For: children 12 to 48 months at start of intervention
Joint attention, symbolic play, engagement and regulation (JASPER) targets core early developmental skills for young children with autism to improve age-appropriate play skills, engagement with others and communication development. Through JASPER, you will help your child develop targeted skills, including:
- gestures for joint attention and requesting (such as pointing, coordinated looks between objects and people, and showing)
- play diversity and complexity (such as using objects to represent something else in play)
- social engagement (such as improving the child's engagement with others)
- behaviour regulation (such as using strategies to handle behaviours that interfere with learning and engagement)
- verbal communication (such as building on the child’s existing language, while also teaching them new words)
The program will show you how to use strategies at home with your child. The program is tailored to each child and caregiver's abilities, motivations and needs.
The JASPER program is 8-12 weeks in length. Appointments are 30-45 minutes and occur once or twice per week. A schedule to determine the length of the program and frequency of appointments will be discussed with your clinician when you are ready to get started. This program is offered virtually or in-person depending on your location.
The chart below is an overview of the similarities and differences between the C-MEY programs offered at TVCC:
Access to Services
Please note, that families must receive an invitation from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services through the Government of Ontario before participating in C-MEY.
Once you have received the letter of invitation, register for the Caregiver-Mediated Early Years program by contacting Samantha McCarthy, C-MEY Program Coordinator, at:
- Email: Samantha.McCarthy [at] tvcc.on.ca (Samantha[dot]McCarthy[at]tvcc[dot]on[dot]ca)
- Call: 866-590-8822 ext 53777
- Text: 519-953-5680
You will be asked for your OAP Client Reference Number when you register for this program.
Contact abs [at] tvcc.on.ca (abs[at]tvcc[dot]on[dot]ca) for information about registering with the OAP.
What to Expect
After registration with TVCC, we will call to speak with you about the programs we offer and help you decide which is the right fit for your child and family.
After choosing a program, you will be connected with an experienced clinician from TVCC and/or one of our four partner agencies providing C-MEY in southwestern Ontario.
For More Information
If you are new to TVCC, please register here: Intake & Referrals
Questions? Email us at abs [at] tvcc.on.ca (subject: Questions%20about%20Caregiver-Mediated%20Early%20Years%20program) (abs[at]tvcc[dot]on[dot]ca)
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