Joining ACIS

ACIS welcomes all children with special needs, with or without a referral.

Clients may be referred by other professionals in the field such as:

• Speech pathologists
• Occupational therapists
• Psychologists
• Pediatricians
• School staff, or
• The hospital at which your child was diagnosed.

Many of our referrals are made by another family presently receiving services through ACIS.

ACIS provides a holistic approach to IBI therapy to children diagnosed with:

• Autism;
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder (P.D.D);
• Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not otherwise Specified (P.D.D-NOS);
• Asperger’s Syndrome;
• Oppositional Defiance Disorder (O.D.D);
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D);
• Down’s Syndrome;
• Global Developmental Delay;
• Behaviour problems;
• Learning disabilities;
• Other neurodevelopment disorders.

Please follow these steps for easy and smooth transition to services:

» Step 1: Intake

• Your name and your address
• Your phone number
• Name and age of your child
• Your child’s availability for sessions, and
• Desired services.
• Who referred you (if applicable).

The administrator will contact you to answer any preliminary questions and may ask you more questions. You will then be sent an information portfolio which will include a:

• Brochure;
• Newsletter;
• Flyer containing basic info and frequently asked questions;
• Price list.

» Step 2: Consultation

After you have had a chance to review the literature, you may contact admin to arrange a consultation with Grace Damouni, director or ACIS. At this time you may wish to go over any questions with Grace.

At this time, discussion of additional optional services or referrals to a psychologist, a speech language pathologist, or a naturopath can be made.

» Step 3: Assessment and Parent Questionnaires

Once you have decided to commence services, an assessment will be administered to measure your son’s or daughter’s level of development in the following 5 domains:

1. Motor: Gross and Fine
2. Speech and Language: Receptive and Expressive
3. Social and Play
4. Adaptive Self-Help and Life Skills
5. Cognitive/Academic

This assessment is performed for programming purposes and is intended to provide a guide to program/curriculum development. It provides us with direction for setting program goals. As each child has different needs this assessment component is extremely valuable in directing goals and programs which meet each child’s individual needs. Thus, your child receives a customized program so that he or she benefits fully from treatment.

Your son or daughter will be reassessed at a 6-month or 1-year interval. At this time the family is also given parent questionnaires to complete. The parent questionnaire serves to provide ACIS and the team working with your child with some background information about your son or daughter. It also provides the family with the opportunity to list their expectations and goals within each domain. This is one way in which ACIS attempts to incorporate your feedback into your child’s program and goal development.

» Step 4: Therapy

Upon questionnaire and assessment analysis, programs are designed. This information along with all professional assessments administered by speech pathologists, occupational therapists and psychologists, is used to develop a holistic and comprehensive program to meet your child’s specific needs. Speech, social language, social skills, play skills, fine/gross motor, self help as well as cognitive skills are areas targeted for treatment.

Approximately 2-3 weeks from the date the assessment was administered, therapy begins!