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Caregiver Skills Training (CST)

Our Caregiver Skills Training (CST) program is designed to support and empower caregivers of children aged 2-9 years with a suspected or confirmed developmental delay or disability.

Through a combination of virtual group workshops (caregivers only) and individual coaching sessions (facilitator, caregiver, child), caregivers will learn strategies to enhance their child’s communication, social skills, and behavior in everyday activities.

Program Details:

  • Ages: 2-9 years
  • Duration: 9-week program
  • Date & Time:
    • TUESDAY Sessions: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM / July 28 – September 22, 2026
    • THURSDAY Sessions: 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM/ July 30 – September 24, 2026
  • Frequency: Weekly virtual group workshops and three individual coaching sessions
  • Format: Virtual group sessions and individual coaching sessions
  • Location: Virtual
    • In-centre and in-home sessions may be considered based on facilitator availability and program capacity.
  • Language: For the time being, all sessions will be conducted in English

Eligibility:

  • Caregivers of children aged 2-9 years and 11 months with suspected or diagnosed ASD or other neurodevelopmental conditions. You do NOT need a diagnosis for this program.
  • Primary caregiver (parent, grandparent, or any adult over 18) must be able to attend all relevant sessions.
  • Willing to actively participate during sessions (camera on, participation in discussions).
  • Child needs support using joint attention and communicating their requests
  • Child needs support with pretend play
  • Final enrollment is confirmed following a phone screening. Please note that that registration does not automatically guarantee enrolment.

What to Expect:

Caregivers will participate in virtual group sessions to learn how to use everyday play and daily routines to support their child’s communication, social skills, and self-help abilities. Individual coaching sessions, primarily delivered virtually, provide personalized guidance to help caregivers apply these strategies in their home and everyday life. The program aims to increase shared engagement, improve social communication, reduce challenging behaviours, and ultimately decrease caregiver stress.

Fees & Funding

This program is made free of cost by the generous support of the United Way Greater Toronto.

Registration & Waitlist

After registering, families will be added to the CST waitlist. If a space is not available in the upcoming block, your registration will remain active and you will be contacted when future spaces become available.

Registration Open

Registration with SAAAC Autism Centre requires speaking with our Intake Team and providing them with your child's and family information.

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