Our Services

Who We Are...

Children at Risk was founded as a registered charity in 1979 for the purpose of providing training and support to families with children who are diagnosed within the Autism Spectrum Disorders. The following are supports Children at Risk can offer for family and child.

What We Offer ...

Over the years, Children at Risk has provided supports and services to families and professionals working with children diagnosed within the Autism Spectrum Disorders. We host the following programs and activities:

• Friendship Social Skill Therapy Groups are offered to children with Autism.
• Intensive Behavioural Training Groups are offered for Autistic children with higher behaviour requirements.
• Sibling Support Groups are offered to meet the needs of sisters and brothers of a sibling with Autism.
• Information Seminars and Educational Workshops are provided during the year, based on identified needs and concerns of families. All workshops, seminars and special topic groups are open to extended family members and family-support workers.

Up Coming Service Offerings ...

GREAT NEWS!

Children at Risk is more than excited to unveil our 1st All-Day Specialized Summer Camp for children diagnosed within the Autism Spectrum Disorders. Children at Risk’s objectives with a Specialized Camp is to provide a recreational camp which, through expertise and proven techniques, will accommodate the deficits of autism such as communication, socialization and behaviour seamlessly whilst allowing the Camper to have the stimulation, excitement and fun that summer camp is renowned for and an understated right of any child regardless of the severity of their disability. Too often children with severe Autism are denied access to programs and/or if access is granted, the parent must pay extra to send a 1:1 worker. This discriminates against a child with higher needs and penalizes both the child and their family by not having this opportunity that is available for typically-developing children!
The Camp would address three main areas:

1. The Camper – Provide a safe, accommodating, non-judgmental day camp for the Autistic child. Provide the camper with the opportunity to improve social skills, sense of autonomy, leisure skills and play repertoires and possibly make lifelong friendships. Objectives include:

   * Maintaining or improving the child’s functioning level
   * Maintaining or improving existing skills and/or to develop new skills
   * Continuing the child’s school program or routine

2. Parents & Siblings – Benefit parents by allowing them the reduced stress from knowing that their child is with understanding individuals who will accommodate their child and not expel them from camp for the slightest infraction of social behaviour. This also provides the parent the benefit of knowing that they have a number of weeks where they can maintain their normal working hours and not use up their full annual vacation time to supervise their child. Also to provide families with the opportunity to spend dedicated time with Siblings that in many families, unintentionally suffer due to the demands of the child on the Autism Spectrum.

3. The Community – Extend Summer employment to Educational Assistants and provide EA’s and Special Education Teachers with appropriate training pertinent to the ASD Spectrum and provide hands on application in real life situations that will benefit all children that they teach and especially those on the ASD Spectrum. Educate younger camp counselors on the complexities of the ASD field and assist to make informed decisions about continuing in this area through higher education for i.e. ABA, OT, SLP employment or hands on activities.
Please join us in acknowledging our 3 main sponsors (to date) who are making Summer Camp possible:


The King’s Daughters and Sons (Ottawa City Union), Unity for Autism Foundation and the City of Ottawa

Ottawa This Week (Camp Kaleidoscope)

Referral form and information.
Social Skill Group Application Process