Parents


At home, at school, and in the community…parents matter!


Parents play a vital role in the education of their children. As partners in the process, parents can provide perspectives and information that will broaden educators' understanding of the student. Parent participation will enhance program planning and assist in the determination of educational goals, methods, and motivational strategies that are most appropriate and effective for a student.


Students with ASD generally have difficulty transferring or generalizing skills from one situation or environment to another. The learning process for a student with ASD is supported when the same skills and concepts are reinforced in both the home and school environments.


As a parent, here you will find information and resources on the Connections for Students process and how this model can support your child with ASD.

Glossary of Terms

View each definition by clicking the title bar then click again to close.

Download the entire glossary of terms in PDF format.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)

Applied Behaviour Analysis employs methods based on scientific principles of learning and behaviour to build useful repertoires and reduce problematic ones. Using this approach, there is a clear definition of the behaviour(s) to be changed, careful recording of the behaviour, and analysis of the antecedents and reinforcers that can be used to help develop new adaptive behaviours and reduce undesirable behaviours.


Interventions based on behavioural principles are data-driven and designed to change the behaviour, and the program is monitored closely. Progress is accessed, empirically, and the program is modified as necessary. ABA can be applied to anyone including people of every age, it can be applied in a variety of situations, and it can be employed for very limited and specific purposes, such as for the development or reduction of single behaviours of classes of behaviour (to improve relaxation skills, reduce smoking behaviour, teach more effective social skills).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term to describe a subset of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). These disorders share three common areas of concern:


  • Qualitative impairments in social skills
  • Qualitative impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Restricted and repetitive interests or behaviours.

When using the term ASD, most professionals are referring to the subset of PDDs , that includes Autistic Disorder (referred to as Autism), PDD-NOS (not other wise specified), and Asperger's Disorder.

Capacity Building

Increasing knowledge, expertise, and ability for a community, organization or individual to contribute to addressing the needs of children and families.

Co-Morbid

Two or more disorders being experienced by one individual.

Evidence Based

Based on research and data driven, with measurable outcomes; needs are revealed through data and action plans are delivered from the data; data is used to establish baseline upon which impact can be measured.

Instructional Strategies

A range of approaches educators use to engage students in the learning process and enable them to achieve their learning potential.

Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI)

Intensive Behavioural Intervention is an intensive and comprehensive form of intervention that was designed for young children with autism spectrum disorders. It is based on the principles and techniques of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA).


This intervention may be thought of as an intensive form of teaching children that typically involves between 20 to 40 hours of intervention per week, and that addresses skills deficits, (across a curriculum of developmental skills) together with approaches to improve behaviour.

IBI makes use of a wide variety of specific techniques including a one-to-one discrete trial approach with opportunities for very frequent learning trials, as well as more naturalistic approaches which may take place in home-based programs, specialized small group settings, or integrated settings. As the case with any form of ABA, antecedents and reinforcers are analyzed, the program is carefully monitored, progress is assessed, empirically, and the program modified if necessary.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD)

A general term to describe a class of disorders that shared the following characteristics: impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, verbal and non-verbal communication skills, and a limited number of interests and activities that tend to be repetitive.

Resource Type School Board/AIP Posted
Connections for Students
Parents Brochure
PDF Simcoe County District School Board Mar 1, 2011
Connections for Students
Parents Brochure
PDF Toronto Catholic DSB/Surrey Place Centre Mar 1, 2011
Parent Questions & Answers PDF Near North District School Board Mar 1, 2011
What is Connections PDF Thames Valley DSB/St Clair DSB/Thames Valley Children Centre Mar 1, 2011
Connections Information Brochure PDF Thames Valley Children Centre Mar 1, 2011
Glossary of Terms PDF - Mar 1, 2011

* The resources made available are for use as examples of tools and templates that have been found useful by boards and AIPs that have implemented the Connections for Students model. The intent of the tool and template examples is to assist in the development of resources. Boards and AIPs that have developed such resources to meet their own local circumstances, and as such, these resources may not reflect the realities of all projects.