Approximately 50% of all savants have autism, while only about five to ten percent of individuals with autism possess extraordinary savant skills.
Adult Support Programs (ASP)
Over the last month or so, our Adult Support Programs staff and participants have been keeping busy with lots of indoor activity since colder weather has arrived. We are grateful that everyone has been healthy up to this point in the pandemic and continue to do our best to keep everyone safe. A special thank you to all of our staff who are working on the frontlines everyday and ensuring that everyone’s needs are met. The participants who live in our homes and attend our day program have all settled into a quiet routine and things are going reasonably well even though they miss their old routines and families! We understand that the pandemic and the restrictions are more difficult for some people than others, and are fortunate to have one of our managers, Caitlin Stickney, taking an online course called Mental Health in the Time of Covid19 through Ontario Mental Health, CAMH and the University of Toronto. Some of our team leads from the homes are currently enrolled in a new course through SARC, called Venture – The Supervisor’s Skill Path. This course is for front-line supervisors who want to increase their skill set and become more familiar with their role as a leader.
We are excited to announce that we will be opening our 6th group home sometime in March! Another home in addition to our Supported Independent Living Program and our Day Program will increase the number of adults we serve from 27 to 30. (stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks)
We are currently leasing a commercial space on Airport Drive for a drop-in space for participants who are in our day program. This is especially helpful in keeping people safe since there are fewer places that are available to visit in the community due to Covid19. It’s also helpful to have somewhere to go to eat lunch, use the washroom and participate in relaxing activities when needed. Here’s a photo from our Day Program space as well as a photo of the donation of games and craft supplies that Toys R Us generously donated to our Day Program.
– Glenda Kpelly, Director of Adult Support Programs
