We were recently contacted through this site by Magnificent Minds, an  Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) center in Toronto with a holistic approach to education. The parent testimonial complementing the teacher who targets her son's needs and implements techniques that address these needs hits home for us. We feel lucky to have had excellent teachers and aides like this for Curtis for the last few years.
One of the common questions we get from friends is wanting to know what Curtis' aids do when they work with him. Below are examples of the work Curt's aids do and why it is so valuable in aiding his development.

It's very easy for Curtis to get off track at school. He is a couple of years ahead in math and reading but a couple of years behind his peers socially. This makes for all kinds of awkward situations that can leave him confused and sometimes defensive. He has a hard time at school without a very defined schedule. Recently when Caron knew she would be out, she broke the day down into 10 clearly defined periods of time for the substitute, including where to lead Curtis at recess so that he would feel comfortable and built in time for reflective journaling he likes to do at 1pm. Knowing that Curtis would be a little nervous with a sub he didn't know, the schedule was constructed to keep him busy but comfortable. The best case scenario for Curtis. He likes doing the same things at the same time whenever possible and this type of front loading prevents Curtis from having an otherwise lost day at school.
After school, the work Jamie does with Curtis helps him to overcome different challenges presented by his autism. She helps him to initiate conversations and stay involved once it has started whether at the playground or a grocery store. Goals include getting Curtis to make eye contact with people he does not know well when he speaks with them. Currently, there are still many times that he won't even bother to make eye contact with people he trusts. When I come home from work Curtis will ask me how my day was and sometimes offer to tell me about his day. These are not questions that are instinctual for Curtis to ask, but working with Jamie has helped him to understand the rules the rest of us play by. That these are the types of questions you ask and this is why you should be interested. Caron and Jamie help with the things that Laura is now trained to do but I am not and Curtis has benefited in his development tremendously with their help.

During these very important developmental years it's great to have people like this in Curtis' corner.

Greg, Dad