A new autism services clinic is coming to Northumberland County.
Canopy Support Services, in collaboration with Northumberland Christian School, plans to open the Cobourg clinic this fall. Canopy Support Services provides specialized supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
“The Cobourg clinic offers significant benefits to families through reduced costs and increased accessibility,” Angela Rose, Canopy’s manager of autism services, told kawarthaNOW.
“By providing services closer to home and accommodating various schedules, the clinic minimizes travel expenses and time for families while making essential services more accessible,” Rose said. “Moreover, it strengthens community relationships by fostering partnerships with local organizations, creating a collaborative environment that enhances service quality and reach.”
The clinic’s setting promotes peer interaction among children and will help facilitate skill generalization to school and community environments — providing them the space to practise for school-based routines.
“Overall, the clinic’s convenient location supports families’ needs and contributes to smoother transitions and enhanced community engagement,” Rose added.
The clinic will be located at 8861 Danforth Rd.
Canopy has a team of more than 115 skilled professionals serving five regions including Northumberland County, Peterborough County, City of Kawartha Lakes, Durham Region and Haliburton County.
The new autism services clinic builds upon Canopy’s experience as a regional provider of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) based autism services for 20-plus years. Initially partnering with Northumberland Christian School in 2007, Canopy will once again utilize the school’s facilities to deliver in-person clinical services, including one-to-one behavioural services, family foundational groups, and group programming focusing on social skills and emotional regulation.
“We are extremely excited to expand the new autism services clinic in the Northumberland area to address a service gap and to bring autism services closer to home,” said Himanshu Shah, CEO of Canopy Support Services, which was formerly known as Tri-County Community Support Services, in a media release.
The Northumberland Christian School team is looking forward to welcoming Canopy into the building, said Ginette Mack, principal at Northumberland Christian School.
“We love creating partnerships with others who are serving children and families in the community,” Mack said. “We look forward to the opportunities that working together will bring.”
Canopy said this initiative marks a significant expansion of its commitment to enhance the lives of individuals across the Northumberland area.
“Our clinical team is committed to making a positive impact in the lives of families and we look forward to expanding and re-establishing a presence in Northumberland County,” Rose said.
Similar to Canopy’s established Peterborough clinic, the Northumberland clinic will be staffed by its existing team of clinicians, all trained in ABA and supervised by registered behaviour analysts with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario.
“This evidence-based approach ensures that services are both effective and tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual and their family,” the release noted.
For more information about Canopy Support Services and the autism services clinic in Northumberland, visit www.canopysupport.ca or call 1- 888-616-3456.
