Occupational Therapist (OT)

An Occupational Therapist (OT) is a healthcare professional that is trained in a range of therapeutic techniques and strategies. What makes an OT unique is their focus on enabling meaningful occupation, that is, the activities that a child wants or needs to do. These can be any activities from playing, to eating, to participating in school projects, to communicating effectively.

OTs take a holistic approach to therapy. They are trained to consider a range of factors that might impact a child’s ability to engage in meaningful activities. These include physical, psychological, social, neurological, sensory, and environmental factors. OTs are also client/family centered and they collaborate closely with children and their families to create goals and therapy plans that work for the family’s unique situation. OTs aim to overcome any barriers to participation in order to empower children and their families to engage in meaningful, health promoting activities.

OTs are in a unique position to understand environmental factors that may impact a child’s ability to participate in meaningful activities. For example, the OT can work with a child and caregiver to identify how the child’s sensory environment impacts their day to day function, and can provide recommendations to support the child’s ability to participate in activities in different environments.

Speech-Language Pathologists:

• have a unique ability to help children with Autism to feel more understood by their families and caregivers and to feel more connected through communication
• collaborate with other professionals to support the needs of their clients, particularly Occupational therapists, teachers, and ABA therapists, depending on the needs and wishes of the family – and implement strategies from other disciplines to help clients successfully develop new skills and participate in sessions
• work on the following areas of communication; Play skills, Joint attention, early communication, Echolalia and gestalt language development, Social skills, Vocabulary and Grammar development, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• are equipped with a unique and powerful lens in supporting persons with autism in all areas of communication and social interaction.

Speech-Language Pathologists:

• have a unique ability to help children with Autism to feel more understood by their families and caregivers and to feel more connected through communication
• collaborate with other professionals to support the needs of their clients, particularly Occupational therapists, teachers, and ABA therapists, depending on the needs and wishes of the family – and implement strategies from other disciplines to help clients successfully develop new skills and participate in sessions
• work on the following areas of communication; Play skills, Joint attention, early communication, Echolalia and gestalt language development, Social skills, Vocabulary and Grammar development, Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• are equipped with a unique and powerful lens in supporting persons with autism in all areas of communication and social interaction.

Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) 

A Registered Behaviour Analyst (RBA) is a regulated healthcare professional registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. They hold a graduate-level certification in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). RBAs are responsible for observing and evaluating the behaviour of individuals, looking at how their environment affects behaviour, and using that information to increase meaningful behaviours or reduce interfering and problematic behaviours. When working with autistic individuals, RBAs can use basic principles of behaviour such as prompting and reinforcement to teach a variety of skills including, but not limited to, communication (making requests, conversation skills), self-help skills (toileting, dressing, chores), pre-academic skills (reading, writing), core academics (math, language concepts, science), community skills (safety awareness, shopping), vocational skills (writing a resume, interviewing, job-specific skills) and play skills (appropriate play interactions, board games, interactive games). With appropriate training and experience, RBAs can also support autistic individuals in other areas such as mental health challenges, sleep disturbances and feeding challenges. Within the autism sector, RBAs may work in private clinics, schools, daycares, family homes and other healthcare facilities, and often work in collaboration with other professionals such as psychologists, teachers, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists and social workers.

The field of ABA is constantly evolving and changing, and recent changes include listening to the voices and needs of autistic individuals and practicing from a Trauma-Assumed and Client-Centered approach. This means having a universal understanding and appreciation that certain events (parent separation, family death, school change, neglect, bullying, etc.) may adversely affect the individual and lead to heightened emotional responses and creating interventions and programming goals that support the individual through these responses. Additionally, it means teaching programming goals that are socially significant to the individual. Socially significant goals are those that are individualized to the client, consider the individual’s interests and motivation, cultural values, family dynamics and environmental supports, and will allow the individual to thrive within their environment.

Psychologist

Psychologists are regulated health professionals who can perform diagnosis and psychotherapy. Depending on areas of expertise, psychologists/psychological associates may also offer behaviour consultation, parenting support, disability counselling, training and coaching, support for siblings, family therapy, workshops, presentations and community outreach.

To become a registered psychologist with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario, you must complete a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in psychology and one year working under supervised practice. After completion of a supervised practice year, applicants must complete three comprehensive exams.

Psychotherapist (RP)

Psychotherapy offered by Registered Psychotherapists is a primarily talk-based therapy intended to help people improve and maintain their mental health and well-being. Psychotherapy occurs when the RP and client enter into a psychotherapeutic relationship where they work together to bring about positive change in the client’s thinking, feeling, behaviour and social functioning. Individuals usually seek psychotherapy when they have thoughts, feelings, moods and behaviours that are adversely affecting their day-to-day lives, relationships and ability to enjoy life.

Registered Psychotherapists typically hold a master’s degree in a relevant field of study (Psychology, counselling, psychotherapy) and are a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Other regulated health professionals can also practice psychotherapy in Ontario, including the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (COTO), College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO), College of Psychologists of Ontario (CPO) and Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).