capacity to support their child’s skill development in:

• Social interaction
• Play
• Communication
• Emotional development
• Adaptive development and self-help skills

The programs are play-based, child-led and developmentally appropriate. Programs are free of charge and available for up to six months per child. For more information visit the OAP and the caregiver-mediated early years programs website.

York Region Infant and Child Development Services involvement in YSAN

York Region Infant and Child Development Services (ICDS) is proud to continue to support the delivery of Social ABCs (one of the CMEY programs offered by the OAP).  

York Region is now delivering Social ABCs across all nine municipalities.

Social ABCs

The Social ABCs is an evidence-based, parent-led, early intervention program designed for toddlers between the ages of 12 months and 42 months, who are displaying social and/or communication challenges, which may be signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). More information on Social ABCs can be found at socialabcs.ca

The two main targets of Social ABCs are:

1. Fostering vocal social communication that is intentional, directed and functional
2. Encouraging positive emotion sharing between toddler and caregiver

Social ABCs is parent-led and will provide families with a set of strategies to help their child communicate and interact socially. Parents are coached to learn the strategies through a parent-friendly manual and one-on-one coaching sessions over six weeks. In between sessions, parents are expected to implement the strategies throughout their daily activities with their child.