School Years Program (4-21 Years)
Our School Years Program covers school entry to school exit and uses the Village View Service Delivery model. School Years services will support your child and family with home and community based needs. Children and youth with disabilities often need more support at key points of transitions such as starting Kindergarten, becoming a teenager or graduating high school.
We know it takes a village to help shape your child’s journey, which is why KidsAbility services aim to:
- Help your child to learn functional skills to do things they enjoy
- Support families, with a focus on siblings and parents
- Help your child with important things like making friends, staying healthy and planning for their future through our participation and community supports
Children and youth with disabilities often miss out on real-world opportunities to learn how to become independent, in comparison to typical children. KidsAbility supports are based on the Timetable for Growing Up Ready , with a focus on the six key areas of child development (referred to as the 6 F-words of childhood disability):
- Family
- Fitness
- Friends
- Fun
- Function
- Future
Services may include:
- Individual or team assessment and treatment ·
- Parent education and consultation ·
- Individual and/or small Group therapy
- Focus on promoting independence and increasing participation in home and community activities.
- Education, activity modification, equipment recommendations and/or environmental modification to address: positioning and/or mobility needs
Families and caregivers of children aged 0- school entry can make a referral directly to KidsAbility.
The referral process is different depending on where you live:
- Waterloo Region – all referrals for children from birth – 21 (or completion of high school) are made directly to KidsAbility through the Intake Team (519-886-8886 ex. 1214 or 1-888-372-2259) or by filling in the online referral form.
- Guelph-Wellington – referrals differ by age:
- Ages 0-4: Contact Here4Kids at 1-844-454-3711 (or by fax: 1-844-454-3739) through Growing Great Generations, a collaboration of organizations including KidsAbility.