AIM Children's Charity
475 Cochrane Drive, unit 3 L3R 9r4 Markham, ON, Canada

Help us celebrate AIM’s 10th birthday and support children with autism! We’re starting our year of celebration with our founder’s birthday campaign. See the link to party with us http://fnd.us/31mDx3?ref=sh_09v5s3_sh_7ddieSyuv917ddieSyuv91

Our social calendars may have drastically changed from what we first pictured due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But don't despair! Different does not mean cancelled. We don't have to give this pandemic the power to cancel the holidays. Here are some safe ways to celebrate the season with your family in 2020. #AIMwithoutlimits #autism #autismawareness #holidayactivities #tisthetheason

AIM will be closed in observance of the holidays beginning Monday, December 21st, 2020 until January 1st, 2021. Have a safe, healthy and joyful holiday season

Not only can engaging in sensory play provide multiple benefits, it is also a whole lot fun. An example of sensory play is playing with Playdoh, which can promote: - Coordination of fine motor skills and fine motor strength - Opportunities to practice social communication when providing labels for or talking about colours, textures, shapes, problem solving and pretend play - Increased tolerance to new textures and sensory input... - Regulation of emotions, as part of a sensory diet of activities, following periods of irritation or difficulty #autisminmind #autism #autismawareness #playandlearn #aimwithoutlimits #sensoryactivity #funtime See more

Behind every successful organization there are those supporting from behind the scenes- people that may not always get acknowledged. Zain and Iman are two of those people. Thank you for supporting our mission in spreading awareness on issues of accessible therapy and autism awareness through our Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, holiday videos, and future fundraising campaigns. With deep gratitude, you are appreciated! ... #AIMwithoutlimits #Autism #Autismawareness #volunteer #charity See more

A huge THANK YOU to @varietyvolunteers for contributing to our toy drive this year. Your generosity is what helps our children reach their highest potential! #AIMwithoutlimits #Autism #autismawareness #toydrive #donors

Affirmations are great, even if we dont believe them or think they’re silly at first, the more you say them the more you will believe them. Affirmations trick your brain into remembering how awesome you are! Here at AIM our amazing SLP, Suzette, encourages our kids to develop a growth mindset at a developmentally appropriate level. " I want them to know just because they can’t do something now, doesn't mean they won’t get it eventually."- Suzette ... #autisminmind #autismwithoutlimits #affirmations #childdevelopment #autism #autismawareness See more

Holidays are right around the corner, and we need your help creating a memorable moment that will last last a lifetime.

When the covid-19 pandemic hit, no one could have predicted the social, emotional, physical, and financial impact it would have on our society at large. The children and families we service were hit especially hard due to the higher demands and needs that come with autism spectrum disorder. Seeing this need, you came together to support us from the months of September to October by fundraising, donating, and raising awareness during AIM's participation in the Scotiabank Toron...to Waterfront Marathon. Together, we raised $32,000. That's 16 medical grade air purifiers and 800 hours of subsidized therapy for children waiting for government support. We called out for help. You answered. Thank you, for being our hero. #AIMwithoutlimits #Autism #AutismAwareness #charity #fundraising #nonprofit #giveback #donate #community #scotiacharitychallenge #torontowaterfront42k

11.11 always remembered and never forgotten. Here is a glimpse of how our kiddos celebrated #remembranceday to honor those who have fought and continue fighting for the freedom we have today. #aimwithoutlimits #autism #autisminmind #aba #poppy

We asked our wonderful staff what motivates them every year to participate in the #scotiacharitychallenge marathon, and here is what they had to share with all of you! You can still support these wonderful people who are here to make a difference for children with autism. https://raceroster.com//scotiabank-toro/pledge/team/265842 (Link in bio) #aimwithoutlimits #autismawareness #marathon #autismmatters #community #socialresponsibility

Welcome to our new normal! Here is what we do at AIM to keep everyone safe while having fun! We start the day bright and early to screen all staff and children and get them started on their day. During our therapy sessions, therapists are always wearing their PPE to ensure they can work closely with the children while also keeping everyone safe! ... We schedule gym times for 2 kids and their therapists at a time. The gym is always disinfected and ready for the next set of kids to play. We have physical distancing stickers all over the centre. Our kiddos do so well waiting in line 6 feet apart to wash their hands before lunch and snack times! At the end of the day, toys and surfaces are disinfected and garbage is taken out. Our therapists disinfect their face shields in the back room to prepare for the next day. Covid cant stop us! Enjoy your long weekend and see you Tuesday! ~The AIM Team

WELCOME BACK! It was so wonderful to open our doors again to our AIM families! Check out pictures from our first day with our new safety protocols at the centre in full effect...

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY! We are re-opening tomorrow, Monday July 6th. and we cant wait to welcome you back to AIM. This is our last newsletter and contains information about how to prepare your child for returning to the centre, and our new safety protocols. Any questions or concerns please dont hesitate to let us know. We cant wait to see you all! ~ The AIM team

Happy Canada Day! Our latest newsletter focuses on how to talk to your kids about COVID-19 in a way that helps them understand the importance of being safe as our communities start to open up, but without causing unnecessary fear and anxiety. If you have any questions please let us know. Enjoy the weather, and we will see you soon! ~ The AIM Team

There is nothing more important than the safety of our kids. This weeks newsletter focuses on teaching safety skills to children with autism, and includes some printable aids. If you have questions as always we are here to help, just let us know! ~The AIM Team

Wishing all our amazing dads a great day... you deserve it! Happy Fathers Day!

Deadline to apply is June 26th:

Play is a crucial skill for our kids social development, and encouraging play skills at home is the focus of this weeks newsletter! Please see the final photo for the latest workshops being offered by AIM. Any questions or to sign up please email us at [email protected].... Have a wonderful week! ~ The AIM Team

ANNOUNCEMENT ON OUR REOPENING! In preparation for opening our doors again by the end of this month, we are currently very busy expanding our center space and creating more therapy rooms. This will enable us to ensure proper physical distancing during sessions. We are so excited to welcome back our learners in an environment that is safe for everyone. Stay tuned for more updates! ... ~ The AIM Team

Visual supports are an excellent way to help our kids communicate. This week's newsletter focuses on how to use them at home with daily living activities, including brushing teeth, washing hands and getting to bed. If you have any questions about the materials please let us know, we are here to help you! Have a great week! ~The AIM Team

Happy June to our AIM families and community! We hope you are enjoying this stretch of beautiful weather and getting outside in the fresh air. This week's newsletter focuses on strategies to improve language skills while we are at home, and features thoughts from our speech language pathologist Eileen Hong. As always, if you have any questions please reach out. Have a wonderful week! ~The AIM Team

Hello everyone! This week's newsletter focuses on REINFORCERS... what they are, and how best to use them as a strategy for managing behaviour. As always, if you have any questions please let us know! ~The AIM Team

"...When I was 3 years old, a doctor told me I have something called autism...." You can read the rest of AJ's story below, which describes how AIM has impacted his life with our subsidized therapy programs. Our online #Toonie4Autism campaign is full steam ahead (link at bottom of post) with a goal is to raise $30,000 to fund these programs we provide kids like AJ... "My name is AJ, I am a 7 year old boy and I am the youngest with 2 older brothers. When I was 3 years old, a ...doctor told me I have something called autism. I wasn't able to talk and I used to get frustrated all the time because no one understood me. I sometimes just run when I feel frustrated and my parents had to catch me so I don't run out to the street. I know it was tough for my parents as they are new immigrants to Canada, they didn't speak English very well then and they didn't know what to do with me. They were desperate for help and luckily they found Suki and AIM. Suki helped my parents learn about different government services and support in York Region and I was lucky enough to be part of the AIM Without Limits Subsidized Therapy Program. I learned so much from my one-to-one therapy and the teachers from AIM worked so hard to help me with my behaviours and to use words to express myself. I remember my mom was so happy that she cried when she heard me say Hello for the first time. And now, I can use short sentences to communicate with my families and friends. This program has changed my life and I hope you can support our Toonie 4 Autism campaign so that AIM can change the lives of other friends who are just like me." Here is the link... even just a toonie will help us help a child! Thank you for your support! ~The AIM Team #Toonie4Autism https://www.canadahelps.org//dont-let-covid-19-stop-toonie

Hello everyone! Here is this week's newsletter, which features thoughts from AIM senior therapist Connie Liu. Please note: -We are starting an online circle time for early learners (ages 3-6 years) every Tuesday at 10:30am. ... -The deadline to register for our free Behaviour 101 workshop has been extended to May 20th. For more information or to sign up please e-mail [email protected]. Please reach out if there is anything we can help you with... we are here to support you. ~The AIM team

Hello! Hope everyone is doing well this long weekend. This post is to alert you to our FREE upcoming online parent workshops happening in May and June. Please take a look at the details on the posters below of our Behaviour 101 and Daily Living Skills workshops, and let us know if you are interested in joining any of these.... If you haven't taken any basic ABA workshops or training sessions before, we highly recommend you to take this opportunity to join these free classes. The registration deadline for Behaviour 101 has been extended to Wed. May 20th! Please feel free to contact me for any questions about these workshops. Thanks and have a fantastic week! Suki Choi, Service Director

Hi everyone! We hope that all our moms are having a wonderful Mother's Day. Here is this week's issue of the Weekly Peep, where our occupational therapist Angela Hj Lee shares some ideas to help with your child's home learning. Please note that AIM is offering two workshops for parents: Behaviour 101 on May 23rd & 30th from 10-11:30am Daily Living Skills on June 6th & 13th from 10-11:30am... For more information, e-mail [email protected]. Thinking of you all. ~The AIM team

Today is Giving Tuesday... and the launch of our online Toonie 4 Autism campaign to raise $30,000, supporting AIMs subsidized therapy. Aizen is one of the many kids who has benefited from this program. Here is his story about how it has helped him... My name is Aizen Smith, I am a 12 year old boy with autism. Id like to help AIM kick start their Toonie 4 Autism fundraising campaign this year to raise money for their AIM Without Limits Subsidized Therapy Program. I was diag...nosed with autism when I was 3 and a half after 15 months of waiting through York Region Early intervention. Without much support, my parents were struggling because my older sister was also diagnosed with autism and I had many behaviour issues which were tough for my parents to manage. Just when they were losing hope because they couldn't afford therapy on their own, they found AIM who provided one-to-one therapy at a subsidized flat fee. Through their program, I learned how to communicate instead of showing my frustration through aggressive behaviour, gained independence by learning self-help skills and they supported my parents as well with training. If it wasnt for AIM support, our family would be very different today and I would not have the independent skills that I have today. This was a major milestone for me and my family and I hope you can support our Toonie 4 Autism campaign so that AIM can help more children like me. ~ Aizen Many children like Aizen have benefited from the 9000+ subsidized IBI hours that this program has provided. Please support amazing kids like Aizen here and share this link with your family and friends. Thank you for your support! #GivingTuesday #Toonie4Autism https://www.canadahelps.org//dont-let-covid-19-stop-tooni/

A Message from Suki Choi, AIM's Service Director: I truly hope this message finds you well, in good health, and good spirit. During these difficult and unprecedented times, the staff at AIM is sending our warm wishes to each of you and your families. Please let your children know that our entire staff miss them dearly. As we all adjust to our new normal, we wanted to come up with a way to continue connecting with you. We will be sending you a newsletter every week to share s...ome tips and resources that can be helpful in your daily routine or just to say hi. We do not know what the coming weeks will bring, but in the meantime, please take care of yourselves, your families and your loved ones. Let us support one another with compassion, kindness and hope, as we journey through this together. COMPANY UPDATE: AIM is back in action and is now providing support to parents at home. We are offering these services online: -Parent training support -Occupational therapy -Speech-language therapy -Behaviour 101 & teaching daily living skills For more information about our services, please e-mail us at [email protected]. We miss you all and hope to see you soon!

It's the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! How are you celebrating our beautiful planet? #EarthDayAtHomeIt's the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! How are you celebrating our beautiful planet? #EarthDayAtHome

Every child with autism will grow into an adult with autism. AIM works with every child's unique abilities to help them develop the skills they need to grow into independent adults that can navigate this world. Watch Melody's journey with us...

Today is World Autism Day, and its certainly a very different one than we celebrated last year. On this day we want to reassure our families and our entire community that we are here for you. We know how hard it is to be out of your routine, and how worried you are that your kids will lose their skills. We are continuing to support our families through on-line parent training, and we are also researching the possibility of providing services through Telehealth videoconferenc...ing. This is all new territory for us but know that we will get through this together. Usually today is the day we launch our Toonie 4 Autism campaign to raise funds to support our subsidized programs. As we are unable to carry this out this year, if you are able to donate a toonie or two you can do it at the link below and share this link to your friends and families. Thank you, stay safe and healthy. The AIM Team https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/24632

Whats the difference between COVID-19 and the flu? https://themighty.com//03/covid-19-coronavirus-versus-flu/

COVID-19 UPDATE: In the best interest of all our families, staff and the entire community to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our centre will be closed from Tuesday March 17th- Sunday April 5th. **Please watch this page for more updates.**... The Public Health Agency of Canada has encouraged the practice of social distancing or minimizing close contact with others during this time. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Prevention measures include: 1) Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer. 2) Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 3) Avoid close contact with people who are ill. 4) Stay home when you are ill. 5) Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the garbage and wash your hands. 6) If you dont have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your sleeve or arm. 7) Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Be safe and take care, The AIM Team

#AIM ON SET! Here's a sneak peek from the shoot for our upcoming video, starring amazing AIM alum Melody Smith. Melody learned to ride a bus with the careful guidance of her AIM therapist. A crucial life skill that gives her independence every day. Melody gained great confidence at AIM which has helped develop her immense artistic talent. She grows as an artist every day. ... Every child with autism is unique... and children with autism become adults with autism. Here at AIM we give each child the therapy that suits their individual needs, and with the right help they can develop the life skills to lead fulfilling lives. Our video tells the story of Melody, and how AIM puts children on the path to becoming independent adults. Can't wait to share it with you... watch this page it's coming soon! #autismcommunity #AIMWithoutLimits #onset #videoshoot #comingsoon

Have you seen this video? Produced by the National Autistic Society, this short film allows you to experience a few minutes of living as someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://youtu.be/ycCN3qTYVyo

Hello AIM families! A reminder we will be closed Saturday February 15th & Monday, February 17th for Family Day. Have a safe, restful & fun long weekend. We are back at it on Tuesday! See you then!

#FillTheLawn Details for the next #autism protest at Queens Park on Tuesday February 18th: https://facebook.com/events/s/relentless-part-2/452150588734074/?ti=icl

Happy Lunar New Year! #lunarnewyear #yearoftherat #lunarnewyear2020 #kungheifatchoi #gongxifacai

From Laura Stone in The Globe and Mail: The Ontario government is extending funding for families with autistic children until they transition to a new needs-based autism program. The move comes after Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, announced late last year that the provinces new autism program wont be fully in place until 2021, instead of 2020 as previously promised. The delay caused parents watching the announcement to burst into tears be...cause they say their children will continue to suffer without the services they need... https://www.theglobeandmail.com//article-ontario-extends-/

Ontario Autism Program Update For families currently receiving funding for autism treatment who are waiting for information on the extension of their childhood budgets- the Ontario government updated its website today to provide more information: The website states: you will continue to receive services outlined in your childs existing behaviour plan until its end date. Your behaviour plan can then be extended with no gap in service, up to its current level of intens...ity, or less where clinically appropriate, until you transition into eligible core services offered in the new needs-based autism program. You can access the site for full details here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program#section-0 https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program#section-5

ATTN Ontario #autism families: The 2020 March Break Reimbursement Fund is available to families of kids with ASD who retain the services of a one-to-one support worker OR who paid for their child to attend a 2020 March break camp or program. APPLY HERE: autismontario.com/marchbreak

Sharing a great read from The Mighty. #specialneedsparenting #autismcommunity https://themighty.com//parenting-disability-autism-feeli/

A reminder we are closed from December 23rd to January 1st. We will see you on January 2nd! Happy Holidays!

We would like to give a special shout-out to our team members that won staff awards this year! From the left: John: Above and Beyond Award Vicente: Exemplary Leadership Award... Elin: Team MVP Award Jennifer: Above and Beyond Award Varsh and Connie: Staff Choice Award Thank you all for your continued dedication and incredible work with our kids. We cant do it without you and we are grateful for everything you do! #AIMWithoutLimits #DreamTeam

ITS HOLIDAY PARTY TIME! AIM now has a staff of 32 incredible team members who have all worked incredibly hard this year. Wishing all our families and the entire AIM community a safe, happy and restful holiday! #AIMfam #AIMteam #SeasonsGreetings

NEW PROGRAM ALERT! Childrens Friendship Training is a 12-week social skills group we are offering from January 13- April 20. Please see below for details; the cost is $360 and the deadline to register is December 17th: