Subscribe to News 
Back to SearchLearning to socialize and dealing with sleep issues most concerning, according to families
Ottawa — August 24, 2020 — The COVID-19 pandemic affects us all, but unlike adults, children’s social and health needs impact their growth and development, requiring flexibility from the health-care system. Children and youth with autism need extra support during these trying times. To meet this need, and based on family feedback, CHEO has launched new social skills groups and sleep support services.
“Children and youth with autism already experience barriers in accessing social skill development opportunities,” said Monique Lugli, Vice President, Child Development and Community Services. “This has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic as everyone tries their best to physically and socially distance.”
CHEO’s Autism Program partnered with families to co-design new services to help children build social skills and, based on their discussions and planning, they identified sleep as another serious issue to tackle in a timely manner.
“It's impressive how a parent's observations and experiences can provide support to others, including health-care professionals," said Joanne Bryk, parent and member of the Autism Family Advisory Committee at CHEO. “I was pleasantly surprised that my participation in co-designing programs was so helpful and inspiring to staff. Thank you for the opportunity!”
New social skills groups target children ranging in age from 2 – 18 years and are free of charge. Teens can drop in to virtual chat sessions to independently practice their conversation skills and meet new friends with support from autism behaviour therapists. There are also different opportunities for all ages to get instruction and guided practice. Caregivers can get involved in some instruction and accompany their child or youth on virtual field trips to real locations to practice their social skills.
Sleep is another essential life skill. While some families may need medical intervention to support healthy sleep, others may benefit more from social or behavioural supports. Everyone's sleep story is unique. For this reason, CHEO’s new sleep support service take an individualized approach. Virtual workshops are coupled with 1:1 consultations to help families build strategies that can help children and youth fall asleep and stay asleep independently. Also, in an effort to support families prior to visiting CHEO’s sleep lab for an assessment, the Autism Program is offering a preparation course so families know exactly what to expect — building strategies, together, that can be used to prepare for the visit.
“It’s a privilege to co-design new services with families based on what matters most to them,” continued Lugli. “COVID-19 may have been a catalyst for these timely discussions but at the end of the day, pandemic or not, our team excels at thinking creatively — especially during this unprecedented circumstance.”
– 30 –
Media contact
Jessica St. James, CHEO
c. 613-608-8032 | jstjames@cheo.on.ca
About CHEO
Dedicated to the best life for every child and youth, CHEO is a global leader in pediatric health care and research. Based in Ottawa, CHEO includes a hospital, children’s treatment centre, school and research institute, with satellite services located throughout Eastern Ontario. CHEO provides excellence in complex pediatric care, research and education. We are committed to partnering with families and the community to provide exceptional care — where, when and how it’s needed. CHEO is a founding member of Kids Health Alliance, a network of partners working to create a high quality, standardized and coordinated approach to pediatric health care that is centred around children, youth and their families. Every year, CHEO helps more than 500,000 children and youth from Eastern Ontario, western Quebec, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.