All songs, lyrics, a listing of props and sample audio of each song along with two informative tip sheets can be found below. The tip sheets, Introduction to Creative Circle Time and Infant Circle Tip Sheet provide you with information on how to set up and structure your music circles. The tip sheets are printable and can be easily shared with team members and parents.
Voice is a critical part of supporting people with disabilities. We have to understand what a voice is. It is more than the physical sound that people make. It is more than language. It is communication in whatever form that takes.
Many people have heard about the concept of mindfulness, but are unsure what it means, and why it might be helpful in their lives and/or the lives of the people they support. Technically speaking, mindfulness is defined as paying attention, on purpose; in the present moment to whatever is going on and not judging it – in fact, actively accepting it – no matter what.
STEPS To Independence is a guidebook that provides an opportunity for individuals with an intellectual disability to determine how prepared they are for semi-independent living. It provides a holistic tool to help someone with their goal of living independently with supports by starting the conversation, identifying current skills, determining skill areas for improvement (where more learning can happen), and next steps to focus on.
The Guide is an interactive PDF. You are able to fill in your answers and save it so that you can refer to it at anytime.
The following resources have been compiled for the purpose of facilitating research when exploring potential services, discovering new opportunities or browsing for ideas when planning. Some programs may have specific criteria or program requirements for admission.
To be diagnosed with one of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders including Autism Spectrum Disorder, the child must have a specific number of characteristics in 3 categories:
Social Interaction
Communication
Behaviour
The specific diagnosis is based on the number of characteristics and the severity of those characteristics. Some of the possible characteristics may include:
Social Interaction
Unusual eye contact
Different and/or decreased interaction
Relates better and more frequently to adults than children
Prefers to do things without seeking help from others
Communication (verbal and nonverbal)
Delay in spoken language
Difficulty understanding directions
Difficulty starting and continuing a conversation
May repeat words/phrases that other people say
Limited pretend play
Gets needs met by taking an adult’s hand
Uses gestures to communicate
Behaviour
Repeats actions e.g. often plays with fingers, rocks body, jumps
Unusual play e.g. puts toys in line, repeatedly spins toys
Difficulty with change. Prefers things to stay the same.
Unusual reactions to sound, smell, taste, touch or visual sensations
Note: This is a general over view and should be accompanied by more detailed
A Tool kit of useful resources as you work to create your own individualized housing plan or support someone in the creation of theirs. DSO website
Getting ready for living independently
STEPS To Independence is a guidebook that provides an opportunity for individuals with an intellectual disability to determine how prepared they are for semi-independent living. It provides a holistic tool to help someone with their goal of living independently with supports by starting the conversation, identifying current skills, determining skill areas for improvement (where more learning can happen), and next steps to focus on. Read more »
Developmental Services Housing Task Force
Background
The Housing Study Group of the joint Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services/Developmental Services Sector partnership table, released a report in September 2013 entitled “Ending the Wait – an Action Agenda to Address the Housing Crisis Confronting Ontario Adults with Developmental Disabilities”. The report made several recommendations, including the creation of a Capacity-Building Task Force (“Task Force”).
This project targets a hard-to-reach subset of Toronto’s homeless population: individuals with developmental disabilities and significant complex, dual diagnosis (health, substance use and/or mental health issues).
Overview of sheltered System and Developmental disabilities (0:00 – 10:00 minutes)
Overview of Bridges to Housing (18:08 – 25:05 Dr. Sylvain Roy)
Case studies/psych testing (36:44-15 Dr. Radek Budin)
Person Directed Planning and implementation – Bridges to Housing program
York Region Lifetime Independent Facilitation
The York Region “Why Wait” Collaborative Demonstration Project provided four innovative housing models to eight individuals identified on the DSO eligibility list. The models are individualized to suit each person’s needs and desires, yet share several components in support of long-term sustainability: Independent Facilitation, incorporated microboards, coordinated agency-based staffing supports, and shared administrative costs including for fund administration, brokerage, and QAM oversight. Read more »
The Ontario Developmental Services Housing Task Force investigated new ways to help individuals with finding a home. Part of this investigation included looking at how other countries manage their developmental services.
SharedLivesPlus – The UK Network for Shared Lives and Homeshare. Shared Lives Plus is the UK network for family-based and small-scale ways of supporting adults. Their members are Shared Lives carers and workers, and Homeshare programmes. This program gives a different way of doing things. In the UK they call developmental disabilities – learning disabilities. http://sharedlivesplus.org.uk/
Innovative Options in Ontario
Dorvict Home & Health Care Services
Permanent and Temporary Staff Placement Agency
Dorvict Home and Health Care Services provides in-house, community and health support services to children, adults and seniors. Our expertise is in the areas of developmental, mental and physical disabilities. We also provide services to youths in crisis and people with challenging behaviours. www.dorvict.com
Beaver Barracks
In 2008 Families Matter Cooperative, Ottawa, during the design stage, developed a relationship with CCOC- Beaver Barracks – An Affordable, Accessible, Sustainable Project. The hope was to ensure individuals with developmental disabilities would have access to affordable units in this mixed community. In 2012 six – seven adults moved into their own apartments, supported by LiveWorkPlay. Beaver Barracks Affordable Accessible Sustainable
Scarborough Residential Alternatives
Scarborough Residential Alternatives are parents of developmentally handicapped young adults. Because there are almost no funded residential places available for our children, we are examining ways to create our own residential alternatives for lifelong living arrangements. We are determined to successfully create the best possible living arrangements for our children, using all resources, governmental and otherwise, that are available to us. We welcome the participation of any parents or caregivers who find themselves in a similar situation and want to join us in building our children’s future. Scarborough Residential Alternatives
Options for Homes
Options for Homes is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to providing cost-effective home ownership opportunities for everyone. For over 20 years, Options has been working with our purchasers to provide down payment help and save each household up to $50,000 off each suite. For more information on our new homes and how Options can help you to get into home ownership, visit Options for Homes
My Home My Choice
My Home My Choice is a three-year initiative designed to explore ways to better respond to the housing needs of people with intellectual disabilities. People with significant disabilities and more complex needs have traditionally been institutionalized. With the closure of large-scale institutions, group homes have become a prevalent service model for provision of residential support. While there are a range of options and supports provided under group home arrangements there is growing recognition that the usual approaches to funding, staffing and delivery are not designed to maximize individual choice and mobility.
The overall purpose of the project is to increase the capacity of community service providers to assist adults with intellectual disabilities and more complex needs to move from group home arrangements to supported living in the community. The project engages local organizations in defining and executing transformation plans and uses an active research methodology to identify the process and key factors involved in making the shift from provision of group home based residential support to supported living in the community.
My Home My Choice is delivered and managed by the Canadian Association for Community Living in partnership with provincial partners including: Inclusion BC, New Brunswick Association for Community Living, Community Living Ontario, and Nova Scotia Association for Community Living. Six (6) local partners include the Langley Association for Community Living (BC); Restigouche Residential Services (NB); Parry Sound Community Living and Rygiel Support Services (Ontario) and Regional Residential Services and Breton Abilities Centre (Nova Scotia). My Home CACL
May be created when someone has individualized funds. Living arrangements may be similar to the models described above or may look different.
The Future Looks Bright: New Approaches to Making a Home for Someone with an Intellectual Disability
Highlights Reel (4:55)
This new movement calls for service providers, government and communities to partner with parents to address long residential wait lists (currently 2700 in Toronto alone) and create innovative, affordable and accessible residential housing and community participation supports. Read more »
LIGHTS
LIGHTS is an option for families to explore who are interested in helping their family member start a life outside the family home. LIGHTS brings together individuals with intellectual disabilities, families, community members and Community Living Toronto in a unique synergy that will facilitate the establishment of residential solutions for the intellectually disabled, and provide interim funding to overcome financial obstacles in the establishment of a place to call home. www.lights.to
What is LIGHTS? (1:02)
Families For A Secure Future: Creative Housing Options
Families for a Secure Future is dedicated to serving adults with developmental disabilities and supporting them to become more engaged in directing their lives, making choices and taking up full citizenship in the community.
Friendly Housemates
A three-year partnership between Community Living Toronto and Centennial College that brought together post-secondary students and people who have an intellectual disability under one roof is coming to an end, but many of the relationships that were developed as a result of Friendly Housemates continue to grow. Friendly Housemates
Trying it On For Size (TIFS)
Trying It On For Size – Elmira Program of Elmira District Community Living
Finding answers require recognition of an individual’s skills, the things they already know how to do, and their potential…and ability…to learn more. Therefore, our purpose…the evaluation of independent living skills… is to recognize not only what a participant is capable of in order to live, but what are they willing to do to make living successful for them. http://tryitonforsizeelmira.com/
TIFS (Trying It on For Size) Community Living Toronto
TIFS (Trying It on For Size) is a model of support, which helps you gain experience living independently. You participate in short-term stays in an apartment where you can learn and further develop your independent living, confidence and decision-making skills.
TIFS takes one full year to complete. For information contact: Sunday Cvetanovic, scvetanovic@cltoronto.ca or 647-726-0129
L’Arche Toronto – Trying It On for Size (TIFS)
Trying It On for Size (TIFS) is made for you! It is a yearlong life skills program that can help you to be more independent. TIFS teaches you important life skills and gives you the opportunity to “try” living on your own. TIFS does this by:
1:1 coaching that motivates and inspires you
You set the pace of your learning
Staying for overnights in an apartment setting with access to support
For Information contact: Amanda Hickey, TIFS Program Leader amanda@larchetoronto.org (416) 406-2869 ext. 22
Microboards
Sustainability of your Creative Housing model: An introduction to Microboards and their purpose within the context of developing creative housing models.
Long-Term Care: Reframing the Conversation
Recorded at a Transition Planning training forum put on by The Toronto Networks of Specialized Care in partnership with the Developmental Services Toronto (DSTO) Shared Learning Forum and ConnectABILITY.ca This is one of 9 videos that were recorded during a 3 part Certificate Series for direct support professional’s to help meet the complex needs related to Transition Planning. Presenters: Cindy Dodd, Angela Gonzales, Pamela Tolson, Lindsay Wingham-Smith
MagnusCards
MagnusCards is a free app that combines a proven method of instruction (Social Stories) with elements of game design to help people learn life skills. Read more »
DSO Housing Update
A brief introduction to the new housing navigation role at DSO.
Partners For Planning (P4P)
P4P empowers people with disabilities and their families with FREE resources to create meaningful lives and secure futures, firmly rooted in the community. We help families envision, plan and implement strategies to ensure that your loved one is safe, fulfilled, respected and financially secure—from childhood into adulthood and for the rest of his or her life.http://www.partnersforplanning.ca
Ontario government funded Residential Options
Various government funded residential supports are provided by community agencies that help people with a developmental disability. Individuals with a developmental disability and their families work with community agencies to find the kind of residential accommodation that works best for them. These include:
Supported Group Living
Three or more adults with an intellectual disability are living together. Paid supports are provided up to 24 hours every day depending on the support needs of the people living there. Support outcomes are aligned with each person’s individual support plan. Typically, people considering group living require some level of support at all times.
Supported Independent Living
Enables someone with an intellectual disability to live with or without a partner/room-mate. A caseworker enables the achievement of outcomes which are aligned with each person’s individual support plan and paid supports are available on a part-time basis to foster and maintain independence. Someone considering this option would have life skills necessary to live with occasional support for meals, money management and community engagement.
Life Share
Involves 1 or 2 adults with an intellectual disability living with a care giver who is not a family member. This is a room and board arrangement in which the care giver is available overnights if needed. A caseworker provides support to achieve outcomes which are aligned with each person’s individual support plan. Though daily support is dependent on the availability of the care giver, this living arrangement forms such close relationships that the person often becomes a part of the care giver’s life network of family and friends. For this reason, the matching process between the person and the care giver is essential to the success of this living arrangement.
There are waitlists for government funded residential supports in some areas of the province.
To apply contact Developmental Services Ontario
Useful Reports
Atlas on the Primary Care of Adults with Developmental Disabilities in Ontario
CAMH is a medical facility in the City of Toronto. It has completed a medical assessment of Adults with Developmental Disabilities. This is their documentation of that process. CAMH Atlas of Adults with Developmental Disabilities 2013
Select Committee on Developmental Services Final Report – Inclusion and Opportunity: A New Path for Developmental Services in Ontario
The Select Committee was developed to investigate the effectiveness of the Developmental Services in Ontario. The committee was made up of Members of Parliament. Here is a copy of their report. Select Committee Development Services Final Report 2014
Ontario Auditor General’s report on the Residential Services for People with Developmental Disabilities
The TDSA Housing Sub-Committee aims to make this information easily accessible through links and documents provided on this site. This includes providing access to various documents produced by TDSA and links to housing initiatives the TDSA is currently engaged in on the TDSA Housing Sub-Committee page. tdsa.ca/housing-related-resources
The Shared Learning Forum offers training and networking opportunities for staff working in the DS (Developmental Services) sector in Toronto. All agencies that provide services and supports to adults and their families are wecome to join the training.
Let’s Talk: An Open Dialogue on Vulnerability in Toronto Series:
Through collaboration and coordination, the Community Network of Specialized Care works to build efficient and effective cross-sectorial specialized service systems that support people with a developmental disability and mental health challenges (dual diagnosis) and/or challenging behaviour.
Everybody’s Trauma: Supporting adults with intellectual disabilities who have experienced violence
Colleagues from the Violence Against Women and the Developmental Services sectors discuss the impact of violence on adults who are labeled with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Topics include: Healing Trauma Through Multi-Modial Therapy, Self-Regulation for Practitioner Resilience.
A series of presentations for direct support professional’s to help meet the complex needs related to Transition Planning. Developed by The Toronto Networks of Specialized Care in partnership with the DSTO Shared Learning Forum and ConnectABILITY.
Selected presentations from a daylong conference focusing on the concerns and support needs of people with a developmental disability who are aging. Held on June 28, 2012 in Toronto.
Developmental Disabilities Justice Toolkit Training videos, webinars, an online tool-kit and resources specifically designed for professionals working in the justice system (police, corrections, probation and parole officers, crown attorneys, youth justice staff, mental health court workers). http://www.community-networks.ca/services/developmental-disabilities-justice-toolkit/
Care, Support and Treatment of People with a Developmental Disability and Challenging Behaviours The Community Networks of Specialized Care in Ontario developed a set of Consensus Guidelines to help families, caregivers and agencies in the daily care, support and treatment of adults with both a developmental disability and challenging behaviours. http://www.community-networks.ca/services/care-support-and-treatment/
As your child grows they will learn to do more and more for themselves. The road to greater independence takes time and lots of practise but leads to many successes.
In this section you’ll find the tools to build your child’s self care skills during the daily routines, such as mealtime, dressing, washroom and sleep. Skills that once learned will be used for a lifetime.
Eating together with the family, with a group of friends or in a restaurant are more important steps in your child’s learning. Mealtime is not only an opportunity for socializing and connecting, but a chance for building independence skills. We’ll help you take a closer look at your child’s eating habits and give you some tools to make mealtime routines successful at home and in the community.
Take a look at the Mealtime Routines workshop to learn how to establish positive routines around mealtime.
A workshop about easier mealtimes, inside and outside your home.
Getting dressed
From putting on pants and a jacket to using zippers, buttons and laces, dressing skills are important steps on the road to your child’s independence. In this section we will help you to break down skills into simple steps and give you the tools to make teaching easier.
Learning to use the toilet can be one of the most challenging and rewarding of all independence skills. We’ll help you to recognize the signs of toileting readiness and give you some pre-toilet training ideas. Once your child is ready for toilet training we’ve got the tools to help you teach, schedule and monitor their progress and strategies to use when setbacks happen. We’ll help you to think about ways to make toilet training a positive experience!
In this section, you’ll also find tips about teaching your child to wash their hands and brush their teeth. It takes a lot of practise and commitment from everyone spending time with your child to help them learn and be independent.
Young children often need help getting to bed and staying asleep. As your child grows it is important for them to develop good sleep habits which will help them to feel better and ready to learn throughout the day.
In this section, we’ll give you the tools to help you establish a consistent routine around sleep time.
