ACT offers various programs for parents and caregivers, including a five-week course on overcoming restrictive eating, an 11-week mindfulness and compassion course, a 10-week Connect attachment program, a culturally-adapted two-day Acceptance and Commitment Training workshop for Indigenous caregivers, and a three-day Managing Distressed Behaviour course, all aimed at providing effective strategies and support for families of Autistic children.
When you click the button above, a form will appear where you can choose the programs that interest you. ACT will then contact you based on your selections.
Have questions about our programs? Please email [email protected] or contact us.
Taking Steps to Overcome Restrictive Eating and Transform Mealtimes
This five-week online group will teach parents and caregivers how to best support their child with restrictive eating patterns, facilitate positive food interactions, and work towards expanding their diet and less stressful mealtimes. Discover effective approaches to managing eating behaviors and promoting healthy eating habits.
This group will run according to demand.
Mindfulness and Compassion in Parenting
Compassion in Parenting is an 11-week course that combines empirically based practices from Mindful Self Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), along with research that supports caregiver and family wellbeing. This program has been adapted specifically for caregivers of Autistic children and participants in this group will have the opportunity to connect with other parents facing similar parenting experiences. This is a skill development program that requires active engagement and participation. To fully benefit, participants will be expected to be free of childcare or work obligations during the 90-minute sessions and will have access to a learning lab to further their skill development.
This group will run according to demand.
Connect Attachment Program—Adapted for Parents of Autistic Children & Youth
Connect is a 10-week program to support parents and caregivers of Autistic pre-teens and teens with behavioural and emotional challenges. Parents meet in small groups with two trained group leaders for 90 minutes each week. Each session provides parents with a new perspective on parent-teen relationships and adolescent development. Parents watch role-plays and try exercises that encourage more choices for responding to their teens’ behaviour.
This group will run according to demand.
Acceptance and Commitment Training—Culturally Adapted for First Nations, Inuit, and/or Métis Caregivers
This two-day in-person workshop will focus on caregiver wellness by introducing a culturally-adapted form of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) alongside the teachings of traditional knowledge keepers. The workshop will be co-facilitated by an Indigenous mental health clinician and an Indigenous caregiver. During the workshop, caregivers will be invited to participate in sharing circles and experiential activities to explore new ways to engage with difficult thoughts and emotions. Following the in-person workshop, six virtual follow-up sessions will be offered for continued support and learning.
Managing Distressed Behaviour for Parents & Caregivers: Using Low Arousal Approaches
This in-person course, presented by ACT in partnership with Studio 3 Canada, is designed to emphasize practical, non-confrontational approaches for assisting individuals experiencing significant distress and exhibiting challenging behaviors. Parents and Caregivers discover how to create calm, supportive environments using a low arousal approach, benefiting both individuals who exhibit distressed behaviour, and their caregivers. The courses are led by certified instructors.
Day 1
Understanding the nature of aggression expressed by people with learning difficulties; your reactions and tolerances to behaviour of concern; understanding causes of behaviour of concern; an introduction to the: Low Arousal Approaches (including interaction, defusing and distraction strategies); an introduction to debriefing (why it is necessary and how to do it) and finally a brief introduction to physical skills.
Day 1 of Managing Distressed Behaviour for Parents & Caregivers is held according to demand.
Day 2
The second day of the course combines gentle physical skills with the knowledge gained on the first day. We feel very strongly that physical skills are the last resort and no matter how gentle they are, we would prefer not to use them at all. However, there are times when they may be necessary and so it is best to be proactive than having to react without preparation.
Day 1 training is a prerequisite for Day 2.
Day 3
The third day of the course allows plenty of time for practicing the approaches and physical skills together. The last element of the course is learning to walk a client, who is in crisis, around in a supported and safe way, interrupting the sequence of the behaviour.
Day 2 training is a prerequisite for Day 3.