2024–2025 Services delivered: OAP services — evidence-based behaviour services and family support workers

Component: Autism

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017

Service description

To provide services to children/youth with current behaviour plans until they transition into core clinical services in the needs-based Ontario Autism Program.

People served

Children and youth will meet the following criteria

• All children and youth have received a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder from a qualified professional up to the age of 18 and have an existing Ontario Autism Program Behaviour Plan

Program/service features

There are two primary services in the Ontario Autism Program (OAP):

1. Evidence based behavioural services and Family Support Workers.

• increase parent/caregiver and Family Team members’ knowledge of and skills in using behavioural strategies
• support early child development to increase the rate of learning in young children in all areas of their development (where appropriate)
• teach children/youth the skills they need, as identified in collaboration with families, to participate at home, at school and in the community
• reduce challenging behaviour

2. Family support workers

• provide families who are currently in service with support to plan for the broader range of services, activities, interests and goals of each child or youth and their family; and support families to transition into interim one-funding or the needs-based autism program

Specific service provided

Evidence based behavioural services may be offered through the Direct Service Option (DSO) or the Direct Funding Option (DFO).

An OAP Behaviour Plan is a detailed description of the evidence based behavioural services that the child or youth will receive in the OAP. This plan is required for every child and youth receiving evidence based behavioural services in the OAP. Existing behaviour plans can be extended with no gap in service, up to its current level of intensity, or less where clinically appropriate, until the child or youth transitions into eligible core clinical services offered in the needs-based Ontario Autism Program.

Clinicians will conduct regular reviews every six months to assess a child’s progress and set goals.

The plan is based on feedback from the family, and a clear understanding of the family’s expectations, capacities, and priorities, as well as the clinical recommendations from the OAP Clinical Supervisor and must include all elements of the Behaviour Plan as outlined in the OAP Clinical Framework and the OAP Behaviour Plan Instructions. While each Behaviour Plan is unique to each child/youth and their family, there are a number of common steps that OAP providers are expected to follow in the plan development process as outlined in the OAP Guidelines, OAP Clinical Framework and OAP Behaviour Plan Instructions.

It is also expected that every OAP Behaviour Plan will include the following elements

• brief background information
• summary of Behavioural Observations/assessments
• strengths of the child/youth
• domains to be addressed
• skills to be developed
• behaviours to be decreased (if needed)
• process for assessing interfering behaviours (if needed)
• planned intervention and maintenance approach
• evaluation plan
• risks and benefits of the intervention
• roles of family/caregivers
• roles and responsibilities of clinicians
• inter-professional collaboration
• ongoing communication plan
• clinical Supervisor’s rationale for recommended intervention
• additional information as required
• attachments, including assessment results
• signatures of the parent/guardian/youth and the Clinical Supervisor

OAP clinical supervisor attestation

Clinical Supervisors are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a child/youth’s OAP Behaviour Plan and must meet several required qualifications as outlined in the OAP Guidelines (January 2018, section 5.4). OAP Clinical Supervisors must collaborate with the Family Support Worker and keep them informed of any changes or updates to the Behaviour Plan as necessary. OAP Clinical Supervisors who are not on the OAP Provider List must provide a signed copy of the OAP Clinical Supervisor Attestation Form to each family prior to providing ABA services. Families are required to submit a copy of the signed Attestation Form when they reconcile their OAP funding.

Front-Line Therapists are responsible for implementing the services outlined in the Behaviour Plan and must receive an appropriate amount of training and clinical supervision from the Clinical Supervisor. Recommended qualifications for front-line therapists are outlined in the OAP Guidelines (January 2018, section 5.4).

Administration of OAP direct funding option (DFO)

Transfer Payment Recipients administering the OAP direct funding option are required to

• check all required documentation including the OAP Behaviour Plan, OAP Clinical Supervisor Attestation and OAP Behaviour Plan Budget for completion for the purpose of flowing funds. This is an administrative review and does not include a clinical review of the OAP Behaviour Plan
• within 30 calendar days of receiving the required documentation outlined above, issue funding for services as outlined in a child or youth’s OAP Behaviour Plan or advise of any additional information required
• provide and enter into a funding agreement with the family, which will outline both the funding and reconciliation process
• reconcile all submitted receipts within a maximum of 30 calendar days after the last receipt is submitted for direct funding

If it is determined that funding was spent on ineligible services, steps will be taken to recover the funds from the parent/caregiver who has signed the agreement.

Family support workers

Transfer Payment Recipients are required to maintain Family Support Workers until children with OAP behaviour plans transition into core clinical services.

The primary role of Family Support Workers is to support families in the following ways

• continue to help families plan for and access a broader range of services beyond evidence based behavioural services
• help families understand how to access interim one-time funding and the options for how the funding can be used to achieve their goals
• support and participate in the Coordinated Service Planning process where appropriate ensuring streamlined service delivery and communication to avoid duplication of roles
• initiate and support the development of a youth’s transition plan and coordinate connections to adult services and community supports including education, post- secondary and employment supports
• conclude the OAP Family Service Plan and provide all relevant Family Service Plan documentation to families

If capacity permits, Family Support Workers may also provide other family services to support parents/caregivers to become

• active in their child’s intervention with the skills, knowledge and resources required to help their child reach his/her fullest potential
• informed about relevant behavioural terms, how to support family routines, strategies to promote generalization and maintenance of skills
• engaged in effective collaboration with professionals
• aware of the resources available to them and how to access them

Program goals

The goal of this program is to

• Ensure children/youth with existing behaviour plans continue to access seamless, evidence-based services until they transition into Core Clinical Services in the needs-based OAP

Ministry expectations

Services will be

• reflective and responsive to individual, family and community strengths and needs
• accountable to the individual, family, and community
• sensitive to the social, linguistic, geographic and cultural diversity of families and Indigenous communities
• staffed by individuals with a suitable range of skills and abilities necessary to respond effectively to the needs of children/ youth and their families
• based on the individual’s assessed needs, preferences and availability of individual, agency, community, and contracted ministry resources

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.