Phone: 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
Monday – Friday
Alliston
129 Young Street
Alliston, ON, L9R 0E9
Barrie
Barrie By The Bay
80 Bradford St., Unit 110
Barrie, ON, L4N 6S7
Collingwood
Ontario Early Years Centre
250 Peel St.
Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3W2
Bradford-West Gwillimbury
Bradford-West Gwillimbury Child and Family Services
118 Barrie St.
Bradford, ON, L3Z 2B4
Innisfil
Rizzardo Health & Wellness Centre
7325 Yonge Street, Suite 1600
Innisfil, ON, L9S 2M6
Orillia
The Orillia Common Roof
169 Front St. S.
Orillia, ON, L3V 4S8
Midland
One Roof
230 Aberdeen Blvd.
Midland, ON, L4R 5N4
- Preschool Speech and Language
- Occupational Therapy
- Infant Hearing
- Blind Low Vision
- Feeding Clinic
- Neonatal Follow Up Clinic
In Children’s Development Services we work in close partnership with you and your family to assess and respond to concerns about your child’s development. Our goal is to work as a team. For most of our programs, at initial intake you will be offered a developmental screen in order to fully explore your concerns about your child’s development and to support referrals to additional services you may find helpful.
All information about your child is held in strictest confidence and is shared with members of the team supporting your child and family only if you give consent. Anyone you consider to be part of your ‘support team’ can be included, such as Physicians, Childcare Workers, Therapists, or other family members.
If your child has or will have multiple service providers to support his/her needs, a shared electronic record through the Children’s Treatment Network will be opened. This allows all the different professionals working with your child to share information, co-ordinate services and monitor your child’s progress. This will reduce the need for you to tell your child’s story over and over again and allows your team to build on past progress and experience. The electronic record will support you and your child beyond preschool years through to transition to school.
Please contact us if you have concerns about your child’s:
- Speech/language/communication
- Ability to learn
- Play
- Mobility and movement
- Hearing
- Vision
- Feeding and Nutrition
Our services are free and funded through the County of Simcoe, Ministry of Education, Children’s Treatment Network, Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Some services may be available by French-speaking professionals or interpreters. Some services may be adapted to meet the needs of First Nation, Métis, and Inuit families.
This program supports infants and preschool children who are blind or have low vision, as diagnosed by an Ophthalmologist. The purpose of the program is to ensure that young children who are blind or have low vision and their families will have access to the services necessary to support their child’s healthy development in all areas.
Services include child assessment, child and family intervention services and childcare consultation provided by an Early Childhood Vision Consultant. The Early Childhood Vision Consultant is specifically trained in blindness and low vision and its impact on child development. The Early Childhood Vision Consultant assists families and childcare providers to implement strategies that support the child’s development. Family Support services are provided by a Family Support Worker who offers assistance with issues related to the child’s vision loss.
You may wish to consider this program:
- If your child is diagnosed as blind or low vision or if you need assistance to obtain a formal diagnosis
- Referral to the program can be made while awaiting a diagnosis. The program can assist you in accessing the services to obtain a diagnosis
What you need to do to obtain this service:
- Families, physicians, optometrists, Early Interventionists etc, may refer the child to the program however written diagnosis from an ophthalmologist confirming the child is blind or low vision is required to receive services
- When low vision/blindness is suspected and families are having challenges accessing a diagnosis the program will attempt to assist the family in accessing the necessary service
Where this service is provided:
- Services are located in your local community and can be provided in a variety of settings including your family home
How do you access this program:
- Please call our Intake at 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
The Feeding Clinic provides assessment and treatment recommendations for children with significant feeding, swallowing and nutritional difficulties. A Physician referral is required to access this service. The feeding assessment is done by a team that may include a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist, and/or Dietitian. Where appropriate, the assessment may include a videofluoroscopic swallow study that is conducted in the Diagnostic Imaging department at RVH.
NOTE: This is not an emergency service. You should see your Physician or local hospital emergency department if a child’s life is at risk.
The Feeding Clinic should be considered if your child has:
- Suspected aspiration due to history of recurrent pneumonia or chest infections
- Difficulty swallowing as a result of a sudden change in medical status
- Sudden refusal of all previously accepted foods putting the child at risk for dehydration or weight loss
- Re-establishing oral feeding after a recent hospitalization (i.e., less than a month ago)
- Nutrition and growth concerns and has a motor or neurological involvement
- Difficulties meeting nutritional needs and is younger than 12 months of age
- Growth less than expected as assessed by a Physician
What you need to do to obtain this service:
- A Physician referral will be required to access the Feeding Clinic
- Speak to a member of your Early Intervention team and your Physician. If you do not have a physician or Early Intervention provider, please call Children’s Treatment Network at 1-866-377-0286 for information and assistance
Where this service is provided:
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
Who provides this service:
- Children’s Development Services, RVH 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
- Children’s Treatment Network 1-866-377-0286
The Neonatal Follow Up Clinic at RVH provides follow up services to low birth weight and high risk infants cared for in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The clinic’s aim is to enhance the quality of life for these children and their families. The clinic contributes to the care provided in the NICU through regular developmental monitoring, recommendations and early referral for intervention when necessary. The team consists of a Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, Registered Nurse, Paediatrician and Neonatalologist.
What you need to do to obtain this service:
- Infants are referred through the NICU at RVH only
Where this service is provided:
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
Occupational Therapy looks at how your child plays, explores, learns, and interacts in order to successfully participate in their day-to-day activities.
An Occupational Therapist helps a child and his/her family develop the skills needed so that activities are easier at home and in the community. As part of your child and family team, an Occupational Therapist will help to develop strategies that can be easily included in your daily routine.
Occupational Therapy Services could be considered if your child has difficulties in any of the following areas:
- Play: The ability to play appropriately with toys and with others
- Self-Care: The ability to dress, feed and manage toileting
- Motor: The ability to use their hands and body to participate in activities such as cutting and drawing
- Self-Regulation: The ability to be calm and alert in order to focus on activities and manage emotions appropriately
What you need to obtain this service:
- Families, physicians, childcare providers etc. can refer for services.
- Where this service is provided:
- Services are located in your local community and can be provided in a variety of settings, including, daycare, family home and hospital clinic.
Who provides this service:
- Barrie, Bradford, Innisfil areas: Children’s Development Services, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
- Alliston, Angus, Borden, Collingwood, Midland, Orillia areas: Children’s Therapy Services, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital 705-326-2214
Speech-Language Pathology looks at how your child plays, communicates and interacts within daily routines and activities at home and in the community,
A Speech-Language Pathologist helps a child and their family develop the skills needed to promote communication and emergent literacy. As part of your child and family team, a Speech-Language Pathologist will help you develop strategies that can be easily included in your daily routine.
A Communicative Disorders Assistant works under the supervision of a Speech-Language Pathologist. Communicative Disorders Assistants provide support based on goals set out by the Speech-Language Pathologist and the parents. Following an assessment by the Speech-Language Pathologist, coaching sessions with a Communicative Disorders Assistant may be recommended to address specific goals for a limited time.
Preschool Speech and Language services could be considered if your child has difficulties in any of the following areas:
- Play: The ability to play appropriately with toys and with others
- Receptive and Expressive Language Skills: The ability to understand what is said and express yourself with gestures, words and sentences
- Social Skills: The ability to interact with others
- Speech Sound Development: The ability to produce speech sounds so that they can be understood
- Feeding: The ability to manage age-appropriate foods
What you need to do to obtain this service:
- Families, physicians, childcare providers etc. can refer for services.
Where this service is provided:
- Services are located in your local community and can be provided in a variety of settings, including, daycare, family home and clinic.
Who provides this service:
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre is the lead agency for this program and we provide services in satellite offices in Alliston, Barrie, Bradford, Collingwood, Midland and Orillia.
How do you access this program:
- Please call our Intake at 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
This program provides a range of services to infants and pre-school children including:
- Universal Newborn Hearing Screening for all infants born in the region
- Specialized Infant Audiological Assessment services for babies requiring follow-up, based on newborn screening results
- Monitoring of high risk infants for progressive hearing loss
The purpose of the program is to ensure that infants and children who have a hearing loss or those who are deaf will have access to the services necessary to support their child’s healthy development in all areas.
What you need to do to obtain this service:
- Most children will enter the program directly through the universal Infant Hearing Screening process completed at the time of their birth
- Infants and preschoolers past the newborn screening age with newly identified risk factors for/or confirmed permanent hearing loss may be referred by their Physician or diagnosing Audiologist. Speak to your Physician or Audiologist to obtain a referral for services
Where this service is provided:
- Universal Newborn Hearing Screening is provided in Birthing Units at the time of birth discharge and in community follow-up clinics in various locations
- Audiology services are provided at RVH
- Communication Development Services are provided through RVH’s Children’s Development Services and the specific location is dependent on the intervention the child requires.
- Family Support is offered at the Common Roof in Barrie
- Ongoing Audiology and Communication Development Services for infants and preschool children diagnosed with Permanent Childhood Hearing Impairment who meet the eligibility criteria
- Family Support to provide assistance with issues related to the child’s hearing loss
How do you access this program:
- Please call our Intake at 705-739-5696 or 1-800-675-1979
Referral Instructions
Families, physicians, childcare providers etc. can refer for services. The intake worker will gather basic information from the person making the referral and mail a background information package for the child’s family to fill out which provides information to best plan the assessment.
Children and Community Services Early Intervention
Directions
Take the Atrium (Orange) Elevators to level 1. Turn right out of the elevators and follow the blue navigation line.
