Skip to main content

What We Do:

Caregiver-mediated early years (C-MEY) programs support families with young children ages 12 months to 48 months (4 years). Pathways partners with TVCC to provide the C-MEY program to parents and caregivers of young children diagnosed with autism and registered with the Ontario Autism Program. Through these programs, parents and caregivers learn therapeutic strategies and specific techniques from professionals based on their child’s individual needs. The programs aim to build parents’ and caregivers’ capacity to support their child’s skill development in:

  • Social interaction
  • Play
  • Communication
  • Emotional development
  • Adaptive development and self-help skills

C-MEY Programs Offered in Our Community:

  • Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)

    For: children 12-48 months at start of intervention
    Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is an evidence-based intervention program that uses applied behaviour analysis (ABA) principles. PRT uses your child’s motivation to teach communication and social engagement. You will learn the core strategies of the program so that you can use it in day-to-day routines and interactions with your child.
    The program targets many skills, including eye contact, requesting, turn taking, play skills, and how to gain your child’s attention using a range of strategies.

  • Joint attention, symbolic play, engagement and regulation (JASPER) 

    For: children 12 to 48 months at start of intervention
    Joint attention, symbolic play, engagement and regulation (JASPER) trains caregivers about social communication skills. 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 the abilities, motivations and needs of each child and caregiver.

  • Social ABCs 

    For: children 12 to 42 months at start of intervention and have social communication difficulties
    Social ABCs is based on a combination of developmental and behavioural principles and focuses on improving a toddler’s use of vocalizations to communicate and share positive emotions with others. Opportunities for teaching and learning come from your child’s natural interests during playtime and day-to-day caregiving routines.
    You will work with a trained coach to learn the intervention strategies in your child’s natural environment, using play-based activities and daily routines that your child finds the most motivating.

Learn More About Social ABCs at TVCC

Registering For Caregiver Mediated Early Years Services

Parents and caregivers of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 12 – 48 months* who live in Ontario and have received a letter of invitation from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services through the Government of Ontario. (*Some clinical models have more limited age ranges).

After you have received a letter of invitation from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services through the Government of Ontario, register for C-MEY using TVCC’s online Intake and Referral form https://forms.tvcc.on.ca/220115221339947.  If you have any questions regarding the intake form please contact Samantha at 519-953-5680 or abs@tvcc.on.ca . You will be asked for your OAP Client Information Reference Number.

What To Expect

Once you register with TVCC, they will contact you to speak with you about the programs we offer to help you decide which program is best for your child and family. After choosing a program, you will be connected Pathways as a partner agency providing C-MEY in Southwestern Ontario.