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Autism Rehabilitation Services
What is the Autism Team?
We are an interdisciplinary team specializing in the provision of rehabilitation services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Our team includes professionals in the fields of occupational therapy, dietetics, speech-language pathology, developmental paediatrics, behaviour analysis, social work and education.
Our goal is to help children maximize their potential. We work together as a team to find effective and practical solutions for both individual and family's needs.
Who we are
Our staff includes:
- 1 Behaviour Analyst (position not currently filled)
- 1 Clinical Dietitian
- 1 Education Liaison
- 1 Occupational Therapist
- 1 Social Worker
- 1 Speech-Language Pathologist
- 1 Developmental Pediatrician
Who we help
We have a provincial mandate and therefore serve the entire province of New Brunswick. Service to our clients is provided in their language of choice (French or English). We see school-aged children until their 16th birthday.
Our mandate is to act as consultants, providing assistance to caregivers, therapists and teachers who are working with these children on a regular basis. Our team can help by providing consultation or training. We also offer comprehensive interdisciplinary assessments to guide intervention.
Services we offer
The SCCR Autism Team offers support as a centre of expertise. Children and their families travel to Fredericton for services such as in-depth, team-based assessment, program development or review, or feeding intervention. After the case management interview is conducted and the referral is deemed to be appropriate, family members, therapists, and school staff are encouraged to attend education sessions about Autism Spectrum Disorders and the teaching approach used by our team. Assessment and intervention is then conducted by team members to address priority goals identified through the screening process.
Medical appointments in the Developmental Pediatrics clinic are typically scheduled during visits with the team or may be scheduled independently.
What to expect when you visit
Before a visit, we consult with caregivers and professionals involved with the child. During the visit, designated members of the team work together, focusing on the goals identified by the family. The result is a verbal summary to caregivers, followed by a written report describing our impressions and recommendations.
We may also provide treatment or training materials such as pictures and/or handouts. We encourage caregivers and local professionals to attend appointments at the Stan Cassidy Centre in order to optimize treatment planning and to facilitate communication between all of the people involved in the child's daily life. Video and teleconferencing options are also employed to enhance communication.
How to get a referral
We have two separate referral processes, depending on where support is needed.
For home-based support, all referrals must be signed by a medical doctor, however, caregivers, therapists or school staff can begin the referral by completing the referral form. All referrals must be accompanied by medical and therapeutic documentation. After we receive a referral, caregivers are contacted in order to help is to understand their child's needs as much as possible. With permission from caregivers, we may speak directly with those professionals involved with the child on a regular basis. If the referral is appropriate for our team, we then decide which team members would be best able to help the child.
For school-based support, schools' education support services teams (ESS teams) are encouraged to reach out to their district ESS coordinator to discuss further. All school-based referrals must be signed by the district ESS director or designate. All documents can be found on the ONE site, under the Resource section of the ESS Connect intranet page.
Contact us
Attn: Autism Team
Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation
800 Priestman Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 0C7
Tel.: 506-452-5225
Fax: 506-452-5727