Autism Services and Support

Our services are covered by OAP funding and many workplace extended benefits plans.

Raising a child with special needs can be rewarding AND challenging. If you have a child who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) then you already know that it is critical to explore every treatment modality in order to find the right fit for your family. Most parents of children with Autism get directed towards ABA treatment. This approach does not align with the needs and values of every family.

Alternatives are available - alternatives that foster healthy, fulfilling family relationships AND are effective at supporting children with Autism to achieve better social engagement, social skills, behaviour and relationships.

Book Autism Services in Toronto

At Attuned Families, we understand that each child’s differences can be honoured as we support them to develop meaningful social connections, pro-social behaviour and the ability to better regulate their emotions. That’s why our team of associates offer a relational, play-based, child-centred approach, using a variety of evidence-based therapies.

DIR Floortime Therapy and Theraplay and The Safe and Sound Protocol

Our Therapists understand that every child and family is unique, so they tailor their approach for each family, drawing on tools from many different Therapeutic Models, including DIR Floortime Therapy and Theraplay.

DIR Floortime Therapy and Theraplay are both play-based therapies that involve children and their parents in fun activities that promote connection and co-regulation so that children are easier to parent and have the opportunity to develop better self control, behaviour and emotion-regulation. Both of these therapies have good research support for their effectiveness in treating Autism.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a non-invasive listening therapy (see below for more), the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated in a wide range of studies involving children with ASD. The Safe and Sound Protocol is a lovely compliment to DIR Floortime and Theraplay.

Safe and Sound Protocol

The Safe and Sound Protocol, AKA Safe and Sound Music Therapy, Safe and Sound Treatment or SSP,  is a non-invasive application of Polyvagal Theory, based on decades of research and developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. The process includes listening to Safe and Sound Protocol Music, which is popular music that has been specially treated to help ‘prime’ the nervous system by exposing it to different sound frequencies.

Listening to these playlists through over-the-ear headphones helps the nervous system to more readily achieve balance, or “homeostasis.” To learn if the Safe and Sound Protocol can help you or your child, book now for your complimentary phone call.

Who can benefit from the Safe and Sound Protocol? 

The Safe and Sound Protocol can help anyone struggling with emotion regulation, behavioural organization, hearing sensitivity and listening, and social skills. The Safe and Sound Protocol is a great option for anyone, including kids, who is not quite ready for talk therapy. Safe and Sound Protocol is helpful for anxiety, behaviour regulation, difficulties with social connection, attention, and learning differences.

How does Safe and Sound Protocol work?

The client listens to specially-treated music through over-the-ear headphones while regulating the nervous system with the support of a therapist. You can complete the Safe and Sound Protocol at home or in person at our office.

Why does the Safe and Sound Protocol work?

What you hear, and how you hear it, influences how the body responds.

Listening is connected with the vagus nerve, the body’s internal control centre for processing and responding to cues and signals from the world around us.  The Safe and Sound Protocol uses specially-filtered music to train the neural network associated with listening to focus on the frequency range of the human voice.

We look, speak and listen with the same system. When the voice changes, the body responds. As we learn to focus on the sound frequencies of human speech through the SSP program, the vagus nerve becomes stimulated and the state of feeling more safe and calm becomes accessible.

Most modern-day threats to our safety and well-being are social and relational and therefore connected to the human voice. Certain tones can trigger unconscious responses in our nervous system, leading, over time, to difficulties in behaviour and emotion regulation, as well as social engagement. The SSP program, which is facilitated by qualified and certified professionals, employs a practical bottom-up approach to help people regulate their nervous system more consistently and independently.

The Safe and Sound Protocol evidence comes from years of research on the nervous system and behavioural symptoms by Dr. Porges, the developer of Polyvagal Theory.

If you think you or someone you love could benefit from this innovative treatment, book your complimentary phone call now.