Specialized Services and FSCD/PUF common approach
Specialized Services are funded by FSCD (Family Support for Children with Disabilities). They are intended to support families of children with severe disabilities or delays in at least 2 areas to learn specific skills and strategies to support their child’s development at home and in the community. Each family has a individualized plan with goals to meet their needs and priorities. Specialized Services are intensive in nature, providing a maximum of 20 hours of Aide support and up to 48 hours of consultation with each therapist per year (SLP, OT, Psychologist, PT) based on the child’s main areas of disability/delay.
PUF (Program Unit Funding) is provided by Alberta Education to support children 2.5 to 6 years with a severe developmental disability or delay. Supports are offered at their preschool and/or kindergarden. Children can access these services for up to 3 years if they meet the eligibility criteria.
What is Common approach?
As of September 2015, children that qualify for Specialized Services and PUF should have a common approach on services. This means to have the same team of professionals and one plan across both settings, home and school.
PROVIDERS OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES
Achievements Unlimited: Specializes in providing services to both preschool and school-aged children with FSCD funded contracts. Offers a wide range of therapy services tailored to address various developmental needs. Neuro-affirming and trauma-informed approach, creating a playful, nurturing, and validating environment for children. They work in a transdisciplinary team that includes a psychologist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, trainer, and a team of well-supported therapy aides. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that each child’s unique needs are comprehensively addressed. Therapy sessions take place in the familiar and comfortable environment of the child’s home. This setting promotes a sense of security and ease, facilitating the therapeutic process. Can also meet in community locations to support the child/family’s needs. Provides direct billing to FSCD and within FSCD rates.
A Heart for Families: Provides services to individuals of any age. Can work with a child’s PUF provider to offer a common approach.
Along Dusty Trails: Providing traditional and alternative speech-language programming, offering both 1-1 and social-language group based supports, that are engaging and tailored to each individual’s abilities. Connect and to chat in more detail about your goals!
Airdrie Foundation 4 Early Intervention: Partners with Connections 4 to support a common approach to service delivery for children 2.5 to 6 years old who are eligible for both SS and PUF programs.
Ascend Pediatrics: Multidisciplinary team offered play-based therapy to provide services for children from 6 months old to 18 years old. We offer occupational therapy, speech language pathology, and psychology services.
Autism Partnership: Offers an ABA approach and also provides PUF services at BTLC and/or a community preschool. Services for children 18 months to 6 years old.
Behaviourlytics: Offers individualized learning programs developed and monitored by a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Proves Team training in positive teaching practices to develop functional life skills. Monitors progress to make in-moment decisions to ensure all individuals achieve their goals.
Carly van Boven Consulting: Offers Behaviour Consultation for both Specialized Services and DBS contracts. She works with the families in their home and community implementing goals related to behaviour, play, social communication, & daily living skills. Carly van Boven Consulting uses the principles of Applied Behaviour Analysis to make meaningful change in her clients’ lives. Carly van Boven Consulting can support children between the ages of 2 to 8 years of age.
Cause and Effect: Offers a play-based approach and provides PUF services at community preschools. Services for children 2.5 to 6 years old.
Centre for Autism Services Alberta: Provides services by Board Certified Behavioural Analysts to children 18 months to 18 years old. Only provider in Alberta accredited by CARF International in both Autism and Behavioural supports. They collaborate with any PUF provider to offer a common approach.
Chin, Gael: Board Certified Behaviour Analyst providing Applied Behaviour Analytic (ABA) services to the neurodiverse pediatric and adolescent population, specializes in the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviours using function-based interventions that are developmentally aligned to the individual. Prioritizes the use of evidence-based practices to support individuals in acquiring skills related to communication, self-regulation, social behaviours, toileting and sleep. Typically 1-4 weeks wait time.
Connecting Dots: Provides services to individuals of any age. Can work with a child’s PUF provider to offer a common approach.
Elevated Abilities: Offers quality services and creates caring communities for the
most vulnerable. Programs consist of a multidisciplinary approach for children 2-
17 with disabilities and their families.
FUNctional Foundations: They believe that each child and family are unique, and their passion is empowering families on their journey of discovery, maximizing their child’s potential in a FUN and FUNctional way. They’re a transdisciplinary therapy team consisting of a Speech Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and Psychologist with over 50 years of combined experience. They provide supports for a wide range of disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and other developmental delays.
I’m for Kids: Specialized Services and PUF provider for children 2.5 to 6 years. Could also offer PUF only in community preschools.
Intuitive Therapy Solutions Ltd.: This a community-based private Pediatric Therapy practice serving Airdrie, Calgary, and surrounding area families with children aged 0-18, specializing in Feeding Therapy. They currently offer Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Behavioural Consultation, Registered Dietitian, Feeding Therapy, and aide support services in-home and virtually. Alberta-wide Teletherapy is also now available; as part of this, they offer a 15-minute complimentary phone consult to support people in finding the best fit for their family. This organization has the ability to support FSCD contracts, including Behavioural Developmental Supports (BDS), Specialized Services (SS), and coordination services.
Jared Hazzard: Offers Behaviour Consultation from an ABA perspective for both Specialized Services and DBS contracts through FSCD. Families also have the option of hiring privately. Jared believes in working collaboratively with families to create an environment in which people of all abilities can thrive. He does not believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach; interventions and strategies are tailored to meet families where they are at, reflecting the primary value of “seeing” and respecting each individual.
Jessica Fritz, Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst: Jessica provides services to children of all ages using an evidence-based approach to address challenging behaviours in the natural environment. Jessica works on DBS and Specialized Services contracts through FSCD. She provides services to families in Calgary and the surrounding areas. Jessica believes in collaborating with families and other community members to build up the individual’s potential, while at the same time strengthening everyone’s knowledge and skills. She is dedicated to designing and supporting families with individualized strategies that are specific for each child and their unique ways of learning while using the principals of applied behaviour analysis.
Kids ETC: Provides psychological services to young children, adolescents and their families. Executive director, Dr. Stacey Tomanik is a registered psychologist with 25 years of experience working with children with behavioural, cognitive, learning and emotional challenges. She specializes in applied behavioural analysis (ABA) and providing intervention for children with autism. She provides assessment, treatment and consultation services. Kids ETC provides diagnostic, assessment, and treatment services for children and adolescents suspected of having: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disorders (difficulties in reading, writing or math), Giftedness, Anxiety disorders (selective mutism, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobias), Mood disorders (depression), Social challenges, Eating and Feeding, Disorders, Elimination Disorders (enuresis, encopresis).
Kin-Dir Education Foundation: Specialized services for children birth to 8 years old in home. Can work with other PUF providers to offer a common approach.
Lead Foundation: FSCD Programs: SS, DBS, & Triple P programs. Specializes in working with children diagnosed with ASD and their families. They offer individual and group-based programs. They also works with children of all ages who are eligible for Alberta Education programs. Their teams provide services in preschools, child care programs & kindergarten programs in Calgary and surrounding areas. Their multi-disciplinary teams include: Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Behaviour Specialists, Psychologists, and Child Development Specialists.
navigate for kids: An online tool to help find disability related resources for families with children up to 18 years of age with developmental disabilities in Calgary. It was created to help parents/guardians, educators and professionals find supports specific to the child’s needs. It is a free web application available in Tagalog, Punjabi, Chinese and Arabic languages.
New Heights: Offers Specialized Services at home. Services for children 2.5 to 6 years old. Could work with other PUF providers to offer a common approach.
Pacekids Programs: Programs for children with special needs, including Autism. Preschool and Kindergarten programs are available at two locations (north & south), with both PUF and Mild-Moderate programming. FSCD-funded programs include the Toddler & Family Support Program for children 1-3 years old, BDS programming for children 1-10 years old, and Specialized Services programming for children 2-10 years old.
PlayFull Potential: Provides Specialized Services and can collaborate with PUF providers to offer a common approach.
Renfrew Educational Services: Specialized Services Program with a play based approach designed for preschool aged children diagnosed with ASD. Their PUF program is offered at locations across the city.
Sahaara Therapy Services: Works with children of all ages to support their development and independence through a play-based approach. In-home and telehealth services are available through FSCD (DBS and Specialized Services) or private insurance. They work with families in Calgary, Cochrane, Airdrie, and surrounding communities. They provide occupational therapy and speech/language therapy support, and work closely with behavioural strategists, physical therapists and psychologists to support all areas of a child’s functioning.
Sheija Abraham: Provides Occupational Therapy services for children with Autism and other diagnosis. Virtual sessions and in person sessions are available at the child’s home or in the community. Over twenty years of experience as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. Support with feeding, sleep, toileting, dressing, sensory processing, regulation, fine motor, and executive functioning skills.
Shore, Jared: A professional at the Communication Coaching Centre, with a career spanning over two decades. His expertise lies at the intersection of occupational therapy and speech-language pathology, notably focusing on neurodiverse paediatric clients and their families. Experienced in catering to the diverse needs of clients through Specialized Services (SS) and Behavior Developmental Support (BDS) contracts. Conducting sessions in the comfort of clients’ homes or within the office. His experience as a father to two children, and an uncle to a young adult with autism, informs and inspires his work.
Step by Step Early Intervention Society: Provides services for preschool aged kids with motor and developmental delays. Has a PUF program in their centre and/or in a community preschool.
Society for Autism Support and Services: Provides Specialized Services and PUF at their centre and/or a community preschool. Services for children 2.5 to 6 years old.
Sunlight Kids: Their psychologist and occupational therapist have more than 10 years of experience working with people with ASD. The psychologist uses ABA and/or Play techniques for children and youth. Offers gifted, psycho-educational, developmental disorders, cognitive, and psychological assessments. Sunlight Kids also has occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and behavioural/developmental aides for FSCD-approved specialized services.