2026–2027 Services delivered: OAP — entry to school program

Component: OAP - entry to school program

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

The Ontario Autism Program (OAP) entry to school program will support young children on the autism spectrum to successfully transition to school for the first time through

• facilitating children’s core foundational skill-development through a half-day group-based program to prepare them to enter school
• providing transition supports as they enter school
• providing families and educators with access to targeted consultation support from OAP – entry to school program staff upon request, during the child’s first six months in school, to support a successful school transition

People served

To participate in the entry to school program, children must be

• registered in the OAP
• between 3 and 6 years old as of December 31 in the year they are starting school
• starting school for the first time (either kindergarten or grade one)

Program/service features

As part of the Ontario Autism Program (OAP), the entry to school program (ETS) is a six-month group-based skill-building program for young children, aged 3 to 6 years, registered with the OAP and who are entering school for the first time (either kindergarten or grade one), to prepare them to enter school. The program is available in English and French.

Some children are not eligible for the program, including children

• who have already started attending school
• who are receiving OAP core clinical services funding

Children who are in the entry to school program can receive other Ontario Autism Program supports (other than OAP core clinical services), special needs supports and/or community-based early intervention programs at the same time. For example, a child can receive a caregiver-mediated early years program at the same time as the entry to school program if eligible.

Following the completion of the group-based program, children receive transition supports as they enter school to support a successful school transition. Families and educators can access consultation services from entry to school program staff, upon request, during a child’s first six months in school.

Specific service provided

• Group-based Program: The group-based program is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team including staff with expertise in autism, applied behaviour analysis, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, and early childhood development. The program is offered for approximately 15 hours per week, with flexibility for the number of days or hours that a child attends depending on their needs.

The group-based program will target skill-building in school readiness skills within the following six domains

• Communication: For example, expressing wants and needs, understanding words and language, social communication, non-verbal communication, conversation, ability to learn to use a communication system/device effectively within a variety of activities
• Play: For example, toy exploration, constructive play (such as drawing, puzzles), reciprocal play, parallel play, imaginative play, pre-symbolic, symbolic, and social play, and engaging in group play/games
• Social interaction: For example, understanding of social boundaries, social reciprocity, interactions with peers, acquiring new behaviours by observing/imitating peers
• Functional routines: For example, following classroom routines, self-help skills such as dressing and toilet training, and using the teacher as a source of support
• Behavioural self-management: For example, emotional regulation, self- management, self-monitoring, ability to use effective strategies to cope with sensory sensitivities
• Pre-academics, learning and attention: For example, acquiring new learning skills, working within a group setting, and independent work

• Transition to School Planning: As children participate in the group program, entry to school program staff work with schools and other service providers involved with a child to prepare for each child’s transition to school

• School Transition Supports: When children complete the group-based program, during the first six months after children start school, ETS program staff are available to provide targeted consultation support to families and/or educators, upon request, to support a successful school transition

Transition supports are individualized and vary based on each child’s needs. Transition supports may include

• Development of resources for classroom educators to support a child’s transition to a classroom setting
• Consultation, including planning meetings, school visits and observations
• Information sharing and attendance at meetings
• Planning and problem-solving
• Capacity building supports including modelling, sharing assessment tools, building strategies for student success and staff training; and
• Contributing to the development of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the child

The group-based program will be delivered in a community setting, with consideration of opportunities to leverage existing settings in local communities if relevant (such as childcare centres, preschools, schools) and based on local capacity and community partner agreements. The program is intended to be delivered in person, where possible. Virtual delivery options may be considered if required to address local needs.

The program will be delivered considering the various cultural, linguistic, and geographic populations of children within a service provider’s region, including but not limited to First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and families, Francophone, and other linguistic populations, as well as rural and remote communities.

Program goals

The goals of the OAP – entry to school program are

• to facilitate young children’s skill development in school readiness skills to support their transition to school
• to support young children on the autism spectrum to successfully transition to school
• to empower parents to be active participants in their child’s team supporting their transition to school

Ministry expectations

Services will be

• reflective and responsive to individual, family and community strengths and needs
• accountable to the individual, family, and community
• sensitive to the social, linguistic, geographic and cultural diversity of families and Indigenous communities
• staffed by individuals with a suitable range of skills and abilities necessary to respond effectively to the needs of children/ youth and their families

Entry to school program providers are expected to

• Coordinate information sharing with schools prior to the school transition: Service providers will coordinate case-conferences and support sharing of information with all other parties, including the school-based transition team and other OAP funded and special needs clinicians providing services to the child, to identify the child’s strengths and needs
• Conduct consultations: Service providers are expected to consult with other clinicians already working with the child (such as behaviour analysts, occupational therapists and/or speech language pathologists) to align treatment goals and strategies, and gather information to support development of the child’s school transition plan
• Collaborate with school boards: Service providers are expected to work closely and collaboratively with their respective school boards in supporting a child’s transition to school by working with the school-based transition team members to participate in the development and implementation of child-specific transition plans that are based on the individual needs of each child. With appropriate consent, service providers will also share information with the school-based transition team members on the child’s progress in the program prior to school entry

Reporting requirements

Service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.

A supplementary report providing additional information may be required (reporting template and dates to be provided separately).